by Will Gordon
Greeting once again to all of you interested in the world of competitive Heroclix! I’m back with a newly revised list of the top 10 clix players in the world. A big shakeup this time around- new names moving in, names I’ve had on since the beginning moving out. I would first like to acknowledge three players who have been in the top 5 of just about every list I’ve ever done- Patrick Yapjoco, Kennie Pena and Josh Earnest. All three players have ‘retired’ from competitive play and are no longer under consideration for this list. I wish all of them well and I know Pat and Kennie will continue to be heavily involved in the scene. Of course, their status could change- anyone who follows the sport of boxing knows that retirements are not always permanent, haha. It is clear to me that Patrick is the best player the game has ever seen. If he is, indeed, done rolling dice, that opens up a huge void at the top. A couple of top players have told me that they are ready to step up and be the man- time will tell…
One quick note on my previous rankings, which was exclusively for the ROC Cup last October- 6 players of the Top 8 were on my list, with my #1 contender losing in the final. Not perfect, but not bad!
I would also like to again acknowledge the incredible double World Championship achievement of ROC owner, Howard Brock. A tremendous accomplishment, and one that cannot go unnoticed or unappreciated. However, I have decided not to rank Howard at this time due to inactivity. He has not played at all since Worlds last June, doesn’t play ROC or WKO, not clear if he will defend his title late in the year. I just can’t consider him an active player as things currently stand.
With those four players out, spots have opened up. As I’ve said before, this is a subjective exercise. Results are the most important factor of consideration, but not the only one. Frequency of play is important and can make it hard to separate players who seldom play each other and players who simply play many more events that others. I have played, or at least closely watched, every player on this list. All of them are excellent and accomplished players and any one of them is capable of getting through a field of all the rest to claim the top spot at a tournament. Some have fared better on the bigger stages, some are more consistent top 4 finishers than others- there isn’t much to separate most of the players I have chosen for this list. However, the top 3 players have separated themselves from the field to a certain extent, I believe. After that, I think there are 12-15 players who have good arguments to fill out the last 7 spots. This has been a tough cut this time and, unfortunately, some really good players have been omitted. It will be an interesting season moving forward, I will be attending big tournaments, checking results, and I am very interested to see how things shake out on the road to Worlds ‘18! So with all that being said, here are my top 10 players in the world, as of April, 2018:
- Easton Brock
Still hasn’t managed to win one of the big 3- Worlds single title, ROC Cup, Nationals, despite numerous close calls in all of them. That doesn’t keep him from the top spot on this list. Continues to win at a phenomenal rate, both on the WKO and ROC circuit. Recently went through a top field at the ROC regional in Alabama, adding another feather to his cap. A guaranteed lock for a top 4 any time, anywhere- with Patrick ‘retired’, the most obvious thing in this ranking is that Easton is now the #1 guy…
- PJ Bolin
Another obvious choice, despite also lacking gold at the highest level. Short of that, PJ has been virtually unstoppable for 2 years now. I’ve lost track of how many WKO and ROC events he’s won, but outside of Easton, he has the most of anyone over that period. Innovative builds and aggressive playstyle also separate him from some other top players. I don’t penalize for conservative play or netdecked builds, but I do give extra credit and respect for those players that eschew that playstyle and still post results- it’s hard to argue against PJ’s results.
- Daniel Powell
Number three with a bullet. The biggest climber, the reigning ROC cup champion has proven his overall skill and quality as a player over the last year. I had Dan ranked as the #13 contender going into ROC Cup, but 2 players I had ahead of him didn’t attend, so I really had him at the #11 spot. So, while he didn’t exactly come out of nowhere, especially after a T4 the previous year, it was a bit of surprise to see him hoist the Cup. It was an impressive, and well deserved, victory, and he has continued to play well since. I believe his intelligence and personality are well suited to this game, and I fully expect to see him continue to perform well at the highest level.
