UL Season 2 Week 3 Recap & Week 4 Preview

Hello everyone! It's your favorite blind referee and wide-awake reporter, Scarlet, here with this week's recap and preview. This week was mayhem, with impressive games, close games, upsets, and controversy, which I'll address in a personal statement later in the recap. However, the show must go on, so here is the recap of this week's games from yours truly and a special guest! In my picks for week 3, I went 7-4, bringing me up to a 22-10-1 record for my picks.

Once again, the thoughts and words of this recap do not reflect the actual opinions of UL and the staff.

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Current Standings

Standings after week 3

Fishy Miracle

FISH has swept the weekend for the third straight time, improving their record to 6-0. With their undefeated streak, they are a shoo-in for the playoff bracket as one of the top seeds, and they hope to continue this domination come playoff time. They defeated CBG once again 27-22 and routed CLUE 29-13, with an amazing weekend of races that included 3 podium sweeps between these matches.

Kashou had an impressive Wedding Air Groove, and the 14 pt explosion was the difference maker vs. CBG, while every starter scored against CLUE, making it a total team effort. Overall, this team just seems invincible, and who knows when they will suffer their first defeat.

Something to note, however, is that FISH faces 3 of their old rivals in 2MA, UMAP, and VELO to end their regular season, with the only newcomer being CGRY. Will it be an old enemy with the knowledge to defeat them, or will it be the upstart contender?

Their games next week will be against 2MA and CGRY, both teams looking to clinch a playoff berth, making this the toughest week for FISH by far.

Velocity

The defending champs have once again come up with a perfect weekend, winning against CBG and DDD, coincidentally scoring 26 in both games.

The boss, Pik, shined through in this week's games, displaying an amazing 12 pt performance against CBG. Pik wasn't the only VELO member to shine bright, though, as JJAY followed him with an impressive 16 pt weekend of his own, becoming the MVP against DDD with an 11 pt Inari One. Hjax finally broke through his slump this weekend, scoring 6 pts and a first place podium. He also guided engineer-turned-UL debutant LightBirb, who showed out with his very special Steampunk Winning Ticket, scoring a win and a first place podium in his debut against DDD. Despite a quiet weekend from their ace, Moi, who sat out a game to rest, VELO still showed great strength befitting the reigning champions.

Their end of season schedule isn't kind, however, as they face two tough newcomers in AMB and DNF while meeting old rivals SEB and FISH once more. If they can manage to muster up 2 wins in this stretch, they will be in a good spot for the postseason, so keep on going, champs.

Next week they face said newcomers, AMB and DNF, both begging for a chance to bring the champs down a peg.

Cinderella Gray

CGRY split the weekend for the 2nd straight week, albeit with a controversial ending. What is also controversial, however, is the fact that Bravo is being played as an end closer. It's a horrible mistake, of course, to go against my narrative that he's a pace main, and therefore he has been cursed!

Joking aside, it was more so a statement win for 2MA than a failure by CGRY. Mephis couldn't do much at the front with strong 2MA front players double teaming him, and UL debutant Ramie was held back by the Gold Ship menace. Blurr was the only one who could do much this game, and he kept it going in the next, capping off an amazing weekend for the Tamamo Cross oshi player and fellow ueue caster.

CGRY is in a good position to qualify for playoffs, the only remaining concern being whether they'll land in the winners' or losers' bracket, with their remaining schedule being CBG, FISH, SEB, and AMB. Also, Constellations is back, hooray!

Their opponents next week are CBG and FISH. FISH is a major obstacle, and that game could serve as a statement game for CGRY before the postseason.

DraftNFamily

ahem... THE FAMILY MAN HAS FINALLY ARRIVED! ADAR ACTIVATED!

AMB WAS TOO AMBITIOUS, ALLOWING EVERYONE THRU TO FAMILY, BUT THE FAMILY MAN HAS ARRIVED WITH HIS REAL OSHI, MAYANO TOP GUN. MAYANO TORE APART AMB WITH HER FLASHY LANDINGS AND NOBODY STOPPING HER, CAUSE SHE HAS THE POWER OF LOVE AND FAMILY. 27-8 DOMINATION FROM THE FAMILY, CAUSE THEY'RE NOT JUST DRAFTNFRIENDS, THEY'RE DRAFTNFAMILY.

