I’ve read these forums from when I began playing last May and since 2.0, the game is often referred to be as being in a resilient meta. However, are we actually in a fierce meta? The top 100 teams on the leaderboard is perhaps the perfect distillation of the game’s overriding power distribution.
As of 11th Jan afternoon UK-time, the creatures in the top 100 teams at that point were:
TL;DR - Fierce is the dominant faction at the top the leaderboard. Will it change once Hadros, Ceramagnus and Gorgotrebax become available or will Fierce remain supreme?
You could consider the 8 most common creatures (boxed & in bold) as being the ultimate meta although of course this is a simplification and doesn’t mean this is the perfect team composition. Draco, Dio and Spyx are tied but Spyx misses out as it’s the least popular in the top 50 (60%, 54% & 44% respectively).
Of these 8, only 3 have a Resilient attack (strike/impact/rampage) compared to 7 that have a defence shattering move. Diorajasaur is the only one that can’t break shields but even then its counter pierces armour in combination with a high crit %. With so few Resilient moves among the top creatures, and all but one able to shatter defences, how can this be a resilient meta?
With the high percentage of fierce-focussed creatures around, why are cunning-focussed creatures not represented in the top arenas (obviously Spyx just misses out)? Magna, Monolorhino and Tenrex all have some cunning qualities but none are what you would say are cunning-focussed.
If Mortems continue to replace Thors*, all of the top 8 (plus Spyx) will be able to either cleanse or resist distraction in some way, making it even harder for cunning-focussed creatures to get a foothold in the upper leagues. In addition, the majority (5 of the top 8, 6 of the top 9) can remove/bypass dodge too.
When considering Gamepress’ Tier List (and how much value you place on that is up to you), Mammolania is the only ‘Tyrant on fewer than 40% of teams at just 16% (ignoring Apex creatures for now). It’s arguably the most ‘resilient’ of the creatures in the table and should be popular in a resilient meta, but it’s hardly used. Is Lania just not good in a boosted environment or have Gamepress overestimated its power?
As an unboosted, high-Aviary (occasionally low-Library) player, there’s obviously a lot I’m yet to learn about the game in the higher arenas, so what meta do others think we are in and where will we be in the coming months?
Will the rise of Hadros and Ceramagnus shift the game towards resilient or will they struggle in an already-fierce environment? Perhaps Gorgotrebax will give cunnings better representation but will it find it hard to compete with the number of anti-cunning abilities already present at the top?
Does the meta even need to change or are people happy with where the balance of power currently lies?
NB: This was only a snapshot so take these numbers with a degree of caution as they can and do change daily. Total figures may be higher due to rounding.
*I looked at the top 50 on 3rd December when deciding how to invest all my post-sale coins. 84% had Thor, but only 64% of the top 50 have it now. Meanwhile, Mortem representation has doubled from featuring in 10% of the top 50 to 20% now.