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BREAKING NEWS!!

“We are receiving reports that Warno SDL Season 5 will be changing their bans and picks!! Let's go live to Fatkid, our reporter on the ground, who has the insider information.”

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Thanks announcer. You heard it correctly folks, SDL is making changes for Season 5. Here is the exclusive news. 

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In analyzing past seasons, SDL wanted to bring the bans and pick of divisions and maps, also known as the draft, of each Warno match into the 21st century. Therefore, using technology that has been developed for Age of Empires, SDL has developed a web based drafting tool. Moreover, they identified some key goals to keep in mind as they developed this tool:

1. Make drafting faster

2. Make drafting easier

3. Create better trackable data points

4. Diversify the meta

• Preventing “one trick ponies” - Commanders playing the same division for multiple games in a match

• Encouraging more diverse division selections without adding more bans

5. Highlighting even more Division choices in the Playoffs

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SDL believes that with this new system that all five points have been achieved.​

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Changes to the System

Before we get to the specifics, let's review some of the changes to the drafting system. 

• new web tool handles entire draft process other than the initial coin flip

• entire draft for the match occurs before game 1

• banning divisions happens only once

• divisions can only be chosen once per match

• instead of labeling yourself as Player 1 or Player 2, you will be Host or Guest.  A coin flip before the draft will determine the winner's preference.

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Draft Structure

Map Bans

Host - 3 bans

Guest - 3 bans

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Division Bans

Guest - 2 bans

Host - 3 bans

Guest - 1 ban

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G1

Host: Picks Map and Division

Guest: Counter-picks

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G2

Guest: Picks Map and Division (cannot use divisions that were already picked or banned)

Host: Counter-picks (cannot use divisions that were already picked or banned)

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Web Tool

Now onto the best part of the draft, the web tool. Using this link:

https://aoe2cm.net/preset/Gqcgv

a player can select "Create New Draft from this Preset." This will bring up the screen where they can share the draft using the unique URL that has been created solely for their draft. After the coin flip, one Commander selects Host and the other Guest. You will notice a Spectator button as well. Yes, you have guessed correctly, now Protoss and his streaming team can watch and even replay drafts as part of their broadcasts! Are we an esport now?!

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NOTE: There will be a finalized version of the drafting tool shared with the community once the league portion of SDL starts.​

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The draft will now play out to its conclusion. There is a progress bar at the top of the screen that visualizes and tracks the draft. Note, there are 30 seconds timers for each selection BUT also pause points where each Commander has the opportunity to catch their breath. Please share and test this new draft tool as much as possible. SDL would love to hear about your feedback, more on that below. 

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Saving URLs and Submitting

Another benefit to this drafting tool is that the unique URL for each draft allows the draft to be “saved.” There WILL be a process where this information will be submitted just like replays allowing the SDL to collect data to be analyzed. This will also be important for our broadcast crew, as mentioned above. 

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Playoffs

This drafting tool will also be used in the playoffs for best-of-3 and best-of-5 matches. These tools are still being developed but there will be less map bans while the division rules will still apply. This means in the playoffs Commanders will only be able to use a Division once per match. SDL playoffs will become a true test of a Commanders’ depth of division knowledge. 

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Maps!

SDL is also ready to give an update on the map pool for Season 5. Protoss has graciously allowed SDL Commanders to voice their preferences through voting. As of right now the map pool for Season 5 would be :

• Isra Duel

• Surrounded Duel

• Stoneware Duel

• Kreide Duel

• Mount River Duel

• Taler Duel

• Eiche (4P)

• Plus Ohmen Duel & Schondra Duel - which we predetermined because of their mirrored competitive balance

If these maps do not please you, fear not! There are still a few more days to vote if you have not done so already. Here is the link to cast your ballot

MAP VOTING.

Reminder: each Commander only gets one vote.

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Warno Ranked GOTW

If you have an interesting ranked game of Warno that you would like to share, now is your chance! Please send your replays and a short description to

Warno.Dispatch@gmail.com to be considered for this space each week.

Until next week Commanders…

Any feedback you have for SDL Season 5 should be politely expressed to the SDL team in the Warno-League channel in the SDL discord. Link HERE. The key word in that sentence was POLITELY. Next week, the Warno Dispatch will return to its regularly scheduled programming with a preview of the top Commanders. 

And before you go, there is even more new information on the Draft Tool on Protoss' YouTube channel: Click Here

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War Yes Needs Our Help

Many have noted that War Yes has reached out to find new help/owners. If you have ever imported a division code into their website you owe it to them to read the paragraph below:

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Toucan: Just thought I'd make a post to talk about the what is going on with war-yes.com. I've not had any desire to work on the site in a long time, basically since my son was born. When I started the website I did it because it was fun, I enjoyed it and I was regularly playing the game. I've not played Warno in a while now, and I just simply don't have the energy to maintain the website anymore. I really appreciate the monetary backing to keep the site online, and if I didn't have that the site would have been long gone by now. Unfortunately I'm still considering shutting it down, but I do appreciate how important it is to the community. What I think may be the best path forward is to permanently hand over ownership to new stewards who can give the website the support this community deserves. If you're a dev, and you're interested in taking over - I'm willing to hand my spaghetti over if you're prepared to take it. No promises either way, but I'd like to see if there is a way forward.

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War Yes Discord Link

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