Part 2 – Call me captain Ahab, 'cause I'm here hunting for whales!

Part 2 – Call me captain Ahab, 'cause I'm hunting for whales now!

If you’ve read the first part of this journey, you already know the uphill battle I’ve been fighting to keep pace with the top accounts in my kingdom during Lord of Lords. I’ve been aiming for three main goals:

• Both my accounts in the top 3 LoL ranking🙏

• Reaching VIP level 12👍

• Hitting that 40k+ Total Score on both alts so I can unlock the <Dance of Crows> album on my main.👍

In Part 1, I went through Phases 1 through 5, where I spent most of the event outside the top 10. But after dumping a ton of resources and speed-ups in Phase 5, I finally got both accounts in the top 10 total rankings. Still not in the top 3, but getting close.

Now here comes Phase 6: Lord of War.

And let’s be honest, I’m not much of a PvP-er, and I’ve never really done well in this phase before, or any other PvP event for that matter. But this time, there is one very important change. I won’t be able to play these accounts after this weekend, so I’ve got nothing to lose😔. If I abandon them, in the two weeks it takes them to disappear from the map, there’s a good chance someone finds them and zeroes them anyway. So why shouldn't I have some fun with their troops? Time to have some fun zeroing myself. 😈

I actually prepped a bit in Phase 5, upgrading some gear just for PvP.

With my Bow set equipped, best badges slotted, and War Talents set, I’m basically ready. No reforging, no fancy castle skins (for PvP at least) or march any animations. I'm ready to go just like that 🙌You might notice I've also changed my avatar, since I'm on the hunt now!

When I log in, Phase 6 has already started for about an hour, so I’m not expecting anything too good to be up. Still, I check a few castles I bookmarked, targets I know don’t always have a bubble and are alone on the map, not in any hives for any fast response.

And soon enough, I notice something rather new: the alliances on this kingdom feel pretty dead. Not long ago, we had decent competition from at least three active alliances. Now? 1HT and EGZ look completely abandoned. A few scattered members here and there, but their glory days complaining about all sorts of things in world chat are gone.😅😂

...Actually, EGZ might even have gained a few members since I last checked. 😅😅

Enough reminiscing about days gone. It’s time to plan my attacks based on what I found from my bookmarks and the current unbubbled castles on the map.

I start with a lower level castle, not expecting much resistance. This is more like a warm-up, just to get me into Fervor and put a lord in my dungeon for the buffs. Since I don't have a HoF, I'll be using this target to get me started.

As expected, the first hit finds... nothing. The castle is empty, and their lord is now enjoying the hospitality of my dungeon. ☠️

I try a new target, not really hoping for much, but this next castle belongs to the only active and populated alliance left here. I fear a counterattack, so I go for a quick hit and run. No scout, just an attack and a teleport. To my surprise, I actually find troops at home! A good hit, some nice points, another lord in the dungeon, and even some merit. This is turning into a promising start.

Next target, another easy capture. Just a lord for the dungeon.

Another try, another empty castle. Only another lord for dungeon.

One deserted castle after another. I'm starting to feel like a dungeon keeper.

Then I hit a castle I've seen gathering and doing bounties. Surely there must be something at home. Knock knock? Anyone home?

Apparently, yes! But as soon as I get there everyone hides in the hospital. No merit, no points. Shame.😒

I’m starting to feel disappointed. Is this really it? Normally I’d end it about now, but I’m sitting on millions of troops I can’t take with me when I abandon these accounts. So let's keep going.

Unfortunately, there’s nothing else out in the wild. Only one option left: the main Scy hive near King’s Landing... filled with active players. That's some risky business. Attacking during Phase 6 is allowed, but I worry about someone being online and putting a tracker rally on me and being rallied to death shortly after.

Still… what better way for my troops to go out than in glorious battle? I'd rather have them killed myself than being zeroed while afk.

I pick one of the bigger accounts. No scout, I just port next to them and immediate hit. I don’t even realize I haven’t healed my troops since the start of this rampage. A surprisingly good result? Lots of casualties on both sides.

