u/KillDozer688

An interesting comment was made by Greg Woods in todays event, and whilst it could well have been a throwaway remark, I'm not so sure. Here's the quote in question...

"Of all the demo teams and those retirees since 2020, ideally all of them will be returning (except for Team Roliver, just to let you know)."

That feels WAAAAAY too deliberate a comment to be just Greg musing. It almost feels like a very deliberate hint that, yes, we WILL be seeing more of these old favourites, if not in the League then at least somewhere.

Thoughts? Which teams would you like to see compete in which tournaments?

The tenth anniversary of the Marble League is just around the corner. Sixteen teams have qualified for this all-important event, and it's a real mishmash of former champions, seasoned veterans and genuine wildcards. Just like the Marble League should be. But what should we be looking for? Well, that's basically impossible to say, but for funzies, I took the combined results of the qualifiers and friendly rounds, compared them directly against each other and gave the teams points as if it were the League - because why not, I need something to pass the time. Now, obviously, keep in mind that these are just four events, and four of the teams weren't exactly "trying", so I wouldn't recommend using these as a be-all-and-end-all prediction for how the League will go. This is just for fun, so take everything with a grain of salt.

PINKIES - 16th place (15 points - 9th, 16th, 10th, 14th)

Oof. And here we all thought the host curse was a thing of the past. I can see the headlines already. Yeah, spoiler alert, but the bottom four teams were the teams that had already qualified. I think it's pretty clear none of them were really trying all that hard, and why would they? They've got nothing on the line. But even so, I would have thought the Pinkies would at least try to excite their fans. Even taking the worst qualifiers into consideration, they got a dead last in Hurdles and a third-to-last in the Underwater Race. Again, I REALLY hope this isn't a bad omen.

OCEANICS - 15th place (18 points - 5th, 15th, 15th, 11th)

I'm sure everyone was blown away by Ounce's success in the Water Race. FINALLY, the Oceanics don't completely suck at a water event, YAY!! Then you look overall and realise it was only good enough for 11th. They also did pretty terribly in the Hurdles and Javelin, only avoiding the bottom spot because the Pinkies and Solar Flares respectively existed. Balancing was pretty good, though, ending with a score that would have gotten them 5th in the event, so they have that going for them. Here's to seeing what they can do in the League. Maybe try getting a few more medals this time. Then you might actually win.

MELLOW YELLOW - 14th place (20 points - 7th, 8th, 13th, 16th)

Y'know, for a moment there, I thought Mellow Yellow might have gotten a decent score. They finished their first two events with very middle-of-the-pack results. A couple more of those, and they could have had a fairly decent final score in this mini-league. Instead, they faltered, ending with what would have been a goose egg in the event everyone thought the Oceanics would nab. Although, to be honest, I suspect the real win for Mellow Yellow is laughing at the Midnight Wisps not qualifying after they snatched their seemingly guaranteed auto-qualified spot. Sounds familiar.

KOBALTS - 13th place (20 points - 14th, 12th, 14th, 4th)

Yeah, there really isn't much to say about the auto-qualified teams that I didn't say already with the Pinkies. The fact they were just cruising is painfully obvious with the Kobalts, who going into the last event would have only gotten eight points, well below the others. But that Underwater Race... leave it to Meepo to step on the gas and get a result that would have landed them in FOURTH, would you believe? But there's only so much I can say about these guys and it's not super exciting. We all know things will change when the actual competition gets going. Lets look into our actual qualifiers.

SAVAGE SPEEDERS - 12th place (25 points - 13th, 10th, 9th, 7th)

Wow, you are cutting it fine there, Speeders. The perfect streak just BARELY holds on. If Rapidly hadn't had that last second charge, I'm pretty sure they would have had their first ever DNQ on countback. But y'know what, I'm gonna say it right here - the Speeders deserve this more than the O'Rangers, because good lord, that was an awful run. Yeah, sure, the Speeders didn't exactly light the world on fire in their group, but at least they TRIED! I think we're all just going to have to accept it - the Speeders are the better team when they go head to head. And speaking of which... Speeders, do better. Show us you deserve to be here.