- Adam Friedman
I have always had a great deal of respect for Adam’s unique approach to the game. Since his US nationals win in 2014, he has had long stretches of inactivity or he would have been higher on previous lists. He has increased his playing frequency lately and after winning the last chance SQ at ROC Cup, he had a T4 in the main event. Also, recently added a WKO win. A seasoned player who attends most of the biggest events, Adam has as good of a chance as anyone to add a World or ROC Cup title to his resume in 2018.
- Isaac Arnold-berkovitz
T8 at ROC Cup, continues to pile up the WKO and ROC circuit wins, as well. The 2015 ROC cup champion is now a veteran at an early age and anyone who has played him, knows how good this kid is. Interested to see what ‘18 has in store for Isaac- I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him add another cup in October or become the youngest ever world champion at the end of the year.
- Scott Crampton
T16 at ROC Cup was a bit of a disappointment, but the clix o.g remains a formidable player. Doesn’t play much on the ROC scene and I wish he was more active, but if anyone gets a pass on that, it’s Scott. The 2016 National championship, plus a t4 in the previous year’s ROC Cup, show the type of results he’s capable of posting on the big stage- not to mention the numerous Wizard World titles from the previous era. I believe he’ll be in attendance at all 3 big events this year, and as long as he’s active and engaged in the game, expect good results to continue for one of the games chief tacticians.
- Matt Greichunos
Despite not following up his incredible Origins performance with a similar result at ROC Cup, Mattie G. has clearly earned a spot on this list. To recap, he was 2nd at Worlds in singles and went undefeated in teams, earning another 2nd. Highly decorated on the ROC and WKO circuits, as impressive of a winning % as anyone not named Easton or PJ. A self proclaimed pilot, seldom builds the teams he fields. However, once that team is in his hands, he has proven to be one of the world’s best at getting the job done on the map.
- Dustin Seeders
Another prolific winner, solidified his spot with an impressive victory at US Nationals last year. Had been performing quite well in the south and midwest on the ROC and WKO circuits, and then proved his game travels with the win at Origins. Followed that up with a t8 at ROC cup and another recent WKO win. Not sure what his plans for 2018 are, but if he’s in the mix, he could walk away from the big events with more gold.
- Paris Gordon
The youngest ever World champion (2015) has struggled in the biggest events recently, but otherwise has continued to play well. Since the Worlds win, he has added a SQ, a ROC Regional, 2 ROC State wins, a WKO win and several T4’s where he was eliminated by people ahead of him on this list. Numerous players have similar resumes over that period, but not many are conclusively better. The World championship is enough to separate, for now.
- Aaron Cantu
Can we get some love for the west coast (ha!)? I think other parts of the country sometimes underestimate the California scene and don’t realize how deep and prepared the fields are for the Majestix series and WKO events that are held out there. Aaron makes his long awaited, and much deserved, debut on this list as one of the most decorated and consistent players from that scene. The reigning US ROC cup champion, despite playing a sparse schedule, has won 4 events over the last couple of years and added a t16 at Worlds. He is more than capable of beating anyone on this list and and has to be considered among the favorites any time he shows up to roll dice.
Well, that’s my top 10 for this time- Agree? Disagree? As always, any feedback is appreciated. I would like to acknowledge a few players who were ever so close to making the cut:
Lane Miller
Ed Arnold-Berkovitz
Wes Summers
Warren Ginn
Kenji Kaneshiro
George Massu
Ricky Kirk
Lane, especially, can make a good case for himself with his resume over the last year. I’m sure he, and others, firmly believe they belong in the Top 10- like I said, it is subjective and the difference between 4-10 on my list, and the 7 guys who didn’t quite make it, is razor thin.There are a lot of really good players out there right now, some of whom I have failed to acknowledge entirely. I hope you all continue to play at a high level and enjoy this game and have at least found my rankings entertaining and something fun to think about- see you next time, probably at summer’s end!
