N0X SoW S16 – Match 2: Forbearing the Shadows of Defeat

Coming off our first match in N0X, spirits were sky high. Beating WAO was a clear win in our favor, propelling us straight into the top of the charts, exactly where the biggest monsters of SoW live. Of course, that also meant the honeymoon wouldn’t last. For the second match, we knew the odds were high that we’d be thrown against one of the ultra top alliances, and the outcome would be… less than ideal for us. Still, hope is free, and hope we did!

Right up until the matchup was revealed. Our opponent: FFS. Once an absolute juggernaut, maybe not quite as untouchable as they used to be, but still packing accounts far stronger than ours. The kind of strength that leaves no doubt who’s about to dominate this match.

Even before the match begins, the disadvantage is obvious. Some of our players aren’t even planning to show up, already foreshadowing the outcome. And honestly, I get it, who wants to spend an hour feeding elimination points to one of the strongest alliances in the game? Still, that shouldn’t stop anyone from at least logging in and placing marches on the map. If management tells us to stay close to home, fine. But impossible odds don’t mean you don’t show up at all. That was the grim pre match vibe: resignation mixed with slight a flicker of defiance?

As the timer ticks down, the gap seems to widen, both in participation and in starting score. No big deal, I tell myself, there are still 15 minutes before the real race starts. Plenty of time for the rest of N0X force to join us.

Alas, when the gates finally open and both sides rush for Armory and Hot Springs, reality hits. I glance at the game banner and the numbers glare back: our 73 clearly weaker accounts lined up against their 91 heavy hitters. Even the starting points scream their commitment to SoW compared to ours. This isn’t just a disadvantage; it’s the opening steps of a recipe for disaster. And in no time at all, that recipe is going to bake N0X into a disaster cake.

If memory serves, the last time we faced FFS it was over in about five minutes😅. I don’t even remember a proper fight at Armory or Hot Springs... they just marched straight to our base and camped us there until the end.

This time, though, both sides rush toward the middle objectives. Granted, they’re so confident they’ll win that they even peel off some troops to snipe our Outposts from the start. So at least this time they don’t have the guts to base camp us right from the start anymore, but they’re clearly convinced the match will tilt in their favor soon enough.

I’m on the Hot Springs side, pushing my spears in overdrive to get there, and much to my surprise we actually arrive at the same time as FFS. Speed, at least, isn’t something they have on us.😜

The clash starts immediately as reinforcements pour in from both sides. For the first few seconds it even looks balanced, and dare I say... we might even stand a chance here? But the illusion doesn’t last. As their numbers increase, reality crashes in: they’re outnumbering us two to one.

The fight gets ugly fast. Our armies start dropping one after another. We do some damage back, sure, we’re not going down without leaving scars, but the rate of exchange is brutal. We’re clearly not trading in our favor, and it feels less like a fight and more like trying to break an invincible wall.

Before long, the ratio turns downright absurd, we’re outnumbered three to one. At that point the outcome isn’t just likely, it’s inevitable.

We’re quickly overwhelmed, our lines breaking under the pressure, and Hot Springs is lost. On the other side of the map, the Armory team isn’t faring any better. In fact, their lead even jokes that he’s proud of how long they managed to hold out, meaning they lost Armory even before we lost Hot Springs.😅Ouch. And I thought we were crushed.

With the middle objectives already gone, you can probably guess what happens next. Yep! They start rolling down the map straight toward us. The Hot Springs snowball picks up speed and slams into our Stronghold, where the few defenders holding the line are wiped out in seconds.

With the Stronghold fallen, the next domino is our Outpost. We rally what we can, most of the troops wiped at Hot Springs are healed up and ready to rejoin the fight, so we try to make a stand here.

But of course, they’re reinforcing too. Their five minute teleport cooldown is done, and fresh marches are coming to the fight closer instead of walking from their base. The result is inevitable: another tide of their troops crashing down on us.

Before long, we’re outnumbered two to one right outside our own doorstep. It’s unreal, and really soul crushing to watch. Three wipes at three different objectives, three times in a row. It’s clear that brute force isn’t getting me anywhere this match.