INDIGO STARS - 11th place (26 points - 16th, 9th, 4th, 9th)

OK, so, the Indigo Stars are back. Last seen in the 2021 League, this makes them the team that's been out of the competition the longest of all 16 competitors this year. I mean, arguably they should have been in 2025 if not for that spectacular collapse in the last event, but no point dragging up old matters now. They didn't exactly give the fanbase any hope after a dreadful Balancing round, but a really good Javelin throw saved them. Surprisingly, their Hurdles run, which effectively nabbed them a bronze in their qualifier group, would have only been good enough for NINTH. A podium becomes an eh in the grand scheme of things. Still, after a solid Marbula One and a victory in Iron Maiden, maybe the Stars are on a roll. Maybe.

RASPBERRY RACERS - 10th place (31 points - 11th, 3rd, 6th, 15th)

The Raspberry Racers also continue their own perfect qualification streak. Funny how everyone hates the Speeders for always qualifying but it's no big deal when the Racers do so. Surprisingly, their strongest performances actually hold water. Their Hurdle run wouldn't have got them a silver, but it would have got them a bronze... and whilst their Javelin throw ultimately would have missed a podium spot, the 6th best throw overall is nothing to scoff at. Unfortunately, some things never change and that awful run in Underwater Race stays exactly where it is. That could be a concern for later.

SNOWBALLS - 9th place (32 points - 6th, 11th, 5th, 10th)

There's not really much to say here. A mixed amount of performances translates to a mixed collection of scores that ultimately translates to a mid-pack finish. For what it's worth, the Snowballs' overall score is consistent with their actual score, with the sole exception of Hurdles where what was a top-half run would have landed them in the 3rd quarter. Considering the Chocolatiers were present with their world-record breaking run, Group B was just notably slower overall.

HAZERS - 8th place (36 points - 10th, 5th, 7th, 6th)

In the qualifers, the Hazers had a good run. Nothing flashy, no podiums or anything, but definitely consistent and with no real problem rounds. Overall, this translates to a pretty mid-finish, nothing to be ashamed of, but definitely could be better. The outlier is definitely Balancing, which would have only gotten them 10th place in the League, but overall, it matches. That being said, I know for a fact the fans want to see more out of the Hazers than just mid. Again, they have a reputation now, what with a Marbula One championship AND a great performance in Iron Marble. They're no longer the perennial bridesmaids, but they need to step it up where it really matters.

CRAZY CAT'S EYES - 7th place (38 points - 4th, 6th, 11th, 5th)

Clearly, the Cats took either failing to qualify last year or losing the title in M1 as a challenge to their supremacy, because they went HARD in their group. Whilst they don't actually podium when you combine all the scores directly, the point score they do get still translates to quite high finishes in everything but Javelin. I think it's pretty safe to say the Cat's Eyes will be a team to watch this season. Concerning for everyone else, the reveal of the first half of the event program does suggest a fair few speed-based events, the Cat's Eyes bread-and-butter. I could definitely see them finishing the first half of the League near the top of the standings if they play it right.

TEAM PLASMA - 6th place (38 points - 15th, 7th, 8th, 2nd)

So, yeah, Team Plasma probably ain't looking forward to Balancing being their first event. Just like the Stars, they haven't been in the League for a few years now, and last time they were there was a disaster. Comparing the first three rounds of the qualifiers would have suggested a very mid-performance, but that Underwater Race really saved them... and, crazily enough, once you remove the Midnight Wisps and O'Rangers, this would actually put them in SECOND, tying them with the Cat's Eyes and winning on countback. Your eyes are not deceiving you. Now, try to have results like that, and not Balancing, and things should be OK. Maybe.

