Celebrations Signal End of AC X: Kiko Lake Wins the Cup!

[xblade356]

Well. Here we are. My friends, the long-awaited day has come. Every single one of you has worked your fingers to the bone in one capacity or another, and we've been glad to be right there with you every step of the way. This is Brooke, bringing you the very last report for the tenth Altador Cup, in our beloved studio here at The Daily Neopets. This occasion is so very bittersweet. Funnily enough, that word also describes this rather disappointing cup of coffee.

Without further adieu, I bring you the final results! The brooms certainly had the last laugh today, as every single one of today's nine matches ended in a sweep.

The Alabriss bracket brought us three entirely expected shutouts. First, the Kikos went up against the Mummies. Kiko Lake finished out the year with one last sweep, with only a single blemish on their record. The Lost Desert has had a fairly good year as well, only being swept themselves a handful of times.

The match between the Darigan Citadel and Moltara brought us our second sweep. The last time these two went head-to-head, the Magmas managed a single win. Today, however, the Minions got the best of them. The Magmas have ended the Cup with not a single sweep to show for it. But there's always next year!

The last match of the last Alabracket showed Meridell coming up against the Haunted Woods. The Zombies have fallen far from their win in last year's cup, and just couldn't catch a break Today was no exception, as they fell prey to the Knights' superior skills. Again. Last time they pulled off at least a draw, but this time they had no such luck. The Knights, however, have had their best round yet to finish off the year!

Next up, the Minitheus bracket! I'd ask Midtime to do it, but they went undercover as a slushie vendor earlier today and they haven't come back yet. I hope they're okay...

Anyway. The Minitheus bracket brought us some interesting matchups as well. Maraqua marched into the final match with their heads held high and filled with visions of beating back the fearsome Fossils. But Tyrannia surprised no one when they completely shut out the Mermaids. They've suffered sweeps only twice this year, at the hands of the Kikos.

Shenkuu took on Mystery Island next. The Natives ran roughshod over the unprepared Ninjas, who won only a single game in the last three rounds combined. Ouch. The Natives, however, were thrilled to end things on a high note with their third sweep of the year.

The culminating matchup of the Minitheus bracket fell to Krawk Island and Virtupets. The Robots landed a sweep today, making for an even fifth of their total days of play. The Pirates ultimately did them one better, managing six sweeps total.

Last but not least, let's cruise through the Vaeolus bracket.

Joining the ranks of the (highly unofficial) five-sweeps club today was Brightvale as they took on Altador and summarily drove them into the ground. The Suns were a few steps behind the Wizards as they earned just two sweeps this year. Perhaps they'll shine brighter next year?

Next, the Rooligans staged an epic comeback against the Faeries, who beat them in two of four events in round three. This time around, Roo Island swept Faerieland under the rug with extreme prejudice. The Faeries didn't attain a single sweep all year, but they did pull off some pretty impressive wins against teams they've been flattened by before.

And now the absolute last result I will deliver to you, my friends! Kreludor swept Terror Mountain, were only swept twice (by the Kikos, surprise surprise), and are generally feeling good about themselves. The Chillers were close behind, swept only thrice, and definitely have their own triumphs to celebrate today.

So. That's the last matchup. And what a year it's been! I'll turn things over to Matt, who will give us the final standings overall, from the bottom of the heap all the way to the top tier! Take us out, Matt!

After twenty-five days of intense gameplay, Altador Cup X has finally ended! This is Matt, live from the studio with the results of the final rankings for each team! It is time to crown another winner, and we'll find out which team that is in a moment. But first, in order to build up suspense, I'll be revealing rankings from bottom to top! So as to not waste any of your precious time, let's get started with the eighteenth place team!

Coming in eighteenth were the Zombies who were dealt a major blow by the "Winner's Curse" in this year's Cup. After starting off the first round with a sprinkle of wins, Haunted Woods was unable to find any green for four days, and they had continuous dry streaks throughout this Cup. However, with the brunt of the curse over with, fans should expect the Zombies to stage a comeback in next year's Cup.

Next in seventeenth we have Moltara! Although the Magmas had a rough start to the tournament, they were able to pick up some wins by the middle of the Cup. Slushie Slinger and Make Some Noise were the Magmas' strong points throughout this tournament where they earned five wins, higher than many analysts were predicting. Overall, the Magmas exceeded expectations, and we'll have to wait and see until next year if they're able to make a splash like they have done before.