Keeby and Canvas also had nice games playing Christmas Oguri and Matikanetannhauser respectively. It was an impressive game from the team and a huge motivation boost heading into the end stretch. DNF is in a good position to qualify for the postseason with a 4-2 record as they face VELO, CBG, UMAP, and 2MA, all veteran teams from season 1! But there's nothing greater than family, of course.

They face VELO and CBG this week, with the VELO game coming up very soon, and it ought to be a feisty battle.

Personal Statement on DNF vs. CGRY

For context, this game had to be replayed due to an error from the UL staff that let an Uma through despite a late submission. DNF won the first game, but CGRY won the replay due to the DQ. The UL staff has addressed this and have taken action internally to ensure a rule violation is no longer dependent on a judgement call.

We want to be fair to every competitor, and will carry our learnings into the future to be less ambiguous and stricter to avoid confusion from lack of consistency. As a UL staff member myself, I sincerely apologize to both teams for the trouble it caused, and I hope to never disappoint you guys again.

Team Ambition

It was another split week for AMB as they stayed true to their name this week: being too ambitious.

Being ambitious means you have a goal in mind that drives you forward at all costs. For AMB, it meant beating UMAP 27-15 with bold builds, such as a pace Summer Gold Ship random gold skilling On Your Left with her unique, or picking the infamous Corner Connoisseur users Oguri and Wedding Air Groove. Ambition can be a great boon, letting strategies like these work extremely well because of how much faith someone has in themselves.

However, too much ambition can narrow your view. The gambit of not banning Christmas Oguri Cap, believing the combo of Seiun Sky and Oguri Cap could defeat her, was quite a gamble. Unfortunately, not only did that gamble not work, but they could not have foreseen the power of family coming in the form of a nuclear Mayano Top Gun performance. They were beaten 27-8, which left a sour note on what was otherwise a great weekend for the team and for the captain, Eracfles, who did wonderfully with Seiun Sky.

They are in the middle of the pack in the standings as they await DDD, VELO, CLUE, and CGRY.

They face DDD and VELO this week. Both are major games that can make or break the season for AMB, as both opponents will give them a hard time while fighting for playoff clinching and survival.

Twoma

It's been a tale of two 2MAs this week as they split the weekend with a pretty polarizing performance altogether.

One side of 2MA executes their draft at their best, with their pace chaser Mega moving smoothly, the front liner Ishi handling business, and the rest of the backline providing exceptional support. This side showed out as they defeated a very good CGRY team 27-15, showing their resolve to get back to the finals with a dominant win and draft.

Unfortunately, the coin has another side, and 2MA displayed it in their game against SEB. This side of 2MA gets overwhelmed in the pace pack, can't win the front battle, and falls victim to perfect acceleration skill activations.

I truly do not know how to perceive this team yet. One day they're up and you buy into their stock, seeing them as a potential boom, only for the stock to crash and burn and you've lost the deed to the house. They have to shake off this inconsistency real soon, however, as they stand on the edge of the playoff bubble facing 3 newcomers in CLUE, DNF, and DDD, along with a rematch against FISH, a team that will gladly take revenge for their loss in the losers' finals.

Next week they will face CLUE and FISH, with the CLUE game being a key one to watch for its playoff implications.

Cluegi

CLUE had a very late meeting with a collapsing UMAP in which the behemoth known as UF7(!!!) Halloween Rice Shower made an appearance. This monster sucked all the hopes and dreams away from UMAP as CLUE demolished them 25-3, with their pace chasers dominating in each of the 4 races it took.

With an amazing victory like that, CLUE hoped to carry that confidence boost into their game against the behemoth FISH. Unfortunately, they bit off more than they could chew, and FISH ultimately swallowed them whole with a 29-13 beating. Renko enjoyed a nice weekend, however, being the main scorer for CLUE and the owner of the highest rated UL uma in history.

It is a shaky situation for CLUE, sitting at a 2-4 record despite having great players and a great draft mindset. They have a relatively easier schedule than the other playoff bubble teams, facing SEB, CBG, and 2MA soon, but their game vs. AMB could very well be a classic between two newer factions of the draft landscape.

