Breaking the rules on Bubbled KVK

It was a scorching hot summer day in Kingdom 179, the home Kingdom of MBL alliance, a very quiet kingdom that housed only one alliance and the occasional invader from time to time. From the garden of their mentor’s castle, the young apprentices Joffrey and Rhys could hear the bustle of the preparations for tomorrow’s great feast of Kingdom vs Kingdom fight, but they were too busy repeating the exercises that their mentor ChristianOr had set for them with their wooden, practice swords to even glance, let alone participate in them. 

• Would be nice if we could participate in the KVK, said Rhys, wiping the sweat from his face.

Joffrey glanced around to make sure their mentor was not there, before he replied.

• Yes and no, Rhys. Good for experience, but no real gain since in essence is a practice KVK, with no real losses. I doubt it is much fun.
• But we are in different alliances than our mentor. We could stage some mock fights at least and we would all gain, even her.

Joffrey sighed audibly. 

• Have you learned nothing at all, Rhys? You gain nothing if you attack people from the same Kingdom.
• Yes and no, Joffrey, ChristianOr replied, coming up from behind them. It is true you do not gain points in the KVK rankings or battle and bravery tokens (if it is not the Revival KVK), but those are not the only gains someone can have. Come here, showing them the shaded area from a great weirwood tree. I think another lesson is due. I will tell you about a bubbled KVK.

Rhys and Joffrey exchanged a quick look in bewilderment, but neither dared interrupt their mentor to ask what a bubbled KVK was.

Once upon a time, their mentor started, there was an alliance called NOS and they lived on K44. Multiple alliances had invaded them, but unless the invaders got lucky with a bubble drop, no PVP happened, as NOS was not really fond of battling invaders or anyone else for that matter. A small force from the DEP alliance, who was the strongest, at that time, also tried their luck. They camped in K44, and waited. And waited. And waited. Their leader HostOfDoom was determined to get them, so he was not budging. Time passed and a couple of more DEP warriors joined, including a knight called LaQuica, that noone knew much about him.

• Was also the Greedy Knight part of this force? Rhys asked slyly, unable to contain himself.

ChristianOr smiled.

• I most certainly was, and will probably prove by the end of this tale, that greedy knight is a well suited nickname.

So, as I was telling you, time passed, but the DEP knights had no battles at all. No matter how much they wanted to kill the NOS troops, the NOS knights were doing an excellent job keeping their alliance protected. The only hope the DEP knights had for action was the upcoming KVK, which was a new type, where you could attack or rally a Great City and still keep your bubble. You probably will not get to live it, as it was abolished, but as it was completely new at the time, it was a good thing as many people who did not normally fight in the Kingdom vs Kingdom out of fear, they did in bubbled KVKs, as they could control how many troops they would lose.The DEP knights brandished their weapons, as soon as the trumpets signaled the start of the KVK, but soon they became disappointed once again. Their DEP name made the other kingdom not fight at all. Only very few and small accounts tried to take a few castles for the points but DEP and NOS kicked them out fast.

I think only CaptainFluffy got a nice fight, but it was too little to sate the bloodthirst the DEP knights had and which it had been unsatisfied for many weeks now. Even worse since NOS knights were more, they all had occupied castles so they would probably get more rewards than the DEP knights.

The knights were looking at each other in frustration. HostOfDoom was already reaching for a bottle of rum, prepared to drink his frustration away, and LaQuica was silently grabbing a cup to join him, when CaptainFluffy made a casual observation

• Have you noticed that NOS is actually fighting this KVK?
• Yes, I saw, the only time we cannot attack them, the bleedy, bloody …grumbled Host.
• And why exactly is that? CaptainFluffy asked with a total mischievous look.
• What do you mean, why? are you daft? you know very well, you get no points if you attack in the same Kingdom (here the mentor interrupted the story to give a knowing smile to Joffrey)
• So? It is still NOS troops. You have been here for weeks, and now they are all out occupying castles. You can finally do what you came here to do, to kill the NOS troops, who cares about KVK.
• Actually technically, if we keep the NOS knights out of the castles, we could also rank higher than them in KVK, and get better rewards, I told them.

HostOfDoom had already grabbed his sword and armor, even since he heard the words “kill NOS troops”. Indeed the DEP knights gave a great war cry and started attacking with no mercy. The attacks were swift and furious.

NOS realised what DEP was doing and two knights tried to fight back and recover the Great Cities. 

But NOS, although strong, was not very knowledgeable about fighting and could not kick the DEP knights out of the castles. Of course if the whole alliance was rallying them, 4-5 DEP knights would never be able to hold on, but NOS knights for some reason chose not to fight as a team.

DEP started racking up the points, but having gotten a taste of blood they wanted more. NOS was also angry about losing the first places in the KVK rankings, and while tension was high, a NOS knight called Papa Smurf took fervor for real. Intentionally or by accident, we will never know. Within seconds he was surrounded by the DEP knights. 

• Forget it, i shrieked to the others, This guy is a bow trap, zillions of t1 bows, not worth it.
• Not worth it? Host bellowed. We kill NOS tonight. No matter how small or high, no matter the cost. Tonight NOS dies. I rally now!!!

Immediately NOS knights appeared also, probably to help him empty his non bow troops by creating fake rallies.

Adrenaline was running high, if only every day NOS fought like this. I started preparing room in my hospital to accept the casualties. Host’s banner was held high and his rally advanced to PapaSmurf’s town. And triumph!!

PapaSmurf for some reason did not empty only his non bow troops, he emptied his T4s as well. Would take a lot of time for him to resume his career as a bow trap as his entire meatshield was wiped out in a single rally.

We were all looking bewildered when LaQuica said one word.

• Camps, he spat out.

Maybe he needs a chest, I thought, but is this really the time?

• Camps, he repeated. NOW!!

Understanding finally dawned. We all started running the nearby camps like crazy hoping to get the camps where the fake rallies were based on. And finally luck was with our side, we struck gold twice, which is quite impossible considering how many camps we had to choose from to rally for the few minutes that PapaSmurf still had fervor. Which is why I always tell you to make a hiding camp rally at least 100km away from where you are, the mentor concluded advising Rhys and Joffrey.

• Come now, I will continue your lesson on how to parry a sword hit with your shield so you can fight tomorrow. It is the best of the competitions for young squires who are still learning.
• Wait, Joffrey interjected for once forgetting to control himself. What happened in the end? Did you win?
• My best placement in my knight career actually, the mentor replied with a smile, and this from a completely hopeless KVK, where we were outnumbered, surrounded by enemies on all sides, and which we almost gave up on fighting a few hours after it started. So, my young apprentices, today’s lesson is simple. Never give up. We almost gave up, and I would certainly have not rallied the bow trap, and in both cases it would have been the wrong call.
• And to have some creative thinking on how to interpret rules, could be the second lesson, said Rhys cheekily as he got to his feet and run away to the shield stand, before his mentor could answer.