That's the way the cookie crumbles...
Source IFL News Network
By Red 'urThorne
October 17, 2014
It's a brand-new season and it didn't take years to get here, even if it felt that way to some of its fans! It's not the same IFL that it was last season as the reigning champs opted not to return, although you can still find Dizzy, Kalamere and Gren around on other teams; the rest of the Badside Brawlers are MIA. Could be they thought there was nothing left to prove? It was a strong showing and maybe they would be right in thinking that way.
There are still some really strong teams left, and a fair number of new teams to cut your teeth on! Top Flight is back and I expect them to be as strong a menace, shedding a few under performers from last season -- Seirichi, Corlanthis, and Melanie, and adding Vanion and Jin. Will making the team all men improve their stats? Should be easier to focus on fighting opponents anyway, unless we're talking Royal Pain, in which case...hmm, that could be an interesting study topic. Onward!
Team Fist also returns in a streamlined version of itself, losing Blondie, Tarl and Sartan and adding Apple, who is new to IFL but a powerhouse dueler so don't be fooled by the FlyWeight rank! Honestly I'm looking forward to Week six when we'll see Top Flight go against Team Fist, I think that will be one hard hitting series of bouts that will be sure to leave some bruises and broken knuckles.
Asian Invasion returns! This group of duelers started off strong last season but ran out of steam before the end of the season, unable to sustain the brute force needed to finish on top. Have they been working on endurance? They have added some duelers that have been a strong presence in the Outback so maybe that's what they need to keep up any momentum they gain.
Team Dirty also returns but have shaken up the lineup enough that you might mistake them for some other team if it wasn't for the Captain and some other notable characters, because Khoom is quite the character, and I say that with love. Perhaps the most notable changes are the acquisitions of Shadow and Hope, as the two highest ranks on the team Claire made some smart decisions in filling the ranks of the duelers lost. I suspect this will translate into being the most improved team this season.
The last team returning is The Rock Hards. The lineup made some slight shifts, and adding Blondie will surely help the record of this team, the core of the team remains the same. A team known more for its entertainment value than its skill, I think we'll see a better performance out of this team this year. Yes, yes, I realize it'd be hard to have a worse season but I think they'll find their rhythm this year and pull off a few surprise victories. I'm rooting for them anyway, I mean who can root against a team of such enthusiastic people? *
New teams!
Three new teams sprung up to replace teams that aren't returning from last season. Champions of Mythos, Mercenarii, and the aforementioned Badside Brawlers are out, while Discombobulators, Royal Pain, and Hydra are in!
I'm looking forward to getting to know a few of these teams better as they are populated with people I know only in passing with a few exceptions. On the Discombobulators I know that Bob is adorable but I'm not sure that will work in his favor when he steps in the ring against some of the heavy weights this season. The team did manage to sign Cass and he'll provide some wins for the team but I think this season might be more about learning the ropes than climbing them.
Royal Pain is a new team headed up by the lovely Jewell Ravenlock and populated by all women. I wanted to be on this team but was rejected. I'm not hurt by that, ignore any tear stains you see on the pages here. But honestly, how much fun does this team look!? With mostly Trainees they have a hard road to travel but at least they'll be traveling it with good company. I recommend lots of milk and cookies, because that makes everything OK.
Last new team is filled with not-so-new people! Hydra led by Sylus has mostly old-timers from days of yore, or something like that. What a masochist he must be to take on herding this bunch of cats, right? That's about all I have to say for this team as I don't want to have to go on about how the team and duelers on it are so awesome. I won't be commenting on Hydra's matches either, for the same reasons. Don't make me have to pull out a list of 1,000 reasons why any week did not go as planned because that will take up a lot of ink and paper!
Remember! Milk, it does the body good.
*I'll be rooting against them in Week Two, but I have to do that, right?
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