Day 4 is here. We are starting to get deep into the rankings. Just as a simple reminder, players have played in more than the 5 tournaments listed. Keep into consideration that a player’s performance depends on the entire year. Keep up with the discussion on Twitter using hashtag: #SSBMRank2015.


Photo Credits to Thomas Tischio (@Tischphotos)

Rank
Rating
SSBMRank 2014
70
5.502
70
Tournament Results
Apex2015 ceo2015 evo2015 bh5
33
N/A
49
N/A
N/A
Summary
Sponsored by VGBootCamp, Austin “Redd” Self is a fast-moving Fox main with rock-solid fundamentals from Alexandria, Virginia. He currently resides in Richmond and often travels to Baltimore for the Xanadu weekly tournament series. He has performed admirably in 2015, winning many Xanadu weeklies over often serious competition and racking up solid performances at nationals. He placed 33rd at Apex 2015, 17th at Super Smash Con and Smash the Record 2015, 49th at EVO 2015, and 3rd at Texas regional Aftershock, where he defeated Westballz. He later cemented his win over Westballz with a second set win at a Smash @ Xanadu 101.
– Bryan Rapp (@Mithrintia)

 


Photo Credits to Big Blue eSports (@BigBlueES)

Rank
Rating
SSBMRank 2014
69
5.588
62
Tournament Results
Apex2015 ceo2015 evo2015 bh5
25
N/A
N/A
49
N/A
Summary
Whether you claim he’s from New York or New England, Anthony “Slox” Detres is a scary opponent in either region. Known for his multitude of tournament ready characters, including a Captain Falcon, Sheik, Fox, and Marth, Slox has long been a hidden boss. He forced Chillin to a last-stock last-hit situation at Big House 5, where he eventually finished 49th. He also 3-1’ed a Swedish Delight who was hot off Smash Summit practice, has gone even with Hax$, and defeated Duck en route to 25th place finish at Apex 2015.
– Louis Torracinta

 


Photo Credits to SleepyK (@sleepike)

Rank
Rating
SSBMRank 2014
68
5.613
46
Tournament Results
Apex2015 ceo2015 evo2015 bh5
49
N/A
25
N/A
N/A
Summary
A noted fan of Falco’s lasers, Alex “Zanzugen” Schnayder had a relatively quiet year in Melee in 2015. However, what little he did remains impressive: with a top 64 finish at Apex 2015 and 25th at EVO, his prolific style never fails to show up.
– Eli Schoop (Kanye Rest)

 


Photo Credits to Old Abbot (@OldAbbot)

Rank
Rating
SSBMRank 2014
67
5.726
92
Tournament Results
Apex2015 ceo2015 evo2015 bh5
81
N/A
N/A
25
N/A
Summary
Alex “Alex19” Ruvalcaba is a proficient Fox player from SoCal, most well-known for being a member of the Norwalk crew and a frequent practice partner of C9 | Mango. He is currently ranked 8th on the SoCal PR, above notable players like Ken and Fly Amanita. He placed 25th at The Big House 5, winning against distinguished players like Phil and Hugs. He was also voted in to the Smash Summit, where he was eliminated by his Norwalk homie, Lucky.
– Solomon McMurphy (@HFMSmash)

 


Photo Credits to Michael Hathaway (@TL_peanuts)

Rank
Rating
SSBMRank 2014
66
5.740
N/A
Tournament Results
Apex2015 ceo2015 evo2015 bh5
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
25
Summary
Hailing from the Netherlands, Jaap “Jeapie” vaan der Zee, is known for his particularly flashy style of Captain Falcon. Jeapie’s notable placings this year include 9th at BEAST 5, 7th at Super Nebulous 3, 5th at Avalon IX, and 25th at Dreamhack Winter.
– David Tyler(@flossy_tas)

 


