Wollongong Smash 4 Power Rankings 1

INTRODUCING WOLLONGONG FGC SMASH 4 POWER RANKINGS!!

Here are the first official Smash 4 Power Rankings for April 2016. These are the strongest and most consistent players in our region for Smash 4, and these rankings are based on a collection of different results (from our local seasons to majors like EXPAND GONG).

NOTE: The Power Ranked players have been sorted into three tiers (and the players within each tier are considered equal in skill).

TIER 1:

https://www.facebook.com/brandon.jaque / Buster (Main: Link)

Over the last few months, Buster has laid a claim to the title of one of the best Wollongong players around - and with consistent 3rd or better placings at local events, it's hard to argue otherwise. Constant pressure and fast reflexes have allowed him to play Link at an extremely high level, giving even strong out of state competitors a run for their money.

https://www.facebook.com/reecetard36 / Thrillho (Main: Fox, Secondary: Mario)

Taking last season's playoffs from the Loser's bracket, Thrillho has managed to solidify his status as a top player in the local scene after slowly climbing his way through the ranks in the initial seasons. With his impressive tech skill and his ability to put enormous pressure on his opponent with Fox, it's safe to say that he deserves his spot in the 1st tier of players in Wollongong.

https://www.facebook.com/WacanBerry / Wacan (Main: Luigi)

One of the best all-around players in our region, Wacan has spent the last year trying to find the right character to suit his playstyle. Returning to life as a Luigi main after brief bouts with both Little Mac and Falco, his impeccably well-spaced neutral game has earned him a spot among Wollongong's top players.

TIER 2:

https://www.facebook.com/brendon.schofield / Bjschoey (Main: Fox, Secondary: Donkey Kong)

Since the beginning of competitive Smash 4 in the Wollongong scene, Bjschoey has consistently placed at the top of our tournaments. These days, he has a more relaxed tournament presence, often picking secondary characters instead of his main - but his serious endeavours field high placements and consistent results.

https://www.facebook.com/sean.thorpe.5 / 4Par (Main: Ness)

The king of the back throw! 4Par's careful and cautious play ensures that he's in control of the pace - and while he has not achieved the same high results lately as he has in the last few months, a strong result in Canberra proves that his Ness is still very much a big threat to any opponent he faces.

https://www.facebook.com/nicholas.j.thorpe / Thorpenado (Main: Yoshi)

With a strong neutral game and an intimidating off-stage presence, Thorpenado's Yoshi has rapidly been rising up the ranks in the Wollongong scene. Unfortunately, results at larger tournaments have not yet followed - but given his huge improvement over the past few months, it won't be long before his out of state performances match the caliber of his local ones.

TIER 3:

https://www.facebook.com/Frosty.House / Zephyr (Main: Pikachu)

A clever and calculating Pikachu player. Zephyr's inconsistency has kept him out of the upper tiers - but as his neutral game improves, so too will his results in local tournaments. He has taken and will continue to take sets of strong opponents more and more often as his proficiency with Pikachu increases.

https://www.facebook.com/aaron.cunningham.56 / Banan (Main: Captain Falcon, Secondary: Everyone)

Known for his distinctive golden Captain Falcon and the self-assigned title of “better than Chris”, Banan rose rapidly through the ranks in previous seasons of Monday Night Fights with his impressive speed and strong reads. With more consistent play and fewer 'Banan techs' (Self-Destructs), he will be able to re-establish himself in the higher tiers of Wollongong's players.

https://www.facebook.com/mattias.passlack / Hot Banana (Main: Bayonetta, Secondary: Rosalina & Luma)

Despite varying results in previous tournaments, Hot Banana's recent local win with Bayonetta - a tournament that included some of Wollongong's best - has earned him a place on the list. Once a Diddy Kong and Rosalina & Luma main, Hot Banana's victories are steadily increasing since he picked up Bayonetta - but time will tell if they will continue as opposing players strive to combat this tricky matchup.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

https://www.facebook.com/andrew.proudley / Prods (Main: Random Select)

One of the founding members of the Wollongong FGC and a master of fundamentals, Prods' thorough understanding of Smash Bros. as a fighting game allows him to perform efficiently against most players at local tournaments - even when he decides to let the game choose his character for him. Occasional Top 8 placings are evidence enough to suggest that Prods is more than capable of rising into the higher tiers if he were to focus on the game...or perhaps even commit to a single character.

https://www.facebook.com/mitchyluigifan / Doorbashr (Main: Link)

Doorbashr's performance across locals and major tournament events is largely inconsistent, but at the peak of his play, he is able to take games (and even sets) off of stronger players. At EXPAND GONG, he showed what he was capable of by defeating players from Sydney and eventually making it to the Pro bracket. While more consistent results at locals would push him into the higher tiers, his few notable achievements have earned Doorbashr an honourable mention on the Wollongong FGC PR.

These Power Rankings will be updated periodically after seasonal playoffs and bigger events - but as of April 2016, these are the best players currently in our scene based on previous results and they deserve some recognition. Congratulations to them!