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With the promise of a Nations Cup coming up soon, it’s time to start speculating about the teams who might form, and the ones who will go far in the competition. There is a lot of interesting storylines for this 2019 (2020?) edition of the Nations Cup, some two years after the most recent ones. Gameset has changed from the original AoC to the new expansions -with the possibility of yet another set of new civs and a brand-new multiplayer architecture on DE-, old players left the game for good and a new generation of experts has emerged.
What teams will emerge on the top scene? Which nations, traditionally doing well in the competition, will suffer a setback and not perform as well as usual? Who has the best chances of winning this new Nations Cup?
Using Scogo’s list of the current ratings per country, HueHueCoyotl’s list of the highest ratings achieved and my own knowledge of some teams, I compiled a list of 32 teams that have a shot at making the Silver and Gold Leagues of the new Nations Cup according to the format proposed by robo. The teams will be split in four categories, based on the final ranking I think they can achieve. Each team also has a “top 3 team elo”, measured as the average elo of their highest rated three members, and a ranking (from 1 to 32) associated.
Lower rated teams will be first, so if you are only interested in the top dogs of the competition, you should probably scroll down quite a bit!
Also I can’t know everything so don’t get upset if I forgot players.
The Challengers: 26-32
United Kingdom
#30 (2092)
During last Nations Cup, the UK had assembled a team of 2k players, and now boast two additional experts to their roster: Hallis and _Tea. They play a lot together, including the European League of Clans organized by Mundo AoE where they had the opportunity of playing against the likes of France, Spain and the Czech Republic.
Peru
#24 (2183)
Peru actually has quite a number of active 2k players on the 1v1 ladder, and one of the best players in the world in the person of Aftermath member Hearttt. A team formed around him could do well and make the top 32.
Australia
#32 (2020)
Team Australia is the lowest ranked team on this list, but one of the teams I am confident can beat much higher rated teams. The Australians play together constantly and the likes of Shed, Zain, hold their own in team games with the best players in the world. With good teamwork and preparation, Australia could be a dangerous opponent in the Silver League.
Sweden
#31 (2072)
During the last Nations Cup, Sweden made the top 16. However, some of the players that were part of the team don’t seem active anymore, and the overall level of the top players has increased. Should every team of this list play this year, it would be difficult for Sweden to match their previous achievement.
India
#29 (2115)
India is the largest country on Earth that did not have a representation during the last Nations Cup. With two new expert players and a good group of 1k9-2k players behind, this time, however, India could hope to make the top 32 and contest in the Silver League.
Poland
#28 (2125)
The 2017 Polish team is still active today and could sign-up for the new edition of the Nations Cup. They would be centered around their top player Barles, who reached just short of 2k4 on the 1v1 ladder and would be a contender to the Silver League.
Italy
#25 (2179)
Italy is the first team on the list with three players all above 2k1. The brothers pete_martell and Kamigawa have been playing consistently recently with their friends from RoR and reached a very high level in team games. Teaming up with old experts like Vodka, the new team could be a serious contender in the Silver League.
The Contenders: 18-25
Hong Kong
#27 (2131)
During the last Nations Cup, Hong Kong made it to the round of 32 of the Silver League and was eliminated in their first match by Austria. They have a strong roster of players all above 2k and regularly play high level team games with other Chinese top-level players. Out of experience and team-play alone, they could be in the second half of Silver League.
Taiwan
#26 (2166)
Taiwan has not participated in the previous Nations Cup. A side effect, perhaps, of having the competition organized by mainland China. Should they play this time, a team centered around Cloud could pack a serious punch.
Turkey
#19 (2277)
Turkey has historically always had a lot of good players and its history in Nations Cup has been riddled with drama. However, with the return of the old expert Cyclops/Erhan, and Berk and K4SVA being very active on the 1v1 ladder, a Turkish team could do well in the Silver League.
Mexico
#21 (2248)
Mexico is one of the countries that could potentially form two or more teams entirely made of 2k players. They certainly have enough expert players to form one very strong team for the Silver League.
Austria
#18 (2292)
Austria is a tricky one. During the last Nations Cup, they finished 4th of the Silver League for an overall ranking of 12th. However, their strategy heavily relied on slinging Liereyy, arguably the second-best player in the world at that time, which won’t be as efficient during the next competition. They remain a force to be reckoned with.