Photo Credits to Dart

Rank
Rating
SSBMRank 2014
65
5.749
68
Tournament Results
Apex2015 ceo2015 evo2015 bh5
N/A
N/A
49
N/A
N/A
Summary
If you’re old-school, you know Dart!. The 24 year-old is as seasoned as they come, and his 4th place finishes at Combo Breaker 2015 and Smash n’ Splash in addition to 49th at EVO 2015 shows he had a solid year. Wins against the likes of Wizzrobe, Frootloop, and Darkrain don’t hurt his resume either.
– Eli Schoop

 


Photo Credits to Meowth (@Meowth)

Rank
Rating
SSBMRank 2014
64
5.780
75
Tournament Results
Apex2015 ceo2015 evo2015 bh5
49
N/A
129
25
N/A
Summary
Although perhaps recognized most often from his commentary (including the legendary “Wombo Combo” video), Brandon “HMW” Collier is both an excellent commentator and player. Having been in the community for many years now, he is often seen as the voice of the West Coast through his “non e-Sports” commentary. He has also commentated tournaments such as GENESIS 1, MLG Anaheim 2014, The Big House 4, and HTC Throwdown. As a competitor, he is a strong Fox and Falco main, who this year netted 13th place at I’m Not Yelling!, as well as a win over Plup at HTC Throwdown, where he placed 17th.
– Bryan Rapp (@Mithrintia)

 


Photo Credits to Old Abbot (@OldAbbot)

Rank
Rating
SSBMRank 2014
63
5.801
69
Tournament Results
Apex2015 ceo2015 evo2015 bh5
33
N/A
49
33
N/A
Summary
With the high stakes behind the argument of who the best Luigi in Melee is, it’s easy, though far from advisable, to overlook Michaelangelo “Blea Gelo” Greco. The slippery player from southern Florida has proven himself capable time and time again, with placings such as 33rd at Apex 2015, 49th at EVO 2015, 17th at Paragon Los Angeles 2015, and even a Top 8 performance at MLG World Finals 2015. The year has brought him set wins over top competitors such as Chillin, Bladewise, Zoso, and MikeHaze.
– Jack “Kezzup” McDonald (@KezzupReviews)

 


Photo Credits to SleepyK (@sleepike)

Rank
Rating
SSBMRank 2014
62
5.813
84
Tournament Results
Apex2015 ceo2015 evo2015 bh5
N/A
17
65
N/A
N/A
Summary
Along with the other two members of the Florida-based 20GX Triforce (Gahtzu and Wizzrobe), Dustin “Gravy” White continues to research and develop Captain Falcon’s potential in today’s hyper-optimized meta. A player with a history of edging out wins against top players, Gravy holds sets over the likes of Druggedfox, KDJ, Kels, Ken, and The Moon. Notable placings include a 65th place finish at EVO 2015 and a 17th place finish at CEO 2015, where he took PewPewU to last stock on game three.
– Anthony Bruno (slime_machine)

 


Photo Credits to Michael Hathaway (@TL_peanuts)

Rank
Rating
SSBMRank 2014
61
5.831
44
Tournament Results
Apex2015 ceo2015 evo2015 bh5
N/A
33
25
33
N/A
Summary
Generally considered as the original Captain Falcon main, hailing from Kansas City, David “Darkrain” John, has had a respectable 2015. Placing 25th at EVO 2015, 33rd at both The Big House 5 and CEO 2015, as well as a 13th at FC Return. While clearly not having the attendance or placing of any modern top player, Darkrain has proven himself a fan favorite and a threat even after more than ten years of competitive play.
– Nick Gow (@ssbm_Song)

Panelists

42 Panelists

(More Panelists were asked from each region, but did not turn in a ballot in a timely manner)

