Step 1 — earn points from placements
A power ranking assigns points per event based on placement, weighted by event prestige (a major final pays far more than an open qualifier). Older results decay so the list reflects current form. A typical schedule looks like this (illustrative values):
| Result | Event weight | PR points |
|---|---|---|
| 1st — major final | Major | 5,000 |
| Top 10 — major final | Major | 1,500 |
| Top 100 — weekly cash cup | Minor | 250 |
| Top 1,000 — open qualifier | Open | 25 |
Decay example: results from the current season count at 100%, last season at 50%, two seasons back at 25%. A player with 4,000 / 6,000 / 8,000 raw points across those seasons holds 4,000 + 3,000 + 2,000 = 9,000 effective PR.
Step 2 — cut the distribution into tiers
Tiers aren't about absolute points — they're about where you sit relative to everyone else. Compute each player's percentile, then apply fixed thresholds:
S
≥ 95th percentile — the top 5%. Tournament favorites.
A
80th–95th percentile. Consistent finals threats.
B
50th–80th percentile. Above the median grinder.
C
20th–50th percentile. Qualifier regulars.
D
< 20th percentile. New or inactive on the ladder.
Percentile formula: percentile = (number of players with fewer points ÷ total players) × 100. With 20 players, beating 14 of them puts you at 14 ÷ 20 × 100 = the 70th percentile → B tier.
Step 3 — drag the slider, watch the re-tier
The 3D shelf holds a 20-player region. Lime cubes are the field; the magenta cube is Player X — you. Drag the PR slider and Player X flies to the correct tier row while the math updates live. Drag empty space to rotate the shelf.
Above the median — solid B.
Why good tier lists still argue
Thresholds are a choice
95/80/50/20 is common because it makes S genuinely rare, but a list using quintiles (equal 20% bands) will tier the same players differently. Always check the cut rule before arguing.
Points measure attendance too
PR rewards playing a lot of events. A cracked player who skipped a month can sit in B on points while being S on skill — which is why many lists blend PR with eye-test votes.
Ties and clumps
Real distributions clump near the bottom (many players with few points). Percentiles handle this better than raw cutoffs like "S = 50k+", which break every time the season's point supply changes.
Sample matters
70th percentile of a 20-player lobby and 70th percentile of a 10,000-player region are very different claims. Bigger sample, more stable tiers.