Gamestonk. Gamestop. GME. My thoughts are on Reddit, under my u/martinshkreli & subreddit martinshkreli. Those are authentic and discuss why GME is one of the most unprecedented events in market history. Here, I'm going to discuss the populist attitude that is creeping into this odd situation and add some thoughts on short-selling in general.
Let's cover my own unique angle on the concept of a 'short squeeze'. Most would define it as an erratic upward change in price driven by short-covering. I believe short-squeezes defined this way are usually a fictitious idee fixe that aggregates a number of discrete market behaviors and dynamics into a convenient and pithy moniker. The image of python-like buyer constricting some hapless speculator into a higher stock price is evocative but misleading. Many knew me as a short-selling specialist on Wall Street, focused on 'binary events' of biotech stocks. I think I've seen it all: I was once short more than 75% of a company's shares outstanding (I do not recommend this). I bought 75% of a company on the open market, etc.
Short-sellers are governed by the same market dynamics as longs. They get nervous when positions go against them and consider exiting. Like longs, they can double down if they wish. The only difference is that, of course, short positions grow when stocks rise. And they can rise infinitely, while long positions fall asymptotically to zero. But both get, theoretically and assuming no fundamental changes have occurred, more attractive as they move against the trader.
Short sellers have to pay borrow fees to longs (typically tiny, but sometimes massive). They have to locate stock to short, again usually easy, but sometimes difficult. Both are perilous when those rare adverse times arise. Why? Despite the possibility of a growing cost of renting stock, the ultimate fear of a short-seller is a "buy-in". It is nightmarish and has only happened to me once or twice, excluding options-related activity. A buy-in occurs when a broker decides to forcibly exit the short position on behalf of the trader because the broker and trader cannot secure the 'locate' which is supposed to underlie the short sale. The buy-in order is typically violently disruptive: a market order for the whole position near the closing hours of the market! The SEC published a list of stocks at risk of buy-in: the fail to deliver list.
My point is that a 'short squeeze' can only practically affect the trader for two reasons. The first is that the trader digs in, doubles down and doesn't exit as his position grows. That's bad trading, and will eventually blow the trader up. But, if the stock is a 'good short', that short will be replaced by more traders with stronger hands/a better entry price/smaller position. What's more is the average investor can't tell if this is happening! The second is the buy-in. I haven't heard GME shorts being bought in, but again, how would you know, other than the grapevine? My point is most of the disruptive, exciting trading here is simply long speculators banging away at the stock.
New longs are sometimes attracted to rising prices, speculating they'll increase further: that's called momentum. Those buyers are typically offset by the existing longs who are excited to exit at higher prices. But, if there is a large short position in the stock, a speculator may feel that those covering (buying to get out) short-sellers will provide additional fuel to the momentum. That's sometimes the case, but higher prices should lead to more supply from both long and short sellers. My feeling is the actions of large long holders probably have more influence on the stock price than shorts who dart in and out, and typically in smaller size. Remember that shorts who capitulate are often just replaced by new shorts who are attracted at the new lunar prices.
In essence, 'short squeezes' become a self-fulfilling prophecy as new long investors pile in trying to 'squeeze' this sometimes phantom of a short seller, and existing long investors may hold off selling for the same reason. With some Popperian skepticism you will easily see that the same dynamic can exist without the short boogeyman, or with a short boogeyman of any size. Speaking of which, where is Chanos and his slavish groupie, Carson Block?
Speculative momentum can occur for any reason. Let's not forget that the 'trapping shorty' strategy is an awkward idea for a few reasons. Short sellers are often sophisticated market participants who are betting on the decline of a stock. You usually don't want these type of traders sniffing around your favorite longs: I recall writing a 'short report' on a stock to watch it fall 50% that day. If you do a study of stock returns of highly shorted stocks, they are pretty awful. The reason there is 'no arbitrage' is the borrow rate.
But even if you got this poor short to capitulate and squeeze, the amount of buyers who are now holding stock at absurdly high prices put way more energy (and money) into the stock than the short seller's white towel ever could. A sledgehammer killed the fly: now what? Alternatively, are you the host or the parasite?
On populism. I don't really think most investors or speculators should go into any investment thinking that there is 'an enemy'. Concentrated (big) investments (bets) give rise to emotional behavior, typically the enemy in trading and investing as it clouds rational thinking. It's a lot better to be Socratic with your 'opponent' and understand what they're thinking. If your position were to be half the size it currently is, would you be as emotionally interested? Try it! You'll lower your risk and feel better.
Some of the behavior going on at WSB sounds more jihadist than speculative. The idea that there are some investors who are 'good' and others who are 'bad', or that there is an 'establishment' is BS. Everyone has the same goal: I have a pile of money, I'm trying to make it bigger, fuck your pile--I don't care about it. Anything other goal is contrived, foolish and won't help you win. You can't 'fight the rich' by trying to become one of them. Don't you see the irony? A related thought experiment: what if this trade continued to work really well? And another, and another? Then some WSBers are billionaires. Aren't they the new 'enemy/establishment?'
Who do you think hedge fund managers are? They're typically the anti-establishment. Things have changed a bit, but the most successful HFMs are actually the WSBers of the past. These are guys who didn't fit in well at i-banks, often got kicked out for having big mouths or not wearing the right ties, or just wanting to wear jeans at work and not fill out TPS reports. When they started their firms, people like Soros, Icahn, Steinhardt, Robertson, Cohen, Griffin, Loeb (who has posted anonymously on boards), Samberg, even Cramer were fish out of water and had very tiny amounts of capital, often begging for investors.
The need for an enemy. To sustain increasingly insane behavior, it isn't uncommon to use a straw man or a scapegoat. Oppressive regimes used this technique in the past, and the media uses it today. Retail investors don't have much power individually. With your $5k RH account, you can't day trade or even qualify for margin. It's pitiful. So, it's understandably quite exciting to finally feel like a 'player' that you read about. To be a part of 'something'. The problem is the media is goading you to be somewhere between a lemming and a life-agnostic but impotent jihadist. Blowing yourself up won't impress anyone, and there is no afterlife here, other than a minimum wage career and mom's sofa. GME and shorting in general is small potatos in the scheme of the Wall St. machine. Don't worry about getting 'even' with the rich. That's jousting at a windmill that will waste your energy.
No one here, hopefully, wants to be a lemming. Those willing to 'die on this hill' have to realize something: Wall Street doesn't care about its speculators. The new traders who vanquish the old simply replace them. Nothing changes. When LTCM blew up, or Amaranth, Visium, Galleon, or anyone else, it is 'out with the old and in with the new'. So, perhaps WSB can blow up 1 hedge fund or maybe 5, but so what? Eventually, the tables will turn and it will blow up. The leveraged, fast-money trading markets are a violent place and the only people who care one whit are the brokers charging fees (directly or indirectly). They only care to make sure the sorry carcasses can pay their bills. They know there will always be another speculator lined up, ready to shove his money into the lotto machine. There is no pride here. There is no credit for being a good solider. You either survive or you don't. Your job is to survive and thrive. Becoming a lemming will guarantee failure as per the statistical truism of gambler's ruin (enjoy the proof in measure theory). With enough time, anyone playing a game with <50% success rate (equal payouts), will lose all their money. Get that number above 50%. Add the Kelly Criterion to your trading strategy.
You might ask, "(that's all well and good OR we'll agree to disagree) but, Mr. Shrek, isn't this a good trading strategy? (ganging up on shorted stocks)?" As long as you're not a lemming/jihadist (willing to walk over the cliff, whether or not you have a "cause"), and you ignore a somewhat slimy ethical/market manipulation question, I don't see anything wrong with it. There are better ways to make money, since you're asking. Stoking (or worse, participating in) a buying frenzy that is akin to a forced musical chairs game is a little crazy. Once a stock is absurdly valued, you're just hoping the sell-off doesn't happen while you're holding it. If you have enough lemmings or jihadists 'helping you', that's a good thing. They will hold your bag--someone needs to.
Of course, if you've found the "next" Microsoft or Apple, no one needs to hold any bags. But, no company can increase its objective (aka fair) value quickly enough for this... phenomenon? situation? absurdity?... to make it reasonable. Those things take years, go slow and steady, and this frenzied buying/"short squeeze" phenomenon won't let value play a factor. That's why WSB GME longs have shifted theses from "well, Gamestop was/is cheap" to "the gaming cycle" to "Ryan Cohen will save us" to "...jihad?!"
Each member of the herd has its own financial parameters, too. Some may have $500, some $50,000,000 or more. Some may be willing to lose their entire stake (and even more) on an out-of-the-money or levered trade. Some are not. Some were in the latter and somehow end up in the former. Some are in one column at one price and another column at another--some are switched from column to column by force. Today's lemmings/jihadists are tomorrow's sellers. When you're hanging off the mountain, pay attention to the guy holding the rope.
Loosely 'coordinated' buying can certainly affect stocks. Heavily shorted stocks and small cap stocks are the kind that require less capital than typical to 'move' a stock. The irony here is when putting on a position, the trader's goal is typically NOT to move the stock with his actions!
I still think GME is wildly overvalued, but that doesn't exactly mean I'm 'bearish'. One funny idea here is reflexivity: GME stockholders may become serious GME customers and the company's fundamentals improve that way! Excluding some such miracle, eventually GME stock will trade at <50 again. I still think it will trade at 1,000 or more BEFORE that happens, and that the decline process will take a long, long time (several years). Keep in mind, anything can change. GME can do serial secondaries that destroy its stock. Management's job is to create value for their shareholders--but perhaps they will avoid pissing them off. There's a strange loop! Finally, the stock could be halted by the SEC or completely banned by brokers. Don't overdo it. Watch the borrow rate. Keep your positions at less than 25% of your capital--live to play another day.
Disclosure: I've never traded GME stock and do not intend to.
(From martin, posted by mo)

March Update Balance Wishlist: Rulebook Changes and Reworks to Reduce Toxicity

Edit: Forgot to say. If you object anything or just wanna discuss about my decisions or your own ideas, please leave a comment. I love these discussions and now I'll have them 3 times less often, so I hope they are good.
Heya! Since balance changes switched to quarterly, I decided to switch to making wishlists quarterly, too. I don't want to post several of them between updates since this strategy only works well with negative posts. This wishlist includes:

More suggestions than in my old wishlists (since it's for a whole quarter), including ones that would require a client update
Changes in bold
Hard data: Grand Challenges 3d data over the last 2 months
Community opinion: Tier list as rated by 50+ redditors in ClashRoyaleSerious * (took this info last month)

This is something I'm doing for the first time, and it's there to show the general opinion of people with adequate knowledge of the game. It's not something I considered much. It is more meant to imply that not only data supports me, but also most of the serious community. Even on S Tier cards, there would often be a couple votes that put the card into the F Tier.

Explanations of why I chose the cards and their exact changes, in which the most important points are in bold italic

Here are my ideas, starting with format changes, then rulebook changes, reworks, regular changes and finishing with small tweaks.

Tiebreaker changes

Change 1: Coinflips introduced all around the game, except for friendly battles

Coinflips are a feature in duels that proceeds after a tiebreaker fails to deduce a winner. I believe it would be a good idea to introduce them all around the game to discourage tie-trading. The only way to achieve a tie would now be a 3-crown tie or a tie in friendly battles. GL if anyone tries to coordinate a tie-trade like this.
But coinflips are unneeded in games without stakes, so they shouldn't exist in friendly battles.

Change 2: Tiebreakers only resort to a coinflip if the opponent's Princess Towers have the same hitpoints as your Princess Towers, and the opponent's King Tower has the same hitpoints as your King Tower.

Otherwise, the tiebreaker always considers the two lowest towers currently on the field, not stopping after destroying one (unless it destroys a king). This makes the probability of a coinflip in regular battles astronomically low.

Change 3: Bandit can no longer survive while dashing and deal damage during a tiebreaker

Last bug in the video here.

Rulebook change to initial attacks

Initial Attack Time is now shown on cards' stats
Adjustments to always be between 0.3sec and 1sec
Adjustments to always be a multiple of 0.1sec

The affected units:

Archer, Valkyrie, Fisherman, Bomber (0.1sec > 0.3sec)
Goblin Brawler, Balloon (0.2sec > 0.3sec)
Royal Hog (0.25sec > 0.3sec)
Dart Goblin (0.35sec > 0.3sec)
Inferno Tower (Re-target time: 1.2sec > 1sec)
Electro Giant (1.4sec > 1sec)
And a few I mentioned lower down in the regular changes.

Initial attack speed. A stat that can make or break a card, as shown many times, yet it is hidden from us. So let's get it all tidy and ready to be revealed.
Only a few units take longer than 1sec or shorter than 0.3sec to initiate their first attack, and they have a sharp or a sluggish animation while doing so. These changes would allow attack animations to play much more smoothly while also being reasonable for balance. 0.3 seconds is still really quick and 1sec is still really slow, so this does not limit balancing options. Keeping initial attacks in this range just makes more sense.
While the point is in consistency, it's worth mentioning that I believe 5 of the changes improve game balance and only 2 of them aggravate it. 4 more are addressed in other ways lower down. Some of this may need to be addressed in future balances. Here are the specifics of what I consider to be relevant:
Negatives
Archers nerfed: Use 4-13%, Win 45-55%, B Tier
Bomber nerfed: Use 2-4%, Win 41-50%, B- Tier
Positives
Fisherman nerfed: Use 9-14%, Win 53-60%, S- Tier
Balloon nerfed: Use 12-17%, Win 50-54%, S Tier
Goblin Cage nerfed: Use 12-16%, Win 51-56%, A Tier
Dart Goblin buffed: Use 3-6%, Win 38-51%, A- Tier
Inferno Tower buffed: Use 3-5%, Win 30-40%, B Tier

Elixir Golem Rework

Elixir Golem:

Hitpoints +32% (1196 > 1584)
Death spawn changed to 3 Elixir Blobs!!!
Speed increased to Medium
Range increased to Melee: Medium

Elixir Blobs:

Hitpoints +77% (299 > 528)
Damage +33% (52 > 70)

