Two regional finals, two MODUS Super Series opportunities and plenty of players arriving with genuine title-winning form.
This weekend brings the ADC Vault 19.0 regional finals for the South West and North Wales, with both winners earning the opportunity to compete on the MODUS Super Series.
The South West final takes place at Break N Dish in Westbury on Saturday 31 October, followed by the North Wales final at The Goat in Penygroes, near Caernarfon, on Sunday 1 November.
Both competitions will be played over the best of 11 legs throughout, which should provide a rather different challenge from some of the shorter matches players have encountered during the regular Vault season.
I've been looking through the players in the Q4QS Database, examining their recent results, averages and performances against other strong opponents.
There are some interesting contenders in both regions, although I certainly wouldn't rule out a surprise.
South West: Can the form players deliver?
Saturday 31 October | 12 noon | Break N Dish, Westbury
The South West competition has places available for the top 32 qualifiers from the Vault 19 Best 10 Results table.
My supplied entry data includes 26 players, and there is a particularly interesting group near the top of the Q4QS rankings.
Jamie Kay is the highest-ranked player in that data, sitting at Q4QS number 349 with an overall average of 83.25.
Kay's experience outside the Vault circuit could prove useful. He reached the semi-finals of PDC Challenge Tour 24, averaging 82.91 across the event, and has recorded wins against Ted Evetts and Jonathan Kavanagh.
He also reached a quarter-final at the England Masters & Classic, averaging 90.24. If he brings that level of scoring to Westbury, he will be difficult to beat.
But he certainly isn't the only player with strong credentials.
Cooper, King and Palmer arrive in excellent form
Henry Cooper is one of the players who particularly interests me.
The Q4QS Database has him averaging 83.61 overall, and his recent tournament record is impressive.
He won at Portland Social Club with an 83.96 tournament average, reached a final at The Newtown in Poole averaging 88.06, and followed that with another victory at Pegasus 68 Club in Taunton, averaging 86.35.
That's a very encouraging sequence of performances, particularly with nine wins from his last ten recorded matches.
Ricky King is another who appears to be finding his best darts at exactly the right time.
His latest recorded tournament was a victory at The Sandpiper in Christchurch, where he averaged 87.59 across the competition. He also produced a 102.89 match average against Jayden Walker and a 100.20 against Lee Harding.
Those are the sorts of numbers that can make a real difference in a best-of-11 contest.
Then there's Ryan Palmer.
Palmer has been producing some exceptional individual matches at Widden Rugby Club in Gloucester, including averages of 109.98 against Alfie Ryan and 107.36 against Daniel Jeffrey.
His tournament-winning average of 87.62 at Widden is another strong indicator of what he can produce.
With nine wins from his last ten recorded matches, he has a good combination of scoring power and recent results.
Of those three, I find it difficult to separate Cooper, King and Palmer purely on their recent performances.
The Dorset challenge
There is also an interesting rivalry developing around Dorchester Trinity Club.
Liam Blakeley has won multiple Vault 19 events there, including one with an 81.69 tournament average. He has also recorded a victory over Robbie Martin with an 89.31 match average.
Matt Yarrow has been enjoying his own success at the same venue, including a recent tournament win in which he defeated Blakeley.
Yarrow has nine wins from his last ten recorded matches, while Blakeley has eight.
Their records suggest both are comfortable winning matches in competitive fields. Whether either can reproduce that form against unfamiliar opponents will be worth watching.
Don't overlook the wider field
Andy Steed has won at Legends Lounge in Plymouth, averaging 84.19, and has recorded a victory over Simon Stevenson.
David Farmer has ten wins from his last ten recorded matches, although his overall average of 74.89 is below that of the leading contenders.
Darren Herbert has been winning at The Choughs Hotel in Chard, while Steve Boundy has produced good performances at Portishead Workmen's Club.
Jack Walker is another name worth noting following success at Bessellscotts in Bristol, and Finlay Cleave has been reaching the latter stages of tournaments in Devon.
These players might not attract quite as much attention as the leading names, but knockout darts has a habit of producing unexpected results.
Q4QS Six to Follow — South West
Henry Cooper — Multiple recent Vault victories, an 83.61 overall average and excellent current form. My narrow statistical preference.
Ricky King — Arrives after an 87.59 tournament-winning average at Christchurch, with the ability to produce 100-plus match averages.
Ryan Palmer — Perhaps the most explosive scoring figures in the field, including individual matches averaging over 107 and 109.
Jamie Kay — Highest Q4QS-ranked player in the supplied field, with valuable PDC Challenge Tour experience.
Liam Blakeley — Consistent tournament success in Dorchester and a player who knows how to get through a competitive field.
Matt Yarrow — Dark Horse — Nine wins in his last ten recorded matches and a recent victory over Blakeley. Could go further than some expect.
My South West verdict: Cooper, King, Palmer and Kay are the four I would concentrate on, with Cooper just edging my selection on the combination of average, consistency and recent tournament wins. But if Palmer produces his very best scoring, he could be the one they all have to beat.
