Top 5 Wins by Season - Day Four: Top 7 Wins

[The Red Jaguars]

Time for a new poll for the Chamber of the Sacred Markers.   This time around, we are voting for the top 5 wins of each season on the show. There were a total of 32 wins on the show (12 in S1, 10 in S2, 10 in S3) and a lot of them get mixed reviews. Most of the time when we compare wins, we do them against each other. In this poll though, we are finding the best 5 wins from each individual season. So when you are choosing the best 5 wins, remember you are comparing them to other wins from that season. You can also choose the best 5 wins for any reason you like. Whether it be player performance, temple run quality, memorableness, etc. So just like the other polls, you must choose 5 options on the list and the winners will be selected for the final poll.

Results:

Season 1
T1. Galileo's Cannonball (8 votes)
T1. John Sutter and the Map to the Lost Gold Mine (8 votes)
T1. The Star of Sultan Saladin (8 votes)
T1. Lawrence of Arabia's Headdress (8 votes)
5. The Trojan Horseshoe (4 votes)
6. The Belly Button of Buddha (3 votes)
7. The Snake Bracelet of Cleopatra (1 vote)

Season 2
T1. The Lucky Pillow of Annie Taylor (6 votes)
T1. The Lucky Medallion of Atocha (6 votes)
T3. The Milk Bucket of Freydis (5 votes)
T3. The Snakeskin Boots of Billy the Kid (5 votes)
5. The Levitating Dog Leash of Nostradamus (4 votes)
6. The Applewood Amulet of Emiliano Zapata (3 votes)
7. The Enormous Iron Nose Ring of Babe (1 vote)

Season 3
T1. The Mussel-Shell Armor of Apanuugpak (8 votes)
T1. The Lost Hornpipe of the Pirate Captain (8 votes)
3. The Jewel-Encrusted Egg of Catherine the Great (7 votes)
4. The Lion-Headed Bracelet of Chandragupta (5 votes)
T5. The Much-Heralded Helmet of Sir Gawain (4 votes)
T5. The Metal Beard of the Egyptian Queen (4 votes)[/b]
7. The Secret Map of the Bandit Queen (2 votes)

We will start off with Season 1. I will reveal my options in the next post.

[The Red Jaguars]

The top 5 wins for Season 1 I voted for were Lawrence of Arabia, Map to the Lost Gold Mine, Sultan Saladin, Galileo, and Trojan Horseshoe.

1. Lawrence of Arabia - The best and most memorable win of Season 1. This run was filled with Fogg-ups, a pretty tough layout for S1 standards, and David and Candace were a really good team. Especially David, he was a bad ass from his temple exit to his Silver Monkey completion. This is the best win from S1. 

2. Map to the Lost Gold Mine - Another very good win that comes close to Lawrence of Arabia. This temple run was very memorable and exciting, and Jennifer was the star of this run. The Fogg-ups are also hilarious in this run too. Plus, the temple ending was very memorable too.  

3. Sultan Saladin - This was a solid solo win and the only one I even like from S1. Lea was a fast and strong contestant, and there was no point where I felt like she did anything wrong. Even if she kept trying for the direct path, it shouldn't take away from her strong performance. And the temple ending was memorable for the long post-run interview. 

4. Galileo - It may be an awkward run, but also pretty good too. It was memorable for the temple guard telling Jennifer to go up and Jammin John's very close finish.  Jammin John was freaking awesome too, so of course his win will get a vote.

5. Trojan Horseshoe - To me, the above four wins were obvious choices. The last spot was like a filler choice for me. The rest of the wins were either average or just sucked. I voted for this one though because it is the one that I have the least problems with and it wasn't too bad. Lucretia and Shawn were a good team anyways, and they earned their win. I honestly have no problems with this one.

