Taming The Tag Team Tournament Ladder:  The Rule of Two

For many, a mention of the “Rule of Two” conjures up images of Sith Lords wielding crimson lightsabers, but in this particular instance, it pertains to how character selection in WCW/nWo Revenge plays a pivotal role in the consistency (or lack thereof) of your opposition across repeated Tag Team tournament runs.  To elaborate, in an attempt to improve my speedrun time for the Tag Team tournament within WCW/nWo Revenge, I made a change to my existing champions (the only opponent slot over which one has complete control) by installing the team of Eric Bischoff and Kevin Nash as the new belt-holders.  The rationale for this move was twofold.  First, as noted as a possible time save in my previous guide regarding the Kanyon’s Corner technique, Bischoff’s inclusion as the primary final opponent was due to his apparent low endurance coupled with his inability to grapple.  The selection of Nash as Bischoff’s partner on the apron reduced the likelihood of a pinfall break-up, as he has one of the slowest ring entries in the game (stepping over the top rope).  Additionally, I knew that his inclusion in this makeshift championship tandem would also eliminate his stock team (that features Randy Savage as his apron partner) from appearing in the tournament, which was an added bonus given his noted difficulties when it comes to performing Kanyon’s Corner.  The switch paid off and yielded a near immediate improvement.  However, as I continued with subsequent attempts, I noticed that the change also produced a situation that I had not yet seen, a repeating tournament ladder comprised of:

- Sting & Lex Luger
- Hollywood Hogan & Bret Hart
- The Giant & Brian Adams
- Raven & Reese
- Kidman & Riggs
- Diamond Dallas Page & Chris Benoit
- Booker T. & Stevie Ray
- Jim Neidhart & The British Bulldog
- Eric Bischoff & Kevin Nash

Now, I had owned this game for over two decades, and throughout that entire span, I had been under the apparent misconception that the Tag Team tournament opponents were always shuffled across attempts for matches one through eight, with the ninth match team (either the current champions when challenging or the prior champions when defending) being the only constant and predictable one.  Needless to say, I was extremely intrigued by this turn of events.  Moreover, I was determined to figure out what the triggering variable was between a Tag Team tournament with a shuffling opponent ladder versus one that remained unchanged across repeated attempts.

To start with, I compared the two most recent Tag Team tournament PBs that I had.  In both runs, I had utilized the team of Kanyon and Han Zo Mon, so the ladder consistency change observed did not appear to stem directly from them.  Thus, it had to be the only other factor that was within my control to change, the final opponents.  In my initial PB where I had observed a shuffled opponent lineup between attempts, my final opponents were AKI Man and Dr. Frank.  As noted above, my final opponents in the static opponent ladder attempts were Eric Bischoff and Kevin Nash.  So, I was confronted with the question, “What was so special about Bischoff and/or Nash that would alter the manner in which my tournament opponents were selected across multiple attempts?”  My journey toward that answer began by looking at the full slate of stock pairings that the game presents as your tournament opposition.  Having spent so much time playing the ever shuffling version of the tournament, I had already compiled a comprehensive list of the seventeen stock tag teams (in no particular order):

- Diamond Dallas Page & Chris Benoit
- Kevin Nash & Randy Savage
- The Giant & Brian Adams
- Hollywood Hogan & Bret Hart
- Booker T. & Stevie Ray
- Meng & The Barbarian
- Disco Inferno & Alex Wright
- Kidman & Riggs
- Van Hammer & Juventud Guerrera
- Rey Mysterio Jr. & Ultimo Dragon
- La Parka & Psychosis
- Jim Neidhart & The British Bulldog
- Chris Jericho & Eddie Guerrero
- Sting & Lex Luger
- Scott Steiner & Scott Norton
- Roddy Piper & Larry Zbyszko
- Saturn & Kanyon

