Ah, thank you, that is a very good reason. My server only have about 45 participant each time, not meeting the minimal requirement so I never knew.
Thou it only applies to a few server now, it might become important for players in all servers once merger starts. And while it only applies to the mid to high 60s now, as game progress there might be bracketing so I guess it could be anyone in general. Very good reason indeed.

That said, it seems freezing is more for people who are already behind. Unless the server have dozens of ppl who spend $500+, it's possible for even ftp to get top 3 rewards consistently in top bracket. But for anyone who joined the server late etc, it sounds like a valid option.

There is a difference between leveling slowly and leisurely (i.e. not trying hard to get everything) and intentionally freezing. For the purpose you mentioned (you will cap anyway), the former will suffice, no need to freeze. Also, it might be impossible for ftp to cap, because ptw will cap first, complain and pressure them to release higher cap weeks before ftp get there. Personally, I was about 1 week from cap when it got raised to 70, but was 2 weeks from cap (barely hit 80, so full bar of exp to go) when the 85 was released. Granted, I could potentially get more exp off fox, since I'm not couponing it and it only lasts 25 minutes as my server have decent population and ptw powerz. But I have not missed much exp otherwise, less than a full day's worth for sure, so it's certainly difficult for ftp to chase cap.

And I'm #9 in power, all except one who is ahead of me is heavy ptw (and that one is 100ish power ahead), there are people who are BEHIND me that's heavy ptw (granted, a one or two of those can beat me due to ptw ninjas). PS: by heavy I mean their name flash across the world channel almost every event. probably hundreds of $ or more?

I am top 3 in my area in sage almost every fight, half the time being #1 (thou I am rarely on the winning side..... I think the game slots people by power and I'm weak for my power due to lack of real ptw ninjas while almost everyone around my power have them)

I never freezed, #7 in exp despite being ftp because I almost never miss anything. 281 adv rune in stock because med refuse to give me enough to starting using adv....

"2nd" doesn't say much as different server have different amount of ptw, how much damage do you do per minute (note, per minute, not per fight, some team do more damage but also takes longer, which may or may not increase your damage output overall)
I think I'm at 150-180k per minute w/o using any coupon, not entirely sure because I'm not 100% sure on how long the last fox lasted. I am higher level and powered thou, lv 81 with 29k on my fox team (rank says 30k, but I don't use that team for anything, my pvp team isn't even 29k yet, thou close)

And indeed, power isn't the end all be all of fox. Team compo is the most important, and some ptw ninja (iruka, hashirama) really helps, and then there is coupon/ingots. base boost of 30%(23% over 130% w/ coin boost) and another 10-15% boost with revive(depending on long each fight is).
At last but not least, mains matter. Water have a hard time while fire have significant advantage. Of course, which main works best might depend on your compo, for a ftp who uses yamato, earth might be a good choice whereas ptw with hashirama have no element restrictions.

S12 Kiba, 30304 on the ranking. My real max power might be a bit higher, I don't actually use the team with the highest power(it's full ftp 5 star, which I no longer use since I got lucky with sage naruto), my normal team is only 28873.
Just hit 81 a few days ago too, and as you know, 81 comes with new TI which is a HUGE deal. I'm only half way on getting the new gold tools, got the purple book but haven't gotten the golden blade yet, those two are the biggest boost as they fill an empty slot.

1. It's a matter of opinion to color tools based on background or name color. However, the REAL difference lies with how many levels you can upgrade the tools, and thus far that's 3, 6, 12 and 18, which I consider to be green, blue, purple and gold, in line with more or less everything else. I know there are difference in tools with, for example, lv 12 cap, but those are minor, only a few point of fixed stat which can be easily dwarfed by the random portion of the stat. I don't consider those to be a tier as the difference is too small. This, along with the name color, is my rational to call them green, blue, purple, gold. What is your rational?

