So time for an update to see which tribes are walking the proverbial walk and who are flattering to deceive and which are just quietly doing doing their thing and looking at wonder as name changes, recruit nukes and barb molestation turn UK50 into a veritable festival of how low TW standards have dropped. New feature this week showing percentage of barbs taken for the tribes ( I would throw in internals but too many leave the tribe before the final noble hits and life is too short to track them all just feels longer in furlough!)
So as we look at this game that has produced such mighty tribes standing as mighty oak trees above the forest floor such as WIN, TFF and KnK to name a few we resign ourselves to perhaps gathering up the last few diseased twigs before the final crash but such is life these days I guess!
So without further ado let us peek into the top 10 and try and make sense of the huggle and fluffle, tribe hopping, name changes and "I am a Chicken no a squirrel" all the while being spanked by bunnies and try and make sense of it all. Though frankly am not sure I can! As always if I do say something patently wrong then please correct me (nicely) and I may or may not print a correction...!
Rank 1 NHS (=) 400k Points ODA Rank 1 509k ODD Rank 16 92k Barbs molested % 15
So our chart topping squirrels maintain their lead over the pack (fluffle?!) and very low ODD shows that they are still dining out on the free buffet and keeping their noses clean, which is how it should be at this point in the world. However, they will need to think about ramping up to war ready status by running some coordinated ops shortly as so far they have only taken down the TBC tribe as they look to control their area. They are growing through a mixture of some decent recruit nukes cherry picking Horny/Kinky players and fine dining on some of their own who have spent their way to glory/were here for PP selling or just got bored. Their TW stats (which you can see
here ) shows just how many of their own they have eaten which does not bode well if so many are giving up now.
You could argue that this is why everyone needs a family to replace the start up meteorites that light up early world as they do their best Huggy Bear impressions then quit when the PP runs out or just quit as they see friendly villas everywhere or part of me thinks that speed 1, high fake limit, watch towers, morale and silly ms gap has meant that some have moved on. For me I see the world settings as having to work as a tribe and smaller is better to keep the interest going.
Still back to our squirrels and their last 20 caps are 1/3 internals, 15 percent barbs and the rest dead rabbit and other finger snacks which is ok but hardly world winning form. That said they have played this world pretty much faultlessly so far rejecting the offer of making a huge non rabbit themed fluffle and cherry picking who they wish to join, avoiding major wars early on and dominating their area. The next step will be harder as they will need to run a big op and deal knock out blows to major tribes around them and perhaps start moving players to their front lines whilst their members will still be wanting to barble a bit (whilst waiting for nukes to rebuild nods) so be interesting to see how they get on but so far very well played.
Rank 2 (+1) BB 349k Points ODA Rank 2 499k ODD Rank 10 114k Barb molested % 16
The dark side of the giant fluffle in the NE have overtaken their Penguin brethren to take the Number two spot. They have lost a villa but looks like a cross noble in the feeding frenzy a plus 1k barb generates these days so no shame there. High ODA and low ODD shows that our sith like bunnies are clearing their area and avoiding annoying the bigger tribes, which isn't hard when the only large tribe in their k are in their family tribe!
Caps wise they are eating the Chan tribe and even ran an op on the 14th as they hone their war skills. The arrival times were not amazing but clearly far too good for their food to handle so well done bunnies.
Spread wise they tend to be more on the division between the northern k's whilst the Good Bunnies are more centred towards the Squirrels. They are still a little jumbled up which might cause some headaches if they get attacked by the other big beasts but that will be a while away yet. Have to say well done as although I am not keen on family tribes in an outside support setting world they have cleared the opposition whilst working as a team and kept the barb molestation to reasonable levels. Still some tasty snacks about for them and also time to sneak some villas into other tribes areas of influence and start to plan for the future.
Rank 3 Were Penguins now GB and stats reset.
