PWNAGE RANKINGS: COUNTER-STRIKE: SOURCE

Welcome to the Pwnage Rankings! This isn't meant to be a list of the best teams in the world, but rather the hottest, dedicated to the teams that rip up a tournament and take no prisoners.

It's another installment of the Pwnage Rankings, and the more things change, the more they stay the same. compLexity has been in the #1 spot so long, they're making a strong case to have the position renamed after them.

The CGS teams seemed to alternate performances in CEVO and at the Newegg LANFest. The Venom and the Core played poorly at the LAN, but did well in CEVO, while 3D and the Optx fared poorly in CEVO and did well at the LAN. Unfortunately, the CHImera didn't play well in either, and coL (predictably?) won both events.

As usual, a few teams died since our last ranks (Eximius, zEx), and a few teams jumped from obscurity to make a big splash. Let's get to the good stuff.

* - Denotes Record in CEVO Season 4
^ - Denotes CAL Record

Got a problem with these rankings? Want to make a suggestion? El Jefe is the guru of all things pwnage, so send your comments and questions to jefe@landodger.com.

RANK (LAST)		TEAM	RECORD	COMMENT
	1 (1)	coL	10-1*	If coL's manager was Jason "2" Lake, would they come in second at every event, instead of first?
	2 (3)	OPTX	5-6*	LAN play is always weighted more heavily for El Jefe. But the CEVO record is still scary, and the gap between #1 and #2 is bigger than Tiger and Elle Woods.
	3 (4)	NY3D	5-6*	A lot of teams would kill to have 3D's "problems". 4th place at DigitalLife, and a 3rd place finish at Newegg LANFest make up for a disappointing showing in CEVO.
	4 (6)	Turmoil	5-6*	Is their second-place finish at DigitalLife or their exclusion from the CEVO playoffs more indicative of their talent? With Paradox joining the ranks, and a push for the CGS coming up, the first seems more likely.
	5 (9)	+}	5-6*	The CEVO record doesn't sparkle, but they turned it on when it mattered to finish second in playoffs after entering as the sixth seed. Zombler Nation approves.
	6 (2)	CHImera	3-8*	How the mighty have fallen. It's been all bad news since the victory in the CGS. 3-8?! In the words of Ricky Ricardo: "you got some 'splainin' to do."
	7 (5)	Venom	9-2*	Nipping at the CHImera's heels, but they didn't even make it out of group play at Newegg, and they didn't make much noise in the playoffs despite being the second seed. Yuck.
	8 (8)	Core	6-5*	"They are who we thought they were!" At this point, we should know what to expect from the Core: an occasional upset, along with getting upset occasionally. Middle of the pack Source team.
	9 (16)	tlr	6-5*	Here's where it gets tricky. Every team after them has had roster problems, or didn't play in CEVO. TLR made the CEVO playoffs, and that's good enough to put them ahead of those teams.
	10 (10)	eGe	7-7^	Holdin' steady due to the lack of play against their PR competition.Could easily move up a couple spots when they get a chance to show their talent.
	11 (7)	Pandemic	6-5*	They lost Paradox, and it's hard to say what will happen to the team. Two big blows, but they're still here based on potential -- and quite frankly, the rest have similar problems.
	12 (12)	Hyper	4-7*	Hyper always seems to have two things: potential, and roster problems. Maybe this iteration will be different.
	13 (15)	eMg.css	n/a	Weren't having the best CAL season, but they did pick up OSK to form a hybrid roster. They should be solid.
	14 (11)	Eximius	2-9*	Playing out their CAL matches, but it's probably just a formality. The team is dead, and a search is underway.
	15 (19)	u5	n/a	Next three teams are here based solely on potential. They should all be making a run at the CGS or other major competitions.
	16 (20)	GRev	n/a	See Five, United.
	17 (n/a)	g3	n/a	See Revolution, Gaming.
	18 (n/a)	nsF	8-5^	Best team in CAL? Not likely. But probably the most surprising, and El Jefe approves.
	19 (13)	eX	n/a	Formerly known as inRage, with a slightly different lineup. They lose deimon, arguably their best player, to a newly formed carNage team. Holding on the list from past glory as inRage.
	20 (n/a)	Honolulu Eruptors	11-3^	Zombler Nation approves. If fans equated directly to placement, they might be #1. Plus, they're 11-3 in CAL-Invite, good for first place. +}

Dropped Out: zEx, LucK, MnM

On the bubble: Cyber Phenom, ajnin, PK, electrify!, eX, carNage

What to watch for: CGS World Finals, and the Individual World Finals, as well. CAL Playoffs are just around the corner, and CEVO is just completing their Season 5 Placement Tournament. More rankings should be coming up soon!