Top 20 Players of MW3: #3 Scrap

The #3 player of the Modern Warfare 3 season brought to you by HouseBets.com is the King of Trash Talk, Thomas “Scrap” Ernst.

After winning Rookie of the Year in Modern Warfare 2, expectations were very high for both Scrap and the Toronto Ultra. After the failure that was the Champs Grand Finals against the New York Subliners, they came into the season wanting to put that in the past. Scrap would do just that, leading the team to a Major 1 victory while finishing the year with a 1.16 KD, 87.6 Slayer Rating, while leading the League in damage in all three modes. The Scrap proved that he is the best AR in the League this season.

Season Review

After falling to the Subliners in the Modern Warfare 2 Champs Grand Finals, Toronto Ultra made a surprising move by parting ways with rookie Charlie "Hicksy" Hicks to bring in more slaying power. Despite their Major 3 victory and a strong run to the Champs Grand Finals, it wasn't enough to satisfy the squad.

With the LA Thieves roster breaking apart, three key free agents hit the market. Toronto needed an SMG, and signing Dylan "Envoy" Hannon made them instant championship contenders. Pairing Envoy with Tobias "CleanX" Juul Jønsson gave CleanX a stronger slaying SMG partner, while ARs Jamie "Insight" Craven and Scrap had another year to grow. As New York, the reigning Champs winners signed Daunte "Sib" Gray, Atlanta picked up Zach "Drazah" Jordan, and Texas formed a new super team with Amer "Pred" Zulbeari and Kenneth "Kenny" Williams, the competition was set to be fierce all year long.

📸 Photo by @CODLeague

The Ultra started the season strong in the Major 1 Qualifiers, finishing with a 6-1 record and securing the 2nd seed heading into Major 1. They won 75% of their maps (18-6), including big victories over New York (3-0) and LAT (3-1). Behind Scrap’s strong slaying & damage output, Toronto made one of the cleanest Major runs, winning 13 of 15 maps to claim the Major title. They faced top-seeded Atlanta twice, defeating them 3-1 in the Upper Finals and 4-1 in the Grand Finals. This stellar run saw the new Ultra roster finish the stage with a 31-8 map count and a LAN championship.

Following their Major victory, Toronto continued to roll in the second set of qualifiers, starting with a perfect 3-0 record over the first two weeks. However, they stumbled in the final two weeks, going 1-2 with losses to Atlanta (0-3) and Texas (2-3). They finished with a 5-2 record, securing the 4th seed for Major 2. At the Miami Major, Ultra's struggles against the top teams persisted. After falling 1-3 to Texas in Upper Round 2, they lost 3-0 to New York in Lower Round 4, finishing 4th at Major 2—a disappointing result following their Major 1 success.

📸 Photo by @MediabyIsiah

The midseason break allowed the team to reset and prepare for Major 3 Qualifiers. While they continued to struggle against FaZe online, losing 0-3, they finished the qualifiers with a 6-0 run. Earning the 2nd seed, Scrap and his team made a strong push to the Upper Finals after beating both Seattle and Texas 3-1. In a thrilling 5-map series, Ultra defeated FaZe 3-2 to advance to the Grand Finals, improving their LAN record against Atlanta to 3-0. However, Toronto couldn't maintain their momentum as Texas caught fire and swept them 4-0 in the Finals.

With the 1st seed still up for grabs, Toronto needed a strong performance during Stage 4. Despite losing their opening series 2-3 to Seattle, they bounced back with six straight wins, finishing 6-1. Their strong performance, including a victory over FaZe, earned them the 1st seed with a 20-8 map count (71%). However, the Major mirrored their slow start, as they lost 1-3 to LAG in the first series. Despite rallying with three consecutive wins to reach the Lower Round 4 match against New York, Ultra fell 0-3 to the Subliners, finishing 4th at Major 4 and locking in the 2nd seed for Champs.

📸 Photo by @CODLeague

Unfortunately, their struggles with slow starts continued at Champs, as they lost 1-3 to the LA Thieves in the opening match. Despite this setback, they fought back with three straight wins over LAG (3-0), Atlanta (3-0), and LAT (3-2), setting up a rematch against the Subliners in the Lower Finals. New York ultimately came out on top, defeating Toronto 3-2 to advance to the Finals and eliminating Ultra in 3rd place. Given how strong their season started, the ending was seen as a disappointment.