Usage 1-3%, Win 35-45%, B Tier
Now here's the basics of the rework: You have a much more powerful Elixir Golem that spawns three MUCH more powerful Elixir Blobs. There aren't any Golemites, though. This reduces the overall impact of the card, but also gives your opponent one less elixir in the end.
Recently, I've seen a few posts that claim the game has become Rock-Paper-Scissors (RPS) because decks that have either 70-30 or 30-70 matchups appear balanced. While this is just untrue for most decks, it is true for Elixir Golem decks. Elixir Golem decks are some of the most RPS: they either win hard or lose hard against the meta. Now, I have to mention that unless you play Elixir Golem, RPS doesn't determine your games so much. Even for Elixir Golem, it's 95% skill and 4% RPS. But it does result in matches being unfun.
Battle Healer, another considerably annoying card, is also primarily used with Elixir Golem. Every Elixir Golem deck has Healer. I will excuse her, though, as Elixir Golem's mechanics are part of what makes the synergy and Healer can actually be found in some not-so-toxic decks.
I don't want to just rant, but I simply have so much to say about this card. A total overhaul is needed beyond any shadow of a doubt. Many of you might not acknowledge it as an issue, because nowadays Elixir Golem is weak and Healer is easier to blame, but it is easily one of the most toxic cards in the game. There's little difference between mediocre and pro gameplay with it, besides pros' consistency. Maybe you'd say "it's good that lower-skilled players have cards they can use" but I will disagree. The card is inherently flawed beyond just being low-skill. I'll explain below. I really insist on this rework.
CWA: Pro Ranks Top 20 Decks from LOWEST to HIGHEST Skill! (Vulkan rating Elixir Golem as the least skilled deck in the game. This is pretty old, but Elixir Golem decks haven't changed much since)
Elixir Golem was also overpowered in the past and it only got health nerfs and a hit speed standardization, not fixing the underlying issues. At this point it is just a half-relevant card that people only tolerate because it's not the meta.
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The first issue with the card is how swarmy it becomes. It's hard to put in words, but in many matchups everything gets melted while trying to deal with the latter phases. Heal effects are the best in medium swarm decks, which the golemites phase really capitalizes on, and so Healer and Heal Spirit are good with EGolem alongside with Rage to increase the healing. So if you can't deal with a push, it will get healed back and you will get 3-crowned. Elixir Golem is basically a magnet for yet more cards that are considered toxic. Being swarmy is not an issue on its own, but it just so happens to amplify the other issues.
The next issue with the card is the disconnect between elixir you spend and elixir you put on the board. I believe that an Elixir Golem that doesn't give elixir would cost about 5 elixir. So you get the stats of a 5 elixir card for 3 elixir, giving you an advantage of 2 elixir instantly. In the long run, you lose 2, but some of that elixir might be wasted by the opponent thanks to the sheer advantage you got and used. Then if you get a second Elixir Golem down, you are now 4 elixir up front. One of my decks for Clan Wars II is an EGolem one and this is how some of the most disgusting 3-crown wins happen. In the early days of the pro scene, often both players would ban Elixir Collector to have a sort of "Gentleman game" and not abuse the downward spiral of not being able to stop these custom elixir advantages, which is what Elixir Golem does without there even being any counterplay. Nowadays, the equivalent is that a lot of pros were upset when an Elixir Golem deck finished #1 on ladder, saying that "it doesn't count".
Actually there is a counterplay that devs kept talking about: getting elixir from the blobs.
Probably the biggest issue is how long it takes to gain some of the lead back. You first need to get through an Elixir Golem with 1196 hitpoints. Then, only after then killing an Elixir Golemite with 598 hitpoints, you can start getting elixir by killing an elixir blob with 299 hitpoints. That makes it 1993 damage you need to deal to get just the first elixir. Add 300-400 is added because of wasted damage and it's 2400... except wait, actually you need to deal 300 more damage to get to a blob because EGolem got healed by a Heal Spirit. Also, 100 more because of the Healer. And 100 more, and 100 more... Not to mention your units will probably retarget to the support or the other golemite before starting to attack the blobs, and that each split might reset the attack animation of your units.
Basically, if you use a few point attackers instead of splash, it can often take 3000+ damage, as much as a 5-elixir Giant, just to pop a single blob and start recovering from the disadvantage. This is an awful lack of counterplay on most occasions. All of the high-damage splash attackers that counter this, like Wizard and old Executioner, are/were divisive cards. Besides, with the limited number of cards that handle this, it actually adds to the RPS.
------------
With the changes, the overall hitpoints of the card are reduced from 3588 to 3168 (-12%)
Not so swarmy anymore: The number of units in Elixir Golem goes from 7 to 4, and from 3 splits to 1. The average hitpoints of a unit increase from 513 to 792 (more than 50%), reducing the wasted damage and re-targets of your defense.
You no longer get a 2 elixir lead just by playing it: This lead you get is massively reduced. In my opinion, Elixir Golem would now be worth around 4.5 elixir, reducing this effect by about 25%. Elixir Golem would be more of a cheap cycle-style tank than a powerhouse. Also, because the golem walks faster (by 33%), split pushing will only happen when the opponent is already in the middle of defending the first one and possibly has some of the ground taken back.
The opponent Actually has counterplay: While popping one blob is a little more work (19932112), there is only one re-targeting on the way. But perhaps the more important thing is the reduction of wasted damage. After the Golem pops, you can simply fireball the Elixir Blobs and get your lead back. This would massively discourage heal combos and give rise to less toxic Elixir Golem decks. Meanwhile, it would also encourage taking another look at Healer and Heal Spirit in the future.
So what will Elixir Golem be about? I don't know. Maybe beatdown-cycle hybrids? Or split pushing? After trying to imagine it, I thought it was weak, so just to "play it safe", I also buffed the melee range. The current short range looks visually weird for such a huge guy.
-----
I am disappointed that Elixir Golem has come to be this. I knew from the start its problems were deep. Frankly, not many people in the community, even the pro community, think about things this way. People make up their opinions based on how they feel in battles, which made complaints like "the blobs deal too much damage" take over general concerns about the card's design as they were easier to implement. This led us to some of the most obnoxious decks in the game. It needs to be fixed already. Please.

Freeze Rework

Cost reduced to 3 elixir
Duration -37.5% (4sec > 2.5sec)

Usage 3-5%, Win 41-52%, C+ Tier
Even though Freeze's duration was reduced from 5 to 4 seconds, it remains one of the cards that if you see in a deck, you know the deck will be toxic. The reason for this is obvious: it completely halts counterplay, freezing your units for very long.
Two years ago, Freeze was given damage while its duration at level 13 was reduced by 34%. This change made Freeze a lot more bearable, but it is still toxic. When Clash of Clans reworked their Freeze spell into a little frosty bottle, I was thrilled, thinking that Clash Royale might follow this direction. But it's been a few years and this hasn't happened.
Freeze would be way less frustrating to face if it didn't last for as long. So I'm suggesting this change. Ideally, Freeze retains a ~3% use rate, but those 1.5% of losses don't feel unfair.

Nerfs

Barbarian Barrel nerf: Barbarian deploy time increased (0.5sec > 1sec)

Usage 29-35%, Win 53-58%, S Tier
This card makes me question why devs let some cards rot for years and others shine for months. Should've been balanced before balance changes ever became quarterly.

Lava Hound nerf: Hitpoints -5% (3150 > 3000), Sight range increased (5.5 > 7.5)

Usage 7-10%, Win 55-59%, A+ Tier
Lava Hound is inarguably a very strong win condition. For a long time, it has boasted a 55%+ winrate. Also, it features a sight range inconsistency that forces buildings to be played in less convenient placements. So I'm giving Lava Hound a small nerf and fixing this frustrating inconsistency.

Hunter nerf: Bullets reduced to 9 (removed rightmost bullet)

Usage 22-28%, Win 55-59%, S Tier
Hunter has held an extraordinary winrate for many seasons, which shows there's more to him than his versatility. This suggested change is pretty big, but not as big as it looks since the rightmost bullet is the one that least often hits enemies. Switching to an odd number of bullets also happens to fix an inconsistency with Hunter's aim leaning to the right.

Electro Spirit nerf/rebalance: Chain zaps -3 (9 > 6), Damage +7.5% (84 > 91)

Currently: Use 15%, Win 56%
Electro Spirit was thought to be weak until recently, when it started boasting a massive use and winrate and got on top ladder even despite often being underleveled. These changes shift its power a little bit, and in combination should add up to a nerf.
Increased damage: It makes the ESpirit more damage-based and consistent with Ice Spirit. But mostly, it makes the card more level-dependent. Currently, it's questionable whether it should even be upgraded to max level, as doing so improves few interactions but allows for easier king tower activations when it is cycled. I believe there should be no cards where it is questionable whether upgrading is beneficial at all.
Less chaining: It counteracts the damage buff. But mostly, it makes the card more predictable. Currently, it's near-impossible to predict what the last few zaps will strike and whether they will strike at all.

Miner nerf: Underground movement speed increased, 0.5sec "burrow out" time introduced

Usage 21-28%, Win 54-58%, A+ Tier
Basically, Miner would travel faster underground, but just before he comes out of the ground, he would stop and take a moment to burrow his way out, revealing his exact tile. Overall, the travel to a princess tower would take about the same amount of time.
As I'm writing this, Miner has a 55% winrate in Wall Breakers decks, 57% in Lava Hound decks, and 54% in other decks. This kind of range has held for many months. He is all around a little too strong, besides just being used with other strong cards. I normally avoid being controversial, but this list of balance changes would be incomplete without a Miner nerf. I was still careful with the nerf I decided on, although I expect it to be controversial still
This change aims to make it possible to consistently react to Miner's exact placement tile. An issue a lot of players have with Miner is that once he is sent to a tower, it's random whether you'll predict it correctly or take several hits. Imagine if there was no indication of whether Goblin Barrels are tricky: that's what Miner is like, just with less punishment if you get it wrong. Some say this is skill-based because it asks you to read your opponent, but that's not the case when there are several equally good Miner placements and a skilled player can choose at random. The burrow time makes Miner spend 0.5sec on the tile where he is going to appear, so fast reactions at the last moment would be possible. This mostly nerfs him in competitive, where he is the most prominent.

Buffs

Goblin rebalance: Melee Range increased (0.5 > 0.8), Rulebook Initial Attack (0.2sec > 0.3sec)

Goblins: Use 1%, Win 40-50%, C- Tier
Goblin Gang: Use 7-11%, Win 40-50%, B+ Tier
Goblin Barrel: Use 7-11%, Win 40-47%, A- Tier
The new rule on initial attacks hurts goblin cards when they're already not so great. So I gave them a melee range buff, bringing them to the standard Melee Short. I'm sure most players wouldn't notice this.
It should be a very minor buff to Goblins and not much for Goblin Gang and Goblin Barrel.

Mother Witch: Changes to The Curse mechanic

The Curse does not expire
The only exceptions for The Curse are now shields and buildings.
Units with a death spawn don't turn into hogs, the death spawn units now inherit The Curse (i.e. Lava Hound's curse is transferred to the pups)
Cursed Hogs: Rulebook Initial Attack (0.25sec > 0.3sec)
Units with death damage don't get affected by The Curse when turning into hogs (bugfix)

Usage: <1%, Insufficient data for win rate data, C- Tier
Mother Witch is already designed in a way that favors attacking smaller units, so her curse doesn't need to expire when she attacks a tanky troop. Besides this, if Mother Witch's curse affected death spawns, she would become a better counterplay against a few extra units, mostly Lava Hound, Elixir Golem, and especially Skeleton Barrel.
This helps with the problem that she often feels like dead weight in decks. You would no longer necessarily lose all 10 games before facing a Graveyard.
While these changes might not be enough for Mother Witch, they finess her Curse mechanic, which would make it easier to balance her in the traditional ways in the future.

Heal Spirit rebalance: Damage +235% (27 > 91), Healing -9% (332 > 300)

Usage 1%, Win 40-47%, C Tier
Heal Spirit doesn't feel right with reduced damage. None of the spirits on the Royale arena are particularly combative, they all just want to give hugs, and Heal Spirit is no different. Even with its weak stats, its healing is still disproportionally massive. I insist that's what should be nerfed instead of its damage.

Guards buff: Damage +7.5% (90 > 97)

Usage 1%, Win 30-45%, C+ Tier
The recent rebalance of Guards wasn't much of a buff, unsurprisingly. So I gave them a much more definitive buff here. Even though it doesn't change many relevant interactions, it's quite a big increase.

Other small changes, bugfixes, and consistency

Cannon inconsistency fixed: Initial attack faster (1sec > 0.6sec).

Usage 1%, Win 25-40%, C- Tier
Changed to have the same initial attack speed as Cannon Cart, as it was supposed to 20 seasons ago. Cannon might even become viable with this change.

Tornado inconsistency fixed: Crown Tower Damage reduced to 30% of regular damage (24 > 21)

Usage 22-26%, Win 50-52%, S- Tier
Not very relevant to game balance, but it's a thing.

Royal Ghost bugfix: Now takes damage from centered melee splash before his first attack

Third bug shown here.

Symmetry tweak to 6 cards: Deployment flipped based on the lane they are played

Barbarians, Bats, Goblin Gang, Royal Hogs, Minion Horde, Royal Recruits,

Cards with 2 or 3 units in them abide by this rule. These six don't, which results in all sorts of inconsistent interactions

Note 1: For considering tiers, I took each vote as S=4, A=3, B=2, C=1, F=0; for M being the mean of all votes, I used the floor function of (M-0.5)x13/3 to decide how many tiers above F the card was, with negative being F- (only Mirror) and more than 12 being S+ (only Knight)
Note 2: This is a repost. Hello, brigadiers who sort by New and like to downvote right away!

Shkreli on GME - 1/31

Wizard Tournament: Chapter 72

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      Thankfully, Draevin and Grrbraa didn’t run into anything of note on their way to their usual viewing booth. Once they arrived Grrbraa sniffed carefully for any signs of other people. The place felt empty without Sylnya, Peter… or Tenna. Draevin busied himself giving the space a thorough inspection for traps with True Sight and only dismissed the spell when he was sure they were safe.
      The match should have started by now, but kept getting delayed. Just then, Maeve stood up and waved her hands to get the crowd’s attention. “Ladies and gentleman, can I have your attention,” Maeve announced. “It looks like our first match between Sylnya and Peter will have to be delayed—”
      The crowd interrupted with a chorus of booing. This was the second delay she had announced. Peter was pushing his luck. If he didn’t show soon they might push back his match to the end of the day.
      Draevin spotted movement down on the field. It was Peter. He was walking out from the tunnel onto the field almost comically slowly. He had a look of intense focus on his face and he held his hands out before him as though grasping an invisible ball. As Draevin watched he took a few careful steps forward. It looked like the guard standing next to him was trying to urge him to move faster, but it clearly wasn’t working.
      Draevin figured he would need to cast True Sight to stand a chance of making any sense of Peter’s match with Sylnya anyways and he was curious about what Peter was doing, so he cast the spell now. “Occus at lumin cerbei,” he intoned with a quick gesture.
      The faint cloud of magic became clear. It was a mass of shaped sensomancy mana. The cloud of mana was almost blindingly bright and far larger than the faint glow Draevin’s naked eyes could make out. It didn’t look like Peter was using the magic for a spell at the moment, but he was controlling it. Keeping it contained. “That explains why Peter wanted to know how late he could be,” Draevin commented to Grrbraa.
      “What explains it?”
      Draevin pointed at Peter. “Come on, you don’t need True Sight to see mana that dense. He thinks he’s figured out a way to sneak some extra mana into the match. He’s trying to control a mass of mana far larger than what his body can hold.” What Draevin didn’t mention was that it was all shaped sensomancy mana, Peter’s specialty, and Draevin wasn’t sure what Peter thought he could accomplish with illusion magic once Sylnya used True Sight. It almost would have made sense if he’d been trying to bring in some pyromancy mana.
      It took another painfully long minute for Peter to make his shuffling way towards his fighter’s box while the crowd jeered and called for him to hurry up. As soon as he stepped foot in the box all the mana he was controlling broke apart and suffused the field with a dull reddish glow. Peter scowled and made a show of waving his hands to try to regain control of the mana, but it was too late. The fighter’s box wards had disrupted his control. The mana suddenly filling the field made it hard for Draevin to see with True Sight so he covered his third eye with a hand for the time being. Maybe that was secretly Peter’s plan? Make it hard to benefit from True Sight? He had to know it would evaporate too quickly to matter…
      “We apologize for the delays our resident human caused,” Maeve announced once the boos died down. “Round three will now begin. Welcome everyone, to the quarter finals!”
      The crowd’s desire to boo Peter seemed to temporarily war with their desire to finally see the scheduled match begin. The latter side won and a hearty cheer broke out.
      “Sylnya is a longtime crowd favorite,” Maeve began. Sylnya waved out at the crowd with one hand while scratching Kot behind the ear with the other. “She has yet to win the tournament,” Maeve continued, “but she has made it to the finals on seven separate occasions. She made a name for herself as a deadly assassin for the Setsyan special forces and has secured more kills than any other contestant competing this year. Will the human Peter be another victim?”
      Draevin cheered with the crowd as Sylnya waved to them. In addition to her usual fans she seemed to have attracted the support of the human-haters in the crowd because Draevin noted that both the elf and eldrin sections were vocalizing support for her more than usual. Grrbraa stuck his snout in Draevin’s ear. “Who do I bark for?” he asked. “I want them both to win.”
      “Then cheer for both of them.”
      “Good idea!” Grrbraa said excitedly. The werebeast joined in for some of the loudest cheers Draevin had heard for Sylnya so far in her career. When things finally started to quiet down Maeve continued.
      “Peter is the first human to advance to the quarter finals since the Purge,” Maeve announced next. Peter was busy fiddling with his glasses and didn’t seem to acknowledge his own introduction at all. “He has relied on trickery to get this far: let’s see if that strategy holds up against an opponent who knows what to expect. Will he be able to trick the nose of Sylnya’s shadow stalker or will this be as far as he goes?”
      The crowd roared for Peter in equal parts excitement and hostility. They were actually making more noise than they had for Sylnya, but this time it wasn’t all positive.
      “Friend-Draevin,” Grrbraa asked just before the match began, “what is the Purge?”
      “Really? You have to know that now? This match is going to start in five seconds—” The bell chime cut Draevin off. The match began.
      The first thing Sylnya did was send Kot off after Peter with the quick command of, “Kot. Hunt!”
      Most of the haze from Peter’s mana-ball had already dissipated and Draevin could see through True Sight that the first thing Peter did when he stepped out of his box was attempt to re-gather as much of the ambient illusion mana that was floating around the field as he could. The vast majority of it was floating off into the sky and dispersing naturally, but he managed to gather a fair amount of it. Around as much mana as Draevin usually put in a single Icicle Spear, which meant he would have about twice as much mana to work with for this match. Not nearly as much as he had tried to get, but at least enough that all that work hadn’t been a waste of time.
      Peter used the majority of what he had gathered and shaped it into one illusion as he’d done in previous matches, though he was able to hold back quite a bit more mana this time compared to his last match against Grrbraa. Peter cloaked himself in invisibility and dashed towards one of the boulders that provided cover. He left a trail of illusory mana behind to cover his tracks.
      Sylnya worked on casting True Sight in the meantime. Peter managed to do all that and make it behind cover all before she finished her spell. As soon as Peter was safely crouched behind his boulder he dropped his invisibility and sent the mana from it over to the boulder on the other side of the field. He reshaped this mana to look like an invisibility spell around a humanoid form despite there not actually being anything there. He also shifted the invisibility masking his real footprints to make a trail of illusory mana that appeared to cover the decoy’s nonexistent footsteps. It seemed Peter was determined to be no less tricky despite facing his first opponent to actually cast True Sight against him.
      When Sylnya’s True Sight completed her neck snapped in the direction of the boulder with a field of illusion magic poking out from behind it. She completely missed the now-unhidden real footprints. Draevin was almost embarrassed for her—against any other opponent she would have zeroed in on a detail like that.
      Draevin hadn’t previously considered that Peter might try to use an opponent’s True Sight against them, but even with clever misdirection his discovery was inevitable. Kot was already headed for Peter’s true location.
      It seemed the shadow stalker could smell Peter after all. Luckily for Peter, Sylnya called out to Kot, since she was so sure of his location. “Kot. No!” Kot dutifully halted midstride and looked back at his master for direction. Sylnya pointed at the boulder with the field of illusion magic floating behind it and directed her shadow stalker, “Hunt!”
      Draevin couldn’t help laughing. The rest of the crowd laughed too, despite the majority of them not fully understanding the intricacies of how Peter was fooling his opponent. Peter wasn’t invisible to them; all they saw was Sylnya correcting her shadow stalker from attacking the right hiding place to attacking the wrong hiding place. The laughter almost caused Sylnya to second-guess her order; she stumbled to a stop and looked around at the crowd to try to see what they thought was so funny, but when she couldn’t make out what anyone was saying with everyone shouting over each other she continued what she’d been doing.
      Kot followed Sylnya’s instructions and bounded towards the wrong boulder looking for something to hunt. Peter made a quick gesture with one hand and the faux invisibility spell Sylnya had sent Kot to attack shifted into a perfect illusion of Sylnya herself. Kot reached the boulder, but when he saw his master waiting for him he stopped dead in his tracks.
      While the fake Sylnya caused a distraction, Peter worked through some hand motions for a simple spell that didn’t look at all like illusion magic. With True Sight active, Draevin saw a thin wisp of blue-green light trail up into the air from Peter’s hands when he finished the spell. Sylnya didn’t seem to notice. Once that second spell left him Peter created a little ball of illusion magic in front of him and let it grow until his mana level dropped to ambient levels. Not completely empty, but just enough that he didn’t stand out in the magical spectrum compared to the ground he was standing on. That couldn’t possibly have been a coincidence. He had used exactly enough mana to essentially make his body invisible to True Sight.
      Knowing Peter, Draevin was almost certain the crafty human had planned all of this. In the early matches contestants were known to hold back, but by the quarter finals they were often pushed to the point of showing their true mettle and it seemed Peter was finally exposing himself as having better fine control over the amount of mana he spent than most eldrin. From any other contestant it would be impressive, but to come from a mana-blind human… Draevin didn’t think he could have believed it if he hadn’t seen it himself.
      Kot was still standing in front of the illusory Sylnya unsure of what to do. At Peter’s direction the illusion pointed at the real Sylnya and said, “Kot. Kill!” The body language, the tone: everything about the real Sylnya was perfectly recreated. It was clear to Draevin as well as Sylnya that this was only an illusion due to True Sight, but Kot was not so sure. He looked backwards at the real Sylnya, then forwards again, unable to make up his mind. His tail drooped sadly.
      While Kot was trying to decide what to do, Peter sent the little ball of illusion magic over to Sylnya. It washed over her at the same time as the little wisp of blue-green light did. Sylnya’s hair blew slightly as though caught in a sudden breeze, then the illusion clung to her and left her looking just like Peter. As for the unidentified wisp of magic, Draevin couldn’t tell if it had done anything, as there were no lingering effects when it left her, but it started flowing back towards Peter. Draevin’s best guess was that it was a simple aeromancy cantrip like the one he had used to help fool Faernyl in his earlier match. He just couldn’t figure what it was trying to accomplish if that was the case.
      “No you stupid beast! That’s not real!” Sylnya yelled across the field with Peter’s voice. She pointed again. “Hunt! He’s right next to you hiding behind that boulder! That’s a trick. Listen to your nose Kot. Smell!”
      The fake Sylnya repeated her commands word for word—even the bit about Peter hiding right next to him. Kot tucked his tail down between his legs and sank down to his knees into his own shadow.
      Sylnya gave up and started casting an herbomancy spell, which Draevin could see forming in twists of green light around her hands as she worked. The other Sylnya didn’t have to cast spells though. It stalked towards Kot slinging abuses at him.
      “You stupid creature! I said kill! Get over there and kill! Kill!” Kot cowered at the harsh language, hunkering down. “Kill! Kill! Kill!” The illusory Sylnya screamed at him while it pointed emphatically at the real Sylnya, who currently looked like Peter. Then the little wisp of magic descended and hit Kot right in the nose. Kot’s ears perked up. The illusory Sylnya pointed at the real Sylnya and commanded once again, “Kot. Kill!” This time he obeyed right away. That’s when it clicked to Draevin. The spell had been an aeromancy magic. A simple gust of wind. Just enough to carry Sylnya’s scent and trick Kot’s nose. Peter had managed to turn Kot against Sylnya with less mana than Draevin used to clean himself in the morning. It was incredibly unlikely to work against such an experienced wizard, but it was still impressive.
      Kot bounded off at a sprint towards the disguised Sylnya. Sylnya shot out her arm and unleashed the spell she had been working on. Long thorny roots erupted from the ground to trap Kot. He melted into shadows and escaped in mere moments.
      “You stupid fucking—” Draevin could hear Sylnya cursing, but she was quickly drowned out by the laughter of the crowd. She started working on another spell, but had to break off when Kot got too close and pounced at her. She was forced to defend herself with one arm as Kot clawed and scratched at her. She just managed to keep her spell from collapsing and continued working it with just the one free hand.
      With his True Sight active Draevin could see Sylnya’s legs flare with mana as her feet sunk into the ground. A moment later roots reached up to grab at Kot, roots with the white glow of Sylnya’s innate dryad abilities instead of the green of her herbomancy. Sylnya used her roots to whip at Kot and force him to melt into his shadow to avoid them. She seemed content with merely occupying his attention while she finished the spell she was working on.
      With Kot held at bay, Sylnya finally managed to finish and release the spell she’d been working on. Draevin could see with True Sight that the spell was sputtering out excess mana in random directions in a clear sign of a crudely-crafted weaving, but Sylnya managed to push enough extra power into it to get it to work anyway. The roots from Sylnya’s feet became enveloped in green herbomancy magic, then blossomed with dozens of white flowers. The flowers glowed with a light of their own.
      The now-glowing roots lashed out and grabbed Kot, then lifted him from the ground. The glowing flowers kept him from dropping into shadow. He struggled for a moment, but could not escape and soon gave up with a pathetic whimper. The crowd booed, as Kot was a fan-favorite.
      It made sense that Sylnya might have a plan in place for containing Kot in case he were used against her but Draevin doubted she’d expected to use it against an illusionist. This sort of problem was exactly why Draevin had refused to wield semi-intelligent allies in tournaments past. As far as he was concerned they were just a potential liability. This year Sylnya and Trundle had both tried it and look where it’d gotten them!
      While Sylnya subdued her own shadow stalker the disguise Peter had put on her wore off. The Sylnya that was revealed beneath it was not the same one that had been under it before. She had deep claw marks all over the right side of her body that were oozing amber-colored sap. She didn’t seem overly bothered by her wounds except to momentarily wipe a bit of sap from her eyes.
      A red flower suddenly bloomed on Sylnya’s left arm. She looked down at it in surprise. Draevin was using True Sight himself, but hadn’t seen a source of magic when it happened. She grabbed at the strange red flower and pulled a metal dart out of her arm that glinted in the light.
      Her arm dropped dead at her side.
      Draevin scanned around to see where Peter was and finally spotted him. He was shuffling along the dirt with his dirty brown robe pulled over his head. With his mana pool in equilibrium with the mana in the ground and his robe blending in with the dirt he had practically been invisible—with or without True Sight. Sylnya spotted him too. With his cover blown he stood up and tossed a wooden tube onto the ground, then reached into his pack and pulled out another one identical to the first. He put it to his mouth.
      Peter puffed his cheeks and a second later another red flower blossomed from Sylnya’s left leg.
      Sylnya severed her connection to the roots that were holding Kot in place and took a staggering step towards Peter. Her left leg gave out and she fell to the ground. She used her claw-marked-but-still-functional right arm to lift herself up enough to look at Peter.
      “Are you insane?” She shouted across the field. “Are you actually using greyskin poison on me?”
      “You’re a dryad. It will only temporarily paralyze you,” Peter shouted back. He pulled out a third wooden tube. “Now go to sleep.” He blew another dart from his tube.
      There was a clink of metal on metal. In a move too fast to follow, Sylnya had managed to whip out a dagger and deflect Peter’s dart. “You turn Kot against me then use illegal poison on me?”
      “Technically no non-magical weapon is illegal within the bounds of the arena.”
      “Well I’m technically going to kick your scrawny ass! I was going to go easy on you, but you clearly need a lesson in manners.”
      Peter dropped his third wooden tube. Thankfully it didn’t appear he had another. “You should never go easy on an opponent if you want to win.”
      “Your call!” Sylnya shouted. Draevin winced as he recognized Sylnya reiterating her earlier claim that Peter would be the one to decide how injured he’d get before leaving the field. Just as expected, Sylnya whipped her arm out and her dagger flew straight for him. Peter tried to drop to the ground to dodge it but wasn’t fast enough and it stuck him high on his chest. It was a bad spot to get hit and it looked like it might have grazed the human’s lung. Peter stumbled to one knee.
      Sylnya was all but totally immobilized, she’d been forced to immobilize her own ally and the only arm that was working was covered in lacerations but in the space of a moment she’d taken the upper hand. The crowd gave a short cheer but quieted down immediately to hear what she said next.
      “I’m not fucking around, Peter! You wanna die? Move a muscle and the next dagger goes in your heart.” She reached down and pulled another dagger from her waist. Her wrist cocked back, ready to throw. “Surrender,” she demanded.
      Peter coughed and spat out a glob of blood. Yes. It looked like she had stuck him in the lung. “Okay, okay” he said. Sylnya relaxed her hand a bit and some tension Draevin hadn’t even realized he’d been holding left his shoulders. He’d been afraid Peter wouldn’t concede. “If that’s how you want to play it,” Peter continued in a dark tone. He paused to suppress another cough. “Then I’m not going to hold back anymore either.” He raised his hands up above his head and shouted, “Lumios lento!”
      The entire arena went black.
Index | Next| Read bonus content and up to chapter 84 on Patreon | Discord
Author’s Note: I released Part One of my latest side story, When Humans Were Gods just yesterday which is available to all patrons. As well, for those that care about that sort of thing, I now have a pronunciation guide for my unique names/words that is viewable by the public and doubles as a useful reference list of all the characters. Also if any readers want to let me know if they're interested in a physical print version of Wizard Tournament when the story concludes, my public poll is still ongoing and I would appreciate your responses. Enjoy your weekend.

What I wish I would have learned in conservatory...