They face 2MA and SEB this week, and both games carry huge elimination stakes for every team involved, so these games will truly be life or death.

Digi Dirt Devils

Guest writer: Jecht

DDD was looking hopeful in week 3. Their first matchup against SEB showed flashes of what this team could do at its peak. Breezy highrolled an INSANE Agnes Digital that put up 10 pts and won match MVP against SEB.

SEB was a team that expressed pride in their sprint maps, picking both Niigata and Hakodate 1000. But despite all that, DDD simply did not give a damn. The CAPTAIN Pantros1's Yukino Bijin nearly stole both maps, placing second off an instant NSM proc on Niigata 1000 against Ridjer's Aston Machan, and first on Hakodate 1000 off of carryover Corner Adept and instant corner accel and Head-On procs, completely outplaying SEB at their own game!

When it came down to the wire in the stamina check races 6 and 7, Flo_nightly04's Rice Shower prevented a SEB podium finish in race 6, then got DDD the win in race 7 with a first place finish against all odds on the backline-favored tiebreaker track, Niigata 2400. It's safe to say Rice Shower always had that dog in her.

Their next game against Velocity, however, did not go their way. Leaking backliners such as Admire Vega and Gold Ship to a team that is heavily proficient with these two umas severely cost them the game. Although the first race was won by Smart Falcon, a front runner, the next races were won by the backliners: Admire Vega, Winning Ticket, and Gold Ship. Despite Lenticular's Taiki Shuttle forcing the issue with a first place in race 6, Inari One snuck onto the podium to deliver the dagger in a 26-16 blowout loss against Velocity.

Lenticular, despite scoring less than last week, is picking up where he left off with 12 pts and is evolving into a superstar for this team.

Their next games shouldn't be as difficult as week 3, facing a wildcard team in Ambition and an underachieving team in Umaparty.

Super Evil Biterz

I am telling you, SEB could have gotten the sweep this weekend had one of their starters shown up on time.

This was one of the best weeks SEB has shown so far this season, and it's even more impressive that they did it without a starter. They lost a close one 27-22 to DDD despite a near comeback after suffering losses on their own maps. It was an emotional game between two scrappy teams, but SEB managed to pick themselves up after a devastating loss, beating old rivals 2MA 26-16.

It was a wonderful performance from Cyrin, who quickly shut me up about whether they could replace their old MVP. I applaud you, and I will eat my words now. The Biterz look closer and closer to breaking out, and this could be the week. I still have faith in these fiends as they face UMAP, CLUE, VELO, and CGRY to finish the season.

This week they face UMAP and CLUE, with the CLUE game being the ultimate game for both teams, as it can change either team's season regardless of the result.

Cyborg

If you were to sum up this week for CBG in one word, it would be heartbreaking.

They were so close to clawing back into the season, one race result away in both matches from a perfect week that would have improved them to a 3-3 record. Unfortunately, they lost both tiebreakers to VELO and FISH, both to a Smart Falcon, in a sad but funny coincidence.

There's really nothing to point to for their downfall; it is only misfortune and pain for these robotic warriors. Three of their five losses came by less than 4 pts, showing how they've fallen just short at so many turns. Everyone is scoring, xo had a nice weekend, they drafted decently, and they still couldn't muster up a win to save their season. It's been a very discouraging season, and it shows the unfortunate side of draft that you simply cannot control.

They will try to muster up a decent record to finish the season as they face CGRY, DNF, CLUE, and DDD, but it may be almost time to head to the shop for repairs and look forward to next season…

They face CGRY and DNF this week, both teams looking to clinch their playoff spots soon, and it is going to be another rough week for CBG if their misfortune continues.

Umaparty

The hosts are losing people, snacks are running low, the vibes are off, and an angry mother next door has called the cops to shut down the party.

This season has been so, so painful for UMAP. This week was a disaster that basically sums up their season so far, but they had a small bright spot when they faced AMB. They may have lost 27-15, but Peter finally got the Ballroom Seiun Sky he was begging for all season, and it paid off as he performed valiantly in defeat.

On the other hand, the game against CLUE was so catastrophic that I am going to address this team as Scarlet the player, not Scarlet the reporter. UMAP, you had a bad draft against CLUE that put no draft pressure on them, and the result was an ice cold dagger to an already terrible season. But I also can't add any more baggage than you're already carrying, so I will say this: I hope you all keep your chins up and keep moving forward. I know you all have the talent to do well but have run into unfortunate circumstances and luck time and time again. The party may seem over now, but I hope it comes back one day.

UMAP faces SEB, DDD, DNF, and FISH, but since most of their players have conflicts with another tournament in week 5, scheduling all of these games will be quite difficult. They face SEB and DDD this week regardless and hope to leave the season on a positive note before the party comes to a quiet conclusion.

Scarlet's Picks: Week 4

Here are my picks for the upcoming week, alongside our guest star Jecht's!

Matchup	Scarlet's Pick	Jecht's Pick
FISH vs. 2MA	FISH in 6	2MA in 7
CGRY vs. FISH	CGRY in 7	FISH in 7
DNF vs. VELO	DNF in 7	DNF in 7
VELO vs. AMB	VELO in 6	AMB in 6
CBG vs. CGRY	CBG in 7	CGRY in 6
DNF vs. CBG	DNF in 6	DNF in 6
AMB vs. DDD	AMB in 6	DDD in 6
CLUE vs. 2MA	CLUE in 7	CLUE in 7
DDD vs. UMAP	DDD in 6	DDD in 5
CLUE vs. SEB	CLUE in 6	CLUE in 7
SEB vs. UMAP	SEB in 7	SEB in 7

Upcoming Banners

There is a Beast-shaped banner coming up this week, and this is not a quiz. Narita Brian (Blaze) is dropping in week 4 to throw a wrench into the meta, with reason to believe she will be somehow even scarier here in draft than inside your Arima Kinen CM Finals room.

With runaway ban rates remaining sky high, Blaze Brian will become a true terror in long-centric drafts, with no easy way to block the precondition of Beast Mode's 0.4 instant acceleration, paired with a staggering 0.55 velocity endgame unique on her preferred distance. With the embargo on our Stamina stat being lifted after we leave Our Grand Concert, the sight of Ms. Beast Mode dominating the longs will become more and more common. What a powerful Uma this is!

…….Surely we won't have an even more catastrophically powerful Uma release the week after, right?

Midseason Awards Check

Written by Ramie

This is Ramie with a midseason checkup on this season's main awards races.

MVP

The MVP race is looking fairly predictable at the top, but beyond that, there is still room for anyone to surge into the conversation by season's end.

First would have to be Sky from Fishy Miracle. His front running performances continue to carry his team to an undefeated record despite what he would likely call a slump. His Smart Falcon and Seiun Sky picks in particular average over 10 pts per game.

Below that obvious front runner, currently second in my opinion despite only playing 5 games, would have to be Mega444. His acumen for the higher stamina pace chasers is undeniable, as he led Twoma to victory against Cinderella Gray on the Halloween Rice Shower, but the highlight of his season so far is certainly his 17 pt domination over Cyborg with Halloween Meisho Doto.

Rounding out the top MVP contenders at this point in the season, I would have to give the nod to newcomer Eracfles. It has been an up and down season so far for Ambition, but Eracfles is always the centerpiece of their strategy. He currently boasts 7.8 pts per game, the second highest in the league, and is just a very consistent front runner for his team, especially on Seiun Sky.

Rookie of the Season

The race for rookie of the season is quite high-powered as well, with several MVP candidates among this season's new blood. There has been such a large injection of talented players this season, and many of them could still make a run in these last two weeks.

Eracfles is currently leading this race, with his exploits already covered in the MVP section. Who is there to challenge him for the title? Lenticular may have something to say about it. While Digi Dirt Devils are certainly underdogs, he is always putting up points on a variety of different umas and keeping games close, including a staggering twelve second place finishes in 6 games so far this season.

Lastly, I want to highlight Renko, currently on a hot streak after back to back MVP performances. His pace picks have gotten more and more effective for Cluegi as the season has gone on.

Neither individual award has a clear favorite, so it remains to be seen what kind of performances in the second half of the season could shake things up in a huge way.

This has been the midseason awards roundup. Here's hoping the end of the season continues to be exciting!