Of the two wrestlers that I had for final opponents, only Kevin Nash was affiliated with a stock team, so I decided to center the focus of my study on the impact that the presence of stock team characters had on the tournament ladder consistency.  After testing out numerous combinations with varying configurations of stock and non-stock team wrestlers, the results led me to a fascinating conclusion.  Specifically, if the number of unique stock teams represented between the four wrestlers featured in the tournament finale (both the player’s two selected wrestlers and the two preset final match opponents) is equal to two, the generated tournament ladder will be fixed across all attempts.  Conversely, if the total unique stock team representation between the two final teams is zero, one, three, or four, the tournament ladder will shuffle between attempts for matches one through eight.  So, the reason why my first PB setup yielded the shuffled opponent lineup was because Kanyon was the only one of the four final match participants that was affiliated with a stock team (Saturn & Kanyon).  Thus, the unique stock team representation tally was one.  My second PB produced a static tournament ladder across all attempts because Nash’s addition to the mix with Kanyon brought the unique stock team representation total to two.  

Now, there is a major point of clarification to be made regarding the tabulation of the unique stock team total.  Namely, that including two members from the same stock team (in any of the four available slots) will only count as one stock team, so for example, Roddy Piper (on a stock team, counts as one) and Glacier (not on a stock team, does not get counted) versus Meng and The Barbarian (both on the same stock team, so they only count as one) would still produce a fixed tournament ladder, since the total number of unique stock teams represented would equal two.  A few more examples of fixed ladder producing configurations include:

- Kanyon and Sting vs. Lex Luger and Glacier:  Only Kanyon, Sting, and Luger are on stock teams, but since Sting and Luger are from the same stock team (despite being placed on opposing teams here), they still only count as one stock team collectively.  As a result, the overall unique stock team count would be two.
- Chris Jericho and Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Jekel and Executioner:  Jericho and Mysterio each represent distinct stock teams, while neither Jekel nor Executioner are on a stock team.  Thus, the overall unique stock team count would be two.
- Kevin Nash and Hollywood Hogan vs. Randy Savage and Bret Hart:   All four wrestlers are members of stock teams.  However, while they are paired on opposing sides here, each wrestler’s stock team partner is still a part of the foursome, so the overall unique stock team count would still be just two.

Companion Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi7SmiW1UNU

Welcome To Kanyon’s Corner!

So, what is Kanyon’s Corner?  In short, a speedrunning technique that I developed for the World Heavyweight, U.S. Heavyweight, and T.V. Title categories in WCW/nWo Revenge.  It involves selecting Kanyon (or his alter ego/persona, Mortis) and executing a series of repeated move cycles within one of the four corner turnbuckles that stunlocks the opponent and rapidly depletes his stamina (while simultaneously boosting your wrestler’s Spirit meter), ultimately leading to a pinfall victory.  When executed precisely and with minimal interruption across a standard nine match tournament, it can bring the overall RTA times for the above three championship categories down to under six minutes each!

In greater detail, for the majority of opponents, Kanyon’s Corner entails initiating a front weak grapple as quickly as possible at the start of the match, whipping one’s opponent into any of the four turnbuckles, and executing five consecutive cycles of a running splash to the stunned opponent in the turnbuckle (causing him to stumble outward) followed immediately by a Muay Thai Roundhouse kick (that sends him hurtling back into the turnbuckle).  After the last full cycle is complete, one final running turnbuckle splash is performed and immediately followed up with a front strong grapple and a Northern Lights suplex with a bridge for the pinning combination.



Shortfalls:

As noted in the section covering RNG below, whether or not any particular opponent remains upright for the full Kanyon’s Corner sequence appears to be random.  An opponent getting knocked down after one of the Muay Thai Roundhouse kicks won’t typically detract from the overall effectiveness of Kanyon’s Corner when it comes to attaining victory, as you can simply pick them right back up and resume the sequence where you left off.  However, each time an opponent hits the canvas, it takes somewhere between four to six seconds to get things rolling again, which will be a hit ultimately seen in your splits.

