GoTWiC [AoH] S5R6 "Alternative"

A new round had begun, and for Stanko, it was the moment he had been waiting for for days. He sat in front of the screen with a focused look, his mind running through every little detail he had planned beforehand. His team had a great streak of results behind them, and this was their chance to prove it. He didn't just want a win, he wanted domination. He had already played out the match in his head a dozen times. He knew where to attack, when to rotate, how to react in every situation. Everything was ready. Or so he thought.

Just before the start, the first reality check hit. Two players didn't show up. Stanko was momentarily speechless, but he didn't have the luxury of panicking. He reacted quickly, found replacements, and tried to explain the plan to them in a few sentences. He spoke calmly, but inside, he felt his confidence slowly crumbling. He knew these players didn't have the same sense of team as the rest of the squad. They hadn't been through the same matches, they didn't know how Stanko thought. Still, he had to trust that it would be enough.

When they entered the Arena, Stanko was not impressed at all. “We're introducing the bitch Stark again,” he said with a laugh, but he quickly grew serious when he saw the opponents.

The Lannisters were led by Benjanin, a very strong knight,

while the Targaryens were composed of players from top alliances.

Stanko sighed deeply and closed his eyes for a moment. He knew they were in for anything but an easy match, but he also knew he had proven himself against strong opponents before. “It's not the first time,” he thought, trying to quiet the doubt that had surfaced.

The match began, and the first minutes were crucial. The plan was clear, to quickly seize the neighboring clan and lay the groundwork for further control. However, things went downhill right from the start. The clan wasn't conquered. Stanko stared at the screen in disbelief, trying to figure out where the mistake had been. “How is that possible…?” he whispered to himself.

This option wasn't even in his plans. He had prepared the tactic for days, but he hadn't considered a scenario where he would lose the initiative right at the start.

Without much time to think, he tried to turn the situation around. He gave new orders, focusing the team on the towers and catapults, but things didn't go as planned there either. The opponents were faster, more organized, and more aggressive. He kept thinking about how he hadn't conquered the clan he always used to beat easily. They started falling behind in points right from the start. Stanko felt the pressure mounting. He had to make decisions faster and faster, and the options were getting worse. He tried to defend those buildings that they managed to conquer.

“Let's wait for the catapult, we'll score points and switch camps,” he told the team, trying to maintain control. At the same time, he was defending Altars and trying to organize attacks.

But he couldn't do it all by himself. He asked his teammates to attack weaker opponents, to get more involved, to help. The response was weak. In those moments, Stