How often will you be posting the standings?

Today's Points
 

Points will be updated after each round. Trades must be completed by 12:30pm GMT, unless otherwise stated. :)

Here are the points for today,

Erebor
The entire team recieved 0 points.

Angband
The defence + goalkeeper recieved 4 points.
Ancalagon the Black recieved 6 points.
The midfield recieved 1 point.
Thuringwethel recieved 6 points.
The forwards recieved 0 points.

Lothlorien
The defence + goalkeeper recieved 4 points.
Rumil recieved 3 points.
The midfield recieved 1 point.
Gimli recieved 3 points.
The forwards recieved 0 points.

Shire
The entire defence + goalkeeper recieved 4 ponts.
The entire midfield recieved 1 point.
The forwards recieved 0 points.

Mordor
The entire defence + goalkeeper recieved 0 points.
The midfield recieved 0 points.
Snaga recieved -1 points.
The forwards recieved 0 points.

Roverandom
The entire defence recieved 4 points.
Tinker recieved 5 points.
The midfield recieved 1 point.
Wizard recieved 6 points.
Roverandom recieved 4 points.
Man in the Moon recieved 0 points.

Rohan
The entire defence + goalkeeper recieved -1 points.
The entire midfield and the forwards recieved 0 points.

Inklings
The entire defence + goalkeeper recieved 4 points.
The midfield recieved 1 point.
Charles Williams recieved 4 points.
J.R.R Tolkien recieved 10 points.
C.S Lewis recieved 3 points.

Today's Standings
 

Arcticstorm's Team
GK: Glaurung (4 points)
DF: Ancalagon the Black (6 points)
MF: WH Lewis (1 point)
MF: Charles Williams (4 points)

Total: 15 points

Volo's Team
MF: Thuringwethil (6 points)

Total: 6 points

Nogg's Ball
GK: Smaug (0 points)
DF: Ancalagon the Black (6 points)
FW: Witch-King (0 points)

Total: 6 points

Saucepan (Un)Athletic
FW: Pippin Took (0 points)

Total: 0 points

Sleepy Ranger's Team
DF: Ancalagon the Black (6 points)
DF: Celeborn (4 points)
MF: Sam (1 point)
FW: Sauron (0 points)
FW: Melkor (0 points)

Total: 11 points

Elmo's Team
MF: Thuringwethil (6 points)

Total: 6 points

Thenamir Untied
MF: Gandalf (1 point)
MF: Sam (1 point)

Total: 2 points

Rune's Team
DF: Ancalagon the Black (6 points)
DF: Ulfang (4 points)
MF: Gandalf (1 point)
FW: Witch-King (0 points)

Total: 11 points

Glirdan's Team
GK: Theoden (-1 point)
DF: Celeborn (4 points)
DF: Eowyn (-1 point)
MF: Sam (1 point)

Total: 3 points

Phantom's Team
MF: Thuringwethil (6 points)

Total: 6 points

Ka's Team
MF: Gandalf (1 point)
FW: Melkor (0 points)

Total: 1 point

It seems everyone missed out on today's big scorer, J.R.R Tolkien, who bagged 10 points. Only three teams managed to score more than 10 points in the first round, surely the other rounds can only improve the standings. Of course, many people had very few players playing today. Only Saucepan Man scored a 0 today but in his defence, he only had one person playing today. At the end of round 1, the Phantom has secured bragging rights over Saucepan Man as the better analysist.

This probably is the thread where we should annouce our trades, right? Should we do it by editing our teams in the first post where we made our teams or post them as a new post? And if it's the first one - as I guess it is - should we notify you with a new post that we have edited our teams or is it enough that we just edit those line-ups back there and trust that you pay heed to our changes?

Not that I'm in any hurry... I will surely look at the second round of these round-robins to see whether my team's players will pick up with some performances or not (like Witch-King, Gothmog, Smaug etc.). Some of them clearly had a bad day in the first round but might prove valuable later on...

