Alliance Conquest | S22 | Round 1 | WxD vs KUM

The long wait finally came to an end.

The long-awaited start of Alliance Conquest was now upon us. There was great anticipation for this event in the lands of Westeros, the alliances couldn't wait to measure themselves against each other and find out who was currently the best in the kingdom. Bringing their faction to glory was why from the most inexperienced to the most feared warrior they wanted to clash with each other to mark their supremacy.

Since then many things changed in their ranks, the addition of members who could prove decisive and the improvement in battle of those most loyal had certainly strengthened their ranks. This time they would fight with the ambition to redeem themselves from last season's disastrous result.

Lined up on the battlefield they waited to find out who would be their first rivals of the season that promised to be, if all went as desired, very long and grueling.

'‘We will decide on strategy as soon as we know who we will be up against,’' was the decision of the alliance leadership. Knowing which rival they would be facing off against was crucial in deciding what strategy to adopt.

In the distance a large group of advanced toward the battlefield. Their banners bore the unmistakable red and orange colors, at the sight of them a chill ran down Vlodek's spine as he guessed who they would be up against any moment.

It was KUM

"We must keep our focus at its highest; our rivals are unpredictable, and if underestimated, they could make life difficult for us," was the determined speech from WxD's leadership during the final preparations before the fight began.

The sun high in the sky lit up the battlefield and warmed the air breathed by the fighters lined up on the ground, where in a few seconds hell would break loose. The tension was palpable; on one side, KUM knew they were clearly the underdogs, while on the other, WxD had no choice but to win. 

The match began with a balanced start from both alliances. The racers of KUM and WxD managed to secure two buildings each, showing great speed. For WxD, it was an unexpected beginning; the speed of the KUM members caught them off guard.

Vlodek and his companions were the first to take the initiative: they aimed to counter KUM's strong start, so they quickly moved to besiege the walls of Targaryen Outpost and… the attack was a success! The strategy of striking the rivals individually paid off, as they were unable to reinforce in time.

Driven by momentum, without giving their opponents a moment to breathe, their focus immediately shifted to Mother’s Temple, where MRI Shield of KUM, one of the most feared members, was defending. This time the strategy was to launch rallies led by their best fighters; the rival could not be faced with single attacks. When the rallies hit the walls of the position... the siege was a success for WxD!

A very good first part of the match for WxD, who after a balanced start immediately put pressure on their rivals and conquered all the buildings on the battlefield before the ports opened. The opponents of KUM were overwhelmed by the fury of their enemies. In the following phases, they tried to retake the lost buildings but without success; the defenses of Vlodek and his companions were superior.

“Focus on the ports now” was the clear message from WxD’s leadership, who did not want to be caught unprepared again.

At the opening of the Ports, WxD managed to secure both port each. Despite the gap between the two alliances, the racers of WxD proved to be truly formidable, showing on the battlefield why their alliance ranked high in AC standings.

Following the conquest, WxD’s leadership immediately called for a swap to defend the Targaryen port as well. However, when they tried to execute it, something went wrong, and they were overwhelmed by Kurgan speed, who intercepted the swap in a flash—revealing an extremely fast opponent.

“We’ll worry about the port later; the opening of Casterly Rock requires full focus,” said BA NA NA just before the match’s climax, reminding everyone how crucial this phase was, as holding the castle guaranteed a high score gain.

When CR became available, WxD took command thanks to the speed of theeo! This time, WxD’s racers’ speed prevailed over their rivals.

The match was looking good for Vlodek and his allies, who could now focus all their forces on attacking the walls of the port lost earlier during the swap, aiming to crush their opponents.

Gathering rallies with their best warriors, Vlodek and his companions launched the siege of Targaryen Port. When they reached the walls, the conquest was ruthless; the rivals failed to repel the WxD members' offensives.

Meanwhile, KUM made a timid attempt agains at CR, trying to catch their rivals off guard, but BA NA NA’s rock-solid defense was impenetrable.

At Targaryen Outpost, meanwhile, WxD members executed a risky but effective swap, putting Vlodek in command.

“Our rivals are cornered; let’s attack their bases to discourage them completely,” was the clear message from leadership to Vlodek and his companions, who immediately launched attacks to eliminate as many troops as possible and end the match early. WxD’s strikes were fast and merciless rivals like Nachu, MASAO, and the fearsome Casper were powerless against their formidable Spear-Weakness formation.

Visibly pressured, KUM’s leadership clearly threw in the towel. The huge gap in deployed numbers and power between the two alliances made the match extremely one-sided after WxD’s rough start. Building by building, they discouraged and took out their rivals. When the mines opened, the opponent, despite initially quickly capturing one of the mines and losing it quickly, didn't try again capture it, leading to an easy conquest by WxD, effectively ending the match with nothing left to do but wait for the timer.

At the end of the 60 minutes, the final victory went to WxD.

“A simple match, just as we expected. See you on the battlefield!” was the clear message from WxD’s leadership to their teammates before returning to their kingdoms they expected their best performance in the next match.

Vlodek, back in home, was already mentally focused on the next match; he felt it deeply. He was ready to do whatever it took on the battlefield to help his teammates reach the season’s goal.

Will they manage to grab the another victory of the season and get small step for Ultimate Conquest?