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Altador Cup VI

Are you ready to yooyu?
The classic game of Yooyuball is back in this year's Altador Cup. Pick a team to represent, play games to rack up points, and help your team get a chance to win the annual Altador tournament. Stick with JN for all of your AC updates along the way!

Altador Cup News and Updates

  • May 23, 2011, 5:36 pm NST - AC Sign-ups: The countdown to sign-ups has been adjusted. Sign-ups will start at 12pm (NST) on May 25th (as intended).

    If you are looking for team graphics and player images, you can search for them in our AC VI Image Category. The JN Support Graphics are up, and will be receiving some updates later this week.

    Remember to check our Altador Cup VI section for daily team updates and goodies.

    The TNT staff tournament will be returning to the ACVI games. So far we have a look at 17 of the players for this year.




    Team Moltara - SenorMalo


    Team Virtupets - Snarkie


    Team Terror Mountain - Dragona


    Team Mystery Island - Twitterpate


    Team Meridell - Breik


    Team Lost Desert - Dirigibles


    Team Faerieland - Pie


    Team Roo Island - Socktastic


    Team Brightvale - Comastar


    Team Tyrannia - Squiggles


    Team Kreludor - Undutchable


    Team Krawk Island - Viola


    Team Altador - El Picklesaur


    Team Kiko Lake - Mr. Insane


    Team Shenkuu - Bancha Ninja


    Team Maraqua - Jimmy James



    Team Haunted Woods - DJ Skellington


    Currently only missing a player for the Darigan Citadel

    The AC main page also displays a new NC VIP Pass logo.


    Altador Cup VI News and Information
  • May 23, 2011, 5:45 am NST - Team Krawk Island

    Krawk Island will be returning this year with something to prove - but the main question is, who will be the one to prove it? Will Dasher really return?



    The old Krawk had been on the cusp of retirement since year 1, and finally made the move last year. But last minute injuries to his replacement, Feldon Collibridge, forced Dasher back for one final year. There was some debate as to whether Collibridge's 'injury' was real, or just a reaction to fan pressure for Dasher's return. If it was the former, Dasher may be gone. The latter, and he may be here to stay. At the moment, it appears that Dasher will not be returning, but injuries can often change teams half way through the cup.

    The rest of the team seem to take this drama in their stride, with Captain Garven Hale heading up a team of Ealyn Hawkshanks, Nitri Cassale, and Zayle Sufhaux while Hoke Lemtry watches on.

    But it's outside the team lineup that is interesting. Last year, of course, they suffered from the winner's curse, dropping to 7th. But speculation is rife that Krawk Island may be back stronger than ever. They are still the Cup's strongest team overall, without a shadow of a doubt, and if Roo Island recovered from the curse in just one year, why can't Krawk Island?

    It will be an interesting few matches at the start of the Cup as opposing teams get the measure of Krawk Island. Will a toothless old Krawk have returned to the game? Or will there be force behind that snap?
  • May 22, 2011, 2:45 am NST - Team Terror Mountain

    Terror Mountain saw a boost last year, achieving a final standing of 9th - their best ever.



    Performing a sudden comeback similar to Virtupets, but to a lesser degree, Terror Mountain should be going into this Cup feeling quite happy about themselves as pundits predict them as ones to watch. But as with the case of Maraqua & Meridell, if we delve a little deeper, a less optimistic story appears.

    Because Terror Mountain were in 12th going into the finals, and swapped positions with the Haunted Woods. The round robin performance of the mountain locals simply wasn't up to scratch, and it seems doubtful that they'll be knocking on the door of the second bracket quite as easily as their final position suggests.
    A reason for this may lie in the long list of ex-players. They seem to get through them more often than Yooyus, with Almadaira, Selwick Phoss, Tico Tems, and Vaydo Pohz all being removed. Even Elbin Kroe was sent over to Tyrannia in exchange for Evrem Guilako. The remaining team of Prytariel, Minae Mitora, Osielle Lidel, and Rinok Fitel must be nervously awaiting their own removal - and although most seem safe for now, mid-season injuries can be a peril for many teams.

