SSBM Rank 2014 (100-91)

For the second straight year, MeleeItOnMe is ranking every SSBM Player and counting them down on Twitter (#SSBMRank2014 @Meleeitonme), from No. 100 to No.1 .

We asked a panel of ~30 players/commentators/figureheads from all across the world to rate the overall level of play for each player in 2014 (From January 2014 –> The Big House 4). This includes evaluating perceived skill in tandem with the tournament results.

Activity determines eligibility of a player. As a requirement, a player needs to either place high at a US national or went to several US regionals along with being very active in a local scene. Unfortunately, this eliminates people who are very skilled such as Wobbles and international players such as Flash, Gucci, Zgetto, Jeapie, Amsah.

Without further ado, here’s the beginning of the countdown.

Rank		Clash Tournaments | Eric “ESAM” Lew | @Samericus					Score
100	(93)	Main(s)	Samus		Region:	Florida	6.683
		Tourney Results
		Apex 2014	MLG Anaheim	CEO 2014	Evo 2014	The Big House 4
		49th	–	–	–	–
Summary:
Although primarily known for his prowess in Brawl and Project M, Florida native (and South Carolina resider) ESAM has proven that his incredible Smash knowledge and fundamentals carries over into Melee. ESAM’s talent, technical know-how, and unshakeable confidence has led his Samus to some big wins against top level players, including, but not limited to; Javi and Chillindude.

Rank		Frank “Frootloop” Borden					Score
99	(80)	Main(s)	Falco		Region:	Wisconsin	6.686
		Tourney Results
		Apex 2014	MLG Anaheim	CEO 2014	Evo 2014	The Big House 4
		65th	–	–	–	49th
Summary:
The uncontested top player in Wisconsin, Frootloop began his Melee career as a ‘Break the Targets’ player before joining the competitive scene in 2010. Despite not traveling much in 2014, his methodical Falco still earned him solid placings at Midwest regionals including 5th at UFGTX, and 2nd at KotN3.

Rank		Cory “Milkman” Hong | @MilkMan_SSBM					Score
98	(NEW)	Main(s)	Fox		Region:	MD/VA	6.700
		Tourney Results
		Apex 2014	MLG Anaheim	CEO 2014	Evo 2014	The Big House 4
		129th	–	–	97th	33rd
Summary:
The Fox main from MD/VA has been delivering in 2014. Frequently seen at Xanadu and other local tournaments, he’s been grinding in the hours to improve and has defeated several players in his local scene.

Rank		Game Guys | Malherbe “Mojo” Oscar | @AHotCupOfMojo					Score
97	(NEW)	Main(s)	Fox		Region:	Texas	6.715
		Tourney Results
		Apex 2014	MLG Anaheim	CEO 2014	Evo 2014	The Big House 4
		–	45th	–	–	–
Summary:
Mojo is a Fox main from Houston, Texas, who is known for an extensive, combo heavy punish game. Mojo has had close sets with several national tier players visiting Texas, defeating Toph, and is one of the few players to defeat Mew2King in Fox dittos on Pokemon Stadium in tournament.

Rank		Austin “Azusa” Demmon					Score
96	(NEW)	Main(s)	Peach		Region:	NorCal	6.716
		Tourney Results
		Apex 2014	MLG Anaheim	CEO 2014	Evo 2014	The Big House 4
		–	–	–	–	–
Summary:
The Peach main from Norcal can always be seen practicing with local players such as Bob$ and Aiden. He surprised many in the early parts of 2014 with his rapid improvement in his decision making and technical skill. He demonstrates that hard work and determination can lead you to places.

Rank		Kevin “Hyprid” Bandel					Score
95	(97)	Main(s)	Marth		Region:	NorCal	6.721
		Tourney Results
		Apex 2014	MLG Anaheim	CEO 2014	Evo 2014	The Big House 4
		–	–	–	25th	–
Summary:
Despite juggling his other endeavors, Hyprid still demonstrates a strong proficiency of fundamentals by placing in the Top 32 at Evo 2014. His dash dance game is elite and rivals the best players in the game. He can be seen playing at both NorCal and SoCal locals depending on the time of year.

Rank		Jason “Bizzarro Flame” Yoon | @Bizzarro_Flame					Score
94	(96)	Main(s)	Ganondorf		Region:	NorCal	6.743
		Tourney Results
		Apex 2014	MLG Anaheim	CEO 2014	Evo 2014	The Big House 4
		–	37th	–	65th	33rd
Summary:
Unless you’ve never been on /r/smashbros the day after he’s been to a tournament, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see him in the top 100. Northern California’s premier Ganondorf, Bizzaro Flame’s incredibly stylish (and frequently disrespectful) combos have lead him to become something of a Ganondorf legend. Stomps and uptilts abound, as well as crispy movement, this Ganondorf packs a powerful punch, and is continuing to improve, which is terrifying.

Rank		Connor “Connorthekid” Nguyen | @ConnorTheKid4					Score
93	(60)	Main(s)	Fox/Peach		Region:	SoCal	6.746
		Tourney Results
		Apex 2014	MLG Anaheim	CEO 2014	Evo 2014	The Big House 4
		–	37th	–	33rd	–
Summary:
Taking a hiatus for most of 2014, Connor can still hold his own against SoCal’s finest. His high octane Peach and Fox fluster his opponents with extensive shield pressure and strong reads on rolls and defenses. His play varies based on his confidence levels, but when he gets started in a match, it’s hard to slow him down.

Rank		Alex “Alex19” Ruvalcaba | @mach1alex19					Score
92	(NEW)	Main(s)	Fox		Region:	SoCal	6.790
		Tourney Results
		Apex 2014	MLG Anaheim	CEO 2014	Evo 2014	The Big House 4
		–	37th	–	–	–
Summary:
The hidden boss of Norwalk routinely practices with Mango and LuCKy. Although he doesn’t travel as much as the other two, he is a very strong player who makes appearances at SoCal locals and can compete with anyone. His very fast, technical Fox often leaves his opponents on edge with its sheer aggression.

Rank		MeleeItOnMe | Kris “Toph” Aldenderfer | @toph_bbq					Score
91	(95)	Main(s)	Fox		Region:	NorCal	6.791
		Tourney Results
		Apex 2014	MLG Anaheim	CEO 2014	Evo 2014	The Big House 4
		65th	269th (D/Q)	17th	97th	49th
Summary:
Long known as a very technical Fox, Toph has made great strides in making his play much more consistent in 2014, less prone to tilting in his matches. He’s been a little less active this year as a player, but has made great strides in both his commentary and his roles as an ambassador for the community.

SSBMRank 2014: 100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71|70-61 |60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-26 |25-21 | 20-16 |15-11
10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1