I’m a bit discouraged by my losses, but then I realize, the first strike is always the hardest. I still don't remember to heal and just go again. My heart is pounding, I’m inside their hive, clapping their members, one tracker rally up and I’m done for. Second hit goes through! It's way better! Encouraging even! MORE!

Can I squeeze in one more? I do! Third hit goes out, and before anyone can react, I take another lord and random port to safety.

Not only did I find a good target, but I also ranked up my Nobility! That's awesome and worth it. Time to heal and update my preset. I've got an extra 5k army size from my new Nobility rank now.🙌

What a rush. I feel alive. And there are more targets waiting.🌝

I caught the sense of blood and I want MORE.🙃

With my new army size and fully healed troops, I jump to the next one. This time, I'll remember to heal during the hits.🙈

The first hit looks bad. “Defeat”! But the report's not that bad at all.

I took more losses, but broke through the wall and fortifications, that's probably why it looks discouraging.

No time for hesitation! I heal and send again. Ride or die, baby! Second hit is much better. Still heavy losses, but a solid hit for me.

One final attack, and I can wrap this up! I heal, hit again, and prepare to vanish into the mist before reevaluating my next move...

Now comes the fun part...

While randomly jumping away from the main Scy hive, I landed right in someone’s backyard. As always, I check my immediate surroundings when I random teleport. I never want to end up in more danger than I just fled. At some point during this chaotic campaign, I found someone interesting and quickly bookmarked the location before jumping again to safety.

Now it’s time to revisit that mysterious castle. And what I see is... rather interesting.

An unbubbled account, sitting alone, no alliance, nobody else nearby.😶

Could this be one of those abandoned accounts just waiting for the timer to run out and disappear off the map? Someone like I would have been?

But something’s a bit off. I can't put my finger on it but something definitely doesn't feel right.

This account actually has more power than mine. Just a bit, but enough to raise a concern. I don’t want to go in blind like I've done so far, so I figure I’ll play it safe for once. I’ve got time, nobody knows I’m here, so why not scout and make sure it’s not a trap castle for Phase 6?

Scout sent...

Scout failed.

Hmmm...

No bubble... and counterscout? Now that’s definitely suspicious.😶

This is clearly not an idle account waiting to disappear. This castle has someone playing it.

You don’t set counterscout unless you're either actively engaged in PvP... or setting a trap.

Hmmmmm. I look at the screen with a lot of suspicion and skepticism.

I'm sitting next to it, also unbubbled but nothing is happening...

This is bait. It has to be! It's clearly a trap castle! Or is it?

If this account was abandoned, there’d be no curfew. Counterscout only lasts for 24h max.

This is waiting for unsuspecting victims.

Now the question becomes: Am I the unsuspecting victim? Do I spring the trap... or just walk away?

I'm ready to walk away, but I’m intrigued now. Should I try my luck? Will I die a horrible death?

Honestly, I feel like I’m about to do something really stupid. But then I remind myself: I’ve got nothing to lose.

My accounts are going to die anyway. So I take a deep breath and go in! YOLO!

And I kind of f..k up... What follows is a very close mirror match, the kind that leaves a bitter taste when you see the word “Defeat” pop up... but then you look at the details and realize... Wait a second... that was almost a win!😀

Had it not been for their wall and fortifications, I actually could have won. And that’s a massive relief. I was fully expecting a horrible defeat, maybe even losing my Lord to the trap. But no. Not only did I survive, I actually hit the jackpot! Look at those troops in there!!!

And to top it off, another Nobility Rank unlocked from this hit. Let’s go! We're back in it!

I quickly heal up my wounded and rearrange my army preset to take advantage of the, yet again, new army size.

This attack was a risk but I am relieved I didn't end up losing my lord. Now I'm confident I can clean up this "trap"

At this point I'm expecting this castle to either counterattack me or teleport away. But… nothing happens.

Their lack of action is practically an invitation. So, naturally, I go in for round two.

With the wall already down, this hit should be a clean win. And it is… or at least that’s what the report says: “Victory.”

