First Attempt ever to do a top 12. Please be nice.
#1 No Brakes - swim
Attack Rank #2
Def Rank #9
Solid core located in the middle of 54. If they are together with The Goon, then there needs to be a push toward the SW to try and clear out the Friends from the territory. If these two alliances are not together, then No Brakes will need to clean up The Good cities quickly to ensure swimming. Several recognizable players and people already talking about this being an unbeatable alliance due to known leadership.
#2 The Musketeers - swim
Attack Rank #1
Def Rank #7
Sturdy group of aggressive players here in the Musketeers. Together with the Wombles, they have ocean 44 locked down pretty good without much resistance standing in the way of securing the ocean. Some of their territory seems to be bleeding over into 54 and 45. Will be interesting to see which direction they begin moving and who they end up taking on.
#3 Killer Bees - swim
Attack Rank #3
Def Rank #11
Killer Bees have great position in 55 as they are tightly intermingled with their 2nd branch the Golden Honey Bees. Their positioning looks great, but they will have to choose which direction they will want to expand and who they want to take up as food.
#4 Friends - sink
Attack Rank #4
Def Rank #2
My opinion here is totally based on map position and could be completely invalid. Friends and Afterlife are really in a tough spot crammed in between so many major players. I would think that No Brakes would be looking to push them out of the territory, but then the Musketeers, Goons, and even some Wombles cities are infringing upon this alliances security.
#5 The Goon - swim
Attack Rank #13
Def Rank #21
I chose No Brakes to swim and if The Good is in fact a branch, then it goes without saying that this alliance will be swimming as well. ScreechOwl jumping ahead and shining as the top aggressor in the alliance.
#6 Split ENZ - float
Attack Rank #9
Def Rank #5
Any guessing as to what will take place in ocean 45 is just a shot in the dark. So many alliances seemingly strong. This ocean will end up being a bloody battleground. I pick Split Enz to float simply because they are leading the attack and defense rank in the ocean so far. All other 45 alliances are dragging behind (mostly because of beginner protection just getting over with for so many.)
#7 Written in Blood - swim
Attack Rank #18
Def Rank #25
My alliance. Optimistic and bias about our ability to swim.
#8 Afterlife - sink
Attack Rank #5
Def Rank #4
In the same position as Friends. Please read above.
#9 Thor – no clue
Attack Rank #16
Def Rank #13
45 is a crazy mess and mixture of strong players and alliances. Hard to tell who will come out on top or what relationships will be made. Good politics as well as good fighting will be a necessity in order to swim in this ocean.
#10 Assembled Irony – no clue
Attack Rank #15
Def Rank #15
Same as above: 45 is a crazy mess and mixture of strong players and alliances. Hard to tell who will come out on top or what relationships will be made. Good politics as well as good fighting will be a necessity in order to swim in this ocean.
#11 Golden Honey Bees - swim
Attack Rank #10
Def Rank #14
See above under Killer Bees.
#12 The Wombles - swim
Attack Rank #14
Def Rank #43
See above under the Musketeers.
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I know this is more like a top 5, terribly vague, and subject to being completely misinformed. I wanted to take a shot at getting us on topic.