Prologue:

When a noble lord or lady enters the Realm of Westeros; before their first battle there are certain preparations that need to be made and many things to be learned in order to have a chance to be successful. Some scour the libraries of nearby kingdoms; ask maesters or other lords and ladies for advice on the best armor, soldiers and commanders to recruit to shape their armies. There are some that spare no expense and others that are determined to succeed on their own temerity. This is a glimpse into the rough beginning and what changed the way I look at the game completely and a newfound appreciation for new friends and an abundance of patience.

TrainingDay1

The Beginning

When I arrived in Westeros; I had very little knowledge of where to put my energies: was it building up my city or training soldiers, farming or defeating the defiant rebels in the area?  Of course there were alliance members that tried to give advice at times but much of what they said went over my head. You see; I didn’t know what I didn’t know and began to get frustrated seeing others so far ahead; I felt I would never “git gud” This is not to say that I am “good” now; but I am far ahead of where I was.

The Catalyst

“Picture it, a quiet Friday night, sitting enjoying a glass of Dornish Red when your thoughts are interrupted by the clash of metal on metal; the screams of men and the bray of horses; to hear the cavalry at your gate and you are left unprepared; a new Lord with responsibilities and a small army loyal to your house. The screams can be heard throughout the castle so you are brave and you don’t hide; you stand and fight and lose. Picking up the pieces of a siege of that size is hard for any Lord to manage; especially hard if you don’t have allies to help you learn from your mistakes.

The Introduction

The Kingdom was preparing for their KVK in less than two weeks; the King offered to send one of his trusted advisors to help train warriors from UnC for the event. ShinichiKud0; Shin, to his friends, took the time to join UnC and teach us the basics of attacking a castle and tactics that would help us in the battles to come.It all sounds so obvious until you are in the heat of battle and your adrenaline is high.  He had brought his “squire” as the opponent. He explained things very well and took questions as well. He has the patience of a saint.

The training was lively with questions after Shin explained how we were to organize our rally to attack and the subsequent “fake” rallies to hide our troops. He explained how to use the shelter for troops that would not fit in the rallies. Explaining the benefit of “Zero” castles. (Where you have enough for a full attack and to fill the fake rallies; leaving none in the castle to be killed.

As I listened to the chatter I realized how much I didn’t know and I got nervous that I would lose all of my troops. Everyone wants to be a warrior until it’s time to do warrior things.

After the lesson; Shin made the offer to help anyone that needed more extensive assistance; I was one of the first to say “Yes Please!”

The First Day of GOT School February 15, 2023

Shin had said that it would be easier to assist on discord because you can share screenshots so I sent a friend request and then we got down to business;

Shin: “First, I need a screenshot of all of your commanders; Second I will need you to send a screenshot of all of your equipment but first; remove all of your badges and send a screenshot of those as well.

I happily provided the requested information and removed all the badges as fast as I could. He worked with me for three hours that day and explained which commanders to use; which armor would be best and how to choose refinement skills that would improve my Infantry stats overall. The refinement gems go very quickly as you try to get the skills you want.

After the lesson I had a renewed excitement about the game; seeing it with fresh eyes and setting goals for myself. I’m well on my way and enjoying the new friends I’ve made. The one thing that Shin said to me is that to play this game you need to have patience; it is not one of my virtues but I am trying. 

TrainingDay2

This is where I started checking my stats running a level 1 Rebel Camp:

And currently I am here:

Having an experienced player take the time to teach you how to do things is priceless.

I would tell new Lords and Ladies that travel to Westeros and are lost like I was; join an alliance, ask questions and see what others are doing to grow. It’s truly about strategy and research. Although I have a long way to go; I am excited for the journey ahead!

Getting attacked by another player is part of the game that we have all experienced. I am better prepared now more than ever!

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I look forward to bringing you the next!

LadySam67