WAO advances to UC - WAO vs SFu

WAO advances to UC

WAO vs SFu

The regular season of Conquest of Alliance had started with stumbles for WAO. The loss to HouseofDragon (HD!) was a bitter pill to swallow for the whole team. Many took it as a bad omen.

-Are we not ready for this? -asked more than one person in the chat room.

But that defeat did not manage to break the spirit and hope of the alliance. On the contrary, it fired them up even more. With grit, tactics and impeccable teamwork, WAO won the next three battles against Nocturnal (NOW), Mirabilia (MBL) and NocnaStraz (NoS). Each victory strengthened their conviction. Now, it all came down to one last step: beating SFu and qualifying for the playoffs, the dreaded UC, where only the best alliances make it.

The day had arrived. The atmosphere in the team was charged with tension and adrenaline.

-Today we will show what we are made of! -Ouroboros shouted.

SCEPAL took a deep breath, he knew he didn't have enough of the T5 troops he wanted, but what he did have was determination. And sometimes, even if it didn't seem like it could be enough.

The battle begins after the final countdown. WAO enters with 97 players and SFu with 89. However, the numerical difference does not intimidate SFu because as soon as the countdown ends, they rush like a wave over the four corners of the map, capturing them immediately.

They don't mind going all out from the start..." mutters Ardesign

WAO, far from flinching, quickly organizes several rallies of different types of troops.

But SFu seemed to be well prepared, posting fairly solid reinforcements and relentless defenses. One by one, the initial attacks seemed to break as they came and failed.

-We can't go on like this. We need to break their rhythm," said CCK.

It was at that moment, when the timer crossed 4 minutes, that Korillion takes the Temple of the Mother, followed by Ixchani who captures the Lannister Base. At the same time, new attacks are organized towards the Warrior's Tower.

Dionysus succeeds in occupying the Lannister Port and Arch Markus takes the Targaryen Base, reducing SFu's initial advantage.

The game became a tense dance of exchanges and positioning. WAO continued to gain ground.

At the 20th minute, Zdetae reached Casterly Rock first, but then, in a very tactical move, CCK took  his place and fully reinforced.

 Despite this, SFu strikes back and manages to recapture the Lannister Port and the Targaryen Base.

-Let's not let our guard down! Hold those reinforcements! -shouted Theomaxos.

WAO responds by recapturing the Warrior Tower and the Targaryen Port.

 The score remained even, with small differences, but none definitive. The tension could be cut with a knife.

The key moment arrives: the Lannister and Targaryen Fortresses open. SFu takes Lannister; WAO responds with Targaryen. Warrior's Keep keeps changing hands. The excitement was constant and the game was red hot.

Slipper occupies Lannister Port at the same time and in that way WAO almost steps on SFu's toes.

The 40th minute arrives and the bubbles fall from the castles.   SCEPAL, still adjusting his squadrons, decides to test some of his T5 troops for the first time.

-This is the moment,“ he thought, ”I may not have many, but I need to know how they perform in real combat. 

The personal attacks begin. SCEPAL launches with a polished mix of T5 and T4.

He launches his first attack with mixed results. But in one of the exchanges he achieves some small victories.

-It's not bad at all... I just need to have more troops. When I have the right number, I won't be so weak," he said to himself, with a mixture of frustration and hope.

He sends back again and again, some in response to attacks...

-Come on.... don't fail me now! -he mutters to himself as he looks at the battle report.

Some battles are unfavorable, but in others he feels the real impact of the T5s. The difference, though small, is noticeable.

-Yes... I can feel it now. This is something else," he thinks with a smile.

Meanwhile, WAO takes all the buildings on the map, a key moment that gives them a boost in points causing them to overtake SFu.  Less than 30 minutes to go, and the opening of the mines is coming up.

Patricio warns in the chat - Get ready for the mines! Nobody fall asleep!

SCEPAL felt his heart pounding. He had experienced many battles, but this one had a special flavor. A mixture of challenge, pressure and pride at being part of such a determined team.

The opening of the mines arrives. WAO manages to take the Lannister Mine, SFu responds with the Targaryen.

But suddenly, SFu's Guts Black snatches the Lannister mine from WAO.

-They can't stay there! They'll beat us if they keep her! -he thinks, his heart racing.

In just seconds, WAO launches multiple rallies.

 The focus is now on recovering the mines. Shanzuwei manages to take the Targaryen mine, but does not manage to hold it for long. SFu responds with ferocity.

Even so, WAO had already managed to pull a gap of more than 20,000 points.

-Let's hold on as long as we can! We're almost there! -Pantuflo shouts.

WAO activates the Dragon's Roar stratagem. It's the final blow: Theomaxos recovers the Lannister Mine. A few minutes later, Achille reinforces the Targaryen Mine. Now we just have to hold on.

Last seconds. Everyone counted the final seconds on the clock. The mines hold. The defenses hold despite every blow. And the scoreboard tilts, firmly, in WAO's favor.

SCEPAL looks at the result with a mixture of relief and pride.

-We did it!  We're in the playoffs. And this time, it wasn't luck. It was fight, it was courage... it was WAO.

The screen shows the end: WAO qualifies to UC and is among the best alliances, no matter the result after that. 

And SCEPAL, although still feeling it has a lot of growing to do, already feels part of something bigger.

-Next time... I'll go all out by training more old troops and raising the team," he thinks.

That battle had not only been a victory, it had been a message: WAO was ready for more. And of course so was she and the rest of the team.