Arena of Honor | Season 5 Round 4 | Discipline Over Chaos

Season five started differently than the SFu team expected. Two third-place finishes in a row. On the table it looks stable, but in reality — those were two lost matches. Twice that they ended without taking the first place they were shooting for.

The atmosphere in the team was not bad, but it was heavy. There were no arguments, no blaming, but it was clear that something was not working. Communication was late in some moments, decisions came a second too late, and the opponents knew how to punish that.

Everyone was turning the same questions in their head. Where are we making mistakes? Is the problem in the draft? In positioning? In taking too many risks?

Rale was not the leader of the team, but he was part of the backbone of this lineup. He had the same questions as the others. He knew that two third places are not a tragedy — but for a team that wants to fight for the top, it is not enough.

The season has just started.

But the next match was no longer just another game — it was a test.

Everything was ready for the start of the new match, and although there was a thread of of doubt in their mind, it did not surface during the 5-minute preparation period before the match.

The team leaders, Dark Pegasus and DemonQ, pointed out some mistakes from the previous match and repeated a few strategy ideas. They differed and would be applied only depending on the strength of the opponent and their strategy.

Rale was once again ready to give everything he had, as always. However, he doubted both himself and the team’s limits. Just before the start, he muttered to himself, “What if we are really doing something wrong? What if after another failure the team starts to fall apart? Rale, you have to think positive. We are all friends here, and nothing bad will happen even if the situation gets worse. Let’s do this the right way.”

The battlefield opened, and the team was part of the glorious House Targaryen. Everyone chose their position on the map. Amisor was assigned once again to the Clan Castle.

All of them immediately cast their eyes on the enemy side of the field, primarily on House Stark and House Lannister. The other three did not interest them much, since they were duplicates and mirrors of these three houses anyway.

In House Stark, they got familiar opponents — the Russian team from the IlI alliance, with strong players such as NAZGUL, pilot123, and BaR. In House Lannister, there were players from several alliances, but again mostly Russian groups like 3OB and LEG, along with strong players TFI ARTUR 3 and NoS Ksok.

At that moment, everyone on the team realized that this would also be an awkward and difficult match, that the fight for Glory City was lost before it had even begun.

But then Dark Pegasus and DemonQ came up with an idea almost at the same time, speaking in unison: “Let’s play for the trade bonus, for the points.”

The team exchanged cautious smiles, but with some hope — that this could still turn into a good match.

After that, Pegasus added, “We will try to take the Tyrell clan house and move our Strongholds into Trading there. That is the initial plan. Later we will chase Altars and try to look for chances in points across the whole map. Let’s execute.”

“Amisor, go to the clan. The rest, to the Strongholds,” he finished.

Rale understood everything as well. He was ready for the execution.

In fact, everyone moved into execution. One by one, the initial Strongholds were captured. The relieving circumstance was that both Stark and Lannister had chosen an offensive strategy, fighting for Catapults and Towers, most likely preparing for a later clash between themselves over the City of Glory.

Soon after the start, each of the main houses — Targaryen, Stark, and Lannister — immediately captured the Clan Castle of their mirror house on the right side of the map.

Pegasus gave only one instruction: “Rale, save your troops and prepare them as soon as we capture the Tyrell clan house.”

Rale was already ready and just waiting for execution. Like lightning, he moved and found himself there at the speed of light.

They immediately began the team execution of Strongholds from two sides, both Targaryen and Tyrell moving into Trading bonuses.

The Lannisters captured the first Tower, while the Starks tried to reach one of the Altars. The same Altars — and the fight for them — were waiting for our team as well.

Dark Pegasus, DemonQ, Rainmaker, and Chris Lor charged toward them, while the others had to stay ready for fast and timely reinforcements.

The team’s fight for the Altars, especially the Maiden, was successful. It somehow seemed that the Lannisters were not overly interested in that objective. They were taking points on the other side through Towers, and later through Catapults.

For our team, everything that had been captured now had to be defended.

The ranking table already showed that this was a good tactic. Max Trading Posts plus several Altars were bringing a lot of points, and within the first 15 minutes they created an advantage.

The Lannisters were keeping up, while the Starks were below.

“This could be the tactic of the Yellows,” DemonQ said. “They will probably be the ones chasing and focusing on Glory City, and most likely the Mine Shafts.”

“Let’s play carefully and monitor the situation,” added Chris Lor.

Rale’s role in the team did not involve much action or dynamics. His Lord expedition with Cavalry female synergy was positioned in House Tyrell, so he could not act as freely as he wanted.

He made up for it with deploying fast response reinforcements. It was time for the opening of the City of Glory. The Targaryen team did not pay attention to it at all. They had their own goal and task, and they were working on it carefully throughout the match. At that moment, it was the defense of every Altar that brought points, fighting for a Dragon Pit when possible, and trying to capture a new Altar.

The Lannisters, who had been in second position until then, held all the Catapults and all the Towers, but that was not enough for first place. They had to engage in a fight with the Yellows for the center.

