Aviators:
Franchise Manager – TheTerminiator
Season 13 Teams – AL, CL, ML
Origins
Debuting in Season 4, the Aviators were headed up by SquatingTurtle. The team found modest success in the early format of the MLE season, reaching the wildcard stages before being eliminated from the playoff hunt. They did so whilst their captain in SquatingTurtle achieved the 2s Savior award and had the most saves overall for 2s as well.
Championship History
The Aviators haven’t been the most successful franchise across the board. Their first championship came in Season 6, thanks to an incredible run from Fry’s CL team, which also took home the CL 2s Blue Conference. With no playoff appearances for the next 3 seasons, the Aviators have struggled to recapture that incredible run, their only success coming in the form of 3 divisional titles that they picked up in Season 12.
Franchise Atmosphere
New FM TheTerminiator had this to say about the Aviators’ atmosphere: “The Aviators franchise is one that bases itself in the community aspect, and we have an incredible community over there. Each season is different, but the goal is to keep that positive atmosphere going forward.”
This sort of positive atmosphere has carried over into their aspirations for players as well, with Terminiator stating, “I’m someone who believes a positive atmosphere creates chemistry, and ultimately leads to better performance. Continuing that momentum I think will only bring positive play for us.”
The Aviators are one of the more character-filled franchises with a lot of history and a lot of growth in their future. If you’re interested in being in the Aviators server, you can join it by using the following link: https://discord.gg/6MUQ5eGMSt
Ducks:
Franchise Manager – Knitt
Season 13 Teams – AL, CL, ML
Origins
Debuting in Season 2, when the league was known as MLD, the Ducks first captain and franchise leader has been lost to time. Whilst we may not know who led them during this first season, we do know that they started their history in MLE right. They secured a Conference win in their first attempt, before falling just short in the Grand Finals against the Dodgers.
Championship History
The Ducks are a rather illustrious team from the earliest periods of MLE’s existence, racking up three championship wins across seasons 4, 5 and 7. This makes them the franchise with the second most championship wins of all time. And, with a total of 4 conference titles and 9 divisional titles, the most recent of which came in AL 3s for Season 12, the team could be looking to break out from their lack of conference and championship wins in their third season under Knitt’s management.
Franchise Atmosphere
I got the pleasure of speaking with Knitt about the Ducks franchise, and when asked about the atmosphere in the Ducks camp, he stated, “In one word: electric. We had players from every level in our franchise supporting everyone else, and there pretty much wasn’t a night where there weren’t people in our team VC hanging out and playing games together.”
In terms of looking towards Season 13, the Ducks are looking for a continuation of that chemistry and community vibe. Knitt commented, “The way I look at it, these are the people you’re going to be spending the entire season with. The community off the pitch translates into performance on the pitch.”
With such a detailed history as the Ducks, it’s hard not to see them having a good season in Season 13 in at least one of their leagues. If you’re looking to be a part of the Ducks Franchise for Season 13, you can join their Discord server using the link below, and attend their tryouts throughout the build up to the draft. As Knitt told me at the end of our interview, “I would say to any FA that comes to one of our tryouts, just be yourself. We take both performance and personality into consideration when deciding who we want to draft/sign.” The Ducks Discord link, for those interested: https://discord.gg/fAFDuMY
Hive:
Franchise Manager – uhsteve
Season 13 Teams – AL, CL, ML, PL
Origins
Debuted as a part of the 8 team Franchise Expansion in Season 8, when MLE moved to a 4 league format. Under the leadership of Vino, a former member of MLE’s League Operations (LO), the Hive found some success, getting two of their four teams to the playoffs in the Wildcard positions. Both were eliminated before winning the Conference, however.
Championship History
With only 5 seasons under their belt as a Franchise, you’d be forgiven for thinking that they might be a little unsuccessful. But throughout Seasons 10, 11, and 12, the Hive soared, pun intended. They attained 5 divisional titles, 1 conference and, most importantly, their first and only Championship title, thanks to their FL 2s team. Whilst a little more subdued in season 12, there’s a good chance they’ll bounce back.
Franchise Atmosphere
With such a unique franchise, usually a unique atmosphere follows, and the Hive are no exception. I asked the new FM of the Hive, uhsteve, about this and he told me, “The Hive atmosphere is all about having fun and joking around with each other. When it comes to competing, we encourage a positive and driven atmosphere.”
With the atmosphere being so positive, so is Steve’s outlook towards Season 13 – specifically with bringing in more positive individuals. He added, “I want people who will be positive and help keep the team atmosphere up that wants people coming back to play the next season.” He also stated that, “I don’t care if everybody ranks out because at the end of the day, improving at the game itself is more important.”
The Hive may not be the most illustrious or longest standing franchise in MLE history, but what they lack in seasons played they more than make up for in character. In a parting statement, Steve told me, “I just want to say that whether or not they get drafted by us, anybody is free to join the discord, hang out, get help, and participate in any tournaments/events that we host throughout the season!” If you’d like to join their server, here’s their discord: https://discord.gg/F6UzmRs2Ww
Hawks:
Franchise Manager – Staas
Season 13 Teams – AL, CL, ML, PL
Origins
Debuting as one of the first teams in MLE back in Season 1, when MLE was known as MLD, the Hawks found success almost immediately. Their franchise leader (whose name has been lost to time) guided them to becoming the first ever Blue Conference champions, before their loss to the Elite in the Championship Final.
Championship History
In terms of trophies, the Hawks were, up to Season 12, one of the most unlucky franchises. As of the end of Season 11, the Hawks had won 3 divisional titles and 4 conference titles, but had failed in all four attempts at winning the championship. This changed in Season 12, where the Hawks had one of the most dominant seasons in MLE history, winning an additional 3 divisional titles, a further 4 conference titles and, most importantly, 3 separate MLE championships. This has propelled them to one of the most decorated franchises in MLE’s 12 season history.
Franchise Atmosphere
I had the honor of sitting down and interviewing the FM of the Hawks franchise, and he was very willing to discuss the atmosphere of the franchise. He told me, “Everyone is typically pretty chill, but from my experience, it varies quite a bit season to season. I do however expect players to practice and grow within their teams, because our ultimate goal is to make playoffs and win championships.”
Seeing as the Hawks had an incredibly championship-oriented side across the board in Season 12, I asked Staas about his plans for bringing in players for Season 13, to which he responded, “We’re definitely looking for players that want to strive to win. We’ve had every team make playoffs in the past two seasons, and I look forward to keeping that streak going.”
With the Hawks looking to continue their reign of dominance through to Season 13, now may be the best time to tryout for them, as Staas explained. “I’m looking forward to seeing some new names at tryouts, and putting together new teams that will hopefully continue our streak of success.” If you’d like to join the Hawks Discord server, you can do so here: https://discord.gg/g8ANJYZ