Socal (6)
– HugS
– s2j
– MacD
– MikeHaze
– Kira
– Reno

Norcal (4)
– TarheelJKS
– Laudandus
– Toph
– Shroomed

Midwest (5)
– Juggleguy
– Fendrick Lamar
– Duck
– Webs
– DarkAtma

New England (3)
– Mafia
– MattDotZeb
– Gtown Tom

Maryland/Virginia (4)
– Nintendude
– Redd
– Chillindude
– Wife

Pacific Northwest (5)
– Silent Wolf
– Bladewise
– Vish
– eBay
– Fat Goku

Arizona (3)
– Axe
– Tai
– DarkDragoon

South (5)
– s0ft
– Flow
– Chi Wong
– Gahtzu
– Hungrybox

Tri-State (2)
– Zhu
– Swedish Delight

Canada (2)
– Idea
– n0ne

Europe (3)
– MikeHaggar (w/ Armada)
– Imperfect
– Mahie

Rest Of The List

12/21/2015 – SSBMRank #100-91
12/22/2015 – SSBMRank #90-81
12/23/2015 – SSBMRank #80-71
12/24/2015 – SSBMRank #70-61
12/25/2015 – SSBMRank #60-51

12/28/2015 – SSBMRank #50-41
12/29/2015 – SSBMRank #40-31
12/30/2015 – SSBMRank #30-26
12/31/2015 – SSBMRank #25-21
1/1/2016 – SSBMRank #20-16

1/4/2016 – SSBMRank #15-11
1/5/2016 – SSBMRank #10, #9, #8, #7
1/6/2016 – SSBMRank #6, #5, #4
1/7/2016 – SSBMRank #3, #2, #1
1/8/2016 – SSBMRank Recap

Other Information

Acknowledgements

SSBMRank is a big undertaking every year. We could have not done this without the help of HTC, who generously helped us out with this year’s production values. Nick, Darkdragoon, was a workhorse with the formatting and the graphics this year as well. We also had countless volunteers that helped out with numerous tasks.

Photographers
Robert Paul (@tempusrob)
Michael Hathaway (@tl_peanuts)
Thomas Tischio
Old Abbot (@oldAbbot)
Itsjustatank (@itsjustatank)
Ludwig Ahgren
/u/BirdUPSSBM
Big Blue eSports (@BigBlueES)
SleepyK (@sleepike)
Alex Baldwin
Meowth

Blurb Writers
Eli Schoop
Bradley Stafford (@bradcobra)
Louis Torracinta
Sawyer Frey (@ssbm_tm)
Derek Zhang (@DZhang4)
Matt Deslatte (@pantsnameguy)
Matthew Reed (@Matthew__Reed)
Jack McDonald (@KezzupReviews)
Luke Geldart (@Haksause)
Andrew Blessington (@AJawesome07)
Nick Gow (@ssbm_Song)
Anthony Bruno (@slime_machine)
Bryan Rapp (@Mithrintia)
David Tyler (@flossy_tas)
Josh Kassell (@roboticphish)
Solomon McMurphy (@HFMSmash)

Fact Finders
Eli Schoop
Bradley Stafford (@bradcobra)
Louis Torracinta
Derek Zhang (@DZhang4)
Matt Deslatte (@pantsnameguy)
Matthew Reed (@Matthew__Reed)
Jack McDonald (@KezzupReviews)
Luke Geldart (@Haksause)
Andrew Blessington (@AJawesome07)
Bryan Rapp (@Mithrintia)
David Tyler (@flossy_tas)
Solomon McMurphy  (@HFMSmash)

Editors
Sheridan Zalewski (@sheridactyls)
Louis Torracinta
Scott Zeng
Andrew Blessington (@AJawesome07)
Nick Gow (@ssbm_Song)
Andrew Nestico (@PracticalTAS)
Anthony Bruno (@slime_machine)
Bryan Rapp (@Mithrintia)
David Tyler (@flossy_tas)
Josh Kassel (@roboticphish)

Picture Finders
Bradley Stafford (@bradcobra)
Louis Torracinta
Scott Zeng
Sawyer Frey
Derek Zhang (@DZhang4)
Matthew Reed (@Matthew__Reed)
Luke Geldart (@Haksause)
Nick Buckman