An empty throne still awaited to be claimed by what would become the most feared alliance in the current season of Alliance Conquest, as the battles between Westeros factions were far from over.

Bloody and terrifying were the clashes; the ambition to bring their faction’s name to the top of the rankings by the end of this long journey was what drove every warrior to face unmatched rivals.

Neik and his HOH companions had so far claimed two victories and one defeat in the previous three rounds, starting a winning streak after the hard-felt loss in the first round. Their minimum goal, reaching UC, was progressing slowly, and they knew well that the next battle would be among the hardest of the season due to the two overwhelming victories they had achieved. As they approached the battlefield, each of them was deep in thought, with growing anxiety over who they would be facing that day.

When the members of HOH finally reached the field, they saw with their own eyes the powerful army standing in their way this round an alliance clearly aiming for one of the top 16 positions by the end of the season, and to achieve that, they had recruited truly fearsome members into their ranks.

It was...

HD!

Led by the fearsome Wartime, MUDKIP, and the fierce Problemka, the powerful rival faction had ambitions far beyond a simple UC qualification. They fought relentlessly in every event after all, their high-level skills and available resources made it possible. The addition of incredible warriors like HoratiuS and DarkCrixo to their ranks made it clear just how determined HD!’s leadership was to win this round.

A gap had formed between the two alliances that could no longer be considered small. Although they might have once been on the same level or close to it HD! had grown significantly, while HOH had lost several key players and, as a result, had become a mid-tier alliance, no longer seen as a top contender.

However, they had no intention of backing down.

“We knew a tough rival would block our path today, but we’ll face them with everything we’ve got, without retreating,” said Spimmer, making it clear to his allies that the HOH leadership believed they could bring home a favorable result.

The clash between the two factions was about to begin. Neik and his companions were ready to start the match, armed with well-tested strategies and following the guidance of their group’s leaders. The numerical advantage was only two members in HOH’s favor, but they knew well that in AC, numbers only mattered up to a point. What truly counted was the speed in sending reinforcements to their buildings not merely their presence on the battlefield. The rains continued to fall upon the lands of Westeros, relieving the summer heat. The sky above them was darkened by storm clouds heavy with electricity, pouring rain endlessly and making the battlefield even harder to cross an added challenge for both alliances.

A disastrous start, to say the least... for HOH!

HD! got off to a stunning beginning, immediately taking a four-to-zero lead in buildings over their rivals an entirely unexpected opening for Neik and his companions, who suddenly found themselves chasing, with their racers completely ineffective against those of the enemy.

What followed were immediate swaps carried out by Problemka and his allies. The first two were executed successfully, with no time for HOH to intercept them due to the lightning-fast reinforcements that were sent in.

However, the third attempt played out differently: MOD got the better of the rivals by intervening at just the right moment, softening the scoreline and securing the first building for his alliance in the match.

"Assault Warrior Tower" was the plan announced by HOH’s leadership, who wanted to secure the position that would grant them significant buffs throughout the match. The first target was to strike the solid defense of Dopehop. Neik and his companions launched their attack immediately, and when they arrived… their hits were precise and effective, but not enough to dislodge the HD! defender. Thanks to the timely reinforcements sent by his allies, Dopehop managed to hold the position with a brilliant defensive effort.

The twist came just before the ports opened, when during HOH’s siege, HoratiuS landed lethal blows at the previously lost outpost, restoring the initial result of four buildings to zero.

"Get ready for the Ports, they’re more important," was the directive from HOH’s leadership, determined to avoid any loss of focus.

At the opening of the Ports, to everyone’s surprise, it was once again the racers of HD! who were the fastest and conquered the walls of the two coveted buildings. The incredible speed of their members was outclassing Neik and his companions, who didn’t seem to be in top form today to keep up with their rapidity.

Without panicking, however, Spimmer and the leadership decided to wait patiently, knowing that the rivals would attempt a swap at Targaryen Port. When the attempt came, the nearby assaults that had been lying in wait launched their attack and after a grueling siege, the plan was successful! The finishing blow delivered by Orso was decisive for HOH!

HOH then decided to lay siege to the walls of Mother’s Temple its precious healing buff source was crucial for a match of this type, which would be long and exhausting. Once the rally leaders gathered their troops, the attacks launched almost simultaneously to hit the enemy defenses. Thanks to exceptional timing, HD! had no chance to replace the troops lost in battle before losing control of the building.