See above as with the rank 2 family. New name and new tribe and got rid of those that haven't nobled barbs!! Have lost a villa to the Titanic tribe in their cluster which is away from the main part of their tribe and where their family members are closer. This will present a problem for them as yes both parts of the giant fluffle can attack Titanic but can't do the same on defence. The Doomed Ship folk can give the fluffle a bloody nose here and show us all that families are not going to work so well if they are any good. I am sure Learning to Count Lion has it all under control and is flitting between joy that he now has targets and fear that these aren't barbs. We will see how they go in the next week or so. Otherwise their caps are barbs and small player villas but not so shoddy this time around. Points wise they dwarf the Doomed Ship folk so we will all sit around (hands out snacks and wine) and see if the Good Bunnies are worth their top 5 spot or not.
Rank 4 Cartel (=) 266k Points ODA Rank 3 385k ODD Rank 17 87k Barb molested % 25
A super family or I guess Cartel of their former family with added Kinky/Horny players after the Kinky family showed ankles at the Squirrels but got knocked back so they went for the Cartel. Made up of three Rank 20 tribes their spread is a little messy which isn't an issue now but will be in the next few weeks. They also have some isolated villas which will need some thought. They have been opped this morning by some rabbits and the low spike in ODD shows that they are in a bit of a pickle organisationally as well. Early doors reading a map is a skill and pre stacks and problem fixing before incoming is never to be underrated. Size is not everything in TW (big pp spenders or not) and the Cartel will need to have a honest chat amongst themselves and maybe agree that less barb molestation, more planning and teamwork will help them way more than mass recruiting former failing tribes.
That said they control large areas of real estate so this is not curtains and they have lots of rabbit food available if they would just work to get it. I would suggest that they start with purpose today and come back fighting otherwise their position and messy spread will mean that other tribes might just see them as food (helpfully they do mention where to buy chicken on their homepage so I hope, for their sake, this is not a prediction! They have some good players in there but I have seen tribes with good players fail before and my TW senses are telling me that this tribe, as it stands, is not looking good.
Edit: It has been pointed out to me (nicely as well) that it was Cartel opping the rabbits and the caps I see were the rabbits merely retaking the villas back (very quickly after losing them). This will be a feature of this world so well played Rabbits and perhaps a rethink Cartel but kudos for launching an OP though target picking maybe improve some? Could be a very long summer!
Rank 5 (+1) 230k ODA Rank 6 266k ODD Rank 79 9k Barb molested % 18%
The WOW family continue their sedate journey in UK50 with relatively high barbs and internals as they move towards only being one tribe. They are mingled in with some naughty Bunnies in the west of their cluster and also have the same issues all the families do in that they are intermingled together more than they would like. Still their very low ODD shows that they are keeping out of growth slowing wars for now but they will need to start their plans to make sue that their front line is well protected as they continue to cement their grip on their K. Opportunities are that they have Bunnies to eat longer term and short term the Cartel family must be looking very appealing. Issues are that they have CSM to their rear and the White walkers clustered up beneath them.
The main issue is if that the other tribes gang up on them before they can deal with each threat. If their diplomacy is excellent and they keep to the unbreakable rule of "one war at a time" and prep well and launch an op when they have full nukes (unlike some) and deal knock out blows to their neighbours then they will do very well indeed. So far nothing amazing from this tribe but they will be using the event to mint coins whilst they grow and that is bad news for those around them. This is an end game tribe so maybe only being 5th is no bad thing and they must be looking forward to getting to grips with some of their neighbours. Still they have issues in their position but nothing that good leadership and planning can't deal with. Cap quality is not great but that is me being picky.
Rank 6 (NE) T 189k Points ODA Rank 9 221k ODD Rank 28 58k Barb molestation % 21
A new entry into this week's top 10 is the Titanic tribe and the first comment is from their profile where they state that they "will hit tribes as hard as that iceberg". But being picky it should be noted that the Titanic only hit a glancing blow and had it actually not tried to turn might have done better. I apologise but once a historian always a historian....