North Wales: A much tighter contest than the rankings suggest?
Sunday 1 November | 1pm | The Goat, Penygroes
The North Wales final is restricted to the top 16 qualifiers from the regional Best 10 Results table.
The supplied Q4QS pack contains 15 names, and there are some very interesting comparisons to make.
Kelson Hughes is the highest-ranked player in the supplied field, sitting at Q4QS number 627.
His recent record is impressive, with tournament wins at The Nelson in Rhyl, Cross Foxes in Prestatyn and Castle Arms in Denbigh.
At Castle Arms, he averaged 80.81 across the event and recorded wins over fellow finalists Richard Martin and Tom Hughes, with match averages of 87.31 and 87.92 respectively.
He has also reached a final at the Keith Woodfine Memorial and a semi-final at Llandudno Conservative Club.
That is a strong run of results across different venues, and it makes Hughes one of the obvious players to watch.
Nash has the numbers to challenge
Terry Nash has the highest established overall average among the players in the supplied North Wales field, at 79.41, narrowly ahead of Richard Rowlands.
He has also won nine of his last ten recorded matches.
His tournament victory at a Vault 19 warm-up event came with an 84.94 average, and he has produced a 100.20 match average against Jake B-Smith.
Nash also recorded a Vault victory at The Angel in Welshpool with an 81.50 tournament average.
That combination of tournament-winning experience and recent form makes him a serious contender.
Jones and Rowlands bring winning experience
Kacey Jones has enjoyed a particularly productive Vault campaign at The Angel in Welshpool.
He has a tournament-winning average of 79.25 in the database, alongside several finals and semi-finals.
He has also recorded a 93.94 match average against Ben McNicholas.
But one of the interesting results in his recent history is a final defeat against Ewan Jones, who beat him 3-2.
Ewan has himself won a Vault event at The Angel, averaging 76.22, and arrives with seven wins from his last ten recorded matches.
Richard Rowlands is another player who deserves attention.
His overall average of 79.56 is the highest of the established figures in this North Wales field.
He has enjoyed success at Clwb Llyn Bach in Porthmadog and reached a final at The Goat, losing to Morgan Nash.
Nine wins from his last ten recorded matches suggest he is in good form, even if his most recent tournament averages have been slightly lower than those of some of his rivals.
Could Dobbins be the danger?
Chris Dobbins is another name I wouldn't dismiss.
He has won at Cefn Social Club in Wrexham, averaging 83.20, and recorded a 94.10 match average against Ian Pettigrew.
His recent results also include success in a cash competition at the Cefn Club.
He may sit below some of the leading contenders in the overall Q4QS rankings, but his better performances are certainly competitive with theirs.
And in a knockout competition, that's often enough to make somebody dangerous.
The Goat connection
There is also a local element worth considering.
Scott Bannerman has reached a Vault final at The Goat, while Morgan Nash has recorded tournament success there, including a victory over Bannerman.
Spud Thomas has also won at The Goat and has nine wins from his last ten recorded matches, although the Q4QS Database does not yet have enough events to publish a fully qualified overall average for him.
Familiarity with the venue isn't a guarantee of success, but it may help a player settle quickly.
Elsewhere, Baz Tym has reached a final at the Royal Oak in Rhyl, Darren Southall has won at Cross Foxes in Prestatyn, and Shaun Thompson has enjoyed success at Groves Sports & Social in Shotton.
There is certainly enough depth here to make this more than a contest between the first few names in the rankings.
Q4QS Six to Follow — North Wales
Kelson Hughes — Highest-ranked player in the supplied field, with several Vault wins across different venues.
Terry Nash — Strong recent form, an 84.94 tournament-winning average and some excellent individual match performances.
Richard Rowlands — Highest established overall average in the field and nine wins from his last ten matches.
Kacey Jones — A consistent performer at Welshpool with tournament wins, finals and some impressive scoring.
Chris Dobbins — An 83.20 tournament-winning average at Cefn Social Club makes him a genuine threat.
Morgan Nash — Dark Horse — Has already won at The Goat, the venue for Sunday's final, and could be a difficult opponent.
My North Wales verdict: I slightly favour Kelson Hughes because of the number of venues at which he has been successful. Terry Nash and Richard Rowlands are very close alternatives, while Chris Dobbins could cause problems for anybody if he reproduces his best form.
One weekend, two big opportunities
What I like about these finals is that they reward players for competing regularly throughout the Vault season, but still require them to produce their best darts when the opportunity arrives.
A high ranking or a strong average might make somebody a favourite, but neither guarantees six winning legs.
And the prize is a significant one.
For the two eventual winners, this weekend could be the start of a very different darts experience on the MODUS Super Series.
I'll be following the results with interest, particularly to see whether the strongest performers in the Q4QS Database justify their form or whether somebody further down the rankings produces a memorable run.
Who are your picks for the South West and North Wales titles?
Analysis based on the Q4QS Database and supplied tournament entry packs. The South West pack contains 26 names and the North Wales pack 15; final official entry lists and draws may differ.
Official tournament pages:
