UL Season 2 Week 2 Recap & Week 3 Preview
Hello everyone, it's your favorite streamer and Corner Connoisseur, Scarlet, here! It's been a wild weekend for week 2, with many upsets, crazy wins, and- this part has been cut by my internet provider. In my picks for week 2, I went 7-4, bringing me to a 15-6-1 record for my picks, with only one exact series result predicted.
Once again, these thoughts and words are my own and do not reflect the thoughts of UL.
Current Standings
Standings after week 2
Fishy Miracle
The fishes really are the reel deal, huh?
FISH are the only undefeated team left in the league as they once again go on a 2-0 weekend sweep, routing DDD 27-15 and winning a close game vs. AMB 27-22. In both games they suffocated the front pack, and AMB nearly matched them with a strong Red Maruzensky play, but FISH was simply too much.
The team's point distribution was very spread out this time instead of last week's Sky and Benni duo effort: Sky scored 13 pts, Benni scored 12 pts, Gerbear scored 11 pts, Spice scored 10 pts, and Beiku scored 6 with Yamanin Zephyr! Seeing the points spread that evenly is amazing if you're a FISH Fanatic; they look like complete juggernauts. Also shoutouts to Spice for the clutch Mihono Bourbon performance vs. DDD and to Kashou for playing Matikanetannhauser.
Their next opponents will be CLUE and CBG, with the latter bringing a rematch of last season's playoff game, in which CBG will try to avenge their loss to FISH.
DraftNFamily
"The greatest victory is that which requires no battle." - Great General Adar
DNF has had another fantastic weekend with a 2-0 sweep over CLUE and SEB. CLUE gave DNF plenty of trouble with their deadly front duo of Mihono Bourbon and Seiun Sky, but DNF still won 28-21, sealing it with a podium finish in R7. They then demolished SEB 25-3 in just 4 races.
This week, they didn't have trouble with the rooms and had an amazing showing from 3 of their players. Rain scored 16 pts while Keeby and Neon each got 14, taking the pressure off fan favorite superstar Aknama against the packed frontlines. Adar, no longer on room duty, scored 0 pts with Tannhauser, but DNF is 2-0 when he scores nothing, so perhaps it is a blessing? The season is still long, but with the power of love that comes with being a FAMILY, they look like major contenders for the crown.
Their next opponents will be tough as they face AMB and CGRY, and these games will likely determine which team is set to put their first foot in the postseason.
Cinderella Gray
The C in Cingray stands for Chair, as Yunaka has said.
CGRY was without their star player Constellations due to personal reasons, with no known timetable for his return, so they were a player down this week.
CGRY started off the week with a very close 25-24 loss against DDD. Their draft and strategy were very questionable: picking a Mejiro Palmer in a 5 mile draft (one of them dirt) and an odd uma choice in Yamanin Zephyr. It was just a very off game for this team. They bounced right back against UMAP in a controversial 25-17 game where both teams benefited from very lucky skill activations, but that's just the nature of the game.
Yunaka keeps showing the league how good she really is with a 16 pt week, and Potato answered with a 17 pt weekend as well, which is huge for CGRY in making up for a missing starter. They are still a strong team with aspirations for a deep run, but they will have to test their rotation and team depth very soon. Here's hoping Constellations is back in the game real soon.
They face two very tough opponents this week in 2MA and DNF, a huge moment to show how real their championship hopes are.
Velocity
They took their electrolytes, their hangover is cured, and they're locked and loaded for another championship drive.
What'd I tell ya? VELO immediately bounced back after the loss to CGRY with a 2-0 weekend sweep over their old rivals 2MA and CLUE. VELO improves to 4-0 vs. 2MA after beating them 26-16, and it is a pretty one-sided rivalry at this point… After that, they had a closer game against CLUE but won 27-22, completing a spectacular weekend.
