A Peon’s Paean

I am thankful to my team. I am thankful that everyone is good-natured and agreeable. (It only takes one bad apple to spoil the bunch.)

I am thankful for Lilith 开花, for carrying the burden of being a high mmr first-pick. I am thankful that even though we don’t always see eye-to-eye, you are able to be a team player. I am thankful for an off-lane player who doesn’t grumble much. I am thankful for your kind words about me, which were noted and appreciated.

Gracious Papi basically fits my RD2L dream-pick archetype. New to RD2L, positive attitude, enthusiasm for the game, willingness to play as an extension of my style, and with the competence to execute. During the draft I wavered between Bury and Gracious Papi. There were solid arguments for picking Bury, but I’m delighted with my choice. #Don’t flame my carry. If any play is weird, the fault is mine.

I’m thankful to Free Lunch for being my value dive in the third round. With EU-draft format, captains have more leeway in their drafting strategies, and this is but one example of how complexity can favor players who take advantage, even when that complexity was intended to reduce advantages. Free Lunch is not a support player, but has taken up support without even a single grumbling or sarcastic word. This is a rarity indeed. I also think Free Lunch’s latent potential is yet unrealized. If you watch his player perspective, sometimes he looks around the fights more than 4k and 5k players do. If you said to me “you have to lock in a player to play the next 5 seasons with,” Free Lunch would make the shortlist easily.

Blakkout was actually recommended by Narte, so my first thanks should actually go to Narte. I really couldn’t have done better with my last pick. In the age of support players who think they’re carry players, Blakkout is as solid a support player as they come, fitting of his RD2L veteran status. I’m thankful for your willingness to play [redacted] every game, and for being the best last pick a robot could hope for.

I’m thankful to Phantasmal, for being gracious in your victory over me. A true friend in fair or foul weather. I’m actually thankful for most of my opponents this season, who have reaffirmed my belief that PST-Sun has the most sportsmanship of the RD2L divisions.

I decided to post a team review before playoffs, while my spirit of camaraderie is at its peak. Even though the playoff loss will inevitably be sour, by posting now I hope that my team will know my words are sincere.