Czech Republic
#23 (2194)
The CZ clan has been one of the best teams in the world for a long time, but they have grown mostly inactive in the past two years, following their 9th place in the last Nations Cup, where they won the Silver League. Their star player Janik is inactive and they have suffered some setbacks including the EULC where they have not performed up to their usual standards. Should Nations Cup motivate them to practice again, they will definitely be one team to keep a close eye on.
Russia
#11 (2387)
Spain
#12 (2387)
Spain has, in TaToH, arguably one of the top 3 players in the world, and also boast a second top expert player in LaaaaaN. While these two players are formidable, they are lacking a top-level third player to have a chance at contending with the best teams of the Gold League. I expect them to be a serious contender to the victory in the Silver League.
The Heavyweights: 8-17
Germany
#17 (2328)
Germany has a plethora of 2k players but actually very few 2k1+ players, with Nili, Jordan and Stefan being the highest rated. Germany is also likely to split their forces in multiple high-level teams, with the main team revolving around returning expert JorDan_23 (he is back) and the nC players, leaving out Arena experts such as Stefan and Scogo. Germany was infamously kicked out of the Gold League by Chile B during last Nations Cup and could suffer a similar fate this time. However, with proper training I am confident they could make the top 16.
Netherlands
#16 (2333)
The Dutch team is one of the teams whom players have improved the most significantly since the last Nations Cup, with now five players above 2k1 on the 1v1 ladder (although Darknoob mostly plays Arena). Like Germany and France, they could battle down to enter the top 16, the Gold League, or be a contender to the final victory in the Silver League.
France
#15 (2346)
France is an interesting case as the “new” generation has replaced the “old” trio of edie, VM and Hani in international competitions, with the ageless expert cebdos remaining. The trio of Sitaux, cebdos and Cl3m3nt has been extremely successful in EULC, beating the likes of Czech Republic, Spain and the UK without losing a single game. With hard work, motivation and training, France could fight for the top 16. Anything beyond that, however, is likely to require more firepower than they have.
Chile
#20 (2268)
Chile is one of the countries I wholly expect to do better than their rating suggests. With their incredible roster of 2k players, they will likely form more than one team, but the A team of Chile should definitely be able to enter the Gold League, potentially causing another upset on the way…
Japan
#22 (2241)
Like Chile, Japan is one of the teams that, I believe, are underrated when looked from an elo prospective. The Japanese team finished third of the Silver League during the 2017 Nations Cup (11th overall), and I expect them to place in that range again this time. They are already playing a lot of team games together and even brought the old expert Halen back, although just for a short set of games.
United States
#9 (2431)
Also on paper, the US are a nation with a very high potential, and a top 3 entirely above 2k4. They could easily form two teams that could contend with the best. However, most American top players are 1v1 players and they would need to practice together should they want to progress past the top 16.
Brazil B
#13 (2365)
Brazil has so many top players they could easily form four to five teams of 3 players that would all look pretty solid. I expect them to stack their A team, but a “B” team based around St4rk, bruh and GoKu would be a very serious contender as well. Only time will tell which players will be in which team for Brazil, but I expect at least two teams from Brazil to make the top 16 (at least).
Vietnam B
#14 (2352)
Vietnam, Brazil and China are the three only countries that can form multiple top-level teams. Vietnam is probably the one where the split is the more “obvious”, since the A team has been playing together since the beginning of times. They have an exceptional roster of players and I fully expect any “B” team from Vietnam to easily make the top 16.
Norway
#8 (2490)
Norway is a team with one of the most interesting dynamics, with two of the five best players in the world, but a 3rd player who, despite playing at a very respectable level, will have to carry his weight against the best teams in the world. Gluttony was part of team Norway during the latest 2v2 World Cup event organized by River and Lanchi, and already got a taste of playing top level games. I expect Norway to make the Gold League but think they will ultimately fall short against the very top teams for not having a third top expert player.
Argentina
#7 (2495)
Argentina is another interesting storyline of this Nations Cup. Nicov has always been the driving force behind the team, but it seems the other old experts of his “generation”, Fedex, Juan, Patin, Gary has mostly stopped playing. New experts such as Twigg and BL4CK have emerged while the ancient player Funito actually made a come-back. Argentina finished 8th overall of the competition in 2017 and could struggle to equal that result this year.