Our next four teams were separated by only four points! It was a close fight to rise out of the lower tiers. Rounding out the bottom three in sixteenth place with forty-two points were the Robots. Although the Robots had a rough start to the tournament, by the fourth round they were able to get their engines going and gather up wins. They might not be the same podium performing team as they were last year, but the Robots had notable moments with their two-time victory against Krawk Island, and the tie with Tyrannia in Make Some Noise. The Robots have shown that they are capable of holding their own against powerhouse teams, but they'll need to work on their bracket performances if they wish to make a comeback in next year's tourney.

In fifteenth place with forty-three points are the Mystery Island Natives! The Natives may have dropped from their eleventh place finish from last year, but they're still as strong as ever. Holding their own against Krawk Island twice, and defeating the Minions the second time around, the Natives were a force to be reckoned with this year. However, the Natives are in the same boat as the Robots. With excellent performances in the four games all around, they'll need to figure out how to rise up in the bracket standings to rack up more points.

Brightvale is next coming in fourteenth place with forty-four points! The Wizards were one of the best lower middle teams in this tournament. They gained notable recognition among all the teams when Monticeto led his team to a fantastic 12-7 win in Yooyuball against the Kikos, ruining their near perfect tournament record. Although the Wizards placed lower than expected, they'll forever be etched into the annuls of Altador Cup history!

Rounding out the bottom six was Faerieland with forty-five points! The Faeries made team history this Cup coming in thirteenth, the highest ever placing for the long standing underdog team! The Faeries' yooyuball skills were much more refined in this year's Cup, earning them crucial points. The Faeries win record in Yooyuball came close to Altador Cup greats like Krawk Island, Darigan Citadel, and Roo Island. Outperforming many of the other underdog teams, it may be time for the Faeries to leave their underdog title behind and aspire to greater heights!

After their drastic drop to the bottom of the pack in last year's Cup, the Suns are slowly rising back up with a twelfth place finish! They were well rounded in this year's Cup, earning four wins in each of the four games. While it may not be the podium performing team we saw in Altador Cup VIII, it is a step in the right direction. Similar to the Faeries, it may be time for the suns to shed off their underdog title and pass on that torch.

Shenkuu rose up in the standings to claim an eleventh place finish in this year's Cup with fifty-three points, only one ahead of the Suns' fifty-two. The Ninjas started out the tournament with strong victories in the first round, mainly in Slushie Slinger and Shootout Showdown. However, they struggled by the third round, going on a long dry streak that ended after their win in Slushie Slinger against the Robots in the fifth round. Shenkuu will need to improve in stamina during the off-season in order to continue to rise in the standings. This year's finish will be a stepping stone for the Ninjas to improve in the future.

Heading into the middle tiers, Maraqua performed consistently throughout the entire tournament, landing them a safe tenth place finish. An improvement from last years' twelfth place finish, the Mermaids will be looking to once again rise up in next year's Cup. With notable victories against Darigan Citadel and twice against the Pirates, this final rank was well-deserved, but the Mermaids will need to improve their Yooyuball skills slightly to improve their overall rank.

Darigan Citadel came in ninth place, making team history, albeit, the wrong type of history. This year's finish marks the first time the Minions have finished below seventh place. With a great start to the tournament, the Minions' lost steam in the fourth and fifth round, struggling to gain any victories, only finding success against underdog teams. This seems to be a constant issue for the Minions, who will need to address this during the off-season if they wish to be the powerhouse team that they once were.

Meridell finished in eighth place with seventy-seven points, tied with Krawk Island. Although it was only a jump up one spot from last year's Cup finish of ninth, the Knights showed many signs of improvement. Meridell will be a team to watch out for in next year's Cup, as they're slowly improving and rising to the upper tiers. The Knights hit a rough patch in the middle of the tourney, so they'll have to figure out how to overcome that issue.

With seventy-seven points, the Pirates finished in seventh place! Like the Knights, this finish is a one up from last year's Cup. This may mark the beginning of a return for the Pirates, and with consistent performances throughout this Cup the only area the Pirates will need to focus on is dealing with powerhouse teams. Krawk Island has certainly proved rumors that they've past their prime as false, and will be working even harder to rise up and be the powerhouse team they once were.