[PurpleParrot4Life]

My top 5 wins of Season 1, in order of occurrence, are:

• Galileo’s Cannonball- Scoring the first victory of the show, Jennifer and Jammin’ Jon finished with 0:01 on the clock. Jennifer’s encounter with the temple guard in the Throne Room was memorable, and when she was removed in the Shrine, Jammin’ Jon followed up on her path very quickly. After grabbing the Cannonball, it was smart for Jon to head back to the top floor and exit via the Cave of Sighs. His dropping the Cannonball and then dashing to the gate in the final seconds makes this run enjoyable to watch.
• John Sutter and the Map to the Lost Gold Mine- Damian was removed three rooms into the temple, in under 30 seconds. Then, Jennifer went into the temple and cleared the whole top floor. Although she unnecessarily attempted to complete the Torch Room, it didn’t use up that much time and wasn’t detrimental to the run. Her slipping at the gate upon exiting the temple solidifies this run as one of the most memorable of Season 1.
• Star of Sultan Saladin- Lea moved swiftly through the temple and kept a good pace the whole run. She tried to enter the Observatory directly from the Wall Climb, but who can blame her since that was where she was trying to go? She cleared the bottom floor in good time, had a memorable temple guard encounter in the Tomb of Ancient Kings, and then went straight into the Shrine from the Dungeon. After clearing the top floor and reaching the artifact, she made it out of the temple with 27 seconds to spare. This was a very strong solo performance for a Season 1 run.
• Trojan Horseshoe- This was another solid Season 1 team run. They kept a good pace the whole time and always moved forward. There isn’t a whole lot else to say since this was a very straight-forward run, but it’s a good one nonetheless.
• Lawrence of Arabia’s Headdress- This was the first episode aired on television, and for good reason. It was a very exciting, down-to-the-wire victory. The only disappointing aspects of this run are that it took Candice took 30 seconds to get out of the Cave of Sighs, and that it could have been a solo victory if the Cave of Sighs and Room of the Fallen Columns were both avoided. Still, David put up a very strong performance as the second runner. His decisions to go directly down to the Tomb of Ancient Kings and to climb up the wall in the Wheel Room allowed for this run to end in victory. All in all, there were some things about this run that could have gone more smoothly, but as it stands, this was one of the most enjoyable victories of Season 1.

My next two runs of choice are Belly Button of Buddha and Moccasins of Geronimo. In the Buddha run, Jennifer had a very similar path to Lea, but moved more slowly and also took a wrong turn into the Torch Room. I understand that Jennifer's series of rooms was more difficult than Lea's (Wheel Room, Harmonic Convergence, and Bamboo Forest), but it was her lack of speed- not the fact that her run ended with less time on the clock- that made this run feel a bit more drawn out.

As much as Mitchell's performance comes under scrutiny, I think that he still did a good job in the temple. He may have "walked" through the whole temple, but he still finished with over 1:00 on the clock because he never hesitated and kept moving forward... something that many other Season 1 contestants failed to do. I believe Mitchell's opening the chest in the Treasure Room was not a fluke, since he went directly to it, opened it, and did not hesitate to go down into the Swamp. All in all, it appeared that Mitchell's entire run was calculated out and executed well.

[The Red Jaguars]

Buddha would've been my other choice for the last slot for the win. The only reason why I didn't vote for it because for the same reasons as PP4L. If Jennifer moved a little faster like she did when she exited the temple, then this win would've gotten a little more respect from me then. Even though the Trojan Horseshoe team wasn't much faster, I figured that a team victory where both players move at an average pace is a little more earned then a win with an average solo runner. Plus, Kirk was kind of cheesy in the Trojan Horseshoe. 

[GreenMonkeys#1]

My choices were

Lawrence of Arabia: Obviously!
John Sutter: Memorable victory
Buddha: I did this one over Trojan Horseshoe because this victory is overlooked upon LOTHT.
Galileo: The first victory. Jammin Jon was a beast
Sultan Saladin: First solo victory

[Purple Parrots Fan]

Gailileo
John Sutter
Sultan Saladin
Trojan Horseshoe
Lawrence of Arabia

Two Silver Snake, two Green Monkey, and a Blue Barracuda win chosen for me.