Thanks to two noteworthy offensive actions, after a rough start, HOH was keeping the match afloat despite still being at a disadvantage and the solo attacks carried out by the new additions to the rival ranks for this match were being strongly felt. “The opening of Casterly Rock is imminent. If we manage to conquer it, we could find ourselves in a position of advantage,” Neik reminded his companions, trying to urge them to give their best in the decisive phase of the match.

When Casterly Rock became available, this time the scenario was different and LUNG from HOH managed to be the fastest!

A truly valuable capture for Neik and his companions, who had now definitely re-entered the match but executing a swap was crucial to place someone in command of the castle who could withstand the endless attacks incoming from HoratiuS and his allies.

However, the swap attempt they made was not perfect, and the time window that opened up to strike the walls was gladly taken by Env0y, who seized control of Casterly Rock for HD!, rendering LUNG’s initial speed in capturing it meaningless.

The momentum of the match, which just minutes earlier seemed to have swung in favor of HOH, was moment by moment becoming more and more complicated for Neik and his companions. In the following phases, even though they managed to strike accurately and capture buildings, they were unable to defend them in any way due to the powerful attacks carried out by the members of HD! the recruitment carried out by their leadership for this round was undoubtedly paying off.

A push toward Targaryen Outpost was then decided by HOH’s leadership. The long siege was successful for them, with Cubishnia landing the final blow on the defending troops.

Next, as done previously, the target was once again Mother’s Temple, which was captured with relative ease. The favorable moment for HOH encouraged them to attempt a bold offensive toward Lannister Port, under the control of Problemka certainly not the easiest opponent to face, but if they wanted any chance to turn the tide of the match, they had to try! The attacks were carried out with extreme precision and timing, proving to be decisive and securing control of the building for HOH!

“We must hold these buildings if we want to extend the match to the Mines and go all-in,” was the clear message from HOH’s leadership. The capture of the three buildings was crucial for Neik and his allies they gave them once again a glimmer of hope to turn the outcome of the match.

But just when everything seemed to be going well for HOH, the twist came with the rivals’ counterattack…

The attacks from Wartime and his allies didn’t take long to arrive.

As soon as the bubbles dropped, the buildings defended by HOH members were relentlessly assaulted with monstrous solos from opponents who were undoubtedly among the most feared in Westeros. HD! managed to recapture the lost buildings one after another falling like the hopes of Neik and his companions to find an opening for a final offensive to secure control of the Mines.

“I don’t think we can still hope for victory at this point,” said one HOH member, disheartened by how the match was going and surprised by how much the rivals had strengthened.

“We’ll still try to fight for the Mines and reduce the gap in this almost certain defeat. At this point, there’s no reason to push further,” admitted Spimmer after conferring with the other leaders.

When the Mines became available, the two alliances each managed to capture one.

However, during HD!’s attempted swap, something went wrong, and AK0086 managed to sneak in, securing it for HOH who suddenly found themselves in control of both Mines.

But the same happened at Lannister Mine, where the swap attempt by Neik and his team lacked the needed timing, allowing HD! to immediately even the score and bring it back to one each.

The match was effectively over, with HOH raising the white flag to the overwhelming superiority of their rivals, who on this day truly looked like an alliance capable of reaching the final podium by the end of the season.

At the end of the match, the well-deserved victory went to... HD!

MVP's

The best fighters of the match were:

HoratiuS for HD! A true nightmare in this match he relentlessly launched himself at any enemy-held building. Tireless.

AK0086 for HOH Alongside Tardis and a few others, he was one of the few capable of challenging the opponents and holding his ground. He earned the title of best fighter among his team members.

“We fought as hard as we could, but the opponents were clearly well-prepared for this battle and proved to be a great alliance, fully deserving this round. Let’s focus on the next match there are two left, and we now have to win both to secure a spot in the top 16,” were the wise words from HOH’s leadership, reminding their comrades just how crucial the upcoming challenges were for the season's outcome.

The defeat weighed heavily on Neik’s morale upon returning to K345. He hadn’t expected such strength from HD! an alliance they had previously beaten without much struggle. But hierarchies were bound to shift, and right now, the rivals were on another level. Still, the fighter believed that with a bit of luck, the next two matches could go their way, and he would be ready for them.

Who will HOH face in the fifth and penultimate round of the season? We’ll find out together!