At the same time as the City of Glory, the Mine Shafts appeared, which could also bring a large number of points. That would become the target of the SFu team.

Meanwhile, a real battle broke out between the Lannisters and the Starks for the center. Both houses were switching control, with heavy losses on both sides, until in the end House Stark achieved a small victory. They captured Glory and for a moment moved into first place, pushing our team down to second.

At that moment, panic entered Rale and his teammates. The crisis and doubt returned again — would they once more remain without first place?

Then came the words of the Captain: “We have done a good job so far. Do not let the current situation on the table deceive you. We are taking more points per minute than anyone because a lot is in our hands. Let’s play as we have until now,” Pegasus added at the end.

Chris Lor, Rainmaker, and DemonQ captured the Mine Shafts and added additional points to the team., and also in taking points through some less important Altars (those that were not Maiden), where some luck was needed so that no opponent would move toward them.

That day, Rale did this like never before, and through that the team gained a significant number of points.

It was time for the opening of the City of Glory. The Targaryen team did not pay attention to it at all. They had their own goal and task, and they were working on it carefully throughout the match. At that moment, it was the defense of every Altar that brought points, fighting for a Dragon Pit when possible, and trying to capture a new Altar.

The Lannisters, who had been in second position until then, held all the Catapults and all the Towers, but that was not enough for first place. They had to engage in a fight with the Yellows for the center.

At the same time as the City of Glory, the Mine Shafts appeared, which could also bring a large number of points. That would become the target of the SFu team.

Meanwhile, a real battle broke out between the Lannisters and the Starks for the center. Both houses were switching control, with heavy losses on both sides, until in the end House Stark achieved a small victory. They captured Glory and for a moment moved into first place, pushing our team down to second.

At that moment, panic entered Rale and his teammates. The crisis and doubt returned again — would they once more remain without first place?

Then came the words of the Captain: “We have done a good job so far. Do not let the current situation on the table deceive you. We are taking more points per minute than anyone because a lot is in our hands. Let’s play as we have until now,” Pegasus added at the end.

Chris Lor, Rainmaker, and DemonQ captured the Mine Shafts and added additional points to the team.

The last 10 minutes of the match followed.

The Starks seemed to think that holding the Glory City would easily secure first place, so they relaxed a bit more. However, they were mistaken. First, our Targaryens easily pushed them down from first position, mainly supported by the good Trading strategy, capturing as many Altars as possible and almost all Dragon Pits, and completely giving up any attempts to attack the center and Glory City.

Then the Lannisters overtook them as well. They held all the Catapults and Towers, but also the remaining Altars. Until the end, what was actually seen was only the fight for second position.

Five minutes before the end, the points gap between the Targaryens and the second-placed team was already more than 20k points. Everyone on the team saw that this was leading to victory, but they did not want to relax. They had the obligation to defend everything they had captured and finish the job properly, and finally be first.

The Lannisters and the Starks entered a mini battle, a so-called photo finish near the very end.

In the end, this turned out to be a convincing victory for our Targaryens. Everyone was at the level of the task, and this was a true team victory of all members.

It was unbelievable that we won without making a single attack on the center, Rale thought to himself, and DemonQ said the same out loud on voice. Then Chris Lor added, “Excellent job, people. The victory is here, finally.” A few more words of celebration followed from the rest of the team.

Paradoxically, the map was divided in the colors of Targaryen — purple — and Lannister — red (they held everything around the center), while the Yellow Stark color remained only in the center.

At the end, the standings were:

1. Targaryens with almost 200k points,
2. Starks with 158k after managing to consolidate near the end,
3. Lannisters just 5k behind them with 153k.

Everyone on the team was happy after such a finish and victory, and they were especially encouraged by the fact that it is possible to win like this on points when everyone are locked in on their objectives thoughout the entire match.

This time, there was no single individual standing out with numbers or spectacular moves. The MVP of this match was — the team.

Tactical discipline, trust in the plan, and maximum focus throughout the entire match brought the victory. While others chased the center, Catapults, and Glory City, the Targaryens played their own game. Trading bonuses, Altars, Dragon Pits, Mine Shafts — every part of the map was a piece of the puzzle.

Everyone fulfilled their role without deviation. Reinforcements were timely, communication was clear, and decisions were calm even when they dropped to second place. That stability in the critical moment was the key difference.

This was a pure team victory.

This victory was not just about finishing first. It was an answer to doubt.

After two third-place finishes at the start of the season, the team showed that it can win without relying on the center and without impulsive plays. Focus, patience, and trust in the strategy proved stronger than fighting for Glory City.

After the match, Rale felt relief. He was not in the center of the action, he did not lead attacks on Glory, but he knew he contributed where it mattered. Fast reactions, points from less important Altars, and constant support to the team — that was his part of the puzzle.

He thought to himself:

Maybe we are not the loudest team on the map, but when we play smart and together — we can defeat anyone.

With this victory, the team became what it needed to be again. Stable. United. Dangerous.