[S4-R10] House Tyrell“The Roses Shall Not Yield”

[S4-R10] House Tyrell

“The Roses Shall Not Yield”

Once again, SCEPAL joined the group led by Sub Zero as captain. It may not have been the most successful team in the Arena, but SCEPAL knew that well. However, something kept them there: the ferocity of each of its members to achieve victory was enviable. They were fierce, intense players, the kind who never gave up even when the odds were stacked against them. And that, more than any easy victory, was what attracted him to each game.

This time, the challenge was to defend House Tyrell, the House of Roses. Even before the final countdown began, everyone knew it wouldn't be an easy battle. Their rivals seemed tough, especially neighboring House Targaryen.

But still, there they were, standing firm behind the green and gold banner.

“Everyone ready,” ordered Sub Zero. “We go in fast, grab the strongholds, and send reinforcements to the castle. No hesitation, no waiting!”

“Let's go for it, guys,” replied SCEPAL, feeling confident.

This is what I like... this pre-battle adrenaline rush, this feeling that anything can happen.

The countdown reached zero and everyone ran to occupy the first strongholds. Every movement was precise: capture, reinforce, send defenses. In seconds, as planned, those strongholds were transformed into Exchange Posts.

But even with all that speed, House Tyrell started at the bottom of the table. 

Then they opened their second strongholds, which also became Trading Posts. Meanwhile, they captured available altars and reinforced their positions until they reached level 3. Little by little, Tyrell climbed... to third place in the table.

Not bad at all... this could be a good omen, thought SCEPAL, although she didn't allow herself to relax. Not yet.

 House Targaryen remained firmly in the lead, unshakeable, as if they were destined to win from the start. And worse still, they were neighbors and, like someone stealing apples from someone else's tree, they mercilessly removed Tyrell altars.

“The Targaryens are so annoying,” SCEPAL snorted. They're not going to leave us alone for the rest of the game.

The real battle began when City of Glory opened. House Tyrell captured it first with a clean and swift entry. 

But House Greyjoy came immediately after, knocking them out of the center. And behind them, House Baratheon.

“SCEPAL, you sent an unexplored rally,” warned Sub Zero.

“I know...” he said as he watched his rally bounce off without even grazing the enemy defense, as there were all kinds of troops but very strong ancient spears... tough.

House Baratheon held out for just a moment before it was House Lannister's turn to make its presence felt, silently but lethally capturing the center.

“I'm preparing a rally,” Lord Sid announced. “I'm going with my strong spearmen, armed with ancient spears. This time we're going in, no matter what.”

“Go for it, Sid, we trust you,” replied SCEPAL.

While reinforcements entered Ciudad de la Gloria, SCEPAL took the opportunity to capture the mining site.

It wasn't a big goal, but it added points while the rest of the team continued to take care of the altars.

But nothing was that simple.

 House Baratheon launched a perfect rally that swept them out of the center as if they weighed nothing.

“Not again!” exclaimed SCEPAL.

But ToMMY didn't sit idly by and launched his swift infantry in a new rally. And against all odds... he took Baratheon out of the center!

“Come on!” shouted ToMMY. “Reinforcements, quick!”

But there weren't enough infantry reinforcements, as the team was mostly made up of spearmen and cavalry. 

Lannister, who had been watching from the shadows, launched a precise attack and captured the City of Glory.

“No way...” ToMMY muttered indignantly as he organized another rally. “This time we're getting in.”

But they didn't make it. They bounced back, and they bounced back hard.

We're losing control... what are we doing wrong? SCEPAL thought.

Frustrated, ToMMY diverted his efforts to capture Dragonpit as well. Meanwhile, the rest of the team fought desperately to retake the lost altars.

And that's when it all started to fall apart.

With just over 10 minutes remaining, House Tyrell fell from third place to fourth. And then... to fifth.

A mixture of frustration and resignation swept over the team.

“It's not fair,” wrote SCEPAL, feeling the lump in his throat that only comes with the most intense games. "Everything we did... for what?

But they hadn't said their last word yet.

“Let's go for ALL the Greyjoy shrines,” ordered Sub Zero with a determination that spread to everyone.

It was a desperate attempt, yes. But Tyrell was a House that did not know how to surrender. Not after all that.

While they fought altar by altar, House Targaryen remained calm, expectant, waiting... and then, as expected, they did it: they captured the center with great precision, activated the protection status, and thus sealed their victory.

“That's it...” whispered SCEPAL. “There goes first place.”

The last few minutes were frantic. Runs, catches, losses, recaptures. A whirlwind of battles! Tyrell remained in fourth place, but barely, clinging on to it. Two minutes remained.

“We can't possibly finish fifth now...” thought SCEPAL angrily. “How did we lose our way at the end? Where did we go wrong? Confidence? Carelessness? I don't know... but I'm not going to stop.”

Altar after altar, point after point, Tyrell climbed back up to fourth place... with almost no time left.

“Well,” SCEPAL whispered to himself. “At least we didn't come in last.” 

The clock ticked down the final seconds of the game.

And then...

The final count arrived.

“THIRD PLACE! We came in third!” exclaimed Sub Zero.

SCEPAL felt a jolt of electricity in her chest.

A knot loosening.

A victory that didn't seem like one, but was.

So much fighting... so many falls... and in the end, we got back up...

Perhaps third place was not, without a doubt, first place or the victory we had hoped for, but after having been down and out, achieving it in the final moments was a triumph in itself.

And one more lesson for the team:

 never get complacent or stop fighting, and always fight until the last second.