Critique
1. Krypteia
My alliance - strong and prospering - but can't say much without sounding biased. Rank 1 in points, rank 1 in ABP, by a large gap; winning a war against OCEAN VETERANS. The stats speak for themselves.
2. The Myrmidons
I don't have much experience with these guys. They seem to be doing well in points, besides the dead weight at the bottom of their list. They're not exactly on the rim so several 1-city players isn't a good sign. They're rank 4 in ABP which isn't good for a rank 2 alliance. They need to step up their aggressiveness or I don't see them lasting long. They are in the middle of several other Top 12 alliances which can mean a quck death if they don't player their cards right.
3. The Bish
These guys are doing pretty well for themselves. Their point average is nice and coupled with rank 2 in ABP, I see them lasting for some time. It doesn't seem they've been involved in any big wars yet but they are still aggressive.
4.The Ultimate Kill Squad
This seems to be a very good alliance. They've been actively fighting anything they can find around them although they recently took in a large number of players from MLP, which could hurt them a bit. Other than that, they're doing very well. Definitely not the best ABP ranking but with only 100 members on the rim, it is a good job. They just need to get ALL of their members playing aggressively rather than a select few.
5. OCEAN VETERANS
This was a strong alliance. They have a strong core in o45, however they are fighting a losing war against Krypteia. Rank 3 isn't too bad and they are an aggressive alliance, but their rank 1 in DBP shows they are getting hammered. We will see how they end up.
6. Alpha Wolves
I see a lot of dead weight here. They have many players still stuck in the 1-city phase. Their ABP isn't very impressive so they could definitely be more aggressive.
7. Ocean Kingdom
I know very little about this alliance, but it seems they aren't in much better condition than the Alpha Wolves. Their points are slightly lower, but their ABP is slightly higher. They need to shed some major dead weight and start attacking more. I have heard, however, they are fighting a losing war. I don't see them lasting long.
8. Phoenix
Oh dear. This is where things get nasty. This alliances is a good example of an MRA. They have a couple players who are doing decent and then the 90% who are still learning how to attack. Over 1/3 of their alliance still has only one city and they are partially in the core area. Their future does not look bright whatsoever.
9. The MacLeod Clan
From what I've heard, this alliance is dying quickly at the hands of the Myrmidons. Besides that, they are carrying a large amount of dead weight, but have good rankings in ABP and DBP. I'm not sure whether this alliance will sink or swim, but they're not looking too hot right now.
10. No.BS
This alliance, from what I understand, is the remnants of Army of Darkness who first merged into MLP before being kicked out again. With that said, they are carrying a lot of dead weight with only a handful of big players. They are rank 15 in ABP which isn't a good sign. It seems they may need to merge again...
11. Boatmen of Styx
Toting the lowest point average of the Top 12, this alliance isn't looking too hot. Over half their alliance still only has one city. However, they are new rim alliance despite their closeness to the core. Their ABP isn't too bad but considering how close they are to the core, they don't have an easy path.
12. Vengeance
Another alliance with several 1-city members, Vengeance is a new name to me. Their average points are decent but their ABP ranking is 13, which isn't too good. They are close to the core and caught in the middle of the Krypt-OV War. I'm not sure how that stand for them, but they'll need to be better than what they are now to survive.
Sink/Swim
Krypteia - swim
The Myrmidons - sink
The Bish - swim
The Ultimate Kill Squad - swim
OCEAN VETERANS - sink
Alpha Wolves - sink
Ocean Kingdom - sink
Phoenix - sink
The MacLeod Clan - sink
No.BS - sink
Boatmen of STYX - sink
Vengeance - sink
This is based upon long-term judgement, not within a few weeks or months.