PS. Rune is leading!!! Way to go!

Yes, Nogrod we would appreciate it very much if you announced your trade in a new post before editing your team in your original post. Though we would double check your team at the deadline to finalize it for that round.

Yes, indeed. I was really expecting Melkor and Sauron to score at least one goal a piece especially since they were such big favorites for their respective matches. Well nevermind, I'm sure they'll do better in the games to come.

Just one note, at the end of the first stage your unused trades will not be taken into account so there will be no stocking of trades to the next round. :)

Thanks Sleepy!

One more question though.

Is it kind of appreciated or scorned if people went speculating about the teams here in the thread - I was not here last time around and don't know the "silent rules"... I think some of the photos of the first games were quite revealing indeed...

No spectulation on the real life team please. Also, as to how revealing they are, believe me, you're probably wrong on your first though with some teams as I've taken the pains to actually play around with their kits a bit... ;)

So yeah, what you see may not be what you get. :)

In short, no spectulations on who their real life counterparts may be.

Here are the points for today:

Numenore
Tar Ancalime—4
Amandil—6
Elros—4
Aldarion—4
Erendis—4
Tar-Minastir —4
Ar-Pharazon—1
Tar-Miriel—0
Tar-Atanamir the Great—1
Tar-Palantir —4


Buckland
Saradoc—1
Drogo— -1

Misty Mountains
Chief Warg—4
Gollum—4
Great Goblin—4
Nori —4
Dori—1
Bifur—1
Bofur—1
Dwalin —8
Stone Giant—4
Gwaihir—4
Bolg—5

Tol-In-Gaurhoth
Werewolf—0
Black Beorning— -1
Cobbler— -1
Ordinary Villager— -1
Cursed Villager — -4

Bree
Tom Bombadil—4
Goldberry—4
Bill Ferney—4
River Woman—4
Badger —4
Butterbur—1
Nob—0
Bob—1
Barrow-Wight—1
Harry—0
Old Man Willow—8

Mirkwood
Spider—0


Ham
Farmer Giles—8
Tailbiter— 4
Miller—11
Chrysophylax Dives —0
Garm— -1
Giant— -1
Agatha— -1
King Augustus Bonifacius — -1


Rivendell
William—5
Gilraen— 5
Glorfindel—2 points
Bert— -1
Elrond—0
Bilbo— -1
Elladan— -1
Erestor — -1

Today's points
Arcticstorm's Team
DF: Chief Warg—4
MF: Bellomarius—0
FW: Tom Bombadil—4
Total 8 points

Volo's Team
DF - Gollum --4
MF - Seer 0
Total:4 points

Saucepan (Un)Athletic
DF: Goldberry —4
DF: Elros —4
MF: Legolas –0
Total 8 points
Elmo’s Team
MF: Khamul—0
Total 0 points

Thenamir Untied
DF—Glorfindel —2
MF--Gwaihir—4
MF--Legolas—0
Total 6 points

Rune’s Team
DF: Glorfindel —2
FW: Stone Giant—4
Total 6 points

Glirdan’s Team
DF:GLORFINDEL—2
Total: 2 points

Ka’s Team
DF Glorfindel—2
MF: Hunter—0
MF: Radagast—0
Total: 2 points

And here is the leaderboard
Arcticstorm's Team: 23 points
Rune's Team: 17 points
Sleepy Ranger's Team: 11 points
Volo's Team: 10 points
Saucepan (Un)Athletic: 8 Points
Thenamir Untied: 8 points
Nogg's Ball: 6 points
Phantom’s Team: 6 points
Elmo's Team: 6 points
Glirdan’s team: 5 points
Ka’s Team: 3 points

I don't want to unduly add to your recordkeeping burdens, but if it's not too much trouble it would be handy for trading purposes to have, after each round or so, a listing of all the players with their cumulative points scored so far in the competition. For those of us for whom football is a game played with a distinctly misshapen ball.