After their three-way tie for thirteenth last year, Roo Island made a significantly large jump up the standings to land in sixth place! They performed excellently in this year's Cup, especially in the side games where they were able to obtain their majority of wins. Although their Yooyuball skills could use some polishing, the Rooligans excelled in Make Some Noise. However, we've seen this pattern before with the Rooligans, and if history will indeed repeat itself, the Rooligans are in for a rough season next year.

The Chillers also were able to break a previous team record by finishing fifth in this year's Cup. With average scores of 7's and 8's throughout the entire tournament, the Chillers were known for their side game prowess. Only losing three games in Make Some Noise and Shootout Showdown, the Chillers were a force to be reckoned with! If they can make a few changes to improve their Yooyuball and Slushie Slinger performances, their chances at a podium finish in next year's Cup will improve. Will they be able to scale the daunting mountain?

Like the Rooligans, the Mummies made a drastic jump in the standings and finished in fourth this year. Although the Mummies won less game compared to the Chillers, they were consistent throughout the entire Cup. The Mummies started off the Cup strong, winning thirteen of fifteen matches overall in the first three rounds of gameplay. They faltered slightly in the fourth round, but regained their groove in the fifth, finishing the tournament with solid overall results across the board. The Mummies have been bouncing in between upper and lower tier finishes, so spectators will be wondering if the Mummies will suffer a drop in the standings in next year's Cup.

Now it's time for the teams who placed on the podium! It was a tough fight as there were many podium contenders in this year's Cup, but these three teams were able to best the rest of the competition! Tyrannia finished in third, taking home the bronze this year! After their win in Altador Cup VIII, the Fossils are still going strong with a fourth place finish in Altador Cup IX and now a third place finish. With only a handful of losses throughout the entire tournament, the Fossils steamrolled through the competition to take the well deserved podium finish. Tyrannia was able to beat down the "winner's curse", and still perform consistently. Will they be able to take the Cup yet again next year?

After their two-time seventh place finish in Altador Cup VIII and IX, the Moons have graced the podium with their presence once again finishing just short of first place. Kreludor performed very well throughout the entire Cup, only losing a handful of games to the other podium finishers. The Moons were also known for their side game prowess averaging results of 8's and 9's. Although they aren't as immune to the "winner's curse" as the Fossils are, the Moons are still a strong team that has a chance to aim for the Cup once again in next year's tourney.

Now, the moment that you've all been waiting for! The winner of the tenth annual Altador Cup is none other than Kiko Lake! The Kikos dominated the rest of the teams in this year's Cup, gathering a seventeen day win streak before Brightvale came along. Only dropping one game this entire season, the Kikos were just short of a tournament record twenty-five day win streak. However, the Kikos did set new side game records this year with high scores of twenty in Slushie Slinger and Shootout Showdown, and a mind-boggling score of thirty in Make Some Noise. The Techo would certainly be proud! The big question on everyone's mind currently is the "winner's curse", and how badly it'll affect the Kikos, if at all. However, all will be revealed next year, and as for now the Kikos will enjoy celebrating this magnificent victory with some treats from the lake! I know the staff here at The Daily Neopets will certainly be enjoying the festivities.

 

This has been Matt, signing off on behalf of Brooke, Midtime, and the rest of our staff here at The Daily Neopets. We sincerely thank you for sticking with us and making us your number one news source for all things Altador Cup related. Until next year, stay classy folks.

 

Obligatory disclaimer: This news report was written to inform you all of the latest Altador Cup results in as entertaining a manner as possible. The rest of its content is largely fictional, composed from various fan comments and the whims of our imagination in an attempt to inspire a sense of realism through our reporting. While we do our best to keep things reasonably neutral, this report is in no way intended to be a completely bias-free listing of the day's results, nor does it claim to provide critical analysis of past and potential outcomes from qualified Altador Cup experts. Please note that the opinions formulated in this report are from a full team of different reporters, and in no way represent the views of only a single faction. If you're looking for 100% unbiased performance data, take a look at our standings page. If professional analysis tickles your fancy, you want our predictions pages (global/daily).

[voteforpedro333]

Congrats to all of the teams and players, and thanks very much to the writers and announcers! I hope to see all of yooyu next year!

[Angeló]

congrats to the cheaters .. you know you don't deserve it :)

[Altador Cup Champion]

The Knights hit a rough patch in the middle of the tourney, so they'll have to figure out how to overcome that issue.

 

We faced the top 3 teams 4 times in the middle not to mention MQ and RI are also both pretty strong powerhouses

 

I really like the news though