All right. Let's see if I can piece this together.
1. PM- For the sake of being different I wont say PG/PM. PM for the a while now hasn't lost ground except for internals or to PG. New player additions plus the merge with BS obviously surged their score. Whether they will play WW or PG will be the ones to go for it, expect member changes to balance between the two. Perhaps a friendly race in simming between the two. Fighting with SMOG, Unnaturals, TBC, XI, Arrogance, Samurai, the majority of their opponents I'm afraid to say are dieing alliances. Without a mentality change from their enemies, PM looks to do just fine. End line- Don't expect them to drop out of the number 1 or 2 spot any time soon.
2. PG- These guys have seemed to be the culling group. Lot's of internals to stabilize core locations, and seem to be heading the charge in the west. Same enemies as Pm though a few other hits on Wilj Ai due to the recent recruitment of the top players from Mercenary. Expect a lot of XI and Arrogance kills with this crew. Once again, losing ground isn't a big issue for them. End line- I wouldn't anticipate changes to anything but the roster as players gain more cities.
3. Srbija- The long time contender for the number 3/4 spot. Their conflict falls a little outside of my knowledge base because of their location, but everything I noticed is pretty impressive. Doesn't give ground easily, enjoy massive fights. Recently flooded with internals however. Their long term survival could be problematic if players are starting to get bored and quit. Once owning the reigns of a few academy alliances, it seems these guys are the sole survivors of the legacy. Early on they dealt with a lot of non-entities until they became of death presence for Legion of Achilles. Once LoA was all but gone the new target became the XI groupings. Of which the results are fairly obvious. End line- If boredom doesn't cause them to fall apart, they could see some of the final lime light. The lack of major fighting with powers beyond LoA and XI is disappointing for their ranking however. Particularly in regards to Feel the Manti and Dark Judgement.
4. Feel the Manti- These guys saw a burst to power a little into the history of Lindos. Once again, their position puts them outside most of my knowledge but from what I can tell, March/April was the time of power for these guys and they have been holding it since. The creation of hatred alliances such as "Feel the manti suck," suggests they are doing something right. Their constant ups and downs cause questions of longevity at the top to appear. Once ranking number 2 to BS they have since found themselves in an low point. Recent losses to Srbija II, and Dark Judgement makes me question my entry above, heh. Most likely time and activity are catching these guys. Recent events in mind, I think most of their players will survive just may not be under the same alliance tag. End Line- Expect the next couple of months to define the legacy of Feel the Manti
5. Unnatural Selection- Trying to set my respect for these players aside for a moment, I expected more. Morale hit them hard and a lot of very good players decided to seek futures else where. Incredible survival story for these guys as many players came out of the quickly hated Lycan MRA. After a few bounce around they found themselves in one of the strongest PACT groups I think the server has seen. Unnatural Selection/Chimera had a very good chance at running the world- strong position and dedicated players. This legacy is faltering I fear. The recent induction of Chimera has given a lot of new blood to Unnatural Selection, and with their power base in 46, they certainly aren't dead and I don't see them dieing quickly. Without overhaul though, I fear the end results for them. End line- Staving off inactivity and vmode is crucial to their survival. A little luck wouldn't hurt them either.
6. Legion of Kings- The history of these guys is written in the mass exodus and mass joining of groups. Most recently the loss of their top players to Mercenary hurt them. The signs of internal masses sings a sour note for them but their picking up of new players and the beating of Xi remains seem to be helping. Much like feel the manti, their decisions in the near future are paramount to their survival. Picking the wrong fights could spell disaster but without some major expansion their location has them boxed between a lot of ranked alliances. End line- Expansion is their only chance, but in their current minefield location, picking the wrong target will be disaster.
7. Dark Judgement- A newer member to the list of powerhouses. These guys fall into the same trap that Legion of Kings does. Their position boxes them into an unfortunate corner. The big positive for them, and all due credit, when they gain players the seem to keep them. Minimal internal takes recently and their constant growth suggests they absolutely are playing for the prize. In terms of enemies, if they proceed with caution I expect to see them take out one of the powers listed above. Consolidated strength and dedication give them an edge that few alliances seem to possess right now. End line- If they hit hard and fast they can break the morale of an upper alliance and open an entire area of expansion for themselves.
8. Warpath- An exceptionally new member to the ranks. The recent losses to Alpha have cause 2 splinter groups to form. Warpath and The Donkey Squad. Whether these guys will be friendly or hostile to each other has yet to be seen, but the creation of two groups suggest the latter. I expect their numbers to grow, and good diplomacy could see their ranks surge. Fears of the inactivity monster could rip this early stage alliance to pieces if negativity and power struggles infiltrate it. End line- Stay the course and look into mergers and diplomacy with other splinter groups from top alliances. If these guys group with the likes of Arrogance, Samurai, and Donkey Squad you could see some real fireworks out of them.
9. Army of One- The fate of these guys is directly tied into Dark Judgement I fear. Scatter throughout the same area as DJ they seem to be have a few of the issues that Judgement doesn't. More internals, more takes by the surrounding alliances against these inactive players. Diplomacy is the key to their survival. My fear is they are stuck below Judgement and this could turn into bad blood. A mass war between DJ and AoO could mean the end of both with the surrounding alliances crashing in from all sides to eat up the remains. I fear the worst for them and sadly can't picture them surviving to ww. End line- Mergers in your future with DJ or those around are your best bet if you can't stop inactivity from culling you.
10. The Donkey Squad- Not a name I expected to see. Not because I didn't think they could do it because they are new, but because I just didn't expect this to be a name. These guys find themselves in the same boat as Warpath, but with a buffer between them and PG/PM. Diplomacy is key to their survival once again. The fact that they exist is cause for hope. After the break up of the others, any player quitting would come as no shock. Their dedication to keep playing and start anew could mean everything. End line- Make your pacts and grow. Once again I expect the next few months to make or break them.
11. Dragons- (I'll try to be fair) I love these guys. sorry. Truth now. Much like the above names, inactivity has been gripping them. A brief stint in the lime light caused by the intake of the BS members caught a few gazes but otherwise their place goes mostly unnoticed. Written off as a rim alliance though to give credit, taking on early powers of Barbarians and standing against Unnaturals gives pause but unless they see massive growth or pick on a new target, no one will give them another look. Strong pact mates with Maasai gives them a decent position to expand south and west without concern for their flank off Ocean 66. Low player counts make them ripe for merger which could mean a return to top spots or bad blood. End line- Focusing in one direction could be their greatest down fall. Cull the inactives and recruit or be lost.
12. Maasai Mara- The little engine that might. These guys have been up against some names, and have managed to constantly grow. Newer to the top ranks as they might be, their position and strikingly consistent player base means they have no intention of going anywhere. Position however gives them a tough choice. With the recent change over of top players from Mercenary, conflict with PG/PM could be interesting, but lack of places to expand could mean it is inevitable. Same is true of their positions with LoK. Minor powerhouse Mesopotamians in the corner of 66 along with the remains of Mercenary means they could find some action, but it's course is limited. After that, decisions become heavy. End line- With a dedicated player base and locked off location they could stand to see a wonder built in the final days. Avoiding the non-growth that the next few months could force, means they may never see that end.
______________________________________________________________________________
There you go. Much too much reading, for what is likely a much too ill-informed opinion. At least it's something to pass the time.