Mixed Emotions, But No Regrets (22 May 2014)
When asked about the success of Altador, her former team, Shenkuu defender Timu said, “I’ve got mixed emotions, really. I mean, for them to go from 17th to 2nd, that’s something special that any player would want to be a part of. On the other hand, I’ve got a great situation here in Shenkuu, and-- oh, by the way, we showed some pretty impressive progress ourselves, jumping four places in the standings over the previous year. So, yeah… no regrets here.”
Is It Terror Mountain’s Time? (22 May 2014)
Terror Mountain’s 7th place finish last season was the team’s best showing ever. After years of progress, though, the club now feels a sense of urgency to make a title push. “Much of the team was pretty young those first couple of years,” defender Prytariel said, “but now most of us are in the prime of our careers. This core group’s championship window is going to start to close soon, so opportunities to bring home the Cup aren’t being taken for granted by us the way that they might’ve been five or six years ago.”
“Spikes” Barmie, Style Icon? (22 May 2014)
Long known as one of Yooyuball’s dirtiest players, defender “Spikes” Barmie made a name for himself during the offseason by pursuing another passion: a surprising love of high end fashion. “It started with reading fashion journals and attending the occasional runway show, but lately I’ve gotten really serious about it. I’ve even begun work on my own fashion line, which I hope to debut soon. Who knows, maybe I’ll even make a career of it after I hang up my Yooyuball sling?”
Virtupets Dials Down Loose Play (22 May 2014)
After weak showings the past two tourneys, theories have begun to crop up about Virtupets’ poor play. “Maybe it’s because our lineup is 40% robots, but in the past we were criticised for playing in a very risk-averse manner,” Sela Pretore explained. “Then, as a result of advances in robotics and game theory, the pendulum actually swung too far in the other direction, causing our style to become too freewheeling. We’ve made some modifications this offseason and are quite confident in our prospects.”
The Altador Cup Has Returned! (24 May 2014)
At long last, Altador Cup IX is here! As always, there are plenty of questions that Altador Cup enthusiasts are eager to answer. Questions like: will Tyrannia be the latest victim of the dreaded “Altador Cup Curse,” or will they put up a fight and defend their title? Will a runner-up like Altador or Meridell become the latest first-time winner, or will a club like Roo Island become the tourney’s first ever two-time winner? Could a dark horse come from out of nowhere to contend the way Tyrannia and Altador did last year? The answers to these and many other questions await; best of all, they’re entirely up to you, the Neopian sporting public!
Team Moltara Off To A Hot Start! (5 Jun 2014)
During the first few days of this year's Altador Cup tournament, one of the biggest stories has been the volcanic rise of Team Moltara. The club, which had finished last in three of its four tourney appearances and never placed higher than 15th overall, jumped out to a lead in Round One of the Alabriss Bracket after a hard-fought match against the Lost Desert and a considerably less strenuous victory over Roo Island. Is Team Moltara just beginning to heat up, or is it merely a matter of time before they flame out?
Smooth Sailing For Space Station? (9 Jun 2014)
After a first round in which they dispatched their foes with relative ease, it seems fortune has smiled upon Team Virtupets (as if they need it). Their foes in the Vaeolus Bracket for Round Two consist of the three teams that finished last in each bracket during Round One (Roo Island, Altador, and Terror Mountain), as well as two of the teams that finished fifth (Maraqua and Mystery Island). With such an easy set of matches before them, does Team Virtupets run the risk of complacency setting in?