The Elite: 1-7
Canada
#6 (2527)
Canada has always done well in Nations Cup, and last edition saw the old experts Chris and Ra come back to help their mates. It is unlikely, but not impossible, that they would do the same this time, but would have to learn all about the WK civilizations and meta. Hera has become the best player from Canada and has been in top shape lately, so he could be the driving force behind the Canadian team. Teaming up with slam and mentalist, they could compete with the very best teams.
China C (EMA/Ares)
#10 (2398)
China is realistically the only nation who can form three teams, all three teams being perfectly capable at competing with the top 8. It is difficult to fully appreciate the extent of the playing field for China as most players have many smurfs and a lot of them only play on Voobly China, but I expect three teams: SY, Frantic, and a third team based on the players of the old EMA or Ares, the nick the signed-up under for ECL. China EMA was 10th overall of the 2017 Nations Cup and famously went 2-2 against Finland in the Gold League group stage. Should they sign up this time too I expect them to do just as well.
Brazil A
#5 (2532)
Vietnam A
#2 (2553)
China B (Frantic)
#1 (2588)
China A (SY)
#3 (2551)
Finland
#4 (2544)
What teams will emerge on the top scene? Which nations, traditionally doing well in the competition, will suffer a setback and not perform as well as usual? Who has the best chances of winning this new Nations Cup?
Using Scogo’s list of the current ratings per country, HueHueCoyotl’s list of the highest ratings achieved and my own knowledge of some teams, I compiled a list of 32 teams that have a shot at making the Silver and Gold Leagues of the new Nations Cup according to the format proposed by robo. The teams will be split in four categories, based on the final ranking I think they can achieve. Each team also has a “top 3 team elo”, measured as the average elo of their highest rated three members, and a ranking (from 1 to 32) associated.
Lower rated teams will be first, so if you are only interested in the top dogs of the competition, you should probably scroll down quite a bit!
Also I can’t know everything so don’t get upset if I forgot players.
The Challengers: 26-32
United Kingdom#30 (2092)
- Hallis 2143
- Igloo 2132
During last Nations Cup, the UK had assembled a team of 2k players, and now boast two additional experts to their roster: Hallis and _Tea. They play a lot together, including the European League of Clans organized by Mundo AoE where they had the opportunity of playing against the likes of France, Spain and the Czech Republic.
Peru#24 (2183)
- Hearttt 2544
Peru actually has quite a number of active 2k players on the 1v1 ladder, and one of the best players in the world in the person of Aftermath member Hearttt. A team formed around him could do well and make the top 32.
Australia#32 (2020)
- Socksyy 2061
Team Australia is the lowest ranked team on this list, but one of the teams I am confident can beat much higher rated teams. The Australians play together constantly and the likes of Shed, Zain, hold their own in team games with the best players in the world. With good teamwork and preparation, Australia could be a dangerous opponent in the Silver League.
Sweden#31 (2072)
- Spaden 2216
During the last Nations Cup, Sweden made the top 16. However, some of the players that were part of the team don’t seem active anymore, and the overall level of the top players has increased. Should every team of this list play this year, it would be difficult for Sweden to match their previous achievement.
India#29 (2115)
- The_Dragonstar 2200
- Super1Man_ 2144
India is the largest country on Earth that did not have a representation during the last Nations Cup. With two new expert players and a good group of 1k9-2k players behind, this time, however, India could hope to make the top 32 and contest in the Silver League.
Poland#28 (2125)
- Barles 2375
The 2017 Polish team is still active today and could sign-up for the new edition of the Nations Cup. They would be centered around their top player Barles, who reached just short of 2k4 on the 1v1 ladder and would be a contender to the Silver League.
Italy#25 (2179)
- Vodka_L_2 2228
- pete_martell 2208
- Kamigawa 2101
Italy is the first team on the list with three players all above 2k1. The brothers pete_martell and Kamigawa have been playing consistently recently with their friends from RoR and reached a very high level in team games. Teaming up with old experts like Vodka, the new team could be a serious contender in the Silver League.
The Contenders: 18-25
Hong Kong#27 (2131)
- fatfatleong 2301
During the last Nations Cup, Hong Kong made it to the round of 32 of the Silver League and was eliminated in their first match by Austria. They have a strong roster of players all above 2k and regularly play high level team games with other Chinese top-level players. Out of experience and team-play alone, they could be in the second half of Silver League.
