First Look: The CryptoStrikers Originals (Champions League Final Edition)
CryptoStrikers are rare and beautiful sports cards on the Ethereum blockchain. To find out more, read our previous post.
Our illustrators (more from them in future posts) have done an awesome job with our player cards. We can’t wait to reveal the full set of players available to collect!
In the buildup to our launch during the 1st week of June, we’ve decided to write a series of posts revealing the players in our Originals set of cards. The set consists of 100 players who will be participating in next month’s tournament in Russia, ranging from a minimum of 2 to a maximum of 8 players per country. We will also release limited edition cards on a daily basis starting June 14th — we’re keeping that set under wraps outside of a quick reveal of 1 card below.
All players will be available via card pack purchase, 4 cards per pack, upon launch. The players are grouped into 4 different rarity tiers:
💎 Diamond (4 players)
🏅 Gold (16 players)
🥈 Silver (30 players)
🥉 Bronze (50 players)
Without further ado, let’s get to an analysis of Saturday’s Champions League Final, with player bios penned by our in-house Soccer Editor Ramin Mohsenin. If CryptoStrikers representation is a proxy for success, then Real Madrid should cruise to victory.
Real Madrid (9 CryptoStrikers players)
1 — Cristiano Ronaldo
Bio: One of the most polarizing figures in sports, playing in his 6th Champions League final, and looking to hoist the cup for a third year in a row. Although many criticize his choices off the pitch, Ronaldo certainly makes the right decisions in front of goal.
Rarity: 💎 Diamond
Checklist #: 001
2 — Luka Modrić
Bio: The master playmaker, the engine in the midfield, and the beating heart of Croatia. A maestro captain who continuously impresses with pinpoint passing ability and creativity to spark the attack.
Rarity: 🏅 Gold
Checklist #: 006
3 — Sergio Ramos
Bio: Loved at the Bernabeu but hated pretty much everywhere else, Madrid’s captain is a massive presence in the dressing room and has slowly evolved into one of the most dominant defenders in Champions League history. If things turn south Saturday, he always has his newfound rap career to fall back on.
Rarity: 🏅 Gold
Checklist #: 008
4 — Toni Kroos
Bio: As classic as German precision and efficiency can get, Toni Kroos is a midfielder of the absolute highest quality. A metronome in the middle of the park who can dictate the pace of play with very simple but effective touches.
Rarity: 🏅 Gold
Checklist #: 009
5 — Isco
Bio: He makes dazzling dribbles look effortless as he waltzes past helpless defenders. The combination of technique and pace which the crafty midfielder possesses is very rare, even by Spanish standards.
Rarity: 🥈 Silver
Checklist #: 020
6 — Marcelo
Bio: While the attacking left back will arguably go down in history as one of the all-time greats, there is no debate that Marcelo sports one of the most signature hairstyles in our set of Originals.
Rarity: 🥈 Silver
Checklist #: 021
7 — Casemiro
Bio: A brick wall in the middle of the pitch. Considering Madrid’s plethora of dynamic attacking options, Casemiro brings a much-needed balance to their tactical setup.
Rarity: 🥈 Silver
Checklist #: 033
8 — Keylor Navas
Bio: Even though he may not look like a footballer (or any sort of athlete for that matter), Keylor Navas has kept Real Madrid alive this season multiple times with critical lifelines, while leading Costa Rica to their highest achievements.
Rarity: 🥈 Silver
Checklist #: 049
9 — Raphaël Varane
Bio: The prodigy of Zizou and the future of the French backline, Varane remains the youngest defender ever to win 3 Champions League trophies.
Rarity: 🥉 Bronze
Checklist #: 051
Liverpool (3 CryptoStrikers players)
1 — Mohamed Salah
Bio: The Egyptian Messi. A figure more important than the Pyramids of Giza. When he punched his nation’s ticket to the World Cup, Egypt truly reached the promised land. Klopp has juiced the best out of him this season.
Rarity: 💎 Diamond
Checklist #: 003
2 — Roberto Firmino
Bio: A versatile attacker who can play across multiple lines, Firmino’s close control and vision are an instant threat to any defense. Will the Reds be chanting his name when the final whistle blows Saturday?
Rarity: 🥈 Silver
Checklist #: 045
3 — Sadio Mané
Bio: Simply Supermané. While his small home village will be a sea of red, Mané will be an integral part of the “Fab Three” attack for the Liverpool side.
Rarity: 🥈 Silver
Checklist #: 046
Bonus Section: First Iconics Card Reveal!
As referenced above, we’ll be releasing a limited edition set of 32 player cards called the Iconics on June 14th, with a different player being featured on each match day of next month’s tournament. These cards will only be available for purchase in our Premium packs.
The Iconics set features unique artwork that makes these cards visually distinct from the Originals. 30 of the 32 illustrated players are also represented in the Originals set — keep an eye out for the 2 wildcards.
Since Liverpool was a little underrepresented in our CryptoStrikers player universe, we felt we should reveal one of the two limited edition cards falling within their roster. Can you guess who the other one is?
Sadio Mané
[Note: This card will be available in our 1st Premium Sale on June 14th.]
Rarity: 100 cards total
Checklist #: 122
So that does it for our initial preview. Look out for our next player post early next week, as we continue to reveal all 100 Originals prior to launch.
Don’t like our rankings? Players you’re dying to see? Looking for a ‘historical’ set? Hit us up on Discord — all feedback/ideas welcome.
Good luck to both Real Madrid and Liverpool, and of course, our CryptoStrikers stars, on Saturday.
Until next time, see you on the pitch!
Benn
