GoTWiC [AoH] S5R5 "Never give up"

The afternoon was calm, almost ordinary, but in Stanko's head, a real storm was already brewing. He and his two friends wanted to play one more match, to make the most of the day and try to take Glory, but the problem was obvious, they didn't have a team. Without a team, any attempt to join a random one would be a huge risk. Stanko didn't like mediocrity. He either went for first place, or it was pointless.

Just as they were starting to consider giving up, Dragonkiller appeared with an offer. He had a spot on his team and invited them to join. At first glance, it seemed like the perfect solution. However, Stanko quickly noticed a problem, the team was composed of horsemen and foot soldiers. There wasn't a single spearman. Except for him.

He paused for a moment. Doubt crept into his mind. If he made a mistake, there was no one to back him up. If he attacked, there was no one to send him reinforcements. But it was that very risk that attracted him. “We're in,” he said decisively. He wanted a challenge. He wanted something new. And, perhaps most importantly, he wanted to win against all odds. He suggested to his teammates that they send as many lancers as they could to help him in case he needed a rally or a reinf.

Their house was Stark.

“Looks like I just play in House Stark,” he said with a laugh, as he had fought the last few matches from that house. On the other hand, their opponents were not naive at all. The Targaryens from the BTa alliance, an opponent Stanko had never managed to defeat before. In their ranks was an acquaintance of his from the alliance, someone he had tried to win over, but without success.

Now he would have to prove who made the better decision. There were also the Lannisters from the LEG alliance, with YUROK as the strongest player. Stanko knew, this wouldn't be an easy match.

The battle started quickly. There was no time to think. “Send all troops to the strongholds so we can finish them as soon as possible!” he ordered. The team reacted well. They countered the Towers and went in hard.

Stanko had suggested from the start that they change camps as soon as they took their positions to avoid counter-attacks, but Dragonkiller didn't think it was necessary. “We'll lose time,” he said. Stanko wasn't completely convinced, but he decided to trust the team. For now.

The start was perfect. They took the first clan and immediately moved on to the Altars to increase their points. Their opponents tried to slow them down by attacking the Strangers, but Stanko was ready. He defended quickly and precisely, not letting them gain an advantage. Although he was the only spearman, after Beha he was the strongest on the team, and he knew he had to take the initiative. He soon went on the offensive. He attacked one target, pulled his troops back, and immediately moved on to the next.

It all happened in a second. “Faster… I have to be faster…” he repeated to himself, keeping a pace his opponents could barely match. The goal was that if they captured the second Clan, he would send in the main forces to protect it from the Lannisters, who were far stronger than the Targaryens.

Still, the Lannisters managed to defend the second clan. Stanko felt a slight frustration, but he didn't give up. “We'll try again,” he said. In the meantime, he continued to defend Altars and maintain the advantage. Everything still seemed to be under control, but deep down, he felt there was a problem that had yet to reveal itself.

That problem soon became apparent. He was the only spearman on the team. “I need support,” he said, but the answer was what he had feared, there weren't enough spearmen to support him. In that moment, he realized that although he was playing well, he didn't have the full strength to make the decisive move. He had to adapt. He knew he couldn't attack opponents who had extra support from their teammates because Stanko couldn't make a rally, so he had to immediately attack an opponent before their support arrived. 

Sometimes he went without scouts and took a risk, but that was a price he knew before entering. The Lannisters didn't pay much attention to the clan, and after a renewed attack, we managed to take it.

Stanko saw this and immediately sent his best spearmen. “Quick, everyone send what you have. We have to take the clan. The Lannisters are coming to attack me!” A couple of players who had lancers sent everything they had while the others sent other troops, but it was enough to defend against the Lannister attack.

Now we were on a good path and had a nice advantage, but there was one problem. Stanko could now just watch the battle and send troops as reinforcements. “Maybe we should switch camps, the Targaryens have taken all our towers.” But the dragonkiler thought that would take them too much time.

As time went on, the Targaryens began to take the initiative. They held the Towers and the catapults, and their points were growing faster than the Stark's. “We have to switch camps,” he suggested again, now with a sense of urgency. “Either the trading posts or countering them.” However, Dragonkiler now felt it was too late for changes and that they should focus on Glory, who had in the meantime taken YUROK.

It was a tough moment. Stanko looked at the screen and knew he could beat YUROK. He was sure of it. But without support, without a full rally, it wasn't possible. He felt helpless, for the first time in that match. It wasn't a feeling he was used to. 

After Mine, he cut in. “We're attacking Glory,” he said decisively. “It's the only way out. If we take it, we'll get first place back and have a chance to keep it.” This time, the team listened to him. All the horsemen were sent into Glory.

BEHA, their strongest player, started a rally. A clash of the two cavalry was inevitable. Stanko watched breathlessly. “It's going to be close. If I were there, I could have started the first lance rally and inflicted losses on Yurok.” Seconds passed slowly, almost unbearably slow. And then, a turn of events. YUROK was knocked out.

“We did it!” Stanko exclaimed, his heart pounding like never before.

Now they just had to hold out. A few more minutes. The Lannisters started attacking again. “Quickly, send in all the cavalry you have. This is our only chance. Don't falter at the end,” Stanko told his teammates, constantly healing the spearmen himself and sending new ones into Glory.

When the balloon appeared, we were on top again. “Great, we're in first place again. Now it's easier.” The lead was solid. Stanko relaxed for the first time. He could already see the victory. He was already imagining the end.

But then he looked at the scores and saw himself as the winner.

The Targaryens were starting to catch up, but he felt they didn't have enough time.

Their points were climbing faster and faster. The gap was closing. “Can we do anything?” he asked, but the answer was short and painful, no. All they could do was wait. They managed to defend what was being attacked.

The final seconds were ticking down. The difference was minimal. Stanko stared at the screen as if he could stop it with his gaze. His heart was pounding in time with the countdown. “Just hold on… just a little longer…”

And then, at the last moment, a twist.

The Targaryens had overtaken them.

Silence filled the chat. No one spoke. “We're second...” a quiet voice said.

Stanko looked down. They had been so close. Victory had been practically in his hands, and then it vanished at the last second.

In his mind, he replayed every moment of the match. Decisions. Mistakes. “The biggest mistake was staying in the clan,” he said in the end. “And that we didn't switch camps in time.” He knew he was right. Dragonkiler agreed, saying it was his fault for not listening to Stanko, but now it was too late. They had been better the whole time, managing to come back in the match when they were down by a large score, only to lose in the end. Stanko was convinced of victory but suffered a huge disappointment. His opponent from the alliance contacted him at the end of the match, congratulated him on a good fight, and said he himself didn't know how they managed to defeat us. He suggested they play together next time.

But despite everything, he held his head high. The defeat hurt, but it wasn't in vain. He had learned. He saw where he was strong and where the team had failed. As the only spearman, he had managed to adapt and play his part almost perfectly, and that was what encouraged him the most. He had gained some good experience, a near-perfect one, but second place was a good result. The most important thing was that they didn't give up even when they were in second place; they managed to get back into the match and almost win.

“Next time,” he said quietly, more to himself than to others, “I'm definitely not going in as the only spearman."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsQ8oigT1z4