It was an insane week for the VELO main cast. Apol finally had a statement showing, scoring 14 pts, including a notable MVP on Vodka of all umas, which I applaud. Moi, JJay, and Pik also scored 15 pts, 14 pts, and 10 pts respectively, while Hjax struggled and scored 0. He is in a bit of a slump right now, but I believe he can get back on his feet real soon.
Their starters are showing their prowess, but now they have to turn to their bench this week to test their depth for the rest of the season. Hopefully it can live up to how good their bench was last season.
Their next games will be against CBG and DDD, and I warn them to approach both teams with caution in terms of strategy, as I believe these two teams are prime counters to the VELO ways.
Team Ambition
These newcomers are starting to make a name for themselves, but they once again lost to a contender. It's déjà vu week for AMB.
Let's begin with the upset over 2MA, which almost looked like the passing of the torch, as AMB completely broke 2MA's front liners in a 25-17 win. Eracfles dominated the match with a 13 pt Seiun Sky, with support from Bandit's 10 pt Summer Special Week. This was an impressive showing against last season's runners-up, but unfortunately they couldn't carry the momentum into the game against FISH. They lost a close one 27-22 and stand at 2-2 overall.
It's been the Eracfles and Bandit show over at AMB, with the two scoring 22 pts and 16 pts respectively this weekend. Here's hoping they can find a way to catch another win against a big team.
They face DNF and UMAP this week, which is another opportunity to get said big wins.
Twoma
The bridesmaids might need a couple of drinks at the reception to forget this week…
Going from a perfect 2-0 in week 1 to a horrible 0-2 in week 2 is not the position you want to be in during your redemption tour. Their scheduling curse bit them back badly: back to back games against AMB and VELO, which can cause mental fatigue and stress on its own. The scores in both games were similar, as 2MA lost 25-17 to AMB and 26-16 to VELO. It's a week you just have to forget and move on from.
Their bright spots are Spadez scoring 11 pts total this weekend and Mega scoring 9 pts, though he unfortunately blanked against VELO. They desperately need a bounce back before they lose control of the season like their interclub rival. Is this the year the parties crash early?
Their next opponents are CGRY and SEB. If they can manage to beat both teams, they are back in the driver's seat for playoff contention, but they need a huge weekend from their star players.
Cyborg
Ok, this cyborg may need to go to the shop for some upgrades…
What is going on with the veteran teams this season? CBG has suffered a blank weekend as well, going 0-2 after a very close 25-24 loss against UMAP and a shocking loss to SEB. The UMAP game came down to the tiebreaker, where Xeri's Agnes Digital was the only CBG runner who could compete, and they came up just short. Then came the SEB upset, where CBG lost 25-17, done in by a very unfriendly sprint and dirt draft that SEB took full advantage of.
Not the week you wanted to have, especially against two teams who got their first wins off you. All I can attribute their losses to is simple bad luck and unfriendly drafts. On the bright side, it was a nice showing from juice and Chrll with 14 pts and 13 pts respectively. CBG needs to ask more of themselves next week to take back control of their season, and fast.
Their next opponents are tough, as they go against reigning champions VELO and get a chance for vengeance from last season against FISH.
Cluegi
CLUE fans might have to look away from this week's results.
Draft is a cruel mistress at times, as CLUE lost both games this week in tiebreakers despite doing very well otherwise. In the two tiebreaker races against DNF and VELO combined, CLUE landed just ONE podium spot, conceding 13 of the 14 pts on offer. That's the total opposite of clutch compared to Sam's Oguri Cap in week 1.
I am unsure what exactly caused their losses; these were competitive games that could have gone either team's way, and that's how draft is. Their best player this weekend, Shadow, scored 12 pts in the front lines, and Isaac came in huge with an 8 pt Steampunk Narita Taishin performance against VELO, but it wasn't enough in the end.
Brutal back to back losses can make a team feel hopeless, but CLUE has to pick themselves up and get back to the drawing board to take advantage of so many teams dropping games this week.
Their next opponents will be FISH and UMAP, which is a rough draw for sure. The game against UMAP could decide how either team's season ends up.
