Signups are open for another 90 minutes

Final signup list:

Pot One:
xorxes #1
cspieker #2
ghug #3
svkrIs #4
michaelf77 #5
nealkochhar #6
CptMike #7
goldfinger0303 #8

Pot Two:
stranger #13
brkyzgn #14
Ezio #15
bozotheclown #16
SplitDiplomat #17
quarryman #19
Jeff Kuta #20
genghiz #25

Pot Three:
captainmeme #26
Wadatumi #29
ThorondorNL #30
slypups #33
IceKingCold #34
Hapapop #35
bo_sox48 #37
dagabs0 #42

Pot Four:
rdrivera2005 #51
Zybodia #56
sir mc fluffles #57
Fluminator #59
webdiplomacy76 #60
awood #66
Bilbo #69
trooper76 #72

--- Did not Qualify ---

josemurc #73
Berkut #80
y2kjbk #81
tektelmektel #82
Ayreon #85
pjmansfield99 #95
VashtaNeurotic #98
GoToChurch #123
Namejeff #139
y33t #155
Smokey Gem #168
seth24c #176
Oztra #265
Gen. Lee #282
Jvault #302
peterlund N/A (#351 and below are at 100 Elo, the starting position)
Javatiger N/A
Puddle N/A
AJPietro N/A
BossMan227 N/A
ryanbell N/A
sufi N/A
GioLeo N/A
gouzous N/A
finnishfriendo N/A
GOD N/A
sweetwatersam N/A
bigdickjohnny N/A
AliBaba N/A
papszi79 N/A
Chromedad N/A
i7evil #386
Jacob63831 #413
Jeccles #535
zkassian #681
eturnage #723
webdipper123 #733
Mother Land #745
Sam Xmas, The Jewish Muslim #778
dovahkiin21 #793
Wusti #816
Scrub #835
snowy801 #900
Egathetos #913

Thank you to everyone that signed up! Replacements, if needed, shall be taken from the highest entrants who did not make the cut this time. The next one shall start in the Autumn (probably October), so to all those who missed out this time: Go forth and improve your rank for next time!

Groups shall be drawn and posted within the next few hours. Good luck to all who have qualified!

Groups have been drawn and a Challonge bracket has been created:

http://webdiplomacy.challonge.com/Spring2017ChampionsLeague

Group A:
michaelf77
Jeff Kuta
Wadatumi
trooper76

Group B:
xorxes
stranger
Thorondor NL
sir mc fluffles

Group C:
nealkochhar
bozotheclown
slypups
awood

Group D:
goldfinger0303
Ezio
bo_sox48
rdrivera2005

Group E:
cspieker
quarryman
dagabs0
webdiplomacy76

Group F:
svkrIs
SplitDiplomat
IceKingCold
Bilbo

Group G:
CptMike
brkyzgn
Hapapop
Fluminator

Group H:
ghug
genghiz
captainmeme
Zybodia

Tomorrow I shall begin PM'ing people to start setting games up, however, if any of you wish to set games up now, the settings would be as follows:

Game Name: Spring 2017 Champions League Group (A/B/C/D/E/F/G/H): (Player1) vs (Player2)
Phase Length: 24 Hours
Press Type: Full
Bet: 5
Map: France vs Austria

Each player will play each different player in their group twice (once as each country), so there will be 6 group stage games in total, which are to played simultaneously (or close to). Should you roll the same country in both games, please pause immediately and PM me so I can swap you around.

Let the games begin.

May the odds be in your favors. Can we used this thread for commentary?

Group B- group of death or what?

The name "Spring 2017 Champions League Group A MichaelF77 vs Jeff Kuta" gets cut out , how should I shorten it ?

Ah, damn. Try replacing 'Champions League' with just 'CL'

B D H all insane :(

PM's have been sent so games should be getting created tonight!

I really like being the underdog in Group D. Pressure is all on the others...

How's that different than all the other games you've played here, rdrivera? :)

You should be more like me. I'm so scared, I don't even join.

#getrektghug

gameID=198640
gameID=198641

Lol@ Rd being the "underdog". Have you seen my win loss vs everyone other than Vashta on FvA?

If rd is the underdog, I'm the ant that just got squished by the underdog when he dug a hole to bury his shit.

Don't mess with Underdog - he's a bad-ass and wins every time: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underdog_(TV_series)

All groups bar Group A have all their games running. trooper76 seems to have NMR'd in the one ongoing game he joined, and failed to join all of his other games, so he will be replaced in the tournament by the highest ranked player that missed the cutoff in the next 24 hours.

Who are these "top players" who think France is easier to play?

Well me for one.

Dos.

I have the impression that Austria is easier to play for bad players, then for some average to good players, France becomes easier to play, but for top players, Austria becomes the best country again.
Could just be my impression though.

Although I won't be a "top player" in the next GR lawl

Both Austria and France are difficult to play against top players :-)
I have the feeling that the level of "[top] top player" (and I am not among them) is such that you can fall in traps several years before... FvA is really complex and strategic in comparison with GvI which is more intuitive and tactical... Grrrr...

Eagerly awaiting our Group A replacement.

I was wondering... Instead of shifting to a face to face in the second and next turns, wouldn't it be more fair to go on a competition by pools ? At the second turn, we would keep 4 group of 4 players (A2 -> D2), then 2 group of 4 players (A3 and B3) and then a last group of 4 players...

What do you think about this ?

The parallels with the UEFA Champions League format are fine with me. Makes the single elimination portion more tense.

I have Split winning this tourney

I have force started the remaining Group A games, with josemurc replacing trooper76. Group A is good to go now.

Sorry about that, tournament start coincided with a trip to San Fran, having too much fun to think about dip..:P

Hello... Is this updated ?
* http://webdiplomacy.challonge.com/Spring2017ChampionsLeague

For next round is the winner of group A meeting the 2nd of group B (and vice versa and etcetera with C-D , E-F, G-H) or is this a more complex selection ?