BUMBLEBEES - 5th place (42 points - 2nd, 13th, 12th, 3rd)

Oh, hey, look.... the Bumblebees are trying to be Mellow Yellow! Either going really good or really bad, no in-between. So, Hurdles and Javelin were a wash, both here AND there, but at least their Balancing and Underwater Race performances still hold up. Although, perhaps frustratingly for them, each of these has been docked down a spot, being bested by the Black Jacks and Team Plasma respectively. I guess Hubelino rivalry still runs strong with the Balancing result at any rate. I mean, who else are they going to try and compete against? The Minty Maniacs? That would rely on them actually being GOOD again! Still, it looks like the Bumblebees have a bit of sting to them here - pun absolutely intended. Let's see how this translates.

BLACK JACKS - 4th place (45 points - 1st, 14th, 3rd, 13th)

Speaking of the Black Jacks, they also have a couple of REALLY great scores when the results are combined... and a couple of really terrible ones. Like, seriously, I think the only reason that they got 14th in Hurdles was because the Oceanics and Pinkies weren't really trying. Even in the qualifiers they were third-to-last. But, I can't ignore their good performances. Their win in Balancing was by far the best of ANY of the 16 competitors, and whilst Javelin does get moved down from a second to a third, it would still be a podium finish. It seems crazy to think that the Black Jacks first didn't seem to be that promising a team and have since qualified for THREE Marble Leagues now, with a pretty strong showing in their first. They have a Hubelino win to their name. Imagine how crazy it would get if they got the League too.

GREEN DUCKS - 3rd place (49 points - 8th, 4th, 1st, 12th)

With the Hazers recently winning Marbula One, the Green Ducks can definitely now be considered the greatest team to have never won a major JMR tournament. If we can have a run like this, then they'd be well on the way to actually getting that elusive win. Their Javelin throw, easily the best of their qualifier group, was also the best of all the teams across the round, and whilst their Hurdles run took a slight knock, it was still pretty impressive. Less said about the Underwater Race, the better. I thought ducks liked the water. The one thing I find hilarious is that, in their groups, they topped the table, but here, they narrowly lose to the team that placed second in their group on countback. And who are the team that pips them?

SOLAR FLARES - 2nd place (49 points - 12th, 2nd, 16th, 1st)

Yep! You read that correctly. Even with a goose egg... because, yes, even the Bumblebees managed to get theirs further... the Solar Flares of all teams manage to just take the second place spot over the Ducks. Really, the Flares had a pretty insane qualifier. Yeah, two events weren't exactly great, but TWO wins? One of which carries over here? Heh, guess it isn't so hard after all, is it, Sliders? Now, I've made a point that I'm pretty much neutral when it comes to teams, but I do think it'd be hilarious if the Flares did win. I mean, why not? The Kobalts managed last year - to the point where Thesaurus has gone unusually quiet lately - so why not the Flares? Or maybe even the last team.

CHOCOLATIERS - 1st place (68 points - 3rd, 1st, 2nd, 8th)

Yes, you're reading that correctly. The Chocolatiers, the team infamous for being the absolute definition of "mid", would not only win this mini-League based on the qualifiers alone - they would have won HANDILY! They were WELL clear of everyone else. Heck, they were well clear of everyone else in their actual qualifier. Silver in Balancing? Knocked down to bronze, but still insanely good. Gold in Javelin? Again, knocked down, but still a silver. Gold in Hurdles? UNDENIABLE! UNTOUCHABLE! The Chocolatiers are sending a message here, and it's kinda scary. Now, I know this isn't the first time they've dominated a qualifier, and I also know that the last time they did that, they went back to their usual Chocola-midtier selves when the League actually went ahead. But, just think for a moment... what if they didn't? What if they randomly decided to lock in? What if... this is the future? It's actually kinda scary when you think about it.

Hey, should I give this a try with the Showdown teams too?