Yu-Gi-Oh! Online International

International news and rankings in Yu-Gi-Oh! Online

The Eastern Front

Posted on | July 29, 2009 | No Comments

israelIsrael has reached its greatest heights yet in Yu-Gi-Oh! Online, it is currently battling powerhouse Australia for 11th place. YGO Online International takes a look at the unchallenged champions of the Middle East and what they need to continue and build on, their success to date.

Israel’s rise has been slow, but also steady and inevitable. Debuting in Season 3 in 21st, the Middle East champions have slow clawed their way up the table, with a few bumps along the way, to finish in a record 12th position last season, just outside some of the greatest, most consistent nations in Yu-Gi-Oh! Online.

This climb was facilitated not by the triumph of one excellent duelist who poured their efforts into claiming the top of the TP Rankings. No, it’s a steady number of hard working duelists that have aided and maintained Israel’s rise through the rankings. For you see, the fact of the matter is this. While one record-breaking duelist CAN take you far (one time as high as 12th, although that may no longer be possible), it is simply the nations with the most duelists that in the end rank in the top ten or so.

But right now, and in the near future, a TP hog may just be what Israel needs. Right now, the nation is fighting it out with Australia for 11th place, an all new high should Israel clench it. But while Australia is hampered by a terrible Season 9 which saw the Oceanic powerhouse plummet to 15th, it has made a major rebound and it appears right now that it is winning the dogfight.

With all other things being equal, Australia has the natural advantage, having 10 times more internet users than the much smaller Israel. So when it comes to mobilisation of numbers in order to gain an advantage Israel is at a big disadvantage. That is not to suggest that Israel is pulling ten times less the TP of its current rival, but it is losing out by around 4,000 TP, enough to bridge the gap Israel opened up the season before.

The current struggle for 11th is still close enough that it is entirely possible that Israel can eventually just overhaul Australia before the seasons end and rejoice in its new found triumph. But even if it does, what will the future hold?

Israel’s current push for 11th is based on two things, it’s own crew of duelists and the plummet in Australia’s TP in Season 9. As Season 9’s TP factors in less and less in future seasons, Israel will not be able to count on the second advantage and, as mentioned above, the natural advantage in mobilising duelists lies with Australia. With no evidence that Australia’s shock Season 9 plummet is going to repeat itself, Israel returning to 12th (if it even does make 11th this season) in Season 11 is a real possibility.

So what does Israel need? It needs, quite simply, a prima donna duelist. A duelist with the time, and the dedication (and as some would point out, the lack of a social life) to amass a large amount of TP in Israel’s name. This is the one thing that will make Israel the superior of the likes of Austria, Switzerland and Denmark, not their equal.

For you see, not only do the best nations have large amounts of duelists represented, a selection of their duelists are also winners, who place consistently high in the top 1,000 TP rankings. A group of good duelists will take you further in the end than one great duelist but it is the combination of both that offers Israel the best chance of breaking through the glass ceiling and establishing itself as one of the true powers of Yu-Gi-Oh! Online rather than a nation merely on a roll of good fortune.

Category: Israel, Middle East

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  • News in Brief (August 16)

    • In and Out New Zealand plummet from 36th to 52nd as their lone representative drops out of the TP rankings. The once powerful Oceanic nation now looks a spent force in the online game.
    • Rise of Empire Great Britain (5th) is now only 3,271 TP behind 4th placed Italy. If Britain can overtake by season's end, it will mark the first time they've reached 4th since Season 7 around this time last year.
    • Seychelles Smashers The mercenaries of Seychelles continue their rise, reaching 12th this week, just 508 TP behind 11th placed Australia. The pressure is now on Australia to maintain their renaissance since Season 9.
    • Seventh Heaven The total accumulated TP spluttered across the 7 million mark this week with 7,252,670 TP being recorded. Accumulation rates have slowed dramatically and it is likely we will end the season with a TP recession.
    • Point Droppers United States (-3,698), Greece (-2,006), Gaza Strip (-4,098), Albania (-4,706) and New Zealand (-4,758) all dropped TP since last week.