Mandarins 2026

[brassboy]

3 hours ago, Chief Guns said:

Who knows, you might see the fro roaming the sidelines of a corps performance and warming them up in the lot.

Then we can yell, “Hey! Down in front please!” 😝😂

[c.l.]

Seems like 6–7 is tough to move up from. Multiple corps have been there and it took most of them a while before winning (x2 in SCV”s case). Some touched it a few times and went back down (BK).

Hoping they can be the next first-timer.

[Chief Guns]

39 minutes ago, c.l. said:

Seems like 6–7 is tough to move up from. Multiple corps have been there and it took most of them a while before winning (x2 in SCV”s case). Some touched it a few times and went back down (BK).

Hoping they can be the next first-timer.

No doubt. 6-7 is very tough to move up from. 

But in the last 20 years, we have seen Crown, Bloo, and BAC do it, so the Mandarins can do it too. 

[Bruckner8]

8 hours ago, Chief Guns said:

No doubt. 6-7 is very tough to move up from. 

But in the last 20 years, we have seen Crown, Bloo, and BAC do it, so the Mandarins can do it too. 

Note that Cavies, Madison, and Cadets had to tumble in order for those corps to find room in the top 6. SCV and Phantom had a few slips as well, but now seem to be on firm footing. Cadets are gone (though their legacy is alive in other corps), and Madison seems to be a perennial non-factor. 

So the questions become: Who in the current top 6 is most likely to tumble? And who below them has the most Competitive Inertia to fill that spot? 

Both need to happen. The Mandarins are certainly doing the right things on their end. 

[brassboy]

39 minutes ago, Bruckner8 said:

Note that Cavies, Madison, and Cadets had to tumble in order for those corps to find room in the top 6. SCV and Phantom had a few slips as well, but now seem to be on firm footing. Cadets are gone (though their legacy is alive in other corps), and Madison seems to be a perennial non-factor. 

So the questions become: Who in the current top 6 is most likely to tumble? And who below them has the most Competitive Inertia to fill that spot? 

Both need to happen. The Mandarins are certainly doing the right things on their end. 

Perhaps the issue is in the question itself: why are people (including commentators like Rondinaro) so fixated on this arbitrary “Top 6” distinction? There’s nothing magical about 6 vs 5 vs 7. I think if nothing else, Mandarins (and possibly some others before them) have made an argument that “Top 6” is as outdated as purely acoustic drum corps. 

[KVG_DC]

It's creating another somewhat arbitrary break point with the intermission on finals night.   Everyone > 25 > 12 [>6].  To me, it also carries some of the "I'll watch the lots until the big corps come on in the last block" vibe.  

[KVG_DC]

Top 5 used to be the break for "who made the TV show".   In the same sense that Semis are still the Top 25 but "you made the BLL" achievement for the Top 15.

[Bruckner8]

5 minutes ago, brassboy said:

Perhaps the issue is in the question itself: why are people (including commentators like Rondinaro) so fixated on this arbitrary “Top 6” distinction? There’s nothing magical about 6 vs 5 vs 7. I think if nothing else, Mandarins (and possibly some others before them) have made an argument that “Top 6” is as outdated as purely acoustic drum corps. 

100%. Note that I was responding to a specific question about moving up from 6-7, and I drew a line above Mandarins since this is the Mandarins 2026 thread lol. That said, “Top X” has been in the Drum Corps Lexicon since forever, and will remain that way as long as we rank. Fundamentally, though, I agree with your sentiment….buuuut….6 is a little better than 7 😛

[bluecoats88]

it probably started to be more of a distinction when the top 6 usually had a gap between them and 7th on down in the scoring.  it was kinda an obvious seperation point that you've moved into a next level of groups

[Chief Guns]

So with a few days to process another amazing and record breaking season for the Mandarins, what do you want to see them do next as they continue their upward trajectory?