A slightly later starting tribe and their rim start has appeared to pay off as they have a cluster in the NE which, in the main, will be easily defendable. They do, though, have a few isolated villas and also a long front line to defend but in the credit column they have isolated Good Bunnies amongst them and no other tribe can get at them bar the Bunnies. Of course the Bunnies are Rank 2 and 3 so these guys have their work cut out.
Caps wise they are ok but they do like the barbs and small point villas which will slow them down. Can they survive a war with the Bunnies. Yes but probably not at this point in time and perhaps could have waited for some diplomacy and having the Bunnies being distracted by others. Still they have made their bed and time will tell whether they rest their heads on fur lined covers or it is their heads that decorate the warrens of the Bunny peril. Titanic look ok but they will need to be very good to slap the bunnies about.
Rank 7 (+1) CSM Points 161k ODA RAnk 11 185k ODD Rank 84 7k Barb molestation % 37
Up one from last week and similar comments re poor caps, liking for Turtles and a love of barbs and no one giving them any fight back. They do pose a question for the WoW family who cannot have a hostile tribe in the rear so am sure that these guys will either be eaten or snuggle up to the WoW family and continue to munch the rim. They do have the Cartel to their south so their are opportunities in diplomacy for them if they go down that road. Not doing anything wrong but not making BigHugh start sweating either (Am sorry I get these images and find it hard to shake them forgive me!)
Rank 8 RR (-1) Points 161k ODA Rank 4 288k ODD Rank 1 376K Barb molestation % 10
So fighting Kinky/Horny who changed into Chickens our second fluffle finds themselves up against a sprawling mixture of failed tribes and hugglers with hardly a nuke between them. Rank 1 ODD shows what happened to the mini nukes being thrown at them and recapping seconds after losing villas shows that these rabbits can play the game. They also have issues with being a family and being mingled in together.
Am sure they could have maybe moved folks around before getting into a war but so be it they need to play as they are now. Their main issue is going to be troop count and although their opponents are throwing powder puff nukes at them they can't be doing the same, especially as they have hungry squirrels around them. So normally you would think that they have some easy Cartel villas to eat and they do but they also have a lot of villas to defend and will need to make sure they have re cap nobles built and ready to go and just pre stack odd villas where they can. If they do work together and move the odd one around to make it easier to defend they could do very well out of this but I see hungry squirrels and others who would be very happy to take advantage of war weary rabbits. If they excelled at diplomacy and their troop count was decent they will do ok. Otherwise I just see a future of fat Squirrels. The SE K is anyone's to take and to live there would be interesting!
Rank 9 PF. Family tribe of NHS so see above.
Nothing more to add bar they are the holding tribe for NHS. Rank 8 ODA shows that they are doing more than their bit so not putting them down just see them as one tribe with the squirrels.
Rank 10 WW 123k Points Rank 21 96k ODD Rank 49 27k Barb molestation % 32
Showing the Rabbits that avoiding major wars is how to get ahead whilst also showing that being in the centre of the world means your diet can be a little barb heavy. However, they have removed some of the little tribes around them but doing it in dribs and drabs rather than all going at once so I hope this means they won't be war rusty when the time comes. Their position is tricky but also offers wonderful opportunities if they can do a bit of ankle waving and catch the eye of some of the bigger tribes. They also have the Cartel family and rabbits in a furball to their east which must be oh so tempting if they have got a decent troop count.
Still they look decent and have some players in there worthy of a spot in any tribe so will be a force to reckon with as long as they are being well run. Also a family tribe but when in Rome and all that...!
Ok so here ends this weeks Top 10. Penguins turning into Bunnies, Kinky/Horny just changing their name and hoping no one would notice and some recruit nukes flying about BUT the world is firming up a little and as the free buffet starts to become a little sparse then who will make the first move as the bigger beasts jostle for position. Or will the barbs just take a hammering...!
Until next week and again any glaring inaccuracies then let me know (nicely!)