[WNL6] Teams Preview | The Underdogs (1/4)

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Tardet

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Team Previews (1/4)


The Warband Native League returns in November to end this year’s tournaments, with the first matches set to kick off this weekend. The 6th edition of one of the most prestigious native competitions will see twenty-five teams battling head-to-head during an intense seven-week ladder stage in order to grab one of the six qualifying spots for the playoffs. In cooperation with the administrative staff of the WNL, we have prepared you a series of in-depth overviews, later followed by the regular match previews and reviews which should be published throughout the entire duration of the tournament.

Frontline Tactics  triumphal run in the Warband Summer Cup, taking down the boys from Unity in a rather one-sided grand-final, was certainly a hint that the order of things is being re-established within the scene. With the return of Geese Pack, who hadn’t played together since the last edition of the Warband Pro League, the participation of the recently formed polish squad, Reunited, and a big part of the Freelancers roster sort of reuniting under the new banner of Guess Who is Back, this edition of the WNL promises to be as exciting as ever.

In these articles, teams have been separated into four distinct skill categories, based on their recent results (if any) and their roster strength. The categories (from least skilled to most) are: The Underdogs, the Mid-tier, the Contestants, and the Favourites.



We begin our series of overviews with the Underdogs — Bad Name Studios, Bannerlord 20!8, Battle Brothers, Independent Warriors, Iraiven, Les Cordons Bleus du Gondor, Men of Borr, and Pirates of Fianna. This will be followed by the Mid-tier, the teams which all gather a solid group of skilled and experienced players. Then we will present to you the Contestants, a selection of highly skilled teams which we predict will fight tooth and nail for a playoff finish. Finally, we will be taking a detailed look at the four ‘Favourites’.





The Underdogs

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Bad Name Studios

Online placings in the last few months:
- N/A

Bad Name Studios is a relatively new team on the scene yet they’re not completely inexperienced. Led by Marko, they participated in the second season of the Warband Pro League, where they achieved a 19th rank finish. It’s been a year however since BNS has been partaking in a major tournament therefore it is hard to know what the team is really up to and what expectations its members carry coming into the WNL.

A positive sign for BNS is that they were able to conserve an important part of their former roster. Their three current leaders share competitive experience, alongside players such as Rat03, Sleekphantom, ShadowDK, Vengeful, Nuno, or Carlos. Having the luxury of possessing a core of players who have already developed synergy together, even far-off, could be an advantage coming into certain matches.




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Bannerlord 20!8

Online placings in the last few months:
- N/A

Known to be the leader of Balestra, who already participated in a few tournaments, Nexoner will try his luck with a new CIS squad for this edition of the WNL.

A few names such as Alex Bus, Dovmont, or Svan should ring a bell for the oldest players, and will be an important boost to help their team getting some wins. But unless miracles happen, it is hard to imagine this team going really far in the tournament.





Battle Brothers have started their competitive experience only a few months ago, but with participation in the Warband Summer Cup and Warband Summer Cup B, the team certainly has a clearer idea of their strengths and weaknesses. However, their roster has been under significant change, and not many of the players who took part in previous tournaments are left. In said tournaments, they have been learning things the hard-way, being put in the hardest group of the WSC and having to face two experienced teams in the WSC B, Malta and IW. No wonder their time in the WNL should be a bit more relaxed, with them likely facing teams of an equivalent strength, sooner or later.

That being said, any experience is good to take and with back to back participation in important tournaments, Battle Brothers are showing that despite the understandably hard results for a new team, they intend to establish themselves as a regular participant in native competitions.





Despite not being as renowned as other teams, Independent Warriors are no stranger to competition within the native scene, as they have been playing tournaments for quite sometime already. They had an excellent run in the Warband Monthly League, only being outrun by Unity in the end. Not initially part of the twenty teams who fought in the WSC, IW took a vacant spot in the WSCB, finished second in their group - losing to Malta only - but that defeat eventually preventing them from reaching the playoffs.

Nonetheless, IW is certainly part of the teams within the Underdogs which it should be good to keep an eye on as they have the experience to upset teams likely to underestimate them.





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IRaiven

Online placings in the last few months:
- N/A

Iraiven was founded two years ago, but most of the team experience comes from the CIS community. Making their very first steps within the EU competitive scene, Warralt and his players will certainly try to make a good impression in the WNL.

In the attempt to do so, the team has dedicated a lot of time to trainings and even though their first match against Ferocious Trident Wielders is expected to be a rather one-sided affair, Iraiven players will certainly have the chance to show what they’re capable of later in the ladder stage.




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Les Cordons Bleus du Gondor

Online placings in the last few months:
- N/A

Les Cordons Bleus du Gondor are the second french representatives coming into this WNL. Most of their core members are from KoA, another french formation which carries some experience on the native scene, their roster being eventually completed by a bunch of new players.

All in all, the WNL will be an opportunity for the frenchmen to gain experience and introduce their newest players into the competitive swing of things. No matter what, even if the team doesn’t go down in history for its results, their unique nicknames should be something to be remembered.





Men of Borr is a recently formed team but among the Underdogs, they’re certainly one of those who have the highest upset potential. Playing in the WSC and WSC B certainly was an interesting experience for them, and it appears MoB could be taking things even more competitive for the WNL6. Looking at their small roster, it could be a way of encouraging complete dedication for the tournament and to develop teamplay and synergy among their ranks.

From the team which played together in the WSC, only a few players such as Borr, Pelli, Juke, Eijnar or Apfel are left. But with the interesting additions of Momchilo or Arglaxx, Walja, their leader, certainly has the opportunity to get a decent run in this competition and potentially surprise many.




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Pirates of Fianna

Online placings in the last few months:
- N/A

In a similar way to Bannerlord 20!8 or CBG, it is rather difficult to predict what the Pirates of Fianna are capable of, as the team and its players are rather unknown on the scene. Lead by JohnGold, at least they have the merit of showing the growing interest for the competitive scene shared by many new players.

For the Pirates of Fianna, it will be certainly more about gaining experience as a team and getting their first steps into major competitions, which after all, isn’t such a bad thing.




ARTICLE WRITTEN BY @TARDEEET, PROOFREAD BY @JARVISANDPI, DESIGN INSPIRATION BY @HLTV.ORG
 
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