For Kanyon’s Corner to work optimally and position you properly for the Northern Lights suplex pinfall finish, your character should be centered as much as possible when executing the repeated turnbuckle splash/Muay Thai Roundhouse combos.  Failure to do so can result in an opponent either not stumbling completely back to the turnbuckle (breaking the stunlock) or causing a misfire on the final front strong grapple attempt (resulting in either a missed grapple or a back strong grapple that produces a rollup pin attempt that fails more often than not).  If at any point you notice that your character is off center, it would be advisable to sacrifice the extra second needed to recenter him.

Kanyon’s Corner is also an effective strategy for success in the Tag Team tournament, but to a lesser extent than in the singles championship tournaments if you are playing the single player mode (with the AI acting as your tag team partner).  In that particular case, your viable corner turnbuckle options fall from four to two, as your opponent’s tag team partner is in one corner (where a tag can be made) and your AI controlled partner (who loves to break the stunlock by grabbing or hitting your corner-bound opponent) is in the other.  Thus, for optimal results, it is best to use either of the neutral corners (top left or bottom right) for applying the Kanyon’s Corner technique.  Moreover, and often more frustratingly, your AI controlled partner will frequently fail to intercept your pinned opponent’s partner before he breaks up the pinfall attempt.  This can lead to longer than expected match times due to having to perform multiple pinning sequences while trying to position your partner between you and your opponent’s partner.

Kanyon’s Corner is not applicable to the Cruiserweight tournament category, as Kanyon/Mortis is ineligible for selection for that particular championship within the game itself.



Observed RNG Factors:

The opponent selection and order for matches one through eight shuffles with almost every attempt.  Occasionally, you will get consecutive attempts where the starting foe and opponent ladder repeat, but there doesn’t appear to be any discernible pattern to it.  Only the final opponent (the reigning champion if challenging for the belt or previous champion if defending the belt) in the ninth match appears consistently with each attempt.

Whether or not an opponent starts a match running versus walking.  

Whether or not an opponent stays upright for the entirety of Kanyon’s Corner.  From observation, some opponents tend to get knocked down more frequently than others (e.g. The Cruiserweights, Lex Luger, DDP, Scott Hall, and Booker T.), but all are capable of making it through the full series of splashes and kicks to the Northern Lights suplex without falling.

Whether or not an opponent attempts a grapple of his own at the start (frequently yielding a time-killing “test of strength” when paired with your initial grapple attempt), or if he reverses or blocks the initial Irish whip to the turnbuckle attempt.



Additional Notes Pertaining To One Player Tag Team Tournament Attempts:

As mentioned in the third point of the “Shortfalls” section above, your AI controlled tag team partner will likely be the biggest obstacle to overcome.  Specifically, when you need him the most, he will frequently let you down by:

- Entering the ring but failing to intercept the opposing teammate before he breaks up your pinfall attempt with a stomp.
- Not entering the ring at all, leaving you to momentarily fend for yourself against two opponents.
- Attempting to pin your downed opponent, even though he isn’t eligible to score the pin.
- Missing an attempted strike on the opponent and accidentally hitting your wrestler.
- Forcing a tag with your character at the start of the match, which requires you to temporarily assume control of his character until he returns your original character to the apron where you can make another tag.

Bottomline, your AI controlled partner is painfully dumb, and you will frequently have to time your offense in such a way as to either trick him into helping you get the win (e.g. timing your pin attempt for whenever he is in the ring and positioned directly in front of your opponent’s partner so that they bump into each other repeatedly during the three count) or eliminate the need for his assistance outright (e.g. setting up the final Northern Lights suplex so that your pinned opponent’s outstretched body blocks his partner from making the save).

While not as utterly brainless as your AI partner, your opponent’s partner is also capable of the following, seemingly random, gaffes:

-Being late to enter during a pinfall attempt because he is in the middle of performing an apron taunt.
-Getting in and making it over to your position in time but for some reason, opting not to break-up the pinfall attempt.  Some wrestlers appear to do this more often than others (looking at you, Alex Wright).

