So, I decided to switch over from the legacy syntax, and selectively exclude certain networks to reduce my build size. But after testing a build excluding facebook, flurry and millenial, the build size is 1.5mb larger. I am perplexed 
--1.8.5 -- Base ['plugin.appodeal.base'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.AmazonAds'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.GoogleAdMob'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.TwitterMoPub'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.StartApp'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, -- Banner ['plugin.appodeal.AppLovin'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, --['plugin.appodeal.FacebookAudience'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, --['plugin.appodeal.Flurry'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.InMobi'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.MyTarget'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, --['plugin.appodeal.MillenialMedia'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.Yandex'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, -- Interstitial ['plugin.appodeal.AdColony'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.AppLovin'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.Chartboost'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, --['plugin.appodeal.FacebookAudience'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, --['plugin.appodeal.Flurry'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.InMobi'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.IronSource'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.Mobvista'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.MyTarget'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.StartApp'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, --['plugin.appodeal.MillenialMedia'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.Ogury'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, -- Rewarded Video ['plugin.appodeal.AdColony'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.AppLovin'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.Chartboost'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, --['plugin.appodeal.FacebookAudience'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, --['plugin.appodeal.Flurry'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.InMobi'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.IronSource'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.Mobvista'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.MyTarget'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.StartApp'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.Unity'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.Vungle'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, ['plugin.appodeal.Tapjoy'] = { publisherId = 'com.coronalabs' }, --1.8.5