I've never held anything like this on Cybertron.ca before, though I've done something similar in older forums like Autobot.net (how's that for a throwback?). With this year being BW's 25th anniversary, I thought I'd introduce a fun game in here, which looks like it may last a few months. You've probably seen other fan sites and communities hold "fantasy tournaments" pitting pop culture characters in dream matches and determining an ultimate winner. This will be the same idea, starting this Sunday.
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Beast Wars characters - 12 Maximals and 12 Predacons - will be randomly drawn into one-on-one matches in a single-elimination tournament bracket. A poll thread will be opened periodically for members to vote for a winner in each match. The selected combatants are as follows:
Maximals:
Optimus Primal (Transmetal)
Rhinox
Rattrap (Transmetal)
Dinobot
Cheetor (Transmetal)
Tigatron
Airazor
Silverbolt
Depth Charge
Wolfang
Grimlock
Onyx Primal
Predacons:
Megatron (Transmetal)
Scorponok
Tarantulas (Transmetal)
Terrorsaur
Waspinator
Blackarachnia
Inferno
Quickstrike
Rampage
Transmetal 2 Dinobot
Ravage
Antagony
Once all matches are completed, the character winning the Tournament will go on to face a mystery 25th combatant - hey, it is the
25th anniversary, after all - whose identity will be kept secret until that bonus round.
Due to the number of combatants selected, 16 characters will be in eight Round 1 matches; the remaining eight will have a bye in that round, and wait in Round 2 for the opening-round winners to advance. Here's the blank bracket showing the arrangement:
Due to the nature of the poll feature, a separate thread will be opened for each one-on-one match. Here's the anticipated schedule for the full tournament (times of day are approximate, barring real-life circumstances getting in the way):
Round 1: Jan 10 to Feb 6 - 2 matches a week for 4 weeks; each match poll will open on Sunday afternoons and Wednesday evenings, lasting 3 days
Round 2: Feb 7 - Mar 6 - 2 matches a week for 4 weeks; each match poll will open on Sunday afternoons and Wednesday evenings, lasting 3 days
Quarterfinals: Mar 7 - 20 - 2 matches a week for 2 weeks; each match poll will open on Sunday afternoons and Wednesday evenings, lasting 3 days
Semifinals: Mar 21 - Apr 3 - 1 match a week for 2 weeks; each match poll will open on Sunday afternoons, lasting 6 days
Tournament Final: Apr 4 - 10 - 1 match only this week; match poll will open on Sunday afternoon, lasting 6 days
Bonus Round: Apr 11 - 17 - 1 match only this week; match poll will open on Sunday afternoon, lasting 6 days
Watch for the bracket to be updated by this weekend with the names inserted, and watch for the first match poll to open this Sunday!
ADDENDUM: Match pairings have been drawn as shown in the image below. A new thread for the first match's poll - the first of eight Round 1 matches - will open this Sunday, so be ready!