[The Red Jaguars]

I think we have enough votes to move on. The winners are Galileo ( 8 ), Map to the Lost Gold Mine ( 8 ), Sultan Saladin ( 8 ), Lawrence of Arabia ( 8 ), and the Trojan Horseshoe (4). I like how the first four wins were unanimous votes. They are obviously the best wins from Season 1.

Next up is Season 2.

Edit by PPF: To fix the smiley in your posts. Posting ( 8 ) is more effective for people seeing the results better.

[The Red Jaguars]

My votes went to Annie Taylor, Atocha, Freydis, Nostradamus, and Billy the Kid.

1. Annie Taylor - Easy vote for me. This was the best win of Season 2 and Missy was a solid player. The temple run was very memorable and enjoyable, and the ending to it tops it off. Missy was a solid contestant and I have no complaints about her performance. It was the first center of the temple run victory ever, so Missy deserves all the credit she gets.  

2. Atocha - Another very memorable and solid solo victory. The temple run is memorable for Ty's pendant drop, Kirk's lame "Ty Cobb" pun, and his domination inside of the temple. Plus, his plan to stay at the top was a good idea too. And I like the enthusiasm from Ty and Jennifer.  

3. Freydis - Tarrah was a very solid temple player, and the ending to this run was very exciting. Say what you want about her speed or moving into the wrong direction. Everything else about this run was exciting and you have to give her credit for that strong finish after taking a nasty hit in the Pit. A very exciting episode with a nailbiter ending.  

4. Nostradamus - A good team victory, and it was also very memorable. Elizabeth's enthusiasm and Jason's usage of the Dog Leash in the Pit of Despair makes this run memorable and they were smart players.  

5. Billy the Kid - It was a very close choice between Emiliano Zapata and Billy the Kid. The only reason I didn't choose Zapata was because Billy the Kid was more memorable to me. Both runs were exciting, but I remember this run more for the Purple Parrot domination and their first victory. And honestly, Tony and Kelly entered the same amount of rooms as the Zapata kids too. There layout wasn't that simple. It just didn't have the nailbiter ending. Both wins are great though.    

[PurpleParrot4Life]

My choices for Season 2 were:

• Lucky Medallion of Atocha- Ty's dropping his pendant at the start of this run was very memorable. After Jennifer tossed it back to him, he had a very strong performance by staying on the top floor. Ty kept a good pace the whole way through.
• Lucky Pillow of Annie Taylor- Missy had a very solid run and scored the first of only two Center of the Room victories. The high amount of enthusiasm from the contestants and Kirk, and the audience's cheering really added to this run.
• Enormous Nose Ring of Babe- Joel was a very fast contestant. Sure, his path didn't have many "obstacles," but he evaded a temple guard in the Dark. Plus, he managed to reach the King's Storeroom in under 1:30. Had he exited the temple via the Troubled Bridge, Joel would have, in my mind, scored one of the most flawless temple performances of the show.
• Snakeskin Boots of Billy the Kid- This run is always fun to watch. It's the first Purple Parrot victory, and I really love how Tony kept trying to take a shortcut into the Shrine, even though he was not given access to it until the Mineshaft. The ending of this run is pretty intense.
• Milk Bucket of Freydis- Tarrah had a very impressive solo victory. She was a little hesitant on the bottom floor and took a wrong turn from the Shrine, but it is her exiting the temple that really made this run so epic. After her hard hit in the Pit, she regained her composure and continued through the Ledges for a down-to-the-wire victory.

[Purple Parrots Fan]

My votes:

Amulet
Atocha
Annie Taylor
Billy the Kid
Freydis

Nostradamus was also a good run, and I would've voted for it, but I liked the other 5 runs better.

[The Red Jaguars]

I think we can finish with Season 2 now. The winners include Annie Taylor (6), Atocha (6), Billy the Kid (5), Freydis (5), and Nostradamus (4).

Season 3 will be our final season to cover.