Digi Dirt Devils
Despite their record, they have to be one of the most exciting teams to watch so far!
They opened the week with a fantastic 25-24 win over CGRY, thanks to another spectacular performance from Yuri, who scored 10 pts with Seiun Sky to bring her season total to 28 pts. Unfortunately, they ran into some fishes at the pond and were defeated 27-15 by the terrifying team.
I think DDD is the most fun team to watch, and I love their tenacity as a new team despite the gap in their decks and parents compared to the teams they've faced so far.
I have to shout out a fantastic player in Lenticular, who scored 19 pts this weekend and is in the top 5 in scoring this season so far with 29 pts in total. They still have a route to the postseason, but it is a very tough one with the opponents they have left, so steel your hearts, Devils.
Their next opponents will be SEB and VELO, with the game against SEB looking to be a fun one to watch, as I'm hoping for a chaotic draft between them.
Super Evil Biterz
They finally bit someone this week!
SEB won their first game of the season against old rivals CBG in what can only be described as a very chaotic draft, featuring 4 dirts, 2 sprints, and the oh so infamous Niigata 1000m. Tian went off with Wedding Curren Chan, scoring 10 pts and winning the straight line Niigata racetrack. Unfortunately, they messed with the wrong family after the victory and got demolished 25-3 in a one-sided draft.
It's a tale of two SEBs in these two games: one executing their strategy amazingly against one of the strongest teams in UL, and the other meeting ultimate demise and despair.
To finish off this section, I'd like to thank Rewand and Ridjer of SEB, who helped me broadcast the games before theirs despite their nerves and a back to back game schedule.
Their next games will be against DDD and 2MA, and here's a hot take that most people will disagree with: SEB can take both games. (Hopefully I did not jinx them.)
Umaparty
The vibes at the party are quite low and concerning…
This week had the good, the bad, and the ugly for UMAP. The good: they managed to beat CBG 25-24, outlasting them in the dirt tiebreaker. The bad: they lost to CGRY immediately after, in what would have been a much needed win to get back into playoff contention. The ugly: how they lost, as CGRY caught a lucky break with perfect Corner Connoisseur activations on two maps that ultimately did them in.
Here's the main critique I have for UMAP: I think they have to let go of Summer Maruzensky. Azu scored 9 pts in the CBG game because Maruzensky only faced Seiun Sky at the front, but scored 0 pts in the CGRY game when facing TWO Oguri Caps and Smart Falcon.
Their draft against CGRY was questionable as well: they packed the pace pack against two Oguris, while the Moving Past and Beyond slots sat open for a backliner who could have overtaken the Oguris at the end. I think UMAP is almost back to being a big contender once more; I just hope they realize they can be creative with lobby comps and don't have to completely abandon the backline.
Their next games will be against two rookie teams, CLUE and AMB. Like many other teams, their season is on the brink. NOW is the moment they have to take advantage of, or else the party will be over sooner than expected.
Scarlet's Picks: Week 3
These are my predictions for the games coming up next week!
| Matchup | Scarlet's Pick |
|---|---|
| VELO vs. CBG | VELO in 7 |
| SEB vs. DDD | SEB in 6 |
| CBG vs. FISH | CBG in 7 |
| VELO vs. DDD | VELO in 7 |
| DNF vs. CGRY | DNF in 6 |
| FISH vs. CLUE | FISH in 5 |
| AMB vs. UMAP | AMB in 6 |
| SEB vs. 2MA | SEB in 7 |
| CGRY vs. 2MA | CGRY in 6 |
| CLUE vs. UMAP | CLUE in 7 |
| DNF vs. AMB | DNF in 7 |
Stat Leaders
Points
| Rank | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Sky | 43 |
| 2nd | Eracfles | 35 |
| 3rd | Moistern | 30 |
Podiums
| Rank | Player | Podiums |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Eracfles, Lenticular | 14 |
| 2nd | Benni, Moistern, Shadow, Sky | 13 |
| 3rd | Keeby | 11 |