ALL-OUT WAR | Fortress of Frost vs Hall of Ages and City of Judgement | FIGHT OR FLIGHT.

The first week of All-Out War has been put to rest and factions are starting to realise the irrationality of not making coalitions in such settings. One of those factions without coalitions is Fortress of Frost led by the impressive Strike 301, his faction finds themselves surrounded by enemy factions, including Hall of Ages and City of Judgement, which have declared war on three of their structures. The worst part is these two enemy factions are allied together and will help each other when attacking, therefore Frost finds themselves in a pickle, do they defend their buildings or live to fight another day, with two weeks of All-Out War still remaining.

Strike 301 thought long and hard about their plan, “how do we stand a chance, they will outnumber us, “Strike 301, after reflecting on the story of the hare and the tortoise, realized that rushing headlong into battle might not be the best strategy, “slow and steady wins the race. “Barista, a trusted commander of Fortress of Frost put his plan on the table, “what about abandoning our first building and seeing who shows up and plan for the other two, we don’t need to save them all,” Strike 301 liked the idea of Ages and Judgement showing their cards first and planning accordingly. 

Hall of Ages led by the formidable Only Kaiser declared war on Potion City-4 and S.Blessing City-7 spaced an hour apart, was carefully timed, allowing his forces to regroup and prepare for what he expected to be a long skirmish. “We may need a gap to regroup after the first building, best we give ourselves some time to heal and prepare for the next one,” Only Kaiser wasn’t foolish or arrogant enough to believe Frost wouldn’t put up a fight, so he planned for a long skirmish, his experience playing a part in his decision.

Only Kaiser saw his commander rush into the war room, “City of Judgement will be will be placed behind Frost, attacking their flanks, if it comes down to that, “The Apache, commander of Ages, relaying the message he just received from Judgement leaders. Only Kaiser knew Frost wouldn’t crumble easily, he also knew that in war, the patient and the side that wanted victory the most often emerged triumphant.

The City of Judgement led by the power house Jason 168 declared war on the final building, S.Blessing City-8 which was timed to be attacked one hour after the S.Blessing-7, giving Judgement the opportunity to receive help from Ages, if it ever came down to that. “We planned this well, leaving no room for openings, Frost will do well to save a single building,” Jason 168 felt some pity for Frost but remembering what happened to his faction last All-Out War, that quickly went away. 

Jason 168’s confidence in the plan was grounded in the tactical brilliance of timing and coordination. With Hall of Ages attacking from the front and City of Judgement poised to strike from behind, Fortress of Frost was being squeezed from all sides, leaving nothing to chance. 

The time had come for Ages to attack Potion City-4, tension gripped the battlefield and all eyes were on the city walls, would Frost mount some kind of resistance or would Ages stroll into an abandoned city, time will tell. “They are just beyond the city gates, shall we follow my plan,” Barista was banking on intelligence gathering rather than stiff resistance for the Potion City-4. Strike 301 gave the nod of approval as Fortress of Frost remained in their home base watching and waiting. Fortress of Frost had chosen patience over pride and with the enemy’s tactics known, they were ready to strike when the time was right. 

Only Kaiser couldn’t believe his luck, he expected some kind of push back but not a single arrow was shot in his direction, “have they given up already or perhaps they are planning for some kind of ambush,” Only Kaiser was left puzzled but didn’t let that ruin his joke, “maybe they ran out of arrows, “as the army burst into laughter, Only Kaiser was already planning for the next task. The city was theirs for now but Only Kaiser knew the true war would be decided by how well they could anticipate Frost's next move. With City of Judgement poised to strike the final blow on S.Blessing City-8, the pressure on Frost was mounting but Only Kaiser wasn’t about to underestimate them, not now not ever. 

As the dusk settled over the lands of Westeros, doubt and tension hung thick in the air. The two warring factions were locked in a deadly game of chess and the next move would be check mate. Hall of Ages had advanced toward their second target, S.Blessing City-7 with scouts sent ahead to ensure Fortress of Frost wasn't lying in ambush. The Apache was on edge, he had seen what overconfidence could do in past wars, how a seemingly easy victory could be snatched away in the blink of an eye. "Why would they do such a thing,” grappling with the strange choices Frost was making. Abandoning Potion City-4 without a fight had been one thing but now reports were coming back that S.Blessing City-7 was also empty. “The scouts have come back with no signs of an ambush, they saw the S. Blessing City-7 is empty as well,” Only Kaiser was shocked, why would Frost give up two strategic buildings, unless they had other plans. “Send our army in and take it before they change their mind, “Only Kaiser didn’t want to wait around, he planned to take advantage of Frost’s inaction.

Strike 301 stood in his war room, surrounded by maps and his most trusted commanders. He had just received news of S.Blessing City-7’s fall, two buildings gone and Ages had taken both without so much as the clank of steel. His mind was burdened with the weight of the decision before him. “Do I send my army in and risk getting crushed by two superior factions?”

Barista put his hand on Strike 301’s shoulder, "we need to plan for the future, we have sacrificed these cities for the greater good. If we throw our forces into a full battle now, they will outnumber and crush us but if we pull back and regroup, we live to fight another day."

As night fell over Westeros, the Hall of Ages had claimed two buildings without firing a single shot. Strike 301 and Fortress of Frost wasn’t defeated, they were realists, they had been outplayed in the war of diplomacy and they were learning the harsh reality of Westeros. 

Under the cover of night, the City of Judgement moved swiftly toward their target, S.Blessing City-8. Jason 168 was on edge but confident, Hall of Ages having already secured Potion City-4 and S.Blessing City-7 without facing any resistance, they expected more of the same here. Frost had chosen to retreat and Jason 168 knew he would have made the same decision if roles were reversed.

As they neared the city walls, Jason 168 turned to his officers, “we don’t expect any resistance, Frost played this one correctly, Strike 301 is no fool.” Judgement’s forces advanced with confidence, S.Blessing City-8 would soon be theirs and with that came a stronghold they could defend against Frost. 

The armies of Hall of Ages and City of Judgement held their newly won buildings, celebrating what they believed to be decisive victories, Strike 301 watched the developments far from the battlefield, he knew that Jason 168 would understand his move and that small battles are insignificant when it comes to war. Frost had conceded territory but not without gathering crucial intelligence and conserving their most valuable resource, their army. “History may write my tale in a different way but I know I did what was best for the Fortress of Frost,” Strike 301 seemed content with his role, the chessboard still remained and he was yet to make his final move.