EDIT: Hurrah! I'm moving up in the pack, tied with Saucepan!

DOUBLE TAKE: Is there anyone else who sees a twinge of conflict-of-interest in ArcticStorm participating, since AS has knowledge of the real-life counterparts of the ME players? :Merisu:

TRIPLE EDIT: I abused my powers as a Downs Admin to edit the name of my team in the foregoing posts, to "Thenamir Untied" -- in case anyone was wondering. :D

Actually I'm the only one who knows the player to player counterpart. :smokin:
Anyway, AS and I are just in it for the fun we don't get the big prize in the end. Ah, yes, of course theres a prize my precious... :p

While it would be a bit inconvenient since the list would probably begin to grow too large, I'll talk to Arcticstorm about editing the original lists with the points tally.

Thenamir Untied, that reminds me of that entire Elrohir trip goal last time around... :rolleyes:

I kind of tried to put this same question as I said that Rune's Reds were leading after the first day matches (while it clearly was Arcticstorm who lead and Sleepy was tied with Rune)... I mean this is fun and should be that way and I don't think this should be raised as an issue but surely if someone else is pondering on this so... Looking at the fair-play point of view both Sleepy's and Arcticstorm's participation is kind of odd as they have a lot of knowledge we others don't. Then again I can see this as just too much fun for them to miss it...

But their status surely is questionable from a fair-play point of view.

Maybe we could say that for those two to win they need to gather 30 points more than the next one or something? :D

---

I took a little time to look at the teams of the participants. Now some of them have names and some do not... and in Arcticstorms last report some were handled with the "team-name" and others were not.

So just to be slick and cool, should everyone have a team name or should we refer to each other only by forum names?

Here's the list of the "teams" at the moment:

Arcticstorm
The Fifth Wall (Volo)
Nogg’s Ball (Nogrod)
Saucepan (Un)Athletic
Second Best (Sleepy) ???
Elmo
Thenamir Untied
The Reds (Rune)
Glirdan
the phantom
The Ka

Oh come now, lay off arcticstorm. He doesn't know the player to player counterparts, only I know that. Despite which I went ahead and picked my favorite ME personas. Mainly due to the fact that I'm really too lazy to bother looking it up till match time. ;)

Yes, Nogrod, my team is called Second Best and I second that everyone should name their team. It makes things more fun. As stated earlier AS and I don't win the grand prize obviously, we're just in it for the fun of it.

I see what you mean and if Arcticstorm is as blind as we are there is no problem... not that it would have been a problem to me even if he knew the teams but if many people would have thought the game basically unfair it would have influenced the general mood and made it less fun...

So let's just hope Sleepy your favourites aren't too good in football.. :p

The rest of the players: come up with nice team-names!

I did not mean to raise too much of a ruckus, and if Arcticstorm is as much in the dark as we, then I say Play On, Macduff! :D

Yes, I would have done the same. I do my commentaries and predictions as if the Middle Earth characters are honestly playing the game, rather than a bunch of fairly equal computer simulated characters. Obviously, if I based my writings on what is really going on I wouldn't be so lopsided in favor of one team or the other, since none of your computer teams is honestly as overmatched as a team of kitchen utensils and drunken cats would be in real life.

So, I call games the way I want to, and when a team advances that certainly would not advance in real life, I cry foul play and slander the team's players and coaches. That's much more entertaining than knowing the real teams and making predictions based on that.

Hmmm... a name for my team.... I think I'll keep things simple-

Phantasy

Hehe, the (un)athletic boys are slowly coming good. :D

I suggest that we lay off Arctic and Sleepy as they have been so good as to organise this thing for us in the first place and, in any event, it's all just a bit of fun. You might as well disqualify the likes of phantom and me from the competition, as we know how some of the teams fared las year. For that matter, you might as well disqualify anyone who knows anything about football from participating in any fantasy leagues as it's unfair on those who don't. Let's just forget any question of 'inside knowledge' and get on with having fun.

