MDL Power Rankings Edition #1
Season 25 of Mountain Dew League is underway, as the season’s first four maps have unfolded over the past few weeks. Last season I tested the waters with some power-rankings early on, and the feedback was great. As such, I plan to continue to create them on a bi-weekly basis throughout this season. Keep in mind that with 24 teams in the division some teams may have been excluded for one reason or another, as I wanted to avoid just simply copying the league’s statistical top five for the sake of variety and discussion.
▲ 1. Mask off (Mainline, Jcruel, Grampz, Convict, Ryan)
The mix of some old Vault chemistry and the experience of Mainline has paid dividends for Mask off, who sit atop the league standings as the lone undefeated roster in MDL. Their opponents were not ones to take for granted either, with two huge 16–8 victories over CLG Academy and Blight Gaming on Nuke and Overpass to kick off the season. The Foundation was the only team to give them trouble, taking them to overtime but ultimately falling by a score of 19–16. The real kicker here for Mask off is that no one single player is taking center stage, but rather we see a rounded scoreboard across their games so far. This is evidently a team that works well together, and it will be interesting to see how far they can carry this initial spurt of success.
▲ 2. Synthetik Gaming (yayster, 4sh0t, tex, montE, TenZ)
They may not hang on to this name long as they are currently looking for a new organization to represent; however, Synthetik takes second spot here over other 3–1 teams simply because two of their three wins are against Ronin and Rise Nation, two powerhouse squads that are also 3–1 and will be certain contenders throughout the season. Rank S member Yayster has been flexing his fragging muscles, attaining the highest RWS and top-frag spot in each of his team’s first four maps. Having an individual the team can count on to have the kind of impact that Yayster has had thus far is something that Synthetik should not take for granted, and hopefully the rest of the squad can follow suit and support their star player as the season progresses.
▲ 3. Mythic Reborn (adreN, fl0m, Polen, LeX, anger)
This lineup has been a highly contentious point of discussion, but the addition of anger for summit1g shows that the guys at Mythic care just as much about winning as they do about producing quality content for their viewers via participation in MDL. They earned their spot here just as any other qualified teams have, and have gone 2–2 to start in Season 25. Notably, Mythic were able to decimate Subroza’s FRENCH CANADIANS on Nuke by a score of 16–6. While losses are losses, Mythic in the very least has shown that in games against teams like Eanix and Pnda that they should not be taken lightly, as they were able to capture 11 rounds from each of those opponents. What should be taken away from the first four maps for Mythic is that this squad is filled to the brim with both experience and upset potential, yet consistency may prove to be a demon they’ll struggle with moving forward.
▼ 4. CLG Academy (aproto-, cardiac, Char-, djay, mcs)
Rising from the ashes of the Premier Rejects roster from Season 24, this lineup is looking to prove that they can hang with the best in MDL. They have gone 2–2 so far; losing to formidable opponents Eanix and Mask off, but were able to find a win over Beacon eSports who are a fairly strong team as well. Consistency is something that all teams in this league strive to achieve, but has eluded CLG’s mcs across his first four matches. This player has done extremely well atop the scoreboard for his team in both of their wins, but has found himself at the bottom in both of their losses. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues moving forward for CLG Academy who have a difficult schedule in the upcoming weeks where they will face top teams such as Rise Nation and FRENCH CANADIANS.
▼ 5. FlipSid3 Academy (X23, Rich, k00k, Jacob, cHEEtur)
The FlipSid3 organization saw some potential in this group of players prior to Season 25’s commencement; however, this potential has not come into fruition. Rather it has been a frustrating start for F3 Academy, losing all four of their first contests. It is unfortunate for them as well, given that teams such as subtLe and xoxo are ones that this lineup had a good chance to contest (Of course, subtLe has made the addition of the recently resurrected STREBOR who brings a wealth of experience to the team, allowing them to jump out to a surprising 3–1 start). Their schedule will only get harder from here to boot, with Ronin, Denial, and The Foundation making up their next three opponents. No single player really stands out as a problem statistically per se, but don’t count roster moves out for a team struggling to generate momentum and progress. The gentleman of F3 Academy will need to dig deep should they wish to turn this season around, and it will be interesting to see what kind of performance they can muster up against more formidable opponents in the coming weeks.
Players to Watch
- Dallas — Ronin
Dallas has been a staple in the Ronin ranks for some time now, and has come out in Season 25 firing on all cylinders. Currently leading MDL in frags per round (1.192) and ADR (111.9), Dallas has been a huge reason why his team is enjoying a nice 3–1 record to start the season. Huge clutches like these showcase the level of play Dallas is bringing game in and game out, and he isn’t showing signs of slowing down any time soon.
2. Yayster — Synthetik
Yayster has been making noise since qualifying for Rank S, where he gets a shot at playing against CS:GO’s best. In his league play, he has been a hard carry for his squad leading the way in both frags and RWS across the first four maps his team played. Look out for Yayster to continue this trend as his mechanical ability and high impact playstyle will continue to make Synthetik a threat moving forward.
3. Moose — Rise Nation
Continuing in stride from what can be considered nothing short of a hero performance in Season 12 of CEVO-Main playoffs, Moose has garnered the attention of the masses as one of MDL’s up and coming stars. Leading the way in frags for his team in each of their three wins to start Season 25, Moose’s abilities are without question in the upper echelon of Premier play. Watch out for Moose to continue to provide impact for his team, as well as for his clutch-round numbers to continue to grow throughout the season.
