Alliance Conquest (Season 21 Round 3) - HOH vs. TSB

 With the overwhelming victory achieved in the second round of Alliance Conquest against an opponent of OBV's calibre, HOH had proven themselves to be an alarming force, not just a second-rate alliance.

However, the season was far from over, and the third match represented a new and crucial opportunity to solidify their position among the top sixteen alliances in the realm.

The victory had certainly boosted HOH's morale, but they were aware that the road ahead was still long and the challenges were not yet over. Spimmer and his council were determined not to let their guard down. Every member of the alliance knew that concentration and preparation were crucial to continue proving their worth.

Arriving today on the battlefield, after a few days of rest from the fateful and hard-fought second round, HOH found themselves in a pivotal position of the season: winning today meant making a significant step toward their primary goal of competing in the Ultimate Conquest play-offs.

 Today’s opponent were the so called “dark horse” alliance  

They may be a lesser known team, but they are not completely unfamiliar. Known for their indomitable fighting spirit and iron discipline, TSB is a formidable and respected opponent throughout Westeros. Under the command of ZochaPL and his right-hand men DUCH B and Sauron1967 , this alliance had built a reputation for ferocity and strategic cunning. Like HOH, they had achieved one victory and one defeat in the previous round, and now both groups were determined to secure their second win of the season, which would pave their way towards UT.

Spimmer, looking at his comrades with a determined expression, said, "Today we face a crucial test for our journey. We must stay focused and resolute because an opponent like this leaves no room for errors." The leader's words, though simple and direct, reflected a wisdom ground through years of battles and challenges.

The members of Column 1 understood well how important this match was for their season, also it was a new milestone for them – for the first time, they will have the honour of serving on the team of two irresistible commanders, Neik and Bloody Wolf. They were not only unstoppable but also very wise, well seasoned warriors.

“being favoured on paper could be an advantage, but only if it didn’t lead to a lapse in concentration.”  - we all heard their conversation just before the match started.

The weight of expectations was high, and every member of HOH felt the pressure to prove that their previous victory was not a fluke.

The cold wind and the gloomy clouds added a sense of unease to the air, as the setting sun gave way to dusk, spreading across the battlefield. The atmosphere was thick with tension; a silence laden with expectation enveloped the field as fighters from both alliances mentally prepared, knowing that each passing second increased the tension and the weight of what was about to unfold.

The starting signal unleashed chaos on the battlefield!

HOH immediately took the lead with their racers, capturing three available buildings out of four, with impressive speed. They were clearly in top form, as demonstrated from the very first moments of the match. Credit also goes to TSB, not everyone can be faster than HOH speedsters, but they did it and got the Mother.

Their strategy proved successful, even in the commander swaps: they managed to perform two swaps at Lannister Outpost and the Warrior where the demand was highest, assigning Urielki and AK —two of the alliance’s most formidable fighters—to defend these key positions.

“Everyone get ready for the Mother! Set up the rallies and filled them fast” - Spimmer's voice broke the din of battle

Everything was going according to plan, the rallies were ready to go, and now we just had to wait for the final result. After a few seconds, it became clear that TSB had no counter-measure to fend off the perfectly composed attacks.

We only had enough time to get our troops back to base when the two ports became available. The capture of the Ports was a testament to how well HOH's racers were performing; they managed to capture both without the slightest difficulty. 

“Hahhhh, I’m not just strong but fast too” - Neik dashed back with a wry grin on his face after capturing the Targaryen Port. We locked eyes with Ferrious and stated that: when Neik makes statements like that, we know we're doing well.

Our port being safe, now only had to sort out the far port, after a very dodgy swap, somehow HOH managed to secure it and placed Xoica in.

“Okay we got it, but it was everything but fast and organised” – Spimmer summoned it up correctly

For our biggest surprise, TSB has decided to attack the Targaryen Port straight-after the protection bubble dropped. If it had been me, I would have chosen a different target, knowing the power of the Xoica...soon afterwards the TSB members became aware of this fact when all their rallies bounced off the strong HOH defence.

A couple of minutes later there were no any flaws in HOH’s plan. After capturing the most important building on the map, their swap attempt was perfect, from now on Tardis will be guarding Casterly Rock! 

It seemed that TSB had learned from their earlier mistake and had chosen a new target. They launched a decisive attack on Targaryen Outpost on two occasions. The first attempt involved weak rallies, which were easily repelled by Urielki; it would take more than that to trouble him. Having gauged the strength of his opponent, they ordered a timed attack where all incoming rallies would hit the walls simultaneously.

Understanding the critical situation, Spimmer requested that every available member not engaged in defending other buildings send all necessary support to Urielki. When the attacks landed, it looked like things were turning sour for the defenders, but the wave of reinforcements arriving played a key role in the siege, successfully repelling every rival attempt!

"I think the defeat they suffered in the attacks on the outposts, which they imagined would be the easiest to hit, was a bitter pill for them to swallow,"  - Spimmer said

And it seemed he was right, in the next phase of the battle, TSB practically blew a retreat and there was little chance of any attack from their side. This was most likely helped by the fact that when the personal castles became available, HOH did not hesitate for a moment and launched dozens of attacks on TSB's base, annihilating every troops, what they found. The attacks on the rival bases proved to be devastatingly effective.

Suddenly, the fast paced clash turned into a slow standing battle, with both sides just counting down the minutes. It was clear that the mines would not change the outcome of the battle, even if by some miracle TSB were to rise.

But it turns out that boredom can be a little bit exciting too, especially when one side loses focus...

It looked as if HOH would close the battle for good, as they had both mines and managed to do a successful swap on one of them. But miscommunication intervened during the exchange of the left mine and TSB was on high alert and intercepted our attempt. Which proved that if you lose focus even for a little while, you can get into trouble. Fortunately in this case, HOH didn't get into serious trouble and ended up with a very confident victory in the third round.

"Our opponents were high-level, but with teamwork, we managed to corner them from the early stages of the match, even tho’ we have made some silly mistakes, again. After their defeats in the attacks, they decided to conserve their energy for future encounters. We should expect more competitive opponents in the upcoming matches. We are halfway through our journey, and with only two more victories out of three, we will secure a spot among the top sixteen," were the leader’s words before leaving the battlefield.

What awaits them in the now crucial fourth match of the season?

We will find out together!