Yes, I do much the same, although I try to equate the 'backstory' of the characters with footballing 'cliches', rather than simply basing it on their respective 'power levels'. That's probably why my analyses are so much more accurate in their predictions than yours. :p That and the fact that I also have a mind to last year's form.

My fantasy team, of course, was purely based on last year's form, what with me being such a hugely competitive fellow 'n all. ;)

But you tend to forget one of Tolkien's recurring themes - the weak prevailing against the odds where the strong fail. That's why Hobbit teams can sometimes prevail over those lofty Elf Lord types. Although I take your point about dishes, spoons and tipsy cats ...

Heh heh... you cheater. :p

My picks are based completely on what I think ought to happen. I don't consider last year at all.
I don't think that sort of thing works in soccer, laddie.

Take Frodo's Ring trek. Sauron had no idea what the other team was trying to accomplish, and did not know where the ball (Ring) was. That does not happen on the soccer field.

There is a clearly defined method of victory (putting the ball in the net) and the ball can only be put there in certain ways legally. You can't pick up the ball, toss it into the stands, have a crowd member carry it behind the goal, and then toss it to someone standing on top of the goal to drop it in. That sort of trickery is not allowed. The ball cannot come from the rear nor can it completely disappear from view only to pop up on the opposite end of the field. Soccer is much more like a huge battle than some sort of quest. And in a straight up fight, the inferior participant does not tend to win in Tolkien's works. When Morgoth/Sauron have the military advantage, they win. Oh sure, there are some glorious moments in defeat (Fingolfin's duel, Dor-Lomin's last stand), but the outcome is rarely any sort of "upset".

So don't even try that angle with me. I refuse to believe any explanation for hobbits faring well in this tournament. They're cheats! Big fat prediction-ruining cheats!! Aaaaaggghhhh!!!!

*gasps for air after rant*

Methinks Phantom doth protest overmuch. See my post here.

Sorry these are so late in coming.
All players have their current point values by their names in the original list.
Today's results


Moria
Oin –4
Ori – 4
Nar – 4
Celebrimbor – 4
Narvi – 1
Durin – 1
Durin’s Bane –1
Thror –-1
Watcher in the water—8

Valinor
Manwe –4
Aule—4
Yavanna –4
Lorien—4
Mandos –1
Orome –1
Pallando –1
Eonwe –1
Alatar—1
Varda—3


Tuna
Miriel –4
Maglor –4
Amrod –4
Amras –4
Caranthir –1
Ingwe –1
Finarfin –1
Fingolfin—4
Finwe—4
Finarfin—4
Madhros—7

Brethil
Dorlas— -1
Niniel—1
Haleth – -1
Brandir – -1
Dorlas – -1
Hunthor— -1




Tol Eressea
Vaire –4
Lindo –4
Osse –4
Olwe –4
Uinen –1
Indis –1
Eriol—5
Frodo—4

Dor Lomin
Turin—2



Barrow-downs
Firefoot – 4
Formendacil - 4
Glirdan – 4
Nogrod - 4
Arcticstorm – 1
The Phantom – 6
Feanor of the Peredhil –1
Barrow-wight—6
Rune son of Bjarne –4
Sleepy Ranger—3

Gondor
Damrod – -1
Denethor – -1
Beregond – -1
Imrahil – -1

Finally the team standings after day 3

The Grinding Ice
Arcticstorm—1
Pallando—1
Total:6


The Fifth Wall
Nogrod—4
Oin—4
Total:8

Nogg’s ball
Nogrod—4
Manwë –4
Feanor of the Peredhil—1
Maedhros (tuna)—7
Total: 16

Saucepan (Un)Athletic
Manwe—4
the phantom—6
total: 10

Second Best
Glirdan—4
Aule—4
The Phantom—6
Durin's Bane—1
Sleepy Ranger—3
Total: 18


