My Top 12-
Authentic from the Rim
I personally like to group alliances together, and also focus on growth in my Top 12 to do the talking, so you can see real size and direction in terms of statistics. Also it's normally a Sink/Swim/Float format. This is going to have way more of my personal opinion than I usually give, so i'll let you know future Top 12's are going to be much more objective/stats/location focused, as I don't know too much outside of my little bubble. Also this is my first real Domination world. This is also to give hope to the other alliances, as right now the world seems one-sided.
1. Hug This- 8.7 million points.
They are clearly dominating, while if this was a fast world their domination would be a major problem, but if you use travel times, the far reaches of the world are "far", so their is likely some alliances particularly the ones to the far South (Mercenaries) who have a zero chance of encountering Hug This, and which consequently means in a half year's time, they and other's in their position can compete just because of the sheer size of this world compared to others (in the sense of the new meta, back in Byzantium my first world, I spawned in 32 and my ocean was still so far inwards that we still had wars with other rim alliances even further away from the center than us). Either way, you guys know they are quality players so it wouldn't be to much interesting to focus on their strength. Control the northern center of the world with roughly a third of 44/54.
The only thing, I really have against them is the circumstances in which our war (I'm in Hell Hounds academy) started. The same player that instigated the war (Predator56) is in their alliance, and he's whole purpose of starting the war was chasing down lone player, (DaveA8) who was alone, before joining HT after Predator started pestering him with attacks and urging others to do so even after joining HT. When we obviously didn't want to instigate a fight that we knew was inevitable, Predator left, and as many members called it eventually joined HT, only for war to popup a week later, and us realizing nearly ever island Predator was on in 44 (since most of his cities were originally in our area), also had DaveA8 located on it. Not saying anything,
but it felt like we were being played. ("This is just me being salty").
But this point is mute because, I have played with/against Thizzle before (I think his alliance was called NOOBS and he just happened to be in my alliance in another world), although I doubt he remembers me, and I know that their was never a need to declare war on anybody. If Grepolis is still the old school Grepolis I left, alliances, could declare war just because the grapes they bought in RL were expired, let alone an actual reason like an alliance attacking them. Either way they are a great group of players, and their's no point denying that.
SWIM
2. True Fear/Phoenix Blade- 7.9 million points.
PB- 2.3 million points
I have actually played in their alliance before (Was called Lost Boys back then if I remember correctly), great guys although this world has given them a serious beating. They control much of their original 45, and have the most control of any single core ocean. Phoenix Blade i'm completely unsure of their relation to TF, but it seems like they are very close if TF hasn't started taking their cities en-masse by now. While they have been taking massive losses. This means the world is a bit more competitive than previously thought. TF might get completely shut out of 44, but it's only a crisis if they start losing dozens of cities in 45. If they can hold the line, they can allow themselves, and other's around the world to slowly catch up, which will in turn make the world a bit more interesting. Control 45/35.
They have a big chance with much smaller, but up and coming Mercenaries, who are growing gangbusters , and are likely to become the fourth alliance in the race for Domination, If these guys can successful takeover Mercenaries in the South, as well as slowly merging Phoenix Blade into True Fear they may surprise the world.
SWIM
3. NONAME/Infinite Army- 6.4 million points.
IW- 2.1 million points.
The smallest of the big three, core alliances. Their currently in the most interesting war in the world against Nightmares of Elysium. Their winning 2:1 (70-36) but that is still by far the closest war score between major alliances. in terms of size differences, it's massive, but they are really 2 different, alliances, with Infinity War losing slightly to NOE and NONAME dominating their side of the war. They at this point will win their war, which will help bolster them and put them in a position, if they push to challenge Hug This. I don't know their team, but if they can takeover NOE in 55 and manage Mercenaries to the south they can slowly catch up to the other top three alliances.
SWIM
4. Mercenaries- 3.2 million points.
Their core is the very definition of patchy, they are currently in between several rim alliances, which are several times smaller than them, this is a positive, but they are also close to NONAME and True Fear and are hitting IW who may or may not be affiliated with NONAME. These guys should have the easiest cruise to the top of they manage to grow in 45 and maintain their presence in 55 and 46 they can form a core at the corner that is 45/46/55/56 and dominate the two rim oceans with relative ease. all they need to do is let the alliances in 46 grow fat, build a solid core for them and then take it all, similar to how they took over 56. They'll soon be as strong as at least NONAME.
SWIM