Drawing an opposing team with a very tall partner on the apron (e.g. Reese) can be helpful, as their typical ring entry method is to step over the top rope, which takes significantly more time than the standard between the ropes entry.  

Unlike the other championships, the Tag Team tournament's opposing team ladder can be either randomly shuffled (for matches one through eight) with each attempt or kept static based on your character choices.  I have done a much deeper dive on this subject, and my findings have been documented here:

https://www.speedrun.com/wcwnwo_revenge/guide/eky8h



Problematic Wrestlers & Trolls:

Kevin Nash:  He does not take well to the Kanyon’s Corner technique, as he frequently fails to stumble fully back into the turnbuckle after a Muay Thai Roundhouse kick.  Kanyon’s Corner can be pulled off on him, but it has to be very well aligned and it typically takes more time to execute.  Also, he has a tendency to reverse Irish whips and grapples more than most others.

The Giant:  Similar to Nash but to a lesser degree, The Giant’s size requires precise alignment to maintain the Kanyon’s Corner sequence and it can take more time to fully execute than on a standard opponent.  

Chris Benoit & Rick Steiner:  Apparently, they have better than average endurance, as it typically requires one additional turnbuckle splash and Muay Thai Roundhouse kick cycle to ensure a pinfall victory.  If you perform the standard five turnbuckle splash/Muay Thai Roundhouse kick cycles followed by one last splash and the Northern Lights suplex, these two will frequently kick out just before the decisive third count.

Curt Hennig, Scott Hall, Chris Jericho, & Alex Wright:  Will occasionally block the finishing Northern Lights suplex by delivering a knee strike to the midsection.

Raven, Saturn, Bret Hart, & Diamond Dallas Page:  They seem to have a higher propensity for blocking the initial Irish whip attempts as they reach the turnbuckle, and in general, a greater tendency for reversals.



Area For Potential Time Saves:

Setting up Eric Bischoff as the champion to beat for the World Heavyweight, U.S. Heavyweight, T.V. Title, and World Tag Team tournaments (he’s ineligible for the Cruiserweight tournament).  From observation during play, Bischoff appears to be the selectable character with the lowest endurance, and thus, he succumbs to the Kanyon’s Corner technique in one less cycle than the majority of the roster.  Moreover, his offense consists solely of strikes, so there is no concern to be had regarding grapple attempts on his part.  The only potential downside to choosing Bischoff as your fixed final opponent is that he is not the most reliable when it comes to staying upright for the entire Kanyon’s Corner sequence.  As noted in the “Shortfalls” section above, each time an opponent falls down, the time loss due to having to pick him back up and resume the sequence is usually in the 4-6 seconds range, so having Bischoff as the final opponent (versus an opponent that has a lesser tendency to fall) is a risky gambit.



Miscellaneous:

So, some might question, “Wouldn’t this same technique work for Glacier?”  The short answer is, yes.  He has a strong striking kick and the same turnbuckle splash and Northern Lights suplex as Kanyon.  However, while fast and effective, Glacier’s thrust kick moves him off center with the turnbuckle upon each completion, and unless adjusted, his misalignment continues to worsen with each repeated cycle.  Thus, time must be frequently sacrificed to realign his position in order to avoid the potential complications noted in the second point of the above “Shortfalls” section.  Furthermore, when complications arise (e.g. during the Tag Team tournament matches), I have found Kanyon’s top turnbuckle splash to be a helpful part of my backup strategy.  Glacier, sadly, has no standard top turnbuckle maneuver other than a taunt.  So, in summation, while it is possible to use the Kanyon’s Corner technique with Glacier, the increased potential for additional complications coupled with his moveset limitations make Glacier the less desirable option in my assessment.

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Taming The Tag Team Tournament Ladder: The Rule of Two	Megamatt79 3 years ago
Welcome To Kanyon’s Corner!	Megamatt79 3 years ago