Elmo
Aule—4
Manwe—4
Orome—1
Sleepy Ranger—3
Rune Son of Bjarn—4
Total:16

Thenamir Untied
Watcher in the Water—8
FW—Frodo—4

The Reds
Fingolfin –4
Feanor of the Peredhil – 1
Rune Son of Bjarne – 4
Total: 9

Glirdan
GLIRDAN –4
SLEEPY RANGER—3
Total:7

Phantasy
MAEDHROS—7
THE PHANTOM—6
EONWE—1
MAGLOR—4
Total: 18

The Ka
Ulwe –4
Sleepy Ranger –3
Finwe –4
Total: 11

The Grinding Ice: 29 points
Second Best: 29 points
The Reds: 26 points
Phantasy:24
Elmo's Team: 22 points
Nogg's Ball: 22 points
Thenamir Untied: 19 points
The Fifth wall: 18 points
Saucepan (Un)Athletic: 18 Points
Ka’s Team: 14 points
Glirdan’s team: 12 points

Question- why did Maedhros only earn me three points?

Didn't he have an assist (3), another assist (3), and hold the other team scoreless as a midfielder (1), and thus gain me 7 points?

No, but it is perfectly possible for a team to suffer at the hands of its own over-confidence, for example when faced with a team which it (wrongly) assumes to be inferior because its players are smaller, or because it believes its defence to be so impregnable that it commits forward too early and/or in greater numbers than is sensible.

Of course, applying your literal approach to the skills, abilities and characteristics of the players involved would mean that no team would have any prospect of scoring against a team with a Dragon in goal. One should take a more imaginative, flexible and laterally-considered approach to the competiton, in my view.

I dunno, Saucy. Look how well Watcher In The Water played for Moria yesterday!

You are right, Phantom, sorry about that. It is fixed on all posts.

Well, the Watcher, clearly, is a naturally talented goalkeeper. But that doesn't mean that he's unbeatable.

In any event, applying a literal approach would require Moria only to play on pitches that had a large lake behind their goal ... ;)

Maybe you could then fix the same with Nogg's Ball as my Maedhros has only brought me the three points instead of seven? :)

OK hopefully everything is fixed now, if anyone sees any more mistakes I inadvertantly make,let me know either on here or through a pm.

anyway, today's matches were rather low on the points scale and at least one keeper was left at 0 points because of the lack of shots to save. here are today's points, and hopefully they are correct this time.:p



Niggle's Parish
Inspector—3
Atkins –5
Niggle—-1
Mrs. Parish— -2
1stVoice— -2
2nd Voice— -2
Porter— -2

Nargothrond
Mormegil—14
Felagund—10
Gundor—3

Fangorn
Skinbark –6
Treebeard—3

Old Grey Hill
Guest –4

Gondolin
Ecthelion—2
Turgon –5
Hurin—5
Glorfindel—3

Wooton Major
Fairy Queen—5
Ned—3
Smith— -1
Chief Cook— -1
Art— -1
Harper— -1
Nell— -1

Doriath
Mablung—6
Beren—4
Luthien—4
Thingol—4
Dior—1
Beleg—1
Melian—4

Arnor
Halbard— -1
Elendil— -1
Argeleb— -1
Isildur— -1

Not many points were scored today with a close race between those losing points and those gaining, despite this however, MOrmegil gave a few of your teams a large boost. These are the points scored today:

The Fifth Wall
GK – Niggle -1
DF - First Voice -2
Total: -3

Nogg’s ball
Beleg—1
Total: 1

Saucepan (Un)athletic
Beleg –1
Mormegil—14
Total:15

Thenamir Untied
Beren --4
Luthien—4
Total:8

The Reds
Thingol—4

Phantasy
MORMEGIL—14
HURIN —5
Total:19


and so the standings after 1 full round of play:
Phantasy:43
Saucepan (Un)Athletic: 33 Points
The Reds: 30 points
The Grinding Ice: 29 points
Second Best: 29 points
Thenamir Untied: 27 points
Nogg's Ball: 23 points
Elmo's Team: 22 points
The Fifth wall: 15 points
Ka’s Team: 14 points
Glirdan’s team: 12 points

a bunch of questions....
 