So I shift my focus. If I can’t win head-on, maybe I can get sneaky? Scanning the map, I spot an opportunity: their Outpost, taunting me from across the field. The temptation increases. But can I even make it all the way up there without being noticed? And if I do… could I actually take down that Cav player in a one-on-one?

With nothing else left to do, I throw caution to the wind and make my move. If brute force won’t work, then maybe audacity will. I set my sights on their Outpost across the map. A bold dash into enemy territory, a last shot at turning the tide…yeah, no, but maybe... at least making some noise?

But the run doesn’t last long. Base camping has started and a perimeter is in effect around us. The noose tightening around us. I barely clear the first skirmishes before I’m bleeding HP, already noticed, targeted and chased. There’s no slipping through this net. I realize I’d only be leaving behind a trail of corpses, my troops cut down mile by mile as I try to run. The dream of a daring heist deep behind enemy lines evaporates, and with a heavy sigh I turn back to join my teammates in a final stand at our gates. It doesn’t last long, my fourth wipe of the match seals the attempt.

And bitter as it is to say, that failed charge was the peak of the game from my perspective. A hopeless sprint for glory, snuffed out almost immediately. Everything after that? Just the inevitable slow grind to the end. Nothing good cam come after this. Or can it?

Even with zero buildings to our name, N0X doesn’t just roll over. A statue spawns on our side of the map, and we decide to make a play for it. Honestly, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen a special event building prioritized over the regular objectives, but in our situation, it makes perfect sense. If we can’t hold the main objectives, we’ll take whatever scraps we can.

And then comes the best part: bags. Somehow, our team actually manages to grab a few. I always assumed that the moment an enemy targeted a bag carrier, the march would instantly drop it. Apparently not... first click still wins the pickup. hihi. So there we were, sneaking a few bags right under FFS’s nose. Tiny victories, but victories nonetheless.

By the 15–20 minute mark, the game has clearly swung in their favor. FFS sets a strong perimeter around our base, intercepting anyone who tries to venture out. At this point, our only option is to pick fights against the invisible wall. But it’s hard to tell if we’re choosing the battles or if they’re baiting us, because it feels like we’re dropping faster than they are.

When the next special buildings spawn around half time, the map is completely under FFS control. Our forces are trapped, our options gone. It’s grimly clear: this is the end for our heroes.

Or is it? Somehow Icebear manages to slip past their perimeter and starts poking around at Winterfell. hehe, nice to see someone finding extra entertainment in what’s otherwise a steamroll.

Meanwhile, my account is completely out of heals, so I’ve parked myself on the sidelines. I’d rather save my speed ups and blue diamonds for matches where we can actually have an impact. But not everyone feels the same, since some of our N0X teammates keep burning heals and going back into the battlefront. Honestly, good on them. If you’ve got the speeds to burn, why not? Better to go out swinging than just sit and stare at the screen like I’m doing at this point.

And credit where it’s due: these rogue players refuse to quit. Right up until the very end they’re making FFS’s buildings blink, even in the final five minutes of the match. We may not have stood a chance overall, but at least we left them with a few headaches before the curtain dropped.

That being said, the end finally closes in on us with a strange sort of relief, like stepping out of the sadness prison we’d been locked in for the past hour. We didn’t win much, finishing with under 3k points (most of them from those early minutes), but we didn’t walk away empty handed either. Quite a few N0X players kept guerrilla warfare up until the very end and even managed to walk away with a positive kill-to-death ratio. So yes, it was a crushing defeat for us, but not without its small victories.

As for me? I’m pretty sure I lost far more than I killed, and I think the game knows it too. My prize at the end? A generous 20 S Troop Appearance Medals. Thanks! I guess.😒

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “This was FFS. Of course it was impossible.” And you’re probably right! It was always going to be an uphill climb. But here’s the thing: it wasn’t the same disaster as last time. Back then, we were base camped in the first five minutes and never even made it to Armory or Hot Springs. This time we fought! We held our ground for a while, traded blows, and even managed to sting them here and there throughout the match.

So yes, it’s another loss in this SoW season. But from where I’m standing, it shows N0X is growing in strength compared to our rivals. If we keep this up, keep learning, keep developing our accounts, then soon enough we’ll be able to trade evenly with even the strongest alliances in the game.

For now it's GG FFS. But we’ll be back!