That 10 year old list about covers it..
Eagler
I actually like the longer list tbh. At any given day most of these players could hold their own against the others. Plus I wanted to give the special events guys some credit too since there is a lot of strategic aspects that get overlooked. Also, the shorter list doesnt include new generation of players who are good sticks and keeping the MA/spec events alive today. Remember that most of the names 10 years ago were from AH2 generation. AH3 is much harder IMO than AH2 because its harder to recognize E states and the radar/kill messages allows your position to get compromised. The current game is much harder than AH2 of old where there was more players to help you escape the fight. Now you have less opportunity to have friends help and getting ganged is much more the norm now. Its very hard to "be good" when 2 vet yak3s and a la7 are chasing you down.. its why most of these players have left. Its hard for them to maintain that legend status when the MA is so much tougher and egos are easier to bruise with your name showing up every time you die. The older generation of AH and top sticks is different than it is today.
The 1v1 scene has been ruined. No one wants to 1v1 just for fun anymore. That's how it always use to be. I never had formal duels back in the day. It was always just fun with no pressure and shame if someone lost most of the duels. Unfortunately that is gone now and there is no place for it when a bunch of guys want to round Robin and fight each other. The jedi training has been ruined because someone took it too seriously and ran a bunch of players off. Now the 1v1 sticks are far and few between, the dueling arena is bare, and no one is learning ACM properly. This has turned the MA into a BnZ gang contest which is very tough to have fun in, thus the decline in #s. IMO, I almost have to knock a few points off these guys since they were "good" when the game was "good", but how would they fair now in a MA that is much tougher to play in?