Taiwan#26 (2166)
- GKT_Cloud 2384
- TW_A 2113
Taiwan has not participated in the previous Nations Cup. A side effect, perhaps, of having the competition organized by mainland China. Should they play this time, a team centered around Cloud could pack a serious punch.
Turkey#19 (2277)
- Erhan 2336
- K4SVA 2284
- Berk 2211
Turkey has historically always had a lot of good players and its history in Nations Cup has been riddled with drama. However, with the return of the old expert Cyclops/Erhan, and Berk and K4SVA being very active on the 1v1 ladder, a Turkish team could do well in the Silver League.
Mexico#21 (2248)
- Tatakae 2335
- Xhing 2206
- Uzzi 2202
Mexico is one of the countries that could potentially form two or more teams entirely made of 2k players. They certainly have enough expert players to form one very strong team for the Silver League.
Austria#18 (2292)
- Liereyy 2625
- LB10 2252
Austria is a tricky one. During the last Nations Cup, they finished 4th of the Silver League for an overall ranking of 12th. However, their strategy heavily relied on slinging Liereyy, arguably the second-best player in the world at that time, which won’t be as efficient during the next competition. They remain a force to be reckoned with.
Czech Republic#23 (2194)
- Janik 2340
- Skull 2243
The CZ clan has been one of the best teams in the world for a long time, but they have grown mostly inactive in the past two years, following their 9th place in the last Nations Cup, where they won the Silver League. Their star player Janik is inactive and they have suffered some setbacks including the EULC where they have not performed up to their usual standards. Should Nations Cup motivate them to practice again, they will definitely be one team to keep a close eye on.
Russia#11 (2387)
- Keif 2481
- Vinchester 2470
- Dench 2210
- TK_Kerch28rus 2162
- repard 2118
Spain#12 (2387)
- TaToH 2636
- LaaaaaN 2508
Spain has, in TaToH, arguably one of the top 3 players in the world, and also boast a second top expert player in LaaaaaN. While these two players are formidable, they are lacking a top-level third player to have a chance at contending with the best teams of the Gold League. I expect them to be a serious contender to the victory in the Silver League.
The Heavyweights: 8-17
Germany#17 (2328)
- JorDan_23 2546
- Nili 2326
- chaos_2_win 2113
Germany has a plethora of 2k players but actually very few 2k1+ players, with Nili, Jordan and Stefan being the highest rated. Germany is also likely to split their forces in multiple high-level teams, with the main team revolving around returning expert JorDan_23 (he is back) and the nC players, leaving out Arena experts such as Stefan and Scogo. Germany was infamously kicked out of the Gold League by Chile B during last Nations Cup and could suffer a similar fate this time. However, with proper training I am confident they could make the top 16.
Netherlands#16 (2333)
- GoldenEnd 2372
- AngelinaJolie 2331
- DarknoobHD 2295
- Rogier505 2124
- D3rP 2121
The Dutch team is one of the teams whom players have improved the most significantly since the last Nations Cup, with now five players above 2k1 on the 1v1 ladder (although Darknoob mostly plays Arena). Like Germany and France, they could battle down to enter the top 16, the Gold League, or be a contender to the final victory in the Silver League.
France#15 (2346)
- edie 2516
- Sitaux 2366
- cebdos 2156
France is an interesting case as the “new” generation has replaced the “old” trio of edie, VM and Hani in international competitions, with the ageless expert cebdos remaining. The trio of Sitaux, cebdos and Cl3m3nt has been extremely successful in EULC, beating the likes of Czech Republic, Spain and the UK without losing a single game. With hard work, motivation and training, France could fight for the top 16. Anything beyond that, however, is likely to require more firepower than they have.
Chile#20 (2268)
- Sobek 2358
- DJ_WH0 2235
- Whitecourt 2211
- Noisick 2200
Chile is one of the countries I wholly expect to do better than their rating suggests. With their incredible roster of 2k players, they will likely form more than one team, but the A team of Chile should definitely be able to enter the Gold League, potentially causing another upset on the way…
Japan#22 (2241)
- chart 2407
- komtan 2170
- Chocobo 2146
- noboru43 2133
- chinge 2129
Like Chile, Japan is one of the teams that, I believe, are underrated when looked from an elo prospective. The Japanese team finished third of the Silver League during the 2017 Nations Cup (11th overall), and I expect them to place in that range again this time. They are already playing a lot of team games together and even brought the old expert Halen back, although just for a short set of games.
