The journey through the challenging season of the Siege of Winterfell proceeded without glory or shame. After being defeated in the first round and securing a victory in the second, they found themselves with a record of 1 win and 1 loss. The momentum had to improve if they wanted to rank among the top alliances in the competition and obtain the coveted prizes.

"Let's make sure today's match puts us on the right path to reach our goals," announced Grombold. A strong alliance like HOH could not settle for a mid-ranking position, especially with a proud leader like theirs. Neik was no exception; he didn't want to start his journey in the new group ranking lower than the last season of his previous alliance.

The battlefield was ready to host the third match of the season, with ideal conditions for close-quarters combat and perfect visibility. 94 members of HOH showed up, demonstrating how much each of them cared about making a good impression and proving their worth on the battlefield.

But awaiting them on the battlefield were the red banners raised high in the sky, marking the army of...

BroterhoodOfLight

It was a mid-to-high-level alliance. Among the fighters to keep an eye on were Macdave and Mayah, both known for their combat skills and proficiency in leading their alliance members to unexpected victories. In fact, the rival alliance they were set to face today was progressing through SoW with a record identical to that of HOH: one win and one loss.

"We'll need to be vigilant," thought Neik, who had never faced these rivals before today. They would be mysterious adversaries for him, but this didn't instill fear; on the contrary, his desire to face stronger enemies made it more interesting. He knew that among them could be hidden new opponents to discover!

"Their troop numbers are evenly divided between Armory and Hotsprings. We don't know where they will focus more, so the Winterfell group should be ready for a change in strategy," Grombold declared before the battle began. The strategy remained the same: the third group would reinforce the position that was more heavily under enemy siege until their main objective—collecting and bringing the loot to their bases near WF—became available.

And so, the third match of the season began!

As soon as the combat started, the primary goal was to reach the most crucial points of the encounter. The distance between them was considerable, making the type of troops used for the attack crucial. The fastest were undoubtedly the Cavs, allowing many members to reach and initiate the conquest of these points for their alliance before others. During the march, a scout returned with news that most enemy troops were covertly heading towards Armory. It was positive news since Depravity's group, including Neik himself, was heading there as well!

The fury with which the members of HOH began this battle was impressive.

The fighters from the rival alliance, who had come to conquer Armory and Hotsprings, were swiftly swept away. The difference in the numbers of soldiers between the two alliances was significant: while HOH brought 94 members to the fight, BoL chose a different strategy, likely aiming to conserve their strength as much as possible, which meant they had only 57 members.

"Stay focused and keep pushing them toward their base; that's our leader's strategy," Depravity reported to the group under his command. And so they did. Once the first bases and crucial positions were secured, the second phase of the tactic began immediately. The three large groups started advancing towards the bases closest to their rivals, creating a barrier between them and Winterfell. This way, they could conquer the loot released by Winterfell without enemy interference and maximize their point gains!

During the advance towards the enemy bases, Neik found himself facing a considerable number of rivals but managed to overcome them without major issues.

The superiority of his Spears was evident, and the fact that most enemies fought with Cavs, given their speed, which was essential in such events, made him a formidable and almost unavoidable opponent.

However, much to his dismay, his path did not cross with the most feared adversaries among the opponents. After all, the battleground of Siege of Winterfell was vast. So, he continued to advance, gradually separating from his group due to the skirmishes he faced, until...

He was surrounded by multiple enemies who closed in and attacked his troops!

The enemies he faced were highly skilled, putting him in serious difficulty. However, this was not a problem for him, as he managed to defeat many of these rivals, allowing him to climb to the top positions in the elimination rankings of the encounter!

Satisfied with having secured one of the top positions, in the end, even Neik decided to join the allies and await the natural conclusion of the encounter, which was indeed very fast.

Now firmly stationed outside the enemy bases in full force, HOH guarded the exit routes. It was clear that BoL, even before the start of the encounter, had accepted their fate—a defeat today. Only a few of them, sporadically leaving their base, dared to engage in combat with the approaching enemies.

All of this meant that the winner of the encounter was HOH!

The best fighters of the encounter were:

The alliance leader Grombold for HOH: He defeated the majority of the initial troops in Armory and later focused on guarding outside the enemy base.

Macdave for BoL: He individually faced various enemies once they had set up camp outside their walls and managed to score many points in this way.

It was a very easy and fast encounter, without many surprises. With two victories and one defeat, HOH's journey appeared much calmer after a stormy start. Would they continue like this until reaching their final goal, or was a storm lurking around the corner waiting for them?