Huge Benny's Post Season Mock Draft (3.0) with Trades

Trades

DEN gives 1.9, 3.71, and 2022 1st to ATL for 1.4, 5.132
MIA gives 2.36 and 3.82 to NO for 1.28
NYJ gives 1.23, 3.87, and 5.130 to AZ for 1.16
TB gives 2.61, 3.93, and 2022 6th to IND for 2.54 and 5.149

Draft

Round 1 (and explanations)

JAX Jaguars -- Trevor Lawrence, QB 1, Clemson

Self-explanatory
2) NYJ Jets -- Zach Wilson, QB 2, BYU
Fields and Wilson are neck and neck in terms of who deserves to be QB 2. While Fields has more upside, Wilson as more immediate impact and a more polished game. Consider this a high floor, high ceiling versus lower floor, heigher ceiling debate. And in the draft, you don't want to take a risk, especially early on. Wilson is the "safer" option, and will become a New York Jet.
3) MIA Dolphins -- DeVonta Smith, WR 1, Alabama
I agonized over this pick, because in many respects, this ought to straight up be Penei Sewell. You're not supposed to use the 3rd pick for a need based selection, but I think Miami can get away with it here. Smith's production was absurd -- so much so it landed him the Heisman. We've seen Alabama receivers dominate in the NFL, and while you select a player and not their collegiate helmet, there is a good correlation between success as a wideout in Alabama's program, and developing at the NFL level. Lastly, the Fins need playmakers. Give Austin Jackson another year to develop at LT, and use one of the many other draft picks this year to select a top lineman anyhow. Yes, its tougher to guess which linemen will be successful, but Smith feels like a guarantee to be something special with the way he gets separation despite his size.
4) DEN Broncos -- Justin Fields, QB 3, Ohio State
Whether Fields or Wilson is left on the board is irrelevant, Denver should move up and take them. Atlanta is looking to trade back with Ryan under contract through 2022, and contrary to popular belief, it is not optimal to move him just yet. The Broncos need someone not named Drew Lock slinging the football, but they don't need someone to fill in immediately. Fields can sit back, learn their playbook, and prepare for making NFL reads at NFL speeds. He will also get some phenomenal weapons with Fant, Jeudy, Hamler, and Patrick.
5) CIN Bengals -- Penei Sewell, OT 1, Oregon
Don't get me wrong, Sewell is a top 3 prospect easily enough. Teams ahead of the Bengals value the QB position a lot considering it's importance in the modern NFL, and the DeVonta Smith pick really sets the Bengals up nicely. Save Joe Burrow's career by actually protecting him. That's the gameplan for the Bengals to win and turn around their franchise. If Sewell is not here, in my opinion, you trade back and take Slater or Darrisaw.
6) PHI Eagles -- JaMarr Chase, WR 2, LSU
Yes, I know there's a Smith hype train right now. I've been on it since well before DeVonta was going to win the Heisman. And yes, I understand that Chase is the "better" prospect. But taking a year off from watchable football makes evaluating him and comparing the two receivers quite difficult. So in a sense, I have Chase dropping to WR 2. As for the Eagles... JJAW and Reagor haven't exactly blown away the competition. They still have some solid pieces, but a true WR 1 would go a long way in restoring the franchise. You can also consider corner here, but frankly, I think Chase is a better player than either Farley or Surtain.
7) DET Lions -- Micah Parsons, LB 1, Penn St.
Detroit has glaring holes on defense that absolutely need to be filled. Parsons is the type of player that can change a culture, and maybe even a franchise. He can do it all -- run stop, pass rush, pass cover. I see him taking on a Justin Simmons type role, and he might even have a similar slow start. The Lions should only consider defensive selections here with both Smith and Chase off the board.
8) CAR Panthers -- Trey Lance, QB 4, NDSU
Another top 10 caliber QB going top 10. Lance has measureables to translate successfully to the NFL level. He's a genetic specimen. I don't think he can come in and compete for a starting spot right away, but under Matt Rhule and behind Teddy Bridgewater, he can learn an offense quickly, and will likely get playing time by the second half of the season. Lance would be an investment into Carolina's future, but his upside is so incredible, its hard to justify passing on him.
9) ATL Falcons -- Caleb Farley, CB 1, Virginia Tech
I could see Farley, Surtain, or Horn, as well as Rousseau and Kwity Paye all going here at 9 to the Falcons. Personally, I see Farley as the best corner, and the corner position feels more complete than this year's edge rushers. Also, you technically, and I mean theoretically here, don't need pass rush if you can lock down the receivers. This isn't really true, but it's a nice thought with some practical applications. The short of it is, there aren't really any elite edge rushing prospects this year, but there's plenty of top end talent that can be selected later on. The Falcons have an extra Third due to their trade down, so expect them to pursue an Edge Rusher a little bit later.
10) DAL Cowboys -- Patrick Surtain II, CB 2, Alabama
The Cowboys' secondary is bad, and I think that's sugar coating it. Diggs was a nice piece last year, but this year, you need a corner who you can put on an island with a wideout. Surtain is that lockdown guy, and even if he's not, he's the closest thing this draft has to a complete CB prospect.
11) NYG Giants -- Greg Rousseau, EDGE 1, Miami (Fl)
The Giants have a few options here. Jaycee Horn comes to mind, although it's a little early for him. You can go and get Jaylen Waddle, but with Shepherd and Slayton on the team, you'd essentially have all speedy and technician type receivers. Pass rush is something the Giants sorely lack, and Rousseau is a diamond in the rough. His speed, power, and length are so much fun to watch. Rousseau is missing technique, but he did take the entire season off to improve his draft stock. We can't really say more until we see the combine, but for now, Rousseau is the top edge in this draft.
12) SF 49ers -- Jaycee Horn, CB 3, South Carolina
Remember when I said it's a little early for Horn? Well, yea, it was, by a single pick. I do think this selection is a bit of a need-based reach, however with no QB available and few other major holes on the Niners team, a need-based reach is fine in my book. The Niners are going to be losing some corners in FA and Jason Verett and Richard Sherman are only getting older. Some fresh blood needs to pump in that cornerback room, and Horn is the perfect developmental piece to learn from such established vets.
13) LAC Chargers -- Christian Darrisaw, OT 2, Virginia Tech
I wasn't too high on Darrisaw until recently when I watched his tape. I thought he seemed undersized, but he sure doesn't play like it. The Chargers ought to protect Herbert, and need help all across their O-Line. Expect Darrisaw to be the first of a few O-Line related draft picks in 2021.
14) MIN Vikings -- RaShawn Slater, OL 1, Northwestern
Slater can project to play any O-Line position in the NFL, which is why I think he'll be such a good fit for the Vikings. They have multiple gaps inside, and Slater's versatility will ease that reconstruction process. The Vikings offense is lethal when operating a full strength, so whether it's protecting Cousins or pancaking someone for Dalvin Cook, Slater should have his hands full.
15) NE Patriots -- Kyle Pitts, TE 1, Florida
Pitts deserves to be a top 10 selection. His catch radius is astounding, and he's basically an oversized, elite wide receiver. The Patriots need receivers too...badly. Instead of going with Jaylen Waddle or Rashod Bateman, I could totally see Bellichick and Co. drafting who could essentially be the next great New England tight end.
16) NYJ Jets -- Jaylen Waddle, WR 3, Alabama
The Jets have a lot of draft capital with which to rebuild their franchise, and I'm sure new Head Coach Robert Saleh wants to do exactly that. But there's only a few ways to win an NFL draft, and one of them is taking the right player at the right time to maximize your value. Waddle is better than a fringe top-16 selection, but he gets pushed down due to need and injury history. It was really nice to see him back in the title game, and that should set a positive tone heading into the draft. The Jets trade up to get an explosive weapon for Trevor Lawrence,
17) LV Raiders -- Kwity Paye, EDGE 2, Michigan
The Raiders' fatal flaw is defense. It feels like they trot out 5-6 players instead of the normal 11, and that's often reflected by the game score. The quickest way to improve a defense is through pass rush. Clelin Ferell is elite at run stopping, and Maxx Crosby is a solid player in his own right, but neither have that killer instinct to go after the QB and dismantle an entire play. Paye, on the other hand, is known for doing just that. Extra pressure will also help out the weak Raiders secondary.
18) MIA Dolphins -- Jeremiah Koramoah-Nwosu, LB 2, Notre Dame
I'm going to keep putting JOK in this same draft spot almost automatically until draft day. JOK is a fantastic run stopper who can diagnose plays like House from, well House. He works well enough in coverage as well, and I think with some Brian Flores coaching, he can shine at the next level. The Fins could use some help in the linebacker room, and JOK can elevate the entire position group if he's coached up right.
19) WAS Football Team -- Rashod Bateman, WR 4, Minnesota
If Waddle wasn't taken at 16, this pick would've been even more obvious. Get Heinicke a big receiver who can go up and get the football. That unlocks McLaurin to streak down the sidelines or run a deep slant through the middle of the field. Bateman essentially stretches the field, into wear safeties have to remain wary of both recievers, plus both of Washington's running backs who have good hands and often pop out of the backfield.
20) CHI Bears -- Liam Eichenberg, OT 3, Notre Dame
I said player, not helmet, and in Eichenberg's case, I kinda gave him points for both. Notre Dame tackles typically translate really well to the NFL, the same way Bama receivers and Iowa tight ends do. Eichenberg himself is next up in a long line of successful ND linemen, with excellent length, good hand-fighting technique, and plenty of bulk. The Bears need an anchor who can give whomever their signal caller is some extra time in the pocket. Eichengberg joins his old buddy Cole Kmet in Chicago.
21) IND Colts -- Jaelen Phillips, EDGE 3, Miami (Fl)
The second of three top Edge rushers coming from Miami finds his way onto the Indy Colts. I will admit, I am extremely biased when it comes to my Colts, and being a Miami fan, I kinda just threw a dart with this choice. But hear me out because there is some justification to the selection: First, Ballard said he will be slow and methodical when selecting a QB, that its not about getting a guy, but the right guy. The right guy won't be here at 21, and the Colts aren't moving into the top 8 this draft. Second, with Eichenberg off the table, the next best OT is Cosmi. While he fits, it feels like a reach just to get someone to fill AC's shoes. The Colts have some picks later on, and I'm confident that the middle-tiered OTs are just as suitable as Cosmi would be. Third, the Colts' biggest hole is at Edge Rusher. Turray is not the player Indy hoped he would be, Houston is aging and on the way out, and Autry is kinda meh. Ballard said it himself, Banogu needs to come online. With all those question marks, it seems to me, the best choice is taking a high upside Edge rusher. Phillips has amazing length, speed, technique, strength, you name it. I would only be skittish about his injury history, but after the season he had at Miami, he's worth the risk. A former number 1 overall recruit nationally from highschool and a Second Team All American deserves a first round selection. He has tools for days, and if he can get onto a veteran, playoff team, he just might win the DROY. The caveat is: so long as he can stay healthy.
22) TEN Titans -- Joseph Ossai, EDGE 4, Texas
Ossai is a really good player, with a few gaps in his game that he would need to patch before starting in the NFL. The Titans desperately need pass rush, especially considering how good their defensive backs look on paper. EDGE is the last key to the puzzle which would take the Titans from a perennial AFC South contender to a perennial AFC Championship contender.
23) AZ Cardinals -- Tyson Campbell, CB 4, Georgia
I'm just going to say that Campbell is longer than Stokes, more physical, and I think his build will translate to the NFL better. Campbell, to me, is the clear cut CB 4 and Arizona wants a corner in the first round. Trading back from 16 makes a lot of sense considering Campbell is certainly the beginning of the 2nd tier corners and should not go as early as 16. The Cards add an extra selection in both the third and fifth round and still get their guy.
24) PIT Steelers -- Samuel Cosmi, OT 4, Texas
If there's one thing I've learned from this sub, it is that Pittsburg's offensive line is overrated. They're about to get a physical hulk in Cosmi, who by weight alone is tough enough to push past. Cosmi will be great for buying Big Ben some extra seconds in the pocket, and could be an anchor for a decade if he plays up to his potential.
25) JAX Jaguars -- Davion Nixon, DT 1, Iowa State
Shocker to have Nixon, and not Barrmore or Tufele as my DT 1, but I really liked how athletic and natural he looked at the position. I mean, this man rumbled for a pick 6 in one of the most impressive big man touchdowns I've seen at the collegiate level. He just plays instinctively, and that always feels like what the Jags look for in a prospect. Ramsay, Henderson, Chaisson, Allen. All previous instinctive players taken by Jacksonville in recent memory, and I, for one, am a big fan.
26) CLE Browns -- Zaven Collins, LB 3, Tulsa
You can make a bunch of arguments for where the Browns should go with this pick. Safety, CB 2, inside and outside linebacker all have a case. Zaven Collins is the best safety/CB/LB available at this point in the draft, and he would be a massive upgrade over some of the current starters like B.J. Goodson and Malcolm Smith. Easy choice here, don't overthink it.
27) BAL Ravens -- Wyatt Davis, OG 1, Ohio State
So, this is a bit of a toss up, in part because I want Baltimore to take a receiver in the first round, and in part because Davis just simply should not be there at 27. He is a unit, and clearly the best guard in the draft. I penciled him in to Minnesota for my past mocks, but the rise of Rashawn Slater gave birth to Davis' plummet. He is also the second best player remaining on the draft board behind Etienne and is a clear and present need for Baltimore. Sorry Ravens fans, or you're welcome. Whichever.
28) MIA Dolphins -- Travis Etienne, RB 1, Clemson
Remember how I said Etienne was the BPA at 27? Well, that was true for a while. Running backs aren't really worth what they used to be, but a player like Etienne can absolutely change a team's landscape the same way Dalvin Cook, Todd Gurley, Derrick Henry, Alvin Kamara, and CMC did for their respective teams. Miami trades away some of it's cached draft assets to get a bluechip runner with feather-soft hands and a knack for finding open space. This is going to be a scary Dolphins team, considering they just went 10-6, and would be getting two of the very best skill position players in the draft. Something to watch out for, especially if Etienne falls this far. (Also, by moving up to 28, Miami hops the Buccaneers who would absolutely take ETN at 29).
29) TB Buccaneers -- Azeez Ojoulari, EDGE 5, Georgia
I don't really know what to say about this pick, aside from that it feels like a consolation prize. Ojoulari has some great pass rushing skills, and with Suh and JPP aging, getting a young DE seems like a smart play.
30) BUF Bills -- Christian Barrmore, DT 2, Alabama
I've been up and down with Barrmore, but after seeing his college playoff performance, I think he's the best player remaining on the draft board. I figeted with Freiermuth and Leatherwood, but ultimately settled on Barrmore because Buffalo continued to get gashed along the D-Line by opposing RBs. Basically, Barrmore is a Quinton Jefferson replacement, not that they need it.
31) KC Chiefs -- Carlos Basham Jr., EDGE 6, Wake Forest
Frank Clark has underperformed given his hefty contract, Kpassagnon has been downright bad. I understand he's a rookie and has time and room to grow, but you should never say no to healthy competition. It's also too early to draft a center, although Landon Dickerson is on my mind if I'm the Chiefs GM. Basham Jr. is a strong, technique driven player that can bully an opposing LT.
32) GB Packers -- Chris Olave, WR 5, Ohio State
This is my draft darling. I watched Olave play in both playoff games, and absolutely fell in love. I watched his highlight reel and I can't stop raving about the dude. I honestly don't know how he wins some of his matchups, he just seems to see the field differently. He just knows when to turn on/off the jets and he's the type of player I can see forming an instant connection with an elite QB. If he does go to the Packers, he will put up some crazy numbers. I'm talking thousand yard receiving, 7-10 TDs, and 70 + receptions. (That's also pending a Will Fuller signing, which would obviously hurt Olave's opportunities).
Round 2
33) JAX Jaguars -- Alex Leatherwood, OL 2, Alabama
34) NYJ Jets -- Alijah Vera-Tucker, OG 2, USC
35) ATL Falcons -- Patrick Jones II, EDGE 7, Pittsburg
36) NO Saints -- Mac Jones, QB 5, Alabama
The Saints traded down from their first round selection to the early second to nab an extra third round pick. With their new pick, they take Drew Brees' ideal successor in Mac Jones. Jones has solid arm strength, makes good reads, but runs a simple offense. He has a high football IQ, and I think he would pair really well with Slants-McGhee (Michael Thomas) and Alvin Kamara. He's more of a game manager than a win-it-yourself QB, but he can excel at management the same way Alex Smith did in SF and KC.
37) PHI Eagles -- Asante Samuel Jr., CB 6, FSU
Not a typo, Samuel is not the 5th best corner in this draft, but he will be the 5th one taken according to this mock. Something about his moxie and personality screams Philly Philly to me.
38) CIN Bengals -- Shaun Wade, CB 5, Ohio State
39) CAR Panthers -- Chazz Surratt, LB 4, North Carolina
40) DEN Broncos -- Dillon Radunz, OT 5, NDSU
41) DET Lions -- Rondale Moore, WR 6, Purdue
42) NYG Giants -- Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR 7, USC
43) SF 49ers -- Kyle Trask, QB 6, Florida
44) DAL Cowboys -- Jay Tufele, DT 2, USC
45) JAX Jaguars -- Trevor Moehrig, S 1, ATCU
46) NE Patriots -- Terrace Marshall Jr., WR 8, LSU
47) LAC Chargers -- Eric Stokes, CB 7, Georgia
48) LV Raiders -- Jevon Holland, DB 1, Oregon
I feel like I ought to explain that Holland is listed as a DB because I project him to play either corner or safety. His size is underwhelming, but his speed makes up for it to secure a day two selection. Vegas wants some versatility and flexibility, which is what gets Holland drafted over some better safeties.
49) AZ Cardinals -- Pat Freiermuth, TE 2, Penn State
50) MIA Dolphins -- Trey Smith, OG 3, Tennessee
51) WAS Football Team -- Jaylen Mayfield, OT 7, Michigan
52) CHI Bears -- Elijah Moore, WR 10, Ole Miss
Again, not a typo. I believe there is a better WR on the board, but I think the Bears rock with Moore instead, in part due to production, and in part due to rising draft stock.
53) TEN Titans -- Nick Bolton, LB 5, Missouri
54) TB Buccaneers -- Najee Harris, RB 2, Alabama
First, let me say I believe Harris is going to be the best tailback drafted. He moves like a flowing river, crashing into some opponents and bending around others. I am extremely impressed with him, and I don't think he deserves to fall this far. The thing is, a lot of teams have secure RBs at the moment, with exceptions being Miami, Arizona, New England (to an extent), Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Buffalo, and Tampa. Tampa has Jones II for another year after this one, and will start thinking about moving on. They trade up for an absolute gem in Harris, who can be their feature back behind one of the best O Lines is football right now. Tampa doesn't sacrifice too much, just their third and a future pick, and they get back a 5th this year as well. For those of you who think they give up a little too much, I plugged the values into the Johnson trade chart to be certain. Tampa loses a bit of value, but they get to catapult Pittsburgh to secure their RB of the future.
55) PIT Steelers -- Javonte Williams, RB 3, North Carolina
They settled for the next best back in Williams, who runs like a wrecking ball but still has really nice hands. Not a bad James Connor replacement at all.
56) SEA Seahawks -- Levi Onwuzurike, DT 4, Washington
This is a mix of best player available and filling in a need. Onwuzurike is heavily underrated and should be touted as an early day 2 selection. I'm not sure if this qualifies as a steal, but its definitely good value for someone who can run stuff for years to come.
57) LA Rams -- Deonte Brown, OG 4, Alabama
Brown is critically underrated. He looks like Blastoise from Pokemon, his arms are like cannons, and he's basically an impenetrable shell. I like him a lot, and I think Cam Akers and Jared Goff will too. I don't know if the Rams need a center, but Creed Humphrey could also slot in here.
58) CLE Browns -- Derion Kendrick , CB 8, Clemson
59) BAL Ravens -- Kadarius Toney, WR 9, Florida
60) NO Saints -- Elijah Molden, DB 2, Washington
See explanation for Jevon Holland
61) IND Colts -- Walker Little, OT 7, Stanford
Little reminds me of Anthony Costanzo, and he will likely be available if the Colts do trade back from 54. Little is anything but, he's actually pretty large. On top of that, he is very, very smart, and not just because he attends Stanford. If the Colts want to avoid maneuvering Quinton Nelson, this is who they should draft.
62) BUF Bills -- Spencer Brown, OT 8, Northern Illinois
63) KC Chiefs -- Landon Dickerson, C 1, Alabama
64) GB Packers -- Baron Browning, LB 6, Ohio State
Is it bad that the team I think is going to win the Superbowl also ends up with two of my favorite prospects? That's just kinda how my board fell, but I'm starting to think I need to shuffle it in case they see this.
Round 3
65) JAX Jaguars -- Brevin Jordan, TE 3, Miami (Fl)
66) NYJ Jets -- Paulson Adebo, CB 9, Stanford
67) HOU Texans -- Sage Surratt, WR 11, Wake Forest
Finally got to the Texans pick, and they take a large and in charge receiver in Surratt. It's tough to predict what the Texans will do while they sort out the whole Watson situation.
68) ATL Falcons -- Jaime Newman, QB 7, Georgia
69) CIN Bengals -- Quincy Roche, EDGE 8, Miami (Fl)
May not be the best pick in the darft, but certainly the nicest
70) PHI Eagles -- Dylan Moses, LB 7, Alabama
71) ATL Falcons -- Hamsah Nasriladeen, S 2, FSU
72) DET Lions -- Jayson Oweh, EDGE 9, Penn State
73) CAR Panthers -- Rodarius Williams, CB 10, LSU
74) WAS Football Team -- Charlie Kolar, TE 4, Iowa State
75) DAL Cowboys -- Rashad Weaver, EDGE 10, Pittsburgh
76) NYG Giants -- Josh Jobe, CB 11, Alabama
77) NE Patriots -- Forfeit
78) LAC Chargers -- Tyler Linderbaum, C 2, Iowa
Replaceable with Creed Humphrey as well
79) MIN Vikings -- Andre Cisco, S 3, Syracuse
80) AZ Cardinals -- Marvin Wilson, DT 5, FSU
81) LV Raiders -- Jabril Cox, LB 8, LSU
82) NO Saints -- Paris Ford, S 4, Pittsburgh
I know I gave them Molden earlier, but Ford is really the BPA at this spot. I also think he is criminally underrated and initialy had him as my S 1 over Moehrig. My only concern is that he had one of the best pass rushing units in the country pestering opposing QBs, so I'm not totally sure his production is 100% legitimate. Still a phenomenal player.
83) WAS Football Team -- Pete Werner, LB 9, Ohio State
84) CHI Bears -- Kenny Pickett, QB 8, Pittsburgh
85) IND Colts -- Israel Mukuamu, CB 12, South Carolina
86) TEN Titans -- Tylan Wallace, WR 12, Oklahoma State
87) AZ Cardinals -- Josh Myers, C 3, Ohio State
88) PIT Steelers -- Shakur Brown, CB 13, Michigan State
89) LAR Rams -- Daniel Faalele, OT 9, Minnesota
90) CLE Browns -- Richard LeCounte III, S 5, Georgia
91) MIN Vikings -- Jackson Carman, OT 10, Clemson
92) CLE Browns -- Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE 11, Michigan
93) IND Colts -- Kellen Mond, QB 9, Texas A&M
94) BUF Bills -- Hunter Long, TE 5, Boston College
95) KC Chiefs -- Cameron McGrone, LB 9, LSU
96) GB Packers -- Jaret Patterson, RB 4, Buffalo
Compensatory Picks
97) NE Patriots -- Sam Ehlinger, QB 10, Texas
98) LAC Chargers -- Dazz Newsome, WR 13, North Carolina
99) NO Saints -- Seth Williams, WR 14, Auburn
100) DAL Cowboys -- Ar'Darius Washington, S 6, TCU
101) TEN Titans -- Kenneth "Kenny" Gainwell, RB 5, Memphis
102) LAR Rams -- Charles Snowden III, EDGE 12, Virginia