    At some point, the management of Terror Mountain need to accept what they have got, because an endless stream of unfamiliar players is only hurting performance. Perhaps this year, they can begin to build on what they've got rather than attempting to create something new.
  • May 21, 2011, 2:51 am NST - Team Haunted Woods

    In a year when many former champions are vying for the top spot, it's a sad fact that the Cup's first champion isn't one of them. The Haunted Woods simply aren't the calibre of team they once were.



    The round robin format has been a painful thorn for the Woods team, charting a steady decline since its introduction, the team ended in 12th last year. However, in fairness, a large part of this is the tendancy to give up in final matches.

    Going into the finals last year, for example, the Haunted Woods was sitting in 9th, one position away from the second bracket. Round robin play paints a far less depressing picture of the team's fortunes, and its on this the team must focus if they seek to change the pattern.

    The current team of Krell Vitor, Fanetti, Wan Dirx, Zo Junior and "Brains" Mortigan clearly have the talent. Marmite player Autrey Fulse, seen by many as the reason for the fall in standings after he replaced Chelo Binay, has himself been removed. Can HW make a comeback?

    Despite being a HW fan, I'd have to say no. I expect a third bracket outcome simply due to the number of hard hitting teams crowding the top spots this year. That said, a fall in the standings seems quite unlikely as well - it may just be a case of same old same old.
  • May 20, 2011, 2:47 am NST - Team Kiko Lake

    It's been a steady progression downwards for Kiko Lake. With only one position between them and the bottom bracket, it's now or never if they want to buck the trend.



    A small town team of "Poke" Cellers, Ditan Colb, Erli Quinnock, Holbie Pinnock, and Meela Kitah was never exactly going to take the world by storm. However, a successive string of injuries to the likes of Helmo Timm, and managerial mistakes that switched team positions and removed promising talent of Moni Vyshan and Relle Felson only compounded the problem. 16th position is where Kiko Lake sat at the end of last year, and recovery from there seems unlikely.

    There is a certain charm to being the underdog, and most Kiko Lake fans aren't there because they are convinced they can get the Cup. But there is a big difference between being an underdog and being at the bottom of the standings forever. Kiko Lake need to change, and quickly. With so many Kikos now flooding the ranks of the Altador Cup, is it time for a reversal of fortunes for Kiko Lake?
  • May 19, 2011, 2:51 am NST - Team Roo Island

    The second of the big hitters that finished in the top bracket last year is Roo Island. They narrowly missed out on a podium position, but are still just as formidable as they always have been.



    The Rooligans are perhaps the best known fan community in the Cup, and suffered only one year of the winner's curse (unlike the Darigan Citadel, which suffered two). However, when they fell, they fell deeper, and in terms of wins Roo Island is a slightly weaker team.

    The team's an ecclectic bunch, with Lilo Blumario heading up a team of Clutch Billaban, Fenny Vail, Gordo Gunnels, and Maraqua turncoat Jair Tollet. With only one roster change in recent history, the removal of Dayla, the Roo Island team is solid and comfortable with each other. They know what they are doing, it's just a question of doing it.

    Can they do it? I'd certainly be surprised if Roo Island wasn't in the top bracket this year - but the extra push needed to take the Cup may be just out of reach.
  • May 18, 2011, 2:49 am NST - Team Shenkuu

    It's crunch time for Shenkuu. Was last year just a temporary blip, or has the wind gone from beneath their sails?



    A finish of 11th was hardly what the Shenkuu team was expecting, given that they hadn't been out of the top bracket since they joined in the second Altador Cup. Questions are abound as to whether the result was due to freeloaders expecting a win forcing them down, or if it was due to a genuine evaporation of support. This year will answer those questions very quickly as we see how Shenkuu performs in the first few rounds.

    ...Or perhaps we wont. Historically Shenkuu have been the comeback kids, absorbing losses in the first round robin with exceptional play in the second. A complete picture of Shenkuu's strength won't come until the Cup is over, but it seems unlikely that they'll be back in the top bracket so soon.

    The current team of Mirsha Grelinek, Antola Maeir, Foltaggio, Larcy Phu, and Xana DiLanche are ready to rise to the challenge though. Turo Rafels may be watching from the sidelines, but the team has plenty of spirit. Even if the top bracket is now a distant dream, there's no reason they can't aim for the second bracket and achieve it will style.

    The road back to the top may be a long one, but it will be worth it in the end.
  • May 17, 2011, 3:10 am NST - Team Brightvale

    Brightvale was a shocker last year as at the start of the Cup, they managed upsets against quite a few bigger teams. This great effort quickly fizzled out and Brightvale returned to the bottom half of the standings, but the echoes of their efforts still linger.



    It was a finish of 13th in the end, unlucky for some but nothing to be sad about for the Brightvale team, who had been in 16th (then the last position available in the Cup) only two years previously. Brightvale are still trying to get back to the glory days of their debute in 8th position. The original team of Tressif, Kayn Hireck, Monetecito, Orie Dinelle, and Reb Weemelott are now back, with Erli Quinnock transferred elsewhere. Perhaps they are trying to hark back to those days?

    But there is something about those days that many fans do not appreciate - the cheating. Tressif tried to straighten out his team and the result was a drop in the standings. The question is, was last year's boost because the cheating's back, or because of some deeper change in quality of play?

    It remains to be seen if Brightvale can manage such upsets as last year again. If they can, the third or perhaps even second bracket may be waiting. If they can't... well, the bottom is always ready to receive them again.
  • May 16, 2011, 6:18 am NST - Team Maraqua

    Picking up on yesterday's post about Meridell, it's time to focus on Maraqua - a team that on certain occasions it has almost been twinned with.



    Starting off in 10th during the first Cup, Maraqua had a few years in the doldrums of the third bracket before launching themselves up into the second bracket in year 4 with dramatic results, practically swapping positions with Meridell. They finished in 5th, a performance they echoed last year (swapping positions with Meridell again in the finals).

    For this reason, coupled with the good work ethic the team appears to have on the neoboards, many are predicting them to break into the top bracket this year. The problem with this is that performance in finals sometimes distorts the strength of a team. Last year, for example, Maraqua were at the bottom of the second bracket going into the finals. It was only their final two matches that gave them their fifth position. Similarly, the year before Maraqua actually finished in 6th at the end of the round robin, rather than the 5th they ended up with.

    Now lacking Filo Desenz, Jair Tollet, and most recently Dorina Hals, the team of Elon Hughlis, Barit Jowes, Oten Runeu, and Tonie Plessix are certainly not a bad team. A new player, thought to perhaps be Lamelle Turow, might add the element needed to go higher. No ones debating that Maraqua deserve at least a second bracket position. However, will they have enough strength to push into the top bracket? There, the jury is still out.

    One thing's for sure, if ever Maraqua to break into the top bracket (even only by clinging onto 4th), they will have a serious shot at the Cup. Their performance in finals far outstrips that of the round robin, making them a force to be reckoned with.
  • May 15, 2011, 5:43 am NST - Team Meridell

    It's a funny old world for Meridell, a journey of ups and downs over the last five years. The question now is, will this year be an up or a down?



    Starting out in a modest 7th in the first Cup, Meridell have zigzagged across the standings ever since, cresting in year 3 with the position of fifth. Last year's performance of 8th would be considered lacklustre by many, but there is an element to this story that many are missing.

    Quite simply, before the finals began, they were in fifth. One little position away from the top bracket. Clearly, they gave up in the finals, resulting in their fall to the bottom, but their performance in the round robin stands as solid.

    With the Lost Desert projected by many to fall out of the top bracket, another team will take their place. Many are predicting Maraqua will be this team, but Meridell seems like a far more likely bet, statistically speaking. The problem being, statistics don't always speak the truth.

    The troubled past of the team could perhaps be traced back to the bad play style of Vitri Sitol and the faulty leadership of Sir Pollonaire Freidl. With those kinks worked out and the current team of "Wizard" Windelle, Fiorina, Gregorio Maille, Ilsa Ellits, and Yoris Obbles on fighting form they might just have a good chance.

    In the end, it will all be down to the team's ethos. If they are looking to the past, another fall may be on the cards. But if they are focused on the future, the top may be in their sights.