2&3. I know the earlier server have more people and thus more ptw so I'd be ranked lower. However, my point was that there is no objective evidence that "level freezing", and at that multiple ones contributed to what you have achieved and that high power/ranking can be achieved without freezing. Now that I know sage does have brackets, I will accept that freezing right before entering the next sage bracket could result in additional rewards. However, beyond that, there should be no benefit. Someone mentioned earlier on this thread that survival is based on power, so level freezing isn't really helping there, good team compo is what makes the difference.
You mentioned that you have frozen 3 times, I do wonder what the sage bracketing were at those 3 specific time instance (as it probably wasn't always 70, especially when 70 was the cap). If it is just above the level at which you froze so you get sorted into the lower bracket(and is the top of that bracket), then it could have been beneficial. But otherwise, it seems to be a waste.

And finally, while you might have more power than me at 81, the difference might not be "all you". Part of the reason my power is "low" is because my max power team is one that I only use as a backup on masuri, thus mostly neglected and not properly mooded. Furthermore, while there are disadvantages to being in a populated server(fox dies faster thus less income for everyone, top sage bracket being hard etc), there are also advantages. Group development, for example, should be much easier for a populated server. My group, for example, just made level 9, so still only lv 8 skill. And that's including a 36m coin donation I've made personally. One tier of group skill, which I believe at least some of the group on your server should have achieved, could make a huge difference. And unless group policy dictates, I doubt that amount of donation is probably not required to get there, with the eight gates, that could be hundreds if not more power if I had kept half of it. And finally, by the time you are 81, I'd be 83, while the only thing there is an awakening and 2 level+cultivation, it might still make up the "higher at 81" difference. And except for sage brackets, the game won't care about the level so as far as power goes, it'd be an even match.

In any case, the question comes down to, did those freeze actually do anything themselves?

1. The only lv 18 cap tools I've had are the 70 TI cane and 81 TI ones, I assume you are comparing with some ptw exclusives? I don't know their stats, do you have any link/examples? If what you say is true, then they might indeed be two different tiers.

2. I won't know since I never freezed etc. post #3 disagrees with you. Thou I find survival mostly easy, currently my server is on day 106, so ranking goes by # of clears of 105 days and I have 1210, so I've only ever missed 50 nodes worth. I probably could have done better in the very early days but meh... it's not much. Top ptw tend to be ahead in level as well, so wont be matched with either by power or level, so it can be passed with little trouble eitherway without freezing.

3. Why 56 then? won't mid 60s be better if the "bar" is at 70? Get more power and still stay in same brakcet?

4. Most strengthening applies to all teams so what you say is true, but mood and awaken doesn't. My max power team would had more powre if they were full awakened(I'm prioritizing pvp team and fox team, so still working on it) and if all mood scroll were used on them (only about 1/2 was, and that's counting the ones spent on main, which is 35% all in itself as it's the only one that will never be switched out). So my point is that if I simply went for max powre, I could have gotten another 3% or so more power, but it won't be useful.

I know I'm not "that" low on power, but I am aware of mistakes or choices I've made that cost me powre. Aside from the above not simply going for power bits:
I wasted 1.5k coupon on seal scroll when I was "young and foolish"
I choose to donate 36m to group (I knew gate was coming, eventually, still choose to...)
I'm a breeze and always stayed a breeze: this is a problem really, we are the last one to get guides for SA difficult, the ONLY class with no guide for lv 90 exam (personally at 99, but can't write guide since my team have sage naruto), I could probably pass 100 if I switched and used guides and passed the previous level earlier the same way but... And breeze was never the best choice for fox or pvp (ironically, some ppl claim water is op when it is the only element I've NEVER had a problem with, but I can't see anyone saying breeze op, so... yeah....)
So all in all, I'm sure in "ideal" conditons I could have gotten another 1k or so power.
Ofc, my power is not done growing yet as a 81, since I haven't gotten all the new tools, still missing blade and new mask and ring, and ofc all the new ones are only lv 13ish and no capped. I'd project a top ftp 81 w/o level freeze can go to 33-35k power so I'm quite a bit away from that.

PS: accidentally followed other links multiple times while attempting to fact check, had to re-write stuff multiple times as result, /life*s T_T