But honestly it feels like a loss. I killed fewer troops, lost just as many as the previous hit, and the whole thing felt way messier than the first fight. That previous "Defeat" sucked less than this “Victory.”

Still, I’ve got troops left, and I did say ride or die. Looks like this is where I make my last stand!

Another hit. And it’s way worse.

Not only do I go straight into their Bow troops, and they’re clearly a Bow trap tentative, but I also mess up my formation. I send the wrong army preset with the non buffed army size and with Kravras instead of Egbert. Big mistake.😭

Sadness envelops me. I thought I found my Moby Dick, and I might as well have found it, I don't seem to be able to kill it.

Still, I heal up and go again. This time with the right formation, the right army size, and with a lot higher hopes.

But... another "Defeat" report? How?!? Argh... this is getting frustrating.

The numbers on my side aren’t looking any better and I’m really getting discouraged.

At this point, I barely have enough troops for one last attack. I've lost over 1 million T3 Bows since I started this rampage and most of them in these last 3 hits. Maybe that’s not a big number for big accounts, but for my little champion here? That’s huge! That’s months of training, gone in the blaze of glory.

I send the final march and find only T3 Bows on their side. More of my troops dead. The report's no better than the last, and deep down, I know it's over, that was my last try.

At this point I don't have enough troops for another attack. And even if I did... I probably wouldn’t throw them away like this. It's not worth the trades anymore. Apparently my rampage ends here.🙄

I feel like Captain Ahab, and this... this was indeed my elusive white whale. I forgot all about my previous victories and only this is stuck in my head now. I started so good, chasing merit and glory, smashing castles left and right.

But now? I’m stuck in a stalemate with a castle I can’t finish? Every hit kills more of my troops than theirs. My spirit, and my hopes of ending LoL with a miracle are all but gone now.

I’m not even sure what I’m trying to prove anymore. Maybe that I can outplay fate, that with enough perseverance I could rank back in the top 3, like I once could.

But the sea doesn’t care. Neither do these sharks and whales. Look at all these lords I've taken, but this last one was out of reach.

After each attack I healed, I marched again only to fall again. Again and again.

These last few report felt like a taunt, a reminder that sometimes, just perseverance isn't enough.

This castle, this player, they held their ground and now I'm even starting to think they were AFK the whole time.

They weren't even in PvP gear... And I? I burned out trying to zero them. I feel like somehow I still fell in their trap. Not like it was intended, but I didn't win either.

On the bright side, all these fights got me some serious points in Phase 6. I don't think I've ever been 1st here, not even on my main.

Too bad I ran out of troops to sacrifice for points, otherwise I might have even been able to surpass the whale in overall points.

With this valiant effort and all time first active engagement in Phase 6 I've managed to get back on the podium, something my little alts haven't been able to do in quite some time now. What a great way for them to go out as heroes😘

My reward includes a 3 day Heart of the Great Sea coupon. I would have loved to "wear" this next to the Scy hive after LoL is over.

And speaking of LoL being over, the next day I get this nice mail with 30 Sabrina tokens. Soon she will be blue and grant me even more army size in the Tavern. As f2p these things add up and count a lot.

Thinking how this all played out, I wanted to go out in flames, and I did. But it wasn’t the glorious blaze I imagined. It was more of a slow burn, the kind that left me staring at reports in silence and often disappointment. Oh well, it was a good run while it lasted and at least I wasn't clapped in 1 hit by one of the whales.

So at the end I get the feeling this was the best realistic way it could have ended. Not with a clear win. But also not with a devastating defeat. I could say I was left with "the experience". That and the friends I made along the way😂

Come to think of it, I managed to achieve all my 3 objectives so it was a great final run for my small accounts. The good start in phase 6 gave me false hopes that I could rank even higher but this was undoubtably the best LoL my little accounts have played so far.

I really enjoyed this LoL. Being my last one on these accounts gave me the "freedom" to use everything at my disposal without having to worry about I'd have left over for later.

Now it's time they go on a break while I take care of some real life matters. Hopefully I'll be back in no time and continue their 1 year challenge. It's turning out to be a very real challenge with breaks from the game and such, very close to what a real person would go through😅