United States#9 (2431)
- Melkor 2457
- Daniel 2424
- Metal 2411
- Spring 2344
- Feanor 2319
- Scotty_ 2211
- T90Official 2207
Also on paper, the US are a nation with a very high potential, and a top 3 entirely above 2k4. They could easily form two teams that could contend with the best. However, most American top players are 1v1 players and they would need to practice together should they want to progress past the top 16.
Brazil B#13 (2365)
- St4rk 2437
- bruh 2356
- GoKu 2302
Brazil has so many top players they could easily form four to five teams of 3 players that would all look pretty solid. I expect them to stack their A team, but a “B” team based around St4rk, bruh and GoKu would be a very serious contender as well. Only time will tell which players will be in which team for Brazil, but I expect at least two teams from Brazil to make the top 16 (at least).
Vietnam B#14 (2352)
- SongSong 2402
- Chip_PY 2327
- Sida_Bugatti (Sida_Badb0y) 2326
- SeOul 2264
Vietnam, Brazil and China are the three only countries that can form multiple top-level teams. Vietnam is probably the one where the split is the more “obvious”, since the A team has been playing together since the beginning of times. They have an exceptional roster of players and I fully expect any “B” team from Vietnam to easily make the top 16.
Norway#8 (2490)
- MbL 2742
- TheViper 2729
Norway is a team with one of the most interesting dynamics, with two of the five best players in the world, but a 3rd player who, despite playing at a very respectable level, will have to carry his weight against the best teams in the world. Gluttony was part of team Norway during the latest 2v2 World Cup event organized by River and Lanchi, and already got a taste of playing top level games. I expect Norway to make the Gold League but think they will ultimately fall short against the very top teams for not having a third top expert player.
Argentina#7 (2495)
- Nicov 2607
- Twigg 2543
- BL4CK 2335
- Maxi 2185
- Funito 2129
Argentina is another interesting storyline of this Nations Cup. Nicov has always been the driving force behind the team, but it seems the other old experts of his “generation”, Fedex, Juan, Patin, Gary has mostly stopped playing. New experts such as Twigg and BL4CK have emerged while the ancient player Funito actually made a come-back. Argentina finished 8th overall of the competition in 2017 and could struggle to equal that result this year.
The Elite: 1-7
Canada#6 (2527)
- Hera 2646
- slam 2576
- mentalist 2359
Canada has always done well in Nations Cup, and last edition saw the old experts Chris and Ra come back to help their mates. It is unlikely, but not impossible, that they would do the same this time, but would have to learn all about the WK civilizations and meta. Hera has become the best player from Canada and has been in top shape lately, so he could be the driving force behind the Canadian team. Teaming up with slam and mentalist, they could compete with the very best teams.
China C (EMA/Ares)#10 (2398)
- StrayDog 2511
- LHD_xiaohai 2343
- CBJ_Noto 2327
- IamOk 2295
China is realistically the only nation who can form three teams, all three teams being perfectly capable at competing with the top 8. It is difficult to fully appreciate the extent of the playing field for China as most players have many smurfs and a lot of them only play on Voobly China, but I expect three teams: SY, Frantic, and a third team based on the players of the old EMA or Ares, the nick the signed-up under for ECL. China EMA was 10th overall of the 2017 Nations Cup and famously went 2-2 against Finland in the Gold League group stage. Should they sign up this time too I expect them to do just as well.
Brazil A#5 (2532)
- dogao 2571
- F1Re 2551
- miguel 2476
- RiuT 2475
Vietnam A#2 (2553)
- BacT 2575
- ACCM 2550
- saymyname 2533
- CooL 2354
China B (Frantic)#1 (2588)
- Vivi 2722
- Tim 2577
- Xiaofan 2466
- CL 2425
China A (SY)#3 (2551)
- Yo 2693
- jibatong 2501
- Lyx 2458
- Yinghua 2413
- Paladin 2343
Finland#4 (2544)
- TheMax 2599
- Villese 2568
- Zuppi 2466
- Rubenstock 2366
- NorthernPike 2299
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