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2016 Altador Cup Tournament

Press Tour

Below is an archive of the 2016 Press Tour blurbs for each returning team. Thank you to altadorheadcanons on Tumblr for sharing their archive with us!

Why So Smug?

Having risen once more from its low tier ranking, Altador is well-pleased with its performance in last year's Cup. In fact, an unnamed source revealed that the team members spent much of their off-season practice time discussing whether the seating arrangement in the colosseum needed improvement, and whether they, as hosts of the tournament, could convince the Altador Cup Committee to make a few changes for this year's tourney.

Royal Intervention

King Hagan apparently does care how well the Brightvale Wizards fare in the Altador Cup. In fact, he was so disappointed by the team's performance last year that he was planning to organize a written examination to recruit new players for the team. Apparently, he felt that the team's poor standing was because the players don't understand enough about the Altador Cup and its history. The Royal Decree was met with considerable outrage by the general public, but King Hagan would have gone ahead with it anyway had it not been for a member of the Club paying him a personal visit and explaining why such a move wouldn't work out well for the team, in a conversation that is said to have lasted over 4 hours.

Leading by Example

With his team having performed unusually badly in AC X, Vickles has reportedly been working hard to get the Minions back on track. Ever the exemplary leader, his teammates revealed that he has been taking the off-season practice sessions very seriously, always arriving early and generally working harder than everyone else. His tactic turned out to be quite effective, for by the Month of Storing, the entire team was working one hour extra every session, purely by choice!

Winning Hearts and Minds, as Usual

The Faerieland Fighters may not have much to speak of when it comes to actual performance, but no one can question their popularity. Many have attributed this adoration to their indomitable spirit on the field, but the Fighters have clearly been reaching out to their fans during the off-season as well. They recently participated in a charity Yooyuball tournament where they were seen signing autographs and making small talk with the participants.

You Win Some, You Lose Some

The team's newest player, Crade Talvos, was reportedly the most troubled by the team's fall from its championship position in the last tournament. Sources close to the player revealed that he is concerned about fans associating the decline with his placement on the team. However, his teammates, who have seen far worse, are grateful that they didn't fall as low as they did after their first win.

All is Fair...?

After the initial celebrations surrounding their spectacular win in AC X, the team has been dealing with a lot of suspicion and criticism from a large portion of the public, who are convinced the players were using special magic to boost their performance. The players have repeatedly denied this claim, maintaining that all of them had undergone the routine tests set down by the Altador Cup Committee, and that no irregularities were detected. However, with rumors that the Committee is bringing in new regulations to clamp down on unfair practices during the tournament, it remains to be seen how well the team fares this year.

All is Not Well

Krawk Island, once famous for never falling below seventh place, broke their admirable record in AC IX with an eighth place finish. While everyone expected them to bounce back the next year, they disappointed fans by finishing ninth in AC X! While the team maintains its usual upbeat attitude, one player recently spoke up on condition of anonymity — "Look, sometimes you gotta make changes to the roster, I get that. But you need to make good choices, really. You need to ask yourself if your replacement can really do a better job than the one you're losing." Well, well, well...

Nothing But the Best

With all the pressure to regain their top-tier ranking, Kreludor did not disappoint loyal fans in last year's Cup. However, neither the team nor its fans will be satisfied with a runner-up position this year. "We've made mistakes in the past, and we've learned from them", said Derlyn Fonnet about their hopes for AC XI. "We aren't taking anything for granted now, we've practiced hard and we will not let our guard down until we have the Cup in our hands once more!"

A Long Road Ahead

For a team that used to be considered a powerhouse, the Lost Desert Mummies have been doing exceptionally bad in the last few years. With several podium finishes and even a Cup to their name, everyone expected the Mummies to bounce back from the Winner's Curse in record time. However, the fall seems to have taken a toll on the team's morale, for its climb back to the top was quickly interrupted by another big fall, one from which the team is yet to recover. With another bad showing in AC X, it looks like supporters will have to sit back and wait it out until the Mummies are able to sort through their problems and reclaim their old glory.

Females Wanted

If anyone found it odd that the 'Mermaids' have no 'maids' on their team, they certainly haven't been voicing their opinion about it. However, with Team Maraqua's mediocre performance in AC X, Oten Runeu feels it's time to make a few changes to the roster, and more specifically to bring a woman to the team. "I think women are naturally better at peacekeeping and resolving conflicts. We could really do with more of that on our team." But which team member would they sacrifice for the newcomer? "The management would have to decide on the specifics, of course. I'm just giving you my personal opinion on what might help us perform better as a team."

Back to the Drawing Board

With the team's performance showing little sign of improvement in AC X, Captain Windelle has finally decided it's time to step back and take stock of what needs to change. "We've been experimenting with new strategies this off-season, and we're going to surprise our opponents with a few tricks up our sleeves this year. We don't know whether it will get us to the top this time, but it's definitely a move in that direction."

Team Moltara: Working Hard and Hoping for the Best

When questioned about their hopes for AC XI, Aldric Beign avoided specifics, but he was clear about one thing. "I always remind my teammates not to get too hung up on ranking, whether current, previous or future. We've come a long way in the past few years, and it was all thanks to the hard work we put in. As long as we continue to work the same way, we can be sure to continue progressing, and then it's only a matter of time before we reach the top."

Learning from the Master

With the Natives showing little signs of progress in last year's tournament, Volgoth has decided to make a drastic change to the team's practice routine. Now the quintet makes regular visits to a world-renowned master to train under his expert guidance. Though the Techo Master has no experience playing Yooyuball, he has been helping the team improve their strength and agility, which Volgoth hopes will contribute to better performance on the field.

Double-Edged Sword?

Jair Tollet has recently been quite frank about her team's weakness, though she also feels it's what makes the Rooligans what they are — "What I've always loved about this team is how much fun we have when we're together. It's really contributed to the way we play Yooyuball, and I'd say it's helped us with many of our wins. Recently though, we've been letting things get out of hand, and it's definitely been affecting our performance. We need to regain that balance of hard work and play once again."

In Your Dreams

Team Captain Mirsha Grelinek has recently revealed that she keeps dreaming about winning the Altador Cup. "At first I thought it was just the memories of the previous times I've stood on the podium that were playing into my dreams. But then I realized that I was always holding the Cup in my hands, and that's never happened in reality." So does Grelinek take it as a sign of how this year's tournament will play out? "I don't really believe in prophecies, if that's what you're asking about. Then again, my dreams probably reflect the fact that I really want to win the Cup, and I do believe that that can affect how we end up playing."

Mission: Acclimatization

The Chillers have been focusing on building a rather unusual skill for this year's tournament. "Most of our practice sessions were held in Happy Valley, and I think it's been contributing to our mediocre performance in past tournaments", explained Prytariel. "We weren't used to playing in Altador's heat, or at that altitude. But we're going to be more prepared this year, since we've been spending the last two months in and around Altador, practicing and just generally getting used to the weather and lower altitude."

One for All and All for One

Tyrannia's third place finish in AC X has silenced "Spikes" Barmie's critics, who previously claimed that his increasing involvement with his fashion line was responsible for the team's declining performance. There were also rumors that Barmie has been skipping practice sessions to focus on his new venture. His teammates, however, refuted all such claims, and when pressed for comments Loryche said "Barmie is a dedicated team player whose presence has always had a positive impact on our team's performance."

Back to Uni

The Virtupets team has been quite busy this offseason, and it's not just because of their new practice schedule. Keetra Deile and her teammates were invited to participate in the 1st Annual Conference on Robotics and Automation held at the Brightvale University in the Month of Sleeping. The organizing committee was particularly interested in hearing how the team was able to build a sense of camaraderie and team spirit in spite of having robots in their company.

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