[The Red Jaguars]

My choices went to Pirate Captain, Apanuugpak, Catherine the Great, Egyptian Queen, and Sir Gawain.

1. Pirate Captain - This is the strongest win from this season. Jessica and Jarrid were a very fast and strong team and won it all with a very tough layout. Jessica handled the central shaft very well and Jarrid followed up on her path despite the production error in the Pit. Even though Jarrid's detour could've been deadly, it didn't hurt him in the end and this run was very exciting. 

2. Apanuugpak - Another great and amazing win. The only reason it is not #1 for me because I didn't think Amanda was that great. Everything else was exciting for one reason alone: Gator.  The guy DOMINATED the temple and he is the perfect example of how you should move inside the temple. He was so fast he couldn't even keep his pants on. Also, Amanda's cheering also made this win enjoyable.

3. Catherine the Great - Kris and Kristin were a fun team to watch, and their win was outstanding too. Kristin was the star of this run though, and she ended the show on a positive note. You couldn't ask for anything better from these two. 

4. Egyptian Queen - I like this win over Bandit Queen because both players were strong in the temple. Randy may have had a bad exit plan, but in the end it made this run much more enjoyable and end as a nailbiter. 

5. Sir Gawain - It was either this one or Chandragupta. I chose Sir Gawain though because it was more memorable and I thought Tiffani was a very solid contestant despite being slow. She made it back to the platform and used the Shrine shortcut to her advantage. Plus, she dragged that big Helmet out with good time. Andrea was solid too, but I found Sir Gawain to be more memorable and exciting. 

I would've given Bandit Queen a vote over Sir Gawain, but in the end I didn't think it deserved it because of Miriam. It is still a great run for Zac alone, but I don't think it stacks well with the five above who actually had great players all around.

[PurpleParrot4Life]

My votes for Season 3 went to:

• Much-Heralded Helmet of Sir Gawain- Tiffani had a very strong solo victory. She may not have sprinted at all, but she kept her pace the whole time and made smart decisions in the temple. She got back to the platform in the Pit and utilized the door from the Shrine to the Dark Forest. Exiting the temple with the Helmet wasn't an easy task, either.
• Lion-Headed Bracelet of Chandragupta- Andrea had a solid run, finding the half pendant in the King's Storeroom and only encountering one avoidable guard in the Room of the Ancient Warriors. Her completion of the Secret Password and her excitement upon exiting the temple were very memorable.
• Lost Hornpipe of the Pirate Captain- Even though Jarrid could have ended this run prematurely in the Room of the Secret Password, luck was on his side. Combine that with this team's swift completion of a difficult series of rooms, and you end up with one of the strongest team efforts of the series.
• Mussel-Shell Armor of Apanuugpak- Amanda reached the Dark Forest in good time, and then Gator sped through the temple to score the second of two Center of the Rooms victories. Gator's wardrobe malfunction only adds to the memorability of this run.
• Jewel-Encrusted Egg of Catherine the Great- Kris got back to the platform in the Pit, but then quickly saw he should go down to the Tomb of the Headless Kings, where he was removed by a temple guard. Then, Kristin dove the temple and did a good job clearing the remaining rooms. She used the door from the Dark Forest to the Shrine, and then took some time to assemble the Silver Monkey. This may not have been a long and difficult path, but the team did well with it. Overall, Kirk's enthusiasm and commentary, paired with this being the last episode and final victory, makes this run very enjoyable.

[Purple Parrots Fan]

My votes:

Sir Gawain
Lost Hornpipe
Mussel Shell Armor
Metal Beard
Catherine the Great

Chandragupta would've gotten my vote as well, but I liked the other five a little bit better.

[The Red Jaguars]

So it looks like the winners are Pirate Captain (7), Apanuugpak (7), Catherine the Great (7), Chandragupta (5), and both Sir Gawain/Egyptian Queen (4).

If you guys don't mind, I can make Sir Gawain and Metal Beard share the last spot with a tie since technically the poll is for the best 5 wins from reach season. Unless you guys want a tiebreaker?