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[Review] Analysis of VEX vs CUBS in IBL in Infinity Kingdom

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Article Publish : 10/05/2024 16:37

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Edited by fictions at 10/05/2024 17:50

💠Introduction

What’s up, folks? Welcome back to my Illusion Battlefield(IB) series where I take a closer look at different matches. IB is different from the IB League tournament in that you will use your normal teams, skill sets, talents, and decoration skins so strength is extremely relevant. The mode is also much slower-paced. Relocations and marching speed are slower. The event is one of the most entertaining events in Infinity Kingdom, and players enjoy spectating, almost like a sporting event. In this article, I’m going to take a closer look at the semifinal match between Server 38’s Valhalla’s Fury(VEX) and Server 73’s Snuggle-Cubs(CUBS). VEX’s positions in this match will be denoted in yellow while CUBS’ will be in red.

💠Table of Contents

Overview
Starting Positions and Talents
VEX
CUBS
Tower 1
Tower 4
Central Tower
Altars
Home Towers
Play-by-Play
Summary

💠Overview

CUBS entered playoffs with an undefeated 8-0 record and had an extremely easy strength of schedule in the Group Elimination stage, defeating all three teams without much effort. They narrowly crushed both teams, IMPK and SF, from Server 170 in the first two matches of the top 16 to secure a semifinal berth against VEX. VEX secured playoffs with a 6-2 record and beat PRD, Lion, and AOSK to reach the top 16. They crushed KoS and then got a bye against their farm alliance WOLF to make their way to the semifinals. CUBS was considered the favorite in this matchup.

💠Starting Positions and Talents

VEX

Started with 29 players and ended with 30
13 Attack talents
10 Defense talents
6 Support talents

CUBS

Started with 28 players and ended with 30
13 Attack talents
10 Defense talents
5 Support talents

💠Tower 1

VEX relocated ten players to Tower 1 while CUBS sent seven. CUBS eventually had a couple of players relocate to the tower but they were over a minute late. The two teams contested the top left corner spot but VEX had far better spawns so they should win the race. CUBS needed to concede the aggressive positions. VEX had more players adjacent to the tower and more players in the vicinity so they would have better control of the tower. CUBS’ relocations weren’t bad, but they were inferior to VEX’s. With attacking and defending in this meta being so much of a coin-flip, numbers mean far more than when teams had to play around rallies and garrisons. Now it’s all about who can send the most solo attacks quicker.

💠Tower 4

VEX sent eight players to Tower 4 and CUBS sent nine. Since Tower 4 is advantageous to the yellow team and VEX had better spawns for the tower, they positioned to block multiple CUBS relocations. VEX is one of the best teams that uses the advantage to its fullest potential. You can always count on them to make the right moves if they are yellow and get decent spawns for Tower 4. CUBS tried to concede the top half of their positions around the tower but they should have given up some of the spots at the bottom too and be further back.

💠Central Tower

VEX moved ten players to the center and CUBS had nine. The relocations of each team almost mirrored the other. It came down to which team had faster fingers and solo attacks.

💠Altars

Neither alliance had anyone move to either altar.

💠Home Towers

VEX had one guard at their home tower and CUBS had two at theirs.

💠Play-by-Play

At Tower 1, VEX blocked one relocation and destroyed two more. VEX players were relentless in their attacks. At three minutes, VEX went for the tower and captured it less than a minute later. By five minutes, two more CUBS had been zeroed and no CUBS were next to the tower. VEX had a ten-to-six advantage. Thinking that the tower was already secured, several VEX players started relocating to the center while CUBS kept returning to Tower 1.

At Tower 4, VEX blocked three relocations and destroyed another, giving them a three-player advantage and no CUBS players were adjacent to the tower. This maneuver all but guaranteed VEX the tower and they showed no hesitation to claim it. They went for the tower as soon as they landed and captured it a minute later. CUBS tried their best to stop it but they were too far away from the tower. VEX proceeded to wipe most of CUBS from the area. By five minutes, VEX already secured their win condition with control of three towers. A couple of CUBS players kept trying to return to Tower 4 so the majority of VEX stayed as well.

The center was CUBS’ lone saving grace. From the get-go, they were sending more attacks and dealing more damage than VEX was. VEX tried to send back up from both of the side towers since they captured it so early but a lot of their relocations were blocked or destroyed by CUBS. CUBS’ front row did a great job of relocating backward when they were low on prosperity and the majority of VEX forgot about them which gave them more time to aid their teammates. At 13 minutes, CUBS had half of their team in the middle and decided it was time to take the tower. All of their support players activated Quick Occupy and CUBS took the best tower a minute later. VEX opened up a 12,000-point lead by 15 minutes and was still producing more points than CUBS.

Since VEX moved most of their players from Tower 4 to the center to help, there were only two guards and four players moving to the tower from their spawn. CUBS had three players in the vicinity so they called for the teleport to Tower 4, but CUBS has always been historically slow at teleporting. Only one player teleported and VEX responded with three of their own. They also moved three players to the tower from the center and spawn. Leaving the center meant VEX gave up on stealing it, at least for the time being.

On the other side of the map, CUBS had players continuously attempt to retake Tower 1. VEX made the mistake of preemptively relocating to the center before zeroing CUBS and surrounding the tower. CUBS still had control of the bottom side of the tower. With VEX using some of their teleports in the center and Tower 4, CUBS knew it was now or never. Players who were in spawn without teleports started relocating to Tower 1 and players who had teleports used it to surround the tower. Before they knew it, most of VEX was zeroed from the area and CUBS captured it by the 22-minute mark. CUBS was still down nearly 13,000 points with 38 minutes left. With their three towers, as long as they can hold them, they will produce a net of 34,000 points, enough to overcome the deficit and give them the win.

As soon as VEX knew they were going to lose Tower 1, the ones who still had teleports available, which coincidentally were also the players who tried to defend Tower 1 but were zeroed, teleported to CUBS’ home tower. Five teleports came in, but CUBS responded with some of their own. CUBS also had several players who were already in spawn so the siege was easy to defend. After a couple of minutes, CUBS zeroed the rest of the invaders. Six VEX players also already started their relocations from their spawn and Tower 4. With how little presence VEX had and the long distance to the tower, it meant those six relocations would need to be canceled or blocked. It would strand those six players in their positions for several minutes more. They should have relocated to their altar to plan their next attack instead. Invading CUBS’ home tower was never going to work because there were already too many players in their spawn.

At 25 minutes, VEX was still in the lead by 11,000 points, but they knew it would not last. They sent every player who can still relocate to either the altar or the center. VEX knew it was their only play left. CUBS already had every tower surrounded. Over the next several minutes, it became a race of whether VEX could relocate and garrison their teammates’ relocations or CUBS could destroy the relocations first. Halfway through the match, VEX established position on the far right of the Central Tower while CUBS sent reinforcements from the other towers. While both teams jostled for positions around the tower, CUBS finally took the lead at 38 minutes. VEX made a lot of mistakes with their relocations. Many players relocated next to the enemies instead of their allies so their relocations were easily destroyed.

With how CUBS was positioned around the tower, VEX naturally took control of the right side of the tower and CUBS had to reconvene on the left side. Both teams kept sending all their players to the center, but CUBS was never in danger of losing it. Both teams had few troops left and CUBS had more players. At a certain point, even if CUBS had lost the tower, their lead was too much to overcome.

💠Summary

CUBS’ NoSoyTrap was the match MVP as they narrowly won with 97,850 points to VEX’s 77,900 in what was arguably one of the most intense matches of the season. CUBS made a lot of mistakes in the beginning, particularly their late relocations to Tower 1 and their unwillingness to concede positions around Tower 4. It led to them losing both towers in under five minutes. Their center team completely bailed them out. VEX, as a whole, made too many macro mistakes. Too many players relocated from Tower 1 before even surrounding and securing the tower. Then too many players spent their teleports and relocated to Tower 4 to respond to CUBS’ single teleport. The over-commitment gave CUBS complete control of the center and opened themselves up to losing Tower 1. VEX also made a fruitless play at CUBS’ home tower when they saw how many CUBS were already in spawn. VEX also had poor micro decisions like their poor relocations in the center in the mid and late-game. That all compounded into VEX not having enough juice and time to retake the center. CUBS juggled their movements well, swapping players back and forth from spawn to the home tower to the center. As soon as one gets zeroed, another takes their place. CUBS move on to face AoW in the finals while VEX will be haunted by their mistakes.