Backs is Back, Baby

by Romulocks · March 2, 2025 · 8 views · Season 26 · Freemasons

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The hold has been released, the embargo lifted, and Backs has returned to captain a new ship, unfettered by the restrictions he so richly deserved from past behavior. Backs has long-stated that if allowed he would raise a team on his own to help grow this league, and he made good on that promise within 24 hours - putting a team together comprised of league veterans and new players alike. A tricksy bunch, Francotiradores have a lot of potential on paper if they can just put it together in the short time they have before the start of Season 26. I have long said that Backs is a very talented player individually who is only held back by two things - his own impulsive behaviors and the quality of the teammates on the field with him. We will wait and see if Backs can improve on his own playstyle issues this season, but I think it's undeniable that this is one of the better teams he has assembled to date. Jake, Pandy, Octavian, Stavudine, and Haup are all very quality players who are going to perform on the field even if they are having a bad day. Less talented players like Sun, LT, Jim, and myself are also there to fill out the roster and provide support to that core group in whatever capacity we can. In terms of raw talent - FT is looking really decent in Week 1, and there might be a couple more pickups coming our way in the near future. But weaknesses also abound with this roster. First - the biggest issue is leadership in that no one on this team is a true, natural leader in-game. Many of these players have to focus on individual play when shit hits the fan, and that translates to chaos and a lack of team coordination. There is also a little bit of an issue with drastically different playstyles being represented on this team - from passive players like Sabotage and Jake, to wildly overaggressive players like Backs and Pandy - Stavudine is going to have his work cut out for him trying to keep this group alive and healed up. But if Francotiradores can come together and work out those issues, these guys have the potential to knock off DS, MR, or Evolution without question - and maybe a shot at a team like Cocaine as well. Overall: 6.5/10 - #4 Squad in Romulocks Power Rankings for Season 26

👥 Player Notes

Stavudine

Likely the most individually talented player on the FT roster, Stav is a consummate medic, with impeccable timing and great energy management skills. He participates in equal parts both offensively and defensively beyond the healing required of him, and there are few medics in the game you would want beside you more on a flank. Unsure at this time how active he will be this season, I will say that FT stands to be a much tougher squad if he is in the Starting 8 than if he isn't, as he is easily the best medic on the team and probably best player all-around.

Sabotage

Sabotage is a classically talented marine. He is consistently good to above average at everything you want from an offensive player - from LAWs to grenades to AR aim to team shooting - he has the whole package. He is a bit too passive sometimes, even when his team has a clear advantage on the push, but that one drawback doesn't stop him from being one of the more talented individual players in this league and a huge asset and pickup for Backs in Season 26.

Pandy

Pandy has struggled in recent seasons, both with his individual performance and with latency issues. But universally this game knows what Pandy is capable of when he is playing at the top of his game. He regularly surprises opponents with flashes of brilliant play, followed immediately by boneheaded mistakes that cost a team dearly. If FT can get Pandy to perform at any kind of a consistently decent level, he will be a major part of this starting lineup and a real problem for other teams to contend with because of his natural skill and understanding of the game.

Jake is one of the most inconsistent players in USL - having the ability at any given time to lay a goose-egg, or be the best player in the game on both teams. You really never know which version of Jake is going to show up on Sunday, which is easily his biggest drawback. He also can play a bit passive, allowing teammates to be exposed because he doesn't like the risk the position puts him in. But he is extremely accurate with his AR, very capable of getting a kill with grenade or LAWs from time to time, and listens and participates in team comms very well also. If Jake could get back to his old form this season, he would be a vital part of this FT team and a big X factor.

Haup came back on the scene after a lengthy break from Infantry in Season 23 and put up huge numbers for Crap Shooters. It was virtually undeniable that for the first half of Season 23 he was one of the best marines in the league. He did fall off a bit towards the end, particularly in playoffs, and he also struggled a bit in playoffs on Season 25 as well. But Haup is an incredibly qualified marine who will be a vital part of FT's starting lineup and will present a problem for teams like DS and Cocaine to deal with. If he can keep a few sloppy deaths down to a minimum, Haup could push FT into an even better position to vie for playoff seeding in Season 26.

Carmelo

Just analyzing Backs' abilities on the field - he is actually very underrated. I've said for several seasons that Backs has a very unique playstyle that I would liken to a drunken master style in a fighting game. He charges in headlong into the enemy with reckless abandon, but also somehow cognizant of his health bar at the same time. He propels his teammates forward on the attack in such a frenzied state that weaker squads do not know how to effectively respond, and his teammates are able to capitalize on that confusion. We all know his capabilities as a dueler, but his leadership abilities to leave a lot to be desired overall as he frequently loses track of the wider battle to focus on his own problems. If he would work on checking his aggression and fall at appropriate times, Backs could be the X Factor for this squad that makes all the difference against squads like MR, DS, and even Cocaine. But that depends more on Backs and his mental state more than it does his opponent.

auctistic

Octavian is an enigma in many ways to me, because his gameplay appears to be so simple and yet it regularly will yield great results from him individually. A master of special classes, he ironically seems to struggle a little bit as the basic marine, which seems counterintuitive. He is performing at his absolute best when he has a medic within heal range and Backs nearby causing havoc in the enemy line - and in those situations, Oct is DEADLY. His accuracy on ripper and demo make him a player to mark and be aware of, and he is smart at knowing when to abandon the battle and fall out. This could be a big season for Oct given the level of support he will have around him, which hasn't been the case in any season I've watched from him thus far.

Lalo

Sun aka Septicemia absolutely blew my mind in Season 24 when he unveiled that he wasn't a one-trick ripper pony, but actually a versatile Infantry player fully capable of holding down his own as medic or marine. His aim is very solid, and he has a wily nature that makes him a frustrating person to try and kill even with team focus fire at times. But his huge drawback is that he frequently is off playing his own game and not in sync with his teammates, and that is hugely negative when playing medic. I've seen him get caught shooting his PDW even as his teammates die on both sides of him for lack of healing, and that is a huge negative against him. This team needs a solid 2nd medic, and Sun has to be a candidate for that position, but not if he isn't willing to sacrifice his individual performance for the betterment of the team. Here's hoping this season he is willing to do that, because he becomes a strong member of this team if so.

Romulocks

Lunar Tick

Lunar Tick is a mid-tier marine who has played for lower tier squads for as long as I've known him. Similar to Brillhart and Universal Soldier 2k, LT has a lot of advantages in his gameplay - good streams, decent focus fire, and the occasional great LAW. But he tends to get caught in really bad positioning that translates to significant deaths that cost the team. He is also a magnet for a battle-opening kill due to his moderate dodging ability. I imagine LT will primarily be a sub for the majority of this season, but when he sees the field I hope for big things for LT, because he deserves them.

Spoils

Spoils is probably one of the more aggressive marines in USL right now. He actually has pretty great AR aim, but his tunnel vision on enemies frequently translates into a lack of dodging to the degree that even a solo med couldn't keep him alive. If Spoils will listen better and play a little more passively, his upside potential is huge even if it is yet to be realized. FT are going to need him to be a viable sub/potential 8th man, so I hope he is up for the challenge this season.

Zen

While Jim might be technically the lowest-ranked player on this roster, that's just a function of experience. He regularly has breakout moments where he scored 5-7 hits in a row on AR for an unsuspecting enemy resulting in a quick kill for his team. He contributes by listening well and taking feedback constructively. Jim could easily end up as the most improved player this season, and FT will want to see that improvement happen sooner rather than later.