How good was Scrap in 2024?

Hardpoint

Scrap was voted as the best Hardpoint Player for Modern Warfare 3 during the BP Awards voted on by BP, the Breakdown, the Flank, coaches of the CDL teams, CDL talent, and more. He led the League in multiple categories including KD (1.16) and damage per 10 minutes (4785), while he also ranked 2nd in Kills per 10 minutes (25.5). Scrap tied HyDra with 38 maps with 5,000+ damage, achieving it in a League-leading 48.1% of his maps. The superstar AR also had 21 maps with 30+ kills, ranking 2nd in the CDL while finishing with a positive KD in 71% of the time (4th in CDL). His impact can not be understated.

The Ultra was the top Hardpoint team this season until the final stretch. They concluded the year with a 55-24 record and an average score margin of +25.9. The team led the League in several key metrics, ranking 1st in points per minute (22.5), Hold percentage (79.3%), and Break percentage (28.6%), while coming in 2nd in rotation percentage (52.6%). They dominated online with a 36-7 record but struggled to maintain that performance on LAN, going 19-17. Despite their overall strength in Hardpoint, they faltered towards the end, finishing 3-7 in their final 10 matches. It was a powerful run that ended on a disappointing note.

Search & Destroy

Scrap was at his best in respawns, but wasn’t at that same level in SND. He finished with a 1.04 KD in SND while adding 0.73 kills per round, 196.5 ADR, and an opening duel win rate of 50.3%. These numbers all improved on LAN though. He finished with a 1.18 K, 0.76 kills per round, and 204.3 ADR on LAN. When the lights were the brightest, Scrap showed up.

While the Toronto Ultra excelled in both respawn modes, they encountered some difficulties in Search & Destroy. The team ranked 3rd in the mode with a 35-24 record for the season, just behind Atlanta and New York. Their defense was strong, leading the CDL with a 56% win rate and holding the 2nd-best retake win percentage at 39.3%. However, their attacking side lacked consistency, ranking 11th in opening duel win rate at 47%. Though they struggled online with a 16-16 record, they made significant improvements on LAN, finishing 19-8. This trend also appeared in their Map 2s (29-21) compared to Map 5s (6-3), where they ranked 1st.

Control

Just like in Hardpoint, Scrap won Control Player of the Year in Modern Warfare 3. He finished with 21.6 kills per 10 minutes (2nd), 1.19 KD (2nd), and 4418 damage per 10 minutes (1st). He was equally proficient on both sides, ending with a 1.11 KD and 1.5 ticks per round on the attacking side while having a 1.28 KD on the defending side. Scrap led the League with 28 maps of Control with 5,000+ damage, achieving that in 56% of maps played. Without his impact of the map, Toronto would not have the success they had this season.

The Ultra showcased strong teamwork in Control, making them one of the top teams in the mode this season. They finished with the second-best record at 34-16, ranking fourth in attacking and third in defending. In round 5s, the Ultra led the league with an impressive 16-5 record, boasting a 76.2% win rate. Their defense was particularly formidable, regularly preventing opponents from securing ticks. They ranked second in the League, allowing just 3.5 ticks per defense, and had a league-best 3.9 ticks allowed per DEF round on Karachi.

A look ahead to Black Ops 6

Four teams won a championship during the 2024 season, & the Toronto Ultra was one of them. Despite their Major 1 victory, the season didn’t fully meet their expectations. They encountered struggles mid-season, fell short in the Grand Finals at Major 3 against Texas, and didn’t reach the Grand Finals at Champs. With the strong start and expectations around the team, it’s disappointing to not come closer to another title.

While the ending may have been disappointing, it’s hard to foresee the Ultra making changes to their starting roster. Outside of Scrap, each of the starters had struggled at times but the talent is there. Continuity with starters could be a hidden advantage for the Ultra. Another year of experience together might be the key to unlocking the consistency needed to become a top contender at every tournament.

📸 Photo by @CODLeague

Scrap will be looking to find more team success next season. Individually, he has proven to be a top player within the League. Having won the Rookie of the Year last year, Scrap won multiple awards including AR Player of the Year, Hardpoint Player of the Year, and Control Player of the Year. With the individual stock at a high, it’s time to achieve the team results. With another long TTK Treyarch title, watch out for Scrap next season.

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