Now is the time for trades, correct? How do we go about it? Sleepy has announced the next four matches- who are the other teams playing in the next batch of games? Or are we not allowed to know? When will the next set of games kick off? I'm worried that it will begin before I've had a chance to pull some of my players.

(And yay for me! I can now say that I led the standings for at least one round of matches :) but things can go south quickly in a fantasy league. :eek: )

Of course, trades have been open since when the competiton began. As for the next set of fixtures, I really have no idea since I generally decide it while putting it up. Regardless, all teams will have played 3 games each by the end of the group stages. So therefore no trade could really be all that disastrous at the moment.

To trade a player, simply mention who you are trading and edit your original post.

Thank goodness for Mormegil, since I have got precious few points from my other attackers. Only problem is, Team Phantasy has him too ...

And now the worst thing about fantasy football competitions. My indecision, combined with my fear that I will transfer a player out only to have them go on and score a hatful of goals or go on an unbeaten run of clean sheets, makes the trade system a nightmare for me.

Anyway, I am happy with my defence (although I need Gondolin to perform better at the back) and, after some deliberation, have decided to leave things be for now in the hope that Pippin, the Saucepan Man and my midfielders will shape up in the next round of Group matches.

Ha ha! Yes, when I saw what Mormegil had done, I scrolled through the other teams to see who had him. And wouldn't you know Saucepan (Un)Athletic had him down. Drat!
Yes, that's what I am facing right now! I'm petrified of taking out a perfectly good player.

But oh well- it's just a game, right?

For now, I'm going to substitute ANCALAGON (Angband) in for MAGLOR (Tuna).

I can't make any other subs at this time as I do not know the matchups.

(now watch Maglor shut the other team out while Angband gets trampled :rolleyes: )

I have also, after much debate, decided to replace FEANOR (Tuna) with SPM (Barrow-Downs).

If you play poorly and Feanor scores goals, I'm going to be very upset with you!

Oh well, I'm doing mediocre as expected, can I call my team Bayer Neverlusen by the way?

A minor suggestion:

In a listing of the points for each player it is difficult to determine from the appearance whether the player received a positive or negative total, such as this one a short while ago:Fortunately for me, Beren's total was positive. However, I propose that, according to certain accounting notations, negative numbers be placed in parentheses, thus, had Beren's total been a negative, it would have looked like this: It would make reading the listings a touch easier. Thanks!

I've been meaning to ask, what is this "best players" bonus?

And speaking of best players, excellent play, Sauce!

You wowed the crowd, and got me a few fantasy points to boot. Thirteen points if I figured correctly! :smokin:

So, let's see... so far in round 2...

Eonwe- hasn't played
Ancalagon- 0
Thuringwethil- 8
Maedhros- 8
the phantom- 5
The Saucepan Man- 13
Curufin- 4
Mormegil- 8
Ulmo- 4
Maeglin- 4
Hurin- 11

best players bonus- 6

Round 2 Points: 71

Total Points: 114

The best player is the man of the match. For whatever reason we haven't bothered revealing them to public so far. However you could figure it out yourself by just seeing who got an extra 2 points... :rolleyes:

So yeah, I have no clue why we don't bother revealing it.

Oh, so there is one chosen in every game...

So, I suppose that means my totals are off, seeing as SPM, Mormegil, Hurin, Thuringwethil, and Maedhros would all possibly be in the mix for "man of the match" in the last round of games.

Feel free to add six points to your total on account of bonus points. Btw, the match report for the Gondolin - Mirkwood match is up. :)