Note: I'm posting this without proof reading, so kindly lmk if I messed something up.

Just Hit GM on Support on PS4 for the First Time Playing Mostly Ana, Zen, Bap, and Lucio Solo Queueing and without being in Team Chat. Here to Give Some Hero Specific Support Advice. (Part 2)

Background

If you don't care about all this and want to go straight to the advice you can skip to section 2.
Hi guys, just wanted to share some insight on my road to grinding support to GM and to give some free advice for players wanting to improve. Here's the Proof that I hit GM if anybody was curious.
Just wanted to start by saying that I started off in low gold on my main account back in season 9. I didn't hit Masters until season 16 where I was stuck around the 3.4k-3.6k range until I hit GM on tank in season 23. After that, I wanted to practice support and made a new account so I could start from the ground up and so I wouldn't ruin other people's games because my support was probably not at a high masters/low GM level yet. Overwatch is also the first FPS competitive game I took seriously.
To help supplement my practice I watched coaching VOD reviews of Ana, Zen, and Bap and some unranked to GM VODs of people like ML7 and epicenzo. Then I would write down a couple of things that I needed to work on for each hero. I am by no means an amazing player, but through focused practice and time, I was able to hit GM on support. Hoping this post helps aspiring support players who feel stuck in their rank.
I also chose to not be in team chat for most of games because I really just wanted to focus on my mechanics and decision making without having to listen to other people complain. My experience in ranked is that I don't hear actual useful callouts until mid to high masters, but even at that rank I still didn't join voice. If you're hardcore, "you must be in voice chat, it's a team game!" kind of person then...I'm sorry?
Here is the link to Part 1, which I recommend you check out first

1 - Ana

Positioning: There are two things that I think about when I play Ana in terms of positioning.

Do I have some sort of natural cover to protect me?
Can I see all of my teammates?

If you say yes to both of those question then that's a pretty good start already. Simple. If you want to be more advanced let's talk about high ground usage and off angles.
High Ground is great because it gives you options. It's always easier to start on a high ground before a team fight because you can always drop from it if you really need to. It gives you access to landing nades on the enemy team so your teammates won't get in the way and the ability to see a lot of the map. Downside of high ground is that you can be exposed if there's no cover or if you don't have a teammate with you. Be weary of enemy snipers as you can become easing pickings if you aren't aware. I've gotten my head blown up a few times because I was hard scoping not realizing where the enemy Widow was and it cost us the team fight. Know the pros and cons of high ground so you know when to not use it.
Off Angles as the name implies is an angle is when you position away from your team, but you're able to focus down the same target together. It means the enemy team has to split their attention, thus, splitting their resources, while your team can maintain their focus fire. This is a great way to get decent damage in and access to anti nades on the enemy team. The weakness of it is that if the enemy team cuts you off from the rest of your team then you become vulnerable and your team is missing support. It's important to always have an exit plan when you go for off angles. If you're on an off angle on your own, you can most likely hold that angle for a few seconds until an enemy player will realize and push you. Read the situation, know your limits, and have an exit plan when going for off angle plays.
Unscoped/Quick Scope/Scoped Shots:

Unscoped Shots:
- Pros: Full field of view, no traces to give away your position, easy to hit big targets, able to position quicker
- Cons: Harder to hit on smaller and faster moving targets
Scoped Shots:
- Pros: Easier to hit shots on smaller and faster moving targets
- Cons: Minimizes field of view, traces give away position, static position, vulnerable to being flanked
Quick scope:
- Pros: Full field of view and the reliability of hitting targets reliably, while keeping the movement of when being unscoped
- Cons: Slower fire rate

Simple. All three types of shots are important and need to be practiced because the type of shot you will use will depend on the situation.
Sleep Dart: Throwing a way sleep darts is a bad habit and will be punished the higher you go in rank. There's also no point in wasting it in lower ranked games either so just stop spamming it. It's more effective to use it less with more impact vs spamming it and having no impact.
These are the main ways you are going to use sleep dart.

Saving your teammates: For example, and enemy Rein pinning a teammate, someone getting hooked, etc
Self-Defense: Dueling flankers like Tracer, Doomfist and Genji.
- Don't panic against Tracer. As long as you're not standing still it will be hard for her to once clip you if you still have nade. Try to do damage to her, which will force her blinks out and her recall.
- Doomfist is relatively predictable when he uses his cool downs. He's stationary when he's charging his punch. His seismic slam moves in a linear direction and is easiest to hit when he lands. His upper cut is also relatively easy to hit if you hit him on his way up. Just need to get him before he puts too many shots in your head.
- Genji is similar to Tracer in that it will be hard for him to one shot you, unless you're being completely stationary (why hard scoping all the time is bad). Same principle, try to do damage and bait out his reflect. It's also easier to hit him when he double jumps at the apex of his jump.
Cancelling an enemy cool down: Cool downs like Roadhog's Vape, Winston's leap, everything about Wrecking Ball and Doomfist.
Denying an enemy ultimate: McCree's high noon, Pharah's barrage, Genji blade, etc are all ultimates you want to at least attempt to sleep. Give yourself the option to at least attempt the sleep dart by ult tracking, as I previously discussed.
Sleeping an Out of Position Enemy: This is a great play if you are able to land a sleep on a target who is out of position. It means they are almost surely dead and opens up the team fight with an opening frag. Be patient with making this play though, there are shields, bubbles, etc that could block your sleep. If the enemy team has flanking DPS, then I would be more conservative about making this play and use sleep dart for more self-defense and saving teammates.
Playmaking: This is probably most people use sleep dart....or at least the concept of it. They kind of just "yeet" it thinking that it will make a play. An example of making plays with sleep dart is going on a flank and sleeping an enemy Rein so your Rein can shatter the enemy team.

Nade: Ana's grenade is very versatile as it can be used for yourself, enable your team, or to be able to swing team fights by landing antis. Some of the best uses was being able to landing the nade on my Rein, while simultaneously landing an anti on the enemy Rein. Getting multi man anti nades are great, but if there's nobody to really follow up on it then it's useless (sort of). I would rather get a 1 or 2 man nade that leads to a kill, rather than a 5 man anti that my team can't do anything with.
Knowing enemy team comps will dictate a lot about how you use your nade:

Dive: If you're against dive then look to use it more defensively. If the dive is already done and there's no major threat then you have the option to be more aggressive with it.
Rush: This is a comp you really want to land anti nades on. If you're able to hit consistent purples against Rein comps you will win team fights. There shouldn't be any major threat to flankers so you can be on an off angle or high ground or even at the back of your team landing purples. Try to squeeze it in between the shields, when Zarya bubbles are down, or when Dva just used her defense matrix. Hitting nades, while your Reins are dueling is also an easy way to win team fights. Your Rein will get a heal buff and then enemy Rein will have to play passive as he is getting smacked by your team. You'll reliably hit more purples by finding the right timing instead of spamming it.
BunkeDouble shield: I'll just lump these two comps together, but they are different comps. This one you may have to be more creative. Set nades are pretty good to break these kinds of comps as they land from a vertical angle. Here is a link to a KarQ video about some set nades that might help you. Same principle though, if you can't land a nade then look for a high ground or an off angle to land the purple. JUST DON'T FORGET TO STILL SUPPORT YOUR TEAM!

Another tip is that you don't have to directly hit a nade on a person. You can splash nades on walls, corners, or the floor and it will hit those around it in a 4 meter radius.
Nano Boost: I'm not going to add any information as I think this ML7 video pretty much explains everything about nano boost. It's way more comprehensive than anything I can write down so I would check that out if you want to improve your nano boost usage.

2 - Baptiste

Positioning: Baptiste has very similar positioning to Ana and Zenyatta as a sort of hybrid support between the two with a movement ability. He can stand directly behind his team to provide healing and damage like Zenyatta, but he also has the option to be in a safer position to avoid sight lines on the enemy team and just heal. Same principle with your positioning as Ana though:

Have natural cover
Be able to see all of your teammates

Check those 2 boxes and you then you should be able to push your limits more with positioning.
The time you should consider being in a more passive position if the enemy team has a Widow or Ashe. In those situations you need to avoid their sight lines and be disciplined. Other than that, be open to be in a position to damage the enemy team more.
Healing vs Damage: Common question I see about Baptiste, "Do I focus on healing or do I damage more?" Answer is, it depends. I'll make it simple, heal if you have a teammate under threat, damage if your teammates are safe. The riskiest time for teammates is at the start of a team fight. This is where you will most likely be healing the most as this is where your teammates are taking the most damage. Mid-fight you will most likely be switching between healing and damage as it's more chaotic in this situation. Then one the dust has settled and it's just clean up at that point then it's okay to do more damage. Just keep in mind to still make sure your teammates don't die unnecessarily.
Another tip with Bap is that you can weave in healing and damage at basically the same time. Heal, shoot, heal, shoot, heal, shoot, if possible. It doesn't even have to be at the same target. I can heal my Rein, then damage a shield, then heal my McCree on the side, then damage an off angling Pharah. damaging and healing as Baptiste is fluid and it's never just "I'm gonna heal more" or "I'm going to damage more."
Exo Boots: Related to positioning, Baptiste has the ability to quickly reposition vertically with his exo boots. It can be a great escape tool from bad situations and to quickly get to high ground. Some instances where I have used exo boots is avoiding an earth shatter by jumping in the air or juking a Reaper to teleported next to me by dropping then quickly jumping back up. Just a couple of examples but you get the idea. Have exo boots charged and ready to go then just press crouch again to cancel. Avoid spam jumping with Baptiste as it's a bad habit to build, especially against good hitscan players. You might get away with it now but it's not a good habit to have in the long-term. Play for that rank you want to be, not the rank you are in.
Regenerative Burst: Most of the time you'll be using this ability as a self. In a perfect world your support partner should be healing you when you really need it, but it's ranked, and it isn't a perfect world. Other than using it for yourself it's an AOE heal with 10 m radius for the rest of your team. For reference, Lucio's aura has a 12 m radius. Regenerative Burst gives 150 healing for yourself and 75 healing for teammates.
Combine this ability with Bap's healing shots and it's a great source of burst healing for teammates who are under a high level of threat. It can also be used for teammates who are under zero to little threat as you can pop the heal burst and do some damage.
Immortality Field: This is one of, if not, the strongest ability in the game right now. There are a few things you need to consider when using immortality field:

Does my teammate need immortality or could I just heal him?
Can I place the field behind a wall or corner so that it's hard to hit? If not, consider the pros and cons.
Does the immortality field enable a good play or is trying to correct a teammates mistake?

Immortality field, in a perfect world, should be used against enemy ultimates and saving teammates. If a teammate is being pressured, don't panic, if you're healing them then they should mostly be fine. Consider throwing immortality if there will be significant burst damage, purpled, stunned, or hacked. I highlight "consider" because you're not going to have to use immortality during all of those times. For example, if someone gets hacked but the enemy team isn't following up on it then I'm not going to throw lamp because can just heal the ally or do damage to the Sombra to force her retreat. Just need to read the situation.
If you do need to use immortality field then try to place it around a corner or a wall as much as possible. It's only 150 HP and can be broken quickly. The longer it lasts for 5 full seconds, the better. Of course, if it's not possible like being thrown in the air by Sigma ult or in a Zarya grav, still use it. Try holding it for the last possible second though as an enemy can break it and still end up getting the kill.
There are situations where you can use immortality aggressively. These are 3 main ones that I have worked out:

Off angling with an allied hitscan and combining immortality field with amplification matrix.
Enemy team uses a lot of cool downs and my team can use immortality field to take aggressive space.
Enabling a teammate who is using their ultimate like Genji blade, Pharah barrage, McCree high noon, etc.

Follow the same principles and try to place the immortality field around a wall or corner when using it aggressively. Finally, if you're under direct threat and need to use immortality field for yourself then do so. Jus remember, positioning, exo boots, regenerative burst, and Bap's damage should be used first before using immortality field for yourself. Immortality field should be your last resort to self-defense.
Bonus tip, immortality field follows the same arch as Baptiste's healing grenade. So, if you aren't sure where your immortality field will land then place a couple shots of healing before to figure out the trajectory.
Amplification Matrix: Using this ultimate is like a double edged sword. It's a great ultimate to turn team fights, versatile, and charges very quickly. However, the weird thing that happens in ranked is when amp matrix is deployed, the entire team will gravitate towards it and give up their positioning. It's like one of those fly zappers, where the flies are your teammates, and the zapper is the matrix. Sorry, just a small pet peeve of mine. Anyways, it's a great way to initiate a team fight or counter engage with. My personal favorite use is baiting a team to walk into a long sight line the popping the window in front of their faces. Makes for a quick team fight win. Other options are using it at an off angle with a teammate or using it for yourself to do more damage/healing. Don't be afraid to use this ultimate as it charges fairly quickly. Experiment and have fun with it.

3 - Lucio

Positioning: General positioning of Lucio is slightly at the center of the team, but being ready to check an enemy DPS and/or peel for your squishy teammates. As Lucio, you have two primary jobs:

Speeding your team
Being a bodyguard for your other support

Read the enemy team comp first and that will dictate a lot on how you position. If the enemy team is running dive then you will need to position closer to your other support to protect them. If they are running a single flanker, like Tracer, you have the option of contesting an angle or lane they like coming from. It's like a "preemptive peel" where you get to waste a lot of their resources and make them retreat to their team.
If the enemy team isn't running some sort of dive then just mostly be in the center of your team and speed them where they need to go. Check on your other support every few seconds though, they might have taken some poke damage and it's important that they don't waste their cool downs for themsleves.
Healing vs Speed: This is difficult question to answer, but I'll try my best to give the basics. It first starts with your team comp. When you're playing with Rein, Zarya, and/or DPS that have short range then you will mostly be on speed. If you're playing with a dive comp where your teammates already have high mobility then speed becomes sort of redundant and you will mostly be on healing.
Here are situations where I would use speed as Lucio:

Closing the distance against an enemy
Closing the distance to an ally to peel for them
Speeding a teammate so they can chase a kill
Speed boosting a teammate to safety when healing won't save them
Transitioning through an open area quickly to avoid damage
Speed boosting ultimates like Reaper's death blossom and Roadhog's whole hog

If you're already using speed like that, then you're already better than most of the Lucio player I've played with. Use healing in other situations I didn't list above.
Wallriding: Back in the day of 2017, you probably didn't need to wallride to be a good Lucio. Now, it's a must have to be a good Lucio player. Think of wallriding as a force multiplier. Lucio moves faster on walls, meaning, he can close the distance to his teammates or enemies, and it makes him harder to hit. Wallriding is just something you really need to practice. Hop into a custom game and practice wallriding around maps or play Lucio in some deathmatch. The more you practice, the better you'll be at wallriding
Boop: Pretty much a spammable ability. Main uses of Lucio's boop are:

Environmental kills
Booping an enemy in a bad position
Saving teammates death
Damage Combos
1. Boop them up in the air so they'll be in a predictable pattern for you to kill
2. Boop + melee is a great 55 damage combo, especially on squishy heroes

Just remember to not tunnel vision on environmental kills. It's easy to fall into the trap of only going for environmental kills when you still need to support the team.
Amp it up: Same principle as speeding vs healing except in more extreme situations. Speed boost to save teammates, close the distance, or rotating through open areas quickly. The only time you will really be heal boosting if the team fight is over and you're getting that last bit of healing for ult charge or your team is already engaged and doesn't really need to speed anymore so you put it on healing.
Dropping the Beat: First thing about Lucio's ultimate is that you have to read the situation first. If you use it, is it enough to actually win a team fight? If the answer is no, then don't use it. An example would be an enemy team comboing Grav with nano barrage. There is no way Lucio's beat is enough to survive that combo. Also consider how many teammates are still on your team. If you're using beat for only 1 or 2 teammates alive because you were saving it for the enemy grav, it's not a good beat. Team fight is already lost at that point, yeah you used it for the enemy grav but you could've used it for the next team fight.
If team fights are still winnable then you will most likely use beat in 3 major ways:

Engaging: This is great if the enemy team uses a lot of cool downs or has no ultimates. Just make sure your team is ready to engage with it or the shields will expire before your team actually starts fighting.
Against enemy ults: The common tip is using it against big combos. This is fine for the most part, but just need to know when the enemy team has too much damage that using beat will not be enough to win.
Counter engaging: This usually happens in long drawn team fights where team's will exchange kills and cool downs leading to a stalemate. Using beat to turn the tide in you team's favor will be that little extra buff that might win you guys the team fight.

Another tip is that Lucio's beat has a cast time but if you do it on slightly elevated surfaces then the cast time is a lot shorter. Another tip is that Lucio's beat needs to be in line of sight and so can be cut off by shields. However there's a small window after you drop the beat where you can LOS a teammate and they will get the beat.

4 - Zenyatta

Positioning: Same principle as the other supports with one extra guideline that's important for Zen:

Have natural cover
Be able to see all your teammates
Need to be able to see enemy players

Zen's main focus is to do damage. You need to be able to see the enemy team to provide discords. The range of discords is pretty forgiving at 40 m so you don't need to be too close. Some exceptions is playing against a Widow or Ashe. These heroes often times share the same sight lines, but have the advantage of having hitscan so they can more reliably land shots on you. If this happens, then position yourself so that you can avoid the Widow/Ashe's sight lines and focus on the enemy tanks. The "god gamer" player is to of course pressure or kill the enemy hitscans so you don't have to worry about it, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you're feeling really confident or if the enemy hitscans are unaware of where you are. If you are feeling confident then jiggle pick through a corner to make it difficult for them or charge up a volley and look to one shot them when they are hard scoped.
Volleys vs Primary: It's important to distinguish when to use primary and secondary fire as Zenyatta. It's a key factor in optimizing damage efficiency as Zen and thus outputting more damage for your team. Here are the pros and cons of primary vs secondary fire as Zen
Primary Fire

When to use it: You will spend most of the time using primary fire throughout a match. Zen's discord + primary fire has one of the highest DPS in the game right behind Bastion, Reaper only hitting close range headshots, and Dva hitting close range headshots. That's nuts, especially considering Zen is a support. Use primary when burning down shields, tanks, duels, or just throwing damage down range. Just remember to not hold down primary fire and actually take the time to think about every shot. it's easy to just use it as a "spam" ability but to get the most out of Zen's damage you need to be able to land shots.
Pros
- Higher DPS
- More ammo efficient
- Good for duels
Cons
- Less burst damage

Secondary Fire

When to use it: Volleys are a more "situational" but is still an important tool in Zen's kit. Specific situations for using volleys are, getting ult charge before the team fight starts, getting opening picks into predictable entry ways, one shotting targets that stand still like Widow or Ana, and peeking around corners or off angles. Volleys have high amounts of burst damage but if you miss all of your 5 orbs from a volley that's 1/4 of Zen's ammo gone. Be sure to use secondary fire at the right times as the reload animation for Zenyatta may force you into bad situations.
Pros
- High burst damage for one shot potential
- Can be used during downtime when behind cover
Cons
- Less ammo efficient
- Weaker in duels
- Cannot place orbs during the charge animation

Discord Orb: This is Zenyatta's strongest ability and surprisingly, an ability a lot of lower ranked player underestimate.

If you're new to Zenyatta your first priority is just placing on an enemy as much as possible during a team fight. Just focus them down even if isn't necessarily the best target yet.
The next step is placing Discord orb on targets that should be focused down. Usually those are tanks, enemies that are major threats, and out of position targets.
Last step is fluidly mixing in Zen's primary fire, while placing discord orb on the appropriate targets, without missing a beat. This is the most challenging part as an out of position target or an enemy that needs to be focused down may have a short time window. Would recommend watching any high level Zen player and watch as they do skill. It's hard to explain in words and is better visually seen.

Bonus tip with discord orb is that it will stay on a target for 3 seconds when out of line of sight. It works as a mini sonar arrow for you to see if an enemy is about to flank or peek a corner. Great way to get unsuspecting kills.
Harmony Orb: The main way to use harmony orb is placing it on allies who you know are about to take the most damage or be placed in the riskiest situation. Usually that will be squishy flankers like Tracer, Genji, or Echo. Prioritize having healing orb on those heroes as much as possible but don't overextend or go into a poor position just to heal them. It's easy to panic when seeing a critical sign on an ally, but remember one of the first things I talked about playing support is valuing your life.
If your other support is being threatened and needs help then place harmony on them as quickly as possible. It's still important to protect your other support and deal with the threat. Tanks are an "okay" option for harmony orb if your other support is something like a Mercy or a Lucio. Realistically tho, having harmony orb on a hero like a Reinhardt who is very resource intensive will not be enough. The real way to "heal" a Reinhardt is dishing out more damage on the enemy Rein.
Just remember to not spend too much time worrying about harmony as Zen's main focus is damage. Don't get me wrong, harmony orb placement is still an important skill for Zen, but it's important to not be a "healbot" Zen as every single other support is better at healing than he is. Play to Zen's strengths.
Transcendence: Very powerful ultimate that provides 300HPS and makes Zen invulnerable for 6 seconds. For all the Zen newbies, transcendence does not make your teammates invulnerable if they are in it. Main uses for Zen's transcendence are:

Against enemy ultimate combos like grav/dragons, Sigma flux, earthshatter, etc.
Keeping yourself alive when there's no real need to use against an ultimate. There are going to be team comps like Winston, Dva, Widow, & Tracer, where there is no real ultimate to counter. This will be an appropriate team comp to use Trans to save yourself
Lastly but probably the weakest way to use it is keeping your teammates alive to sustain the fight. Reason it's weak is that your ally is probably in a position to save them and it's a heavy investment in resources just to keep a teammate alive. One could argue that it's a good way to suddenly change the tempo in favor of your team and in some situations I agree. It's mostly a case by case basis but try exhausting all your effort in doing damage and placing harmony orb before trying to use trans to save teammates.

