AoH Season 3: Trouble at the Start, Triumph at the End

Trouble Before We Even Begin!

The game hadn't even started, and already we were in trouble. One of our usual leads wasn’t answering, and minutes before the match was supposed to begin, a two-player group informed us they couldn’t make it. We're 4 players short and it feels like our usual roster falling apart. Our lead opened the alliance invitation in the alliance. We managed to find one person quickly, but the rest? Nothing yet.

One of our usual players recommended a Cav player. Not a strong account, but if they could follow instructions, it would be enough. Another "potential 18:00" player is interested in our game so now we're just missing one. Time was running out so for the last slot, we shuffled whoever applies until we find someone we're ok with.

It wasn’t our usual dream team, but at least we had ten players in voice chat. Our accounts today weren’t really strong, but this could actually work in our favor. Last season, we constantly faced top tier teams due to our high AoH rating. Those matches had been brutal and particularly frustrating for me since I felt powerless to do much. I still have flashbacks from our last game of Season 2, where my main account was 90% useless. All I could do was reinforce my teammates. What we should normally do individually we were forced to do with rallies. Not something we'd like to repeat today. starting Season 3.

A Promising Start?

Jumping on the map, nothing seemed overly threatening at first sight. There were some high power castles, but no recognizable accounts. With no heavy hitters, could this be a quiet game? Let’s see how it develops.

As soon as the first row of strongholds opened, we scrambled to take them. Without our usual setup, there was some overlap, but we quickly claimed all the first line strongholds.

Then came a hiccup: the second row of strongholds opened before we finished upgrading the first line. Normally, we’re close to completing upgrades by this point, but this time we were late, letting other teams jump ahead in points.

I claimed the altar, flashing back to the previous game where we had to fight from the start to defend OUR altar. This time, it wasn’t contested, and we quicky brought it under our banner.

Lessons to remember from now on

While waiting for upgrades to finish, I reflected on what went wrong. I realized we reinforced the house too early. If just the assigned player claims it with the lord march and the rest focus on upgrading buildings, we should finish upgrading the first line just seconds after the second line opened. Instead, we swarmed the house like it was under attack, a mistake we can't repeat, especially at our rating😏Lesson learned: next time, focus on upgrades before swarming the house.

Now the Game Actually Starts

We stuck to our usual strategy that got us this far: Trading Post + three Altars of the Maiden. Even though recent updates favored troop altars, the lack of a serious army threat on the map made troop stats less appealing. Most teams seemed focused on Trading Posts anyway, so we decided to use our usual plan. We're still evaluating potential strategy updates, but not for this game.

Our first task was to identify which three Altars of the Maiden to claim as our main objectives and which to keep as backups. One altar was conveniently in our line, and soon, our team started a series of guerrilla wars on nearby houses, quickly securing another two.

With the main objectives under control, I suddenly had some “free” time. I decided to take advantage of the chaos on the map. Instead of focusing on contested areas, I began sniping random altars in locations other teams were ignoring. Surprisingly, this strategy usually works wonders.

Despite not having a super strong account, I realized how much of an impact I could make by making good use of my marches. Yup, you read that right. It's not what it's in the march, it's how many marches you use. I mean... what can I do when my scouts find something like this defending an altar we want? Not much, I can tell you that😅

I avoided direct confrontations with powerful accounts, instead choosing to go for unguarded altars. To my amusement, the sheer number of 55 troop marches I sent out got us some random points and established our houses presence on the map. 😅

But it’s incredible how much of a difference those tiny actions can make. With so much happening on the map, many players usually don't have the time, or patience, to react to constant pressure. As a result, I ended up flipping a few altars while people were distracted.

"It ain’t much, but it’s honest work," I thought with a grin as another unsuspecting altar fell to my spam attacks.

The Game Unfolds

From this point, the game starts to unfold in the usual rhythm. While the stronger accounts focus on defending our Altars of the Maiden from enemy houses circling like hungry wolves, I turn my attention to our Sept of the Seven. It’s a lower priority target at this time, making it the perfect place for me to contribute without direct interference. The Sept's healing speed will surely help, especially my teammates with T5s, and it feels good to support the team as they defend against the real attacks.

Trading altars becomes the name of the game. The map turns into a chaotic tug of war as altars flip back and forth, often faster than we can count. In the frenzy, it’s easy to lose track of time and we even forget when the "Big Mine" opens.

Thankfully, with ten sets of eyes looking at the map, someone was keeping track and takes it. A few of our teammates send what extra troops they have lying around to "gather points in the mine"😅

Next Target: The City of Glory

With three Altars of the Maiden and the Big Mine secured, and most importantly, no big players on the map, our focus turns to the City of Glory, a prize we haven’t held in a long time. Even before it opens, we assign one of our rally leads to take it. Stopping other attacks, we begin recalling troops, but the shift in pressure doesn’t go unnoticed. As the countdown ticks closer to zero, the other houses anticipate our move. Before we can even launch the rally, counterattacks begin and we start losing our hard earned buildings.

At this point, we are faced with a critical decision. Do we react to the counterattacks from the other houses or commit fully to the City of Glory? The decision is made: we are good on points, so we go all in on the City of Glory.

The moment it opens, we launch our rally. We are not the first to reach it, but we manage to take control from its previous owner. The City of Glory is ours. The attack leaves us at half strength, but the team reacts swiftly. One by one, we recall our troops, heal, and send reinforcements back into the fight.

Several solos and rallies are coming our way. Despite the chaotic battlefield, our teamwork shines. With the City of Glory secure, we cement our lead. We manage to defend even against our counter. Some very close fights take place but we hold until the bubble starts.

At full strength, we can't be kicked out, especially not by strange lineups like this😂

Without proper support from his team and a strong rally, even the top account on the map is no match for us.

With the City of Glory on our side it starts causing havoc on our behalf, so we don't have to. I forgot it can do this but it starts taking Strongholds from other houses. On top of draining points from every house, it also starts taking their buildings, lol.

However, a few minutes later, with the support of his house and a proper rally, they manage to kick us out.

Our response is lightning-fast; the rally fills up before I can even join. My troops bounced when I reached the lead. We reclaim the city, and from this point, it’s clear, we’ll be the ones sitting on the throne as the game nears its end.

Now, our greatest threat comes from the NPC attacks. These guys hit like a truck! 😱 House Targaryen focused heavily on troop stats... infantry troop stats. No wonder they hit this hard.

A few skirmishes follow, but the game score is already set in stone. Even if we lose the City of Glory, there’s no time left for anyone else to claim it. We’ve done it! Ending the game with the City of Glory in our hands once again feels great!

Victory is ours! What an extraordinary way to start Season 3. I only hope we can keep this going for the rest of the season😊

This win was absolutely amazing for me. Not only did we win, not only did we end holding the City of Glory, but I also got promoted… twice! It doesn’t get much better than that!

What started as a chaotic scramble ended in glorious triumph, no pun intended. From roster issues to overlaps and strategy hiccups, we managed to over come every challenge and emerged victorious. Our win was sweeter knowing how close we came to falling apart before the game even began.

Ending the game with the City of Glory under our banner and a double promotion on top, this win is one for the archives. It’s a reminder that no matter the odds, teamwork can be a deciding factor and change the outcome even when we started without much hope.

Here’s to an amazing start of Season 3, a season already filled with promise and potential. Onward to more adventures, challenges and victories!