After watching the last two Shadowrun tournaments from both behind the players and behind the microphone as an MLG broadcaster it’s become clear the position of Troll is central to Shadowrun. A great Troll can be a key to the success of a team and the game changer.

The rushing attacks of a good Troll can determine the offensive strats. An elf or human is often put into a support role behind a Troll just for the reason of resurrecting him and allow the Troll to keep right on attacking. Either way it’s pretty clear among professionals that a great Troll is a must for a great team.

So lets go through my list of the top five Trolls in Shadowrun. Again I have spoken to professionals, fans, referees and other media but in the end there’s no clear agreement.

Honorable Mention – Final Mirage - He didn’t use Troll much but he’s well above average when he did use it. I’d love to see what he looks like when he went full time Troll but I have a feeling that will not happen anytime soon as he’s arguable the best Elf in the game.

5) Redeeemer – He was one of the best Trolls in Chicago but here at Orlando he just seemed slightly above average. His play was really dependant on his teammates and he lacked the game breaking ability on his own. Still he has a very good role player and helped his team to a fourth place finish.

4) Bucko – He might not even be the best Troll on his team with Final Mirage playing Elf, but he still is a very good Troll and plays well inside of his team. The tough part is knowing how much is really his play and the rest is Final Mirage’s support play. I gave him a little bit of a downgrade but I think he’s got potential to keep growing into a top player.

3) Hershy – A surprise to this list. He’s on the up and coming team IP who really stepped up here in Orlando. Hershy was HUGE for them dropping 21 frags against Pure in the first map and sparking their hot play. I think he also was one of the best fraggers from the Troll position. He picks up frags using the Anti-Magic grenades better then anyone. In their lower bracket final match against SW, Hershy took on both Final Mirage and Bucko who both used Troll. His use of Anti-Magic grenades allowed him to dominate both of them.

2) Walshy – While his team played poorly at this event and cost him the top spot, I think he’s still the number two Troll in the game. His use of Katana maybe the best in the game and he really works well with his teammates. His weakest aspect of his game is his tendancy to rush too much at times. He often gets resurrected and immediately rushes in before his teammates have regrouped. I think if he showed a bit more patience he would be a much better player.

1) Vintage – He has really stepped up his game after MLG Chicago. Before MLG Chicago he would have been lucky to make this list but Orlando proved he was a force to be dealt with. The big key for him taking the next step will be his teammates. They need to learn how to use a great Troll more effectively and allow him to spearhead attacks more instead of being forced into 3v1 situations.

Related: TsK wins Shadowrun, Full wrapup | Shadowrun Scores from Orlando | Full MLG Coverage