The biggest weakness of transcedence is that Zen loses the ability to output his damage and placing discords. So you gain a lot of healing but lose out on Zen's damage. The one advantage is that the discord orb that is placed before popping trans stays on during the duration of trans.
If enemies are trying to bait out trans of you early to use one of their combos like nanoblade you may have to pop trans if you are about to die. I know it feels dumb but think about it this way. If you die with trans the rest of your team are going to die anyways to the combo. Might as well give your team the chance during that time window for your team to kill that genji. Just remember, pop trans as a lost option as good positioning, help from teammates, and dueling should be used first before popping trans to save yourself. For all the people who have Zen teammates, make sure to protect them!
Dealing with Zen hate: I put this as a separate point because I've received the most hate from teammates when playing Zen. A lot of the times it comes from tank players who feed (specifically Rein players) and support partners who feel like they have to heal so much. You will receive a lot of shit from players playing Zen and I warn you now that you need to have a tough mental playing him in lower elos. I usually instant mute toxic people and just prove to myself that I can fucking do this. Zen is a very very strong hero, but so far, has not been accepted in the majority of the ranked community.

Summary

If you're the type of player who gets overwhelmed with a lot of information or has been trying to climb, but still stuck, despite endless time watching VODs, guides, and streamers I have a suggestion for you guys. Just focus on one major point in this guide. It's easy to fall into the trap of trying to apply everything here but if you don't have basics you will never be able to apply all of the information. Focus on one aspect that I bolded for a week, a month, or however long it takes you until you feel like a firm grasp on that piece of knowledge you're trying to apply. Then move on to something next and keep building on that.
If I were to boil everything down to key points to improve on how I was able to climb as support it would be this

Know your role and priorities in a team comp
Always think in the back of your head who on the enemy team might kill you
Position yourself with cover and to see the entire picture of a team fight
Don't waste abilities
Finally, don't waste ultimates if a team fight is decisively won or lost

Follow those 5 steps then apply that to any support hero and you should be able to climb with practice and actively learning. Hope this helps you guys. Comment down below if you liked or disliked this post and why so I can improve it. Also, comment if you want to see comprehensive hero guides on each support. I will be happy to make more in the future.

Outside Resources

Workshop Codes
Practice Range 2.2: AJERA
Healing Trainer for Baptiste and Ana: A9B2N
Aim Trainer 1: KAVE5
Aim Trainer 2: 9SM5N
Flanker Duel Practice: MXCB3
Genji Sleep Dart Practice: ZKMC1
Doomfist Sleep Dart Practice: 8Z23K
Wrecking Ball Sleep Dart Practice: ASHZS
Ana vs Pharmercy: T7CB6
Ana Nade Tool: EBAXM
Ana
Ana Gamepedia Information
ML7's Ana Guide
ML7's Ana Unranked to GM
KarQ and ML7's 1 Ana tip vs Every Hero
KarQ's 1 Nade for Every Map
KarQ's Platinum Ana VOD Review
ML7's Platinum Ana VOD Review
ML7's Silver Ana VOD Review
Hayes VOD review of ML7
Baptiste
Baptiste Gamepedia Information
MajorMidget's Baptiste Guide
ML7's Baptiste Unranked to GM
KarQ and ML7's 1 Baptiste Tip vs Every Hero
Fran's Baptiste Tips & Tricks
Lunar's Baptiste Tips & Tricks
ML7's Platinum Baptiste VOD Review
Gunther's Baptiste VOD review via PECO Overwatch Coaching
Lucio
Lucio Gamepedia Information
KarQ and FunnyAstro Lucio Guide
KarQ and Rammy's 1 Lucio Tip vs Every Hero
Eskay's Lucio Rollout For Every Map
KarQ and Eskay's 1 Lucio Rollout for Every Map
SVB's Diamond Lucio VOD review
FunnyAstro Lucio VOD Review
Zenyatta
Zenyatta Gamepedia Information
MajorMidget's Zenyatta Guide
Epicenzo's Zenyatta Unranked to GM
KarQ's 1 Zenyatta Tip vs Every Hero
Epicenzo's Zenyatta Primary and Secondary Fire Guide
Jayne's Zenyatta Platinum VOD Review
Hayes Zenyatta VOD Review of Kaan
Jake's Zenyatta VOD Review of HTP

The History of Ground Types in OU

Catalogue for Previous Weeks - F.A.Q
Song of the Week
This article is far too long to fit within the thread word limit, so it's going to be continued in a child comment which I'll link when it gets there. Furthermore, I've elected to name a few pokemons who technically have niches but too fringe to expand more on. Some of them can be found in previous weeks if appropriate.
RBY
Rhydon and Golem are the most prominent Ground types in the tier, the former with significant more usage stats in the modern metagame. Their shared Rock Ground typing hardwalls Zapdos and, to a much less prominent degree, Jolteon and Moltres. They’re also both countered by Exeggutor, as well as weak to the very popular Blizzard slamming them on their pitiful special bulk.
Rhydon is the significantly more popular of the two. It boasts better bulk, though not to a significant degree. More crucially, it has a 130 base Atk that allows its Earthquake to 2HKO Chansey, 3HKO Slowbro (sometimes), and 3HKO Snorlax. As it threatens these slower bulky mons, it can use many opportunities to set up a Substitute. Rhydon is the only viable user of the move this generation, seeing as it doesn’t block status in gen 1, but Rhydon was already immune to Thunder Wave. It needs to watch out for Sleep Powder & Stun Spore from Exeggutor, however. STAB Rock Slide helps it chase out the fliers which it walls, and the last move slot is reserved for Body Slam, whose only real use is to threaten Paralysis on Starmie or Exeggutor’s switching in. Rhydon can be an incredibly dangerous threat given some Paralysis support, and being immune to Thunder Wave itself is a great characteristic to have.
Golem’s advantages over Rhydon are: speed (which outspeeds nothing more than opposing Rhydons) and Explosion. Its Earthquake misses on very important benchmarks, and therefore it leverages its Explosion, the 2nd strongest move in the game behind Snorlax’s Self-Destruct, to wallbreak for its teammates. While Rhydon can be a late-game sweeper, Golem instead darts in and out of battle to scout for the perfect Explosion timing. OHKO-ing an opposing Tauros can be game-breaking, but it has to be very careful of Gengar or opposing Rock Grounds absorbing it.
Not mentioned: Sandslash
GSC
The ground typing becomes even more prominent in this generation. As Blizzard has been largely phased out, along with the legendary Electrics being on every single team spamming Thunder, every notable Ground types can act as a switch to them.
Nidoking is an excellent offensive threat in the GSC metagame. Aside from STAB EQ, it also learns the famed Ice Beam Thunder(bolt) coverage that allows it to punish many EQ switchins like Zapdos, Skarmory, or Cloyster. While its power without super effective coverage isn’t amazing, only boasting 92/85/85 offensive stats, the move that truly pushes it into great territory is Lovely Kiss. GSC Sleep isn’t as terrible as RBY Sleep, but it’s nevertheless a huge momentum swing. Nidoking therefore can take advantage of this to fire off strong attacks to eventually break through its usual checks given the right opportunity, something no other mixed sweepers can do. If desired, it can also run Thief to steal enemy checks’ Leftovers at the cost of a moveslot.
Steelix is the new evolution of the worthless Onyx, with excellent physical bulk and an auspicious Steel Ground typing. This makes it not weak against the common Hidden Power Ice which the legendary Electrics run, and acts as a near surefire counter to them unless they carry the rarer HP Water. Its base Atk is a pitiful 85, however, and therefore it relies more on Explosion like RBY’s Golem to break walls, but also carry Roar to act as a phaser against things like Mono-lax, Raikou, or Perish Trap Misdreavus. This shuffling also allows its team to rack up more Spikes damage. The last move is often Curse, which allows it to create some offensive pressure with a boost or two, and then abuse Roar even further.
Golem returns with renewed vigor. Having learnt Rapid Spin in a Spike-ridden metagame, Golem found itself as one of the better role compression mons that acts as an Electric check, Rapid Spinner, phaser, and Snorlax check all in one. It still never enters a battle without Explosion, and its poor special bulk means that it must scout enemy Hidden Power lest it becomes a free kill. Nevertheless, Rapid Spin is such an important utility that it sees consistent usage on many teams, so much so that the rare Hidden Power Water from Zapdos or Raikou are mostly aimed to remove it. Unlike other Spinners, Golem matches up poorly against the spiking Cloyster and Forretress, and requires offensive support elsewhere to make sure the hazards stay off.
Marowak boasts the strongest Earthquake in the game. While somewhat gimmicky, its Swords Dance set can give it the maximum 999, and with Spikes support can OHKO nearly the entire metagame at +2. However, this requires serious backup, as Marowak is otherwise painfully slow, frail, and cannot hold Leftovers. Furthermore, help against Skarmory is highly appreciated, as even with 999 Atk, a Rock Slide only 3HKOs the metal bird, who is immune to Spikes and can proceed to phaze Wak out. The 4th moveslot is usually either HP Bug to slam Exeggutor on the switch, or Rest to give it a second chance at sweeping. To get Marowak to work, some support with Agility Baton Pass from Jolteon, or Screens from Blissey is recommended, especially since the latter can Heal Bell off the sleep from Rest.
Rhydon has taken quite a fall in viability since the last generation. With weaknesses to many special attacks, Machamp, and Earthquakes, Rhydon finds itself hard-pressed to accomplish much. Unlike Golem, it provides no utility for the team aside from Roar, and the Snorlax-checking Steelix isn’t weak to Grass, ice, nor 4x weak to Water. Rhydon runs a Curse set to take advantage of its strong 130 Atk and natural physical bulk, as being slower in this generation means your Roar will go first. It cannot get past Skarmory, but can still provide some strong hits to break walls with.
Quagsire’s sole niche is a near fool-proof counter for the legendary Electrics, being immune to their Thunders and not weak to either HP Ice or Water. Its typing makes it a decent mixed wall, as not a lot of pokemons run Grass moves this generation, and can use the free turns its ok bulk generates to set up Belly Drum. EQ and HP Rock makes an ok attacking combo, and Rest can be used for longevity. If unable to set up, however, it’s defensively outclassed by the likes of Miltank or Raikou, and offensively outclassed by Marowak or Snorlax. One must build their team capable of taking advantage of this offensive defensive combination to justify using Quagsire.
Not mentioned: Piloswine, Sandslash, Donphan, Gligar, Nidoqueen
ADV
Zapdos continues to be a prominent threat, and the rise of Tyranitar, Aerodactyl, and general Rock Slide coverage gives Grounds even more viability. Lastly, an immunity to Sand in a tier where Tyranitar is king effectively boosts the longevity of all Ground pokemons, allowing them to actually gain health in Sand with Leftovers.
Swampert is the face of bulky waters in gen 3. It’s one of the most sturdy DD Tyranitar counters there are, resisting Rock unlike its Water-type brethren, and can also act as a catch-all check to many more prominent physical sweepers in the tier like Metagross, Aerodactyl, and DD Salamence. It’s so prominent that it basically forced many, many pokemon to run HP Grass just to have a chance to get past it. As a pokemon itself, however, Swampert can be as defensive or as offensive as one likes, possessing decent mixed offensive stats to complement its STAB EQ and Hydro Pump / Surf, while carrying Ice Beam for many Flying types, especially Salamence, and Grasses, like Celebi. It also has access to the great Focus Punch, which allows it to threaten Snorlax and Blissey while OHKO-ing max HP Tyranitar, something its Hydro Pump cannot do. Toxic, Roar, Protect, Refresh are all excellent moves for a more defensive variant. No matter what set it’s running, Swampert’s role in ADV OU cannot be understated, and is therefore one of the most common offensive / defensive threats of the metagame.
Dugtrio has gained Arena Trap this generation, and becomes one of the best revenge killers of the metagame. While it’s not very strong, the introduction of Choice Band gives it the power to achieve crucial KOs, and its amazing base 120 Spe means it can outrun basically any threat it encounters. The list of its victims is vast: Tyranitar, Metagross, Jirachi, Blissey, Celebi, opposing Dugtrio, Breloom, and many, many more. It’s undoubtedly a metagame defining threat, as something like Jolteon is considered superior to the legendary Raikou by many simply due to its Dugtrio-beating speed and access to Baton Pass to escape trapping. It’s also a very important team member of special offence, an almost required piece that exists solely to reliably remove Blissey, sometimes by the otherwise unseen Beat Up.
Claydol is the Rapid Spinning Ground type of ADV. Its unique Ground Psychic typing along with Levitate means it resists all of Ground, Fighting, Electric, and Rock, and is immune to Spikes and Dugtrio’s Arena Trap. All of this means that Claydol finds many opportunities to switch in and get off a spin against many common attacks like Rock Slide, EQ, Thunderbolt etc. It also possesses a STAB Psychic to threaten out the most common spinblocker of the tier: Gengar. Finally, Explosion gives it utility as a wallbreaker, especially if running Adamant to threaten out most of the Explosion-resistant pokemon with Earthquake. However, its support requires teammates’ help against Skarmory, as it can’t meaningfully threaten the metal bird, who often forces the issue with Drill Peck.
Flygon is last. Its Ground Dragon typing and Levitate means it’s also resistant to QuakeSlide and Spikes, while also not being weak to HP Bug from DD TTar or HP Grass aimed at a teammate’s Swampert. While its 100/80/100 offensive stats won’t be winning awards, STAB EQ and a myriad of offensive options almost guarantees it’ll find a target to hit, and its defensive profile is excellent for finding chances to enter the field. It can even run a more defensive Protect Toxic set that abuses its defensive capabilities to spread status and break down many teams late-game.
Not mentioned: Gligar, Steelix, Donphan, Marowak, Camerupt, Rhydon
DPP
Stealth Rocks (SR) was introduced in this generation and became the most influential move in the metagame. Coincidentally, Ground types get them.
Swampert returns once again as the premier bulky water. With Tyranitar as popular as ever with physical Pursuit, Superpower, and STAB Stone Edge, Swampert’s defensive capabilities are called into need once again. That said, the physical special split also gave it access to physical water STAB in Waterfall and special Ground STAB in Earth Power, along with extra Ice Punch and Superpower coverage for the physical side. The most popular sets feature SR in some way, to guarantee Pert value as either a lead or a role player, either with max Atk for more damage, or mixed defence to be more of a tank. In this capacity, physical coverage is far more popular. If even more offence is desired, a bulky Choice Band set that runs Stone Edge for Zapdos and Gyarados can do a bit of wallbreaking, or even Modest special set with Hydro Pump spamming. However, these more offensive options remain unpopular compared to the utility set.
Gliscor features an excellent Ground Flying typing that gives it only 2 weaknesses, a SR neutrality but a Spikes immunity, and resistant to the new Close Combat and Superpower. 75/125/75 defences make for an excellent physical defensive profile, and 95/95 offensive stats are surprisingly decent for a mon with such great bulk. Its Stallbreaker set is its most popular, running Taunt to shut down recovery attempts on walls while also preventing offensive mons from setting up on it, and Roost for reliable recovery. If some offensive power is needed, it can run a Swords Dance set to abuse its natural bulk to gain multiple boosts due to its incredible staying power. Its attacks usually consisted of the mandatory STAB EQ, Ice Fang for Flyings, Dragons, and the occasional grasses, and perhaps Thunder Fang for bulky waters or Wing Attack for Breloom. Taunt and SR also make Gliscor a decent lead, as it can U-Turn out to keep momentum.
Flygon appreciated the generational shift very much. It gained an excellent physical dragon STAB in Outrage, and U-Turn allows it to run a very effective Choice Scarf set to utilise its good speed and great neutral coverage in just Outrage and Earthquake. Its last slot on a Scarf set can therefore be very flexible, either Thunder Punch for Gyarados, Dragon Claw for more stable STAB, or Toxic to cripple a wall. The new Life Orb also synergises well with its mixed move pool, allowing it to drop powerful Draco Meteor while still running Earthquake and Fire Blast to crush the Steels that resist its Dragon STAB. Roost can be used on this set to offset Life Orb recoil and give Flygon more general longevity, but if Expert Belt is run instead, U-Turn is always an excellent option.
Nidoqueen, despite its NU placement, is an excellent OU Stall machine. Its claim to fame is the new Toxic Spikes, and on stall teams the Poison Ground typing provide resistant to Fighting and Rock, which couples with 90/87/85 mixed bulk to check the likes of Breloom, Lucario, and Tyranitar, especially since EQ as a coverage move is rarely ran, and Poison Point can punish a lot of the U-Turn spammers in the tier. A lack of recovery does hurt, and thus Nidoqueen prefers Protect to get as much recovery out of Black Sludge as possible. While Nidoqueen’s offences aren’t anything special, its vast movepool means that its moveset can be specifically tailored to cover the threats which the rest of its team does not.
Hippowdon is the alternate Sand setter of the tier. While most prefer Tyranitar’s offensive prowess, Hippo itself is a near sure-fire Tyranitar counter, boasting a titanic physical bulk of 108/118 that can sit on most of the physical threats of the metagame. It complements this by excellent recovery in Slack Off, and SR which allows Hippo to always get pressure out of the switch. Roar synergises with this even more, racking up damage on the pesky flying types or Levitate-rs that otherwise walls it. If a more direct option is preferred, Ice Fang can slam the Gliscor and Dragons. Still, since it relies on pure bulk more than resistances to wall physical threats, it’s usually very specially frail, and has a weakness against some physical threats in Gyarados and Breloom.
Mamoswine boasts a meaty 130 Atk stat, and a unique STAB combination of Ground and Ice. Its Ice Shard is an excellent priority move which knocks the life out of dangerous threats like Latias, Flygon, and Gliscor, its STAB EQ crushes most neutral targets, and for everything else, there’s Stone Edge. Life Orb is the most popular item, allowing it to switch moves and especially abuse Ice Shard to finish off faster threats should the opportunity arise. While Superpower is a fine 4th move to slam Steels not weak to EQ like Bronzong or Skarmory, and OHKO Blissey without a second thought, Stealth Rocks can be used here to exert some pressure as the opponent switches out. Choice Band is an alternative, but locking into any of those four moves can be exploited heavily. Focus Sash makes Mamo a decent SR lead as well. Despite all this, its typing gives it a lot of common weaknesses, and 80 speed isn’t nearly as good as it used to be.
Quagsire lived under Swampert’s shadow in gen 3, but access to reliable recovery in Recover as well as Encore to counter setup sweepers gave it a niche this generation. As Swampert’s more often than not opt for offence this generation, Quagsire is a fine defensive Water Ground type that walls Starmie (with Water Absorb), Metagross, or Tyranitar. Its moveset is very predictable, however, as after the prerequisite Earthquake, the last move is either Toxic for more residual damage or Ice Punch for Flygon or Dragonite. Quagsire is extremely predictable, and must be used with consideration.
Gastrodon is yet another Water Ground type. While it isn’t immune to Water, and therefore doesn’t counter Starmie or Gyarados, it has Sticky Hold which makes it immune to Trick from a lot of choice-d pokemons. Its sole unique role is therefore as a Curse sweeper that’s immune to Trick, who sports good mixed bulk and Recover for longevity. Waterfall + Earthquake a.l.a Swampert is good enough coverage, but it’ll struggle to beat the likes of Gyarados or Latias with such limited coverage.
Rhyperior is a fierce wallbreaker, as 140 base Atk is nothing to scoff at, and its attacking options ranging from STAB EQ + Stone Edge to coverage in Aqua Tail, Megahorn, or Fire Punch are all excellent options. However, it’s really, really slow, and therefore easily forced out with its double 4x weaknesses and poor special bulk, even with Solid Rock or Sandstorm SpD boost to soften them. Choice Band is by far the most powerful option, boasting the ability to 2HKOs everything in the metagame with the right coverage. However, it doesn’t have a lot of opportunities to fire off this power due to its speed and poor matchup against the bulky waters of DPP like Swampert or Milotic.
Donphan gained SR and Ice Shard this generation. It’s now a fairly respectable Rapid Spinner in the metagame with excellent physical bulk and priority. For the most part, it’s a fine support pokemon that aims to set up SR, takes a few physical hits, and threatens revenge kills against Dragons with Ice Shard. It’s a very one dimensional pokemon in this aspect, but its effectiveness as a Rapid Spinner is appreciated.
Not mentioned: Dugtrio (R.I.P), Steelix, Nidoking, Camerupt, Gastrodon
BW
Landorus-Therian is a name one should not fail to keep in mind. It has Gliscor’s auspicious typing, combined with an excellent ability in Intimidate, fearsome 145/105/91 mixed offensive stats, and a respectable 89/90/80 bulk if kept in mind its typing and ability. Lando-T is is one of the best pokemon of gen 5 OU, and is one of the best glues for any good non-rain team. Its Choice Scarf set is an excellent scout and revenge-killer, with a strong U-Turn to punish the like of Latios. Lando-T is in fact so common that it also runs HP Ice for the mirror matchup, despite it not hitting too many other relevant targets. Earthquake is its STAB move of choice, but any other move can be slotted in and out depending on sets. Stone Edge is a natural pairing on the Scarf set, but Superpower is a fine option to drop Skarmory, Ferrothorn, or Air Balloon Heatran. If an offensive pivot is desired, just drop the Scarf and speed for a bulky spread and either Leftovers or Rocky Helmet, and you have one of the best physical checks of the metagame against the dangerous Terrakion. Lastly, access to either Swords Dance, Rock Polish, or even both on the same set can turn Lando-T into a fearsome sweeper at the drop of a hat.
Excadrill is another gen 5 addition, and after a tumultuous history of ban and unban, it settles into the metagame as the best non-rain Rapid Spinner, a.l.a old Donphan. However, it instead boasts Steelix’s typing and a 135 base Atk, making sure that Jellicient cannot simply switch into its Spin with impunity in fear of eating a STAB Earthquake. Its most common set is an offensive spread but with Leftovers and Protect for longevity, befitting of a Rapid Spinner. Unlike most other Grounds, it prefers STAB Iron Head to Rock coverage, as the former hit Latios harder, and can help it beat Breloom. As a Spinner, it can either lean into an offensive spread with STABs, or a more defensive SpD spread that prioritises its laundry list of resistances, especially to Dragon, for better longevity. Though Sand Rush is banned, a Scarf set works perfectly fine to revenge kill, or get up a desperate fast Rapid Spin before falling. Sand Force comes in nicely here, as Exca runs all 3 types of moves that get the boost in its STABs + Rock Slide.
Garchomp dropped to OU this generation, but perhaps that was the chance it needed to flex its power on the metagame. While it’s never seen without its trusty Earthquake, the sheer breadth of sets this pokemon can and does run boggles the mind. The most popular is a very straightforward Choice Scarf set to elevate a great 102 base Spe, and would be great even with just 2 moves in Outrage and Earthquake. It can afford to run Dual Chop for Sash Zam or Multiscale Dragonite, or just straight up Dragon Claw as a more reliable 3rd move. The last move on a scarf set is usually a fire coverage, either Fire Fang or Fire Blast, to roast the likes of Skarmory, Bronzong, or Ferrothorn. As a sweeper, Garchomp leverages its forced switches well with a Substitute Swords Dance set that uses Salac Berry to boost its Spe past most opposing Scarf revenge killers, as its sheer STAB combination is so good on its own. If desired, one can run just an offensive Stealth Rocks set like other Ground types, but Garchomp’s Rough Skin means it has extra synergy with Rocky Helmet that really punishes U-Turn while being simultaneously immune to Volt Switch.
Gliscor gains the excellent Poison Heal this generation, giving it amazing passive recovery and immunity to statuses. For the most part, it uses its typing and access to reliable recovery to spread Toxic with Substitute, while having STAB Earthquake to slam the Steels and Poisons immune to the status. Being always poisoned means that it now has access to Facade as a really strong neutral move to complement its EQ, and thus the Swords Dance Roost set yet see a healthy amount of usage. While Gliscor can’t get past Skarmory at all, its general positioning against the rest of the physical metagame means it will probably always have value in a team, especially if running Taunt. As with all Ground types this generation, it can run a support Stealth Rocks set as well that spread statuses in the meantime.
Mamoswine is once again an excellent offensive threat. Having learnt Icicle Crash as a strong STAB Ice attack this generation, its general offensive coverage with just its STABs is very notable. As DragMag becomes a legitimate offensive force in the metagame, Mamoswine can be found with or against them, leverage Ice Shard to shut down the Salamence, Dragonite, or Garchomps one can find on those teams. Superpower is a great general coverage move to slam Ferrothorn and Kyurem-B with, and Stealth Rocks is always an option that goes well with priority and a Focus Sash.
Gastrodon gained a water immunity this generation, and has propelled into stardom as an anti-rain wall. Its distinction comes from being a Keldeo check that isn’t weak to Pursuit, unlike Jellicient and Latios, and instead spreads status of its own with Toxic and the ridiculous Scald. It also stops Thundurus-T cold, something many other Keldeo checks cannot claim. Physically defensive is the most common spread to fulfil this niche, and with proper support from the rest of its teammates to cover its vulnerability to Toxic and Grass types, Gastrodon is a stalwart defensive answer to many of the metagame’s biggest threats.
Seismitoad is Gastrodon but with Stealth Rocks, in essence. It does everything else Gastrodon does a little worse due to its poorer bulk and no access to Recover, but the role compression can be highly desirable on more offensive teams who prioritise the momentum that hazards give, rather than a long-term wall like Gastro is.
Hippowdon once again plays second fiddle to Tyranitar as a physically defensive Sand setter. Reliable recovery means it can act as a check to many strong physical threats and prevent their setting up with Whirlwind, while setting up Stealth Rocks of its own. Its poor special bulk and weakness to Rain spam means that it might not always put it as much work as it wants to against opposing Rain, but if you want your Sand setter to also be a physical wall, Hippo’s the one for the job.
Not mentioned: Dugtrio (R.I.P), Golurk, Nidoking, Nidoqueen
Continued here in a comment

play better darts and win more often video

The five-time Premier League Darts champion had lost three of his last four matches ahead of a meeting with Michael Smith in Milton Keynes. The dire streak meant Van Gerwen had fallen outside of the top four for the first time in two and a half years, and is guaranteed to put together his lowest ever tally. There are a host of game variants you can play. Here is the list of the games you can play in darts: 301 Darts Rules. All the players in this dart game start with a score of 301, and as you throw darts and accumulate points, you subtract your points from the starting 301 score. The first player to reach 0 gets the win. 501 Darts Rules Details from internet about "Play Better Darts And Win More Often" What is an ebook | whatanswered.com. Play Better Darts And Win More Often. Using 10 Winning Tips For 501, This Ebook Explains What Every Player Must Know To Win More Often - How To Master 4 Helpful Aiming Tips in Darts . Posted: 13.12.13 in Darts Performance Centre Blog category. We "aim" to help you play better darts! Our latest blog may do the same! Those who want to improve at darts can emphasize a lot of different areas in practice and coaching.Naturally, throwing darts is a varied activity that involves a number of factors - throwing form, game rules, strategies, etc... Rules & Scoring of 301 Darts. 301 darts can be played in a 1v1 scenario, or within a group, and each player shall take turns in throwing three darts each. To begin scoring, you must start your game by hitting a double on the board. The same rule also applies to win the game, with your final dart having to be a double in order to win the game. rivals often make mistakes. Second, Two points, really. AGE: Darts did not find me until I neared 50. Then, as I peaked, an ACCIDENT disabled me. I can still win in 'A' league play, but now consider playing Darts a feat. You may not agree with all my views and methods. I respect your opinions, remaining open to any comments. Please E-Mail! Darts is unique in that there are many ways to play a game of darts, you can use that to make your practice easier and more fun. One darts game I recommend for hitting high numbers is “High Score”, the objective of the game is very simple, reach as high a score as agreed upon by the competing players, this is usually 1000. As your darts improve you should concentrate on 20’s or 19’s. Even 2 out of 3 darts will give a score in the 40’s which is better than 3 darts in the 14-11 or 15-10 sections. Keep in mind that even when you are more accurate, going for the 19 has less of a penalty than the 20 when you miss. But some others like Chris Dobey and Michael Smith could perform better if they stood more firmly and threw their darts with additional stability and less movement. How to Play and Win Virtual Darts. Practice to stay sharp. Find free online and app-based dart games that you can use to enhance your ability and competitiveness. In Play Better Darts and Win More Often, you will learn the three basic steps to winning darts. These basic steps apply to all dart players, regardless of skill level. Mastery of these steps guarantees a higher win rate and an instant edge against competitors. If you are currently using a different and less effective strategy, Play Better Darts

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How To Throw Darts With Precision (Step By Step Tactics

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March Update Balance Wishlist: Rulebook Changes and Reworks to Reduce Toxicity

Tiebreaker changes

Rulebook change to initial attacks

Elixir Golem Rework

Freeze Rework

Nerfs

Buffs

Other small changes, bugfixes, and consistency

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Wizard Tournament: Chapter 72

What I wish I would have learned in conservatory...

Huge Benny's Post Season Mock Draft (3.0) with Trades

Trades

Draft

Just Hit GM on Support on PS4 for the First Time Playing Mostly Ana, Zen, Bap, and Lucio Solo Queueing and without being in Team Chat. Here to Give Some Hero Specific Support Advice. (Part 2)

Background

1 - Ana

2 - Baptiste

3 - Lucio

4 - Zenyatta

Summary

Outside Resources

The History of Ground Types in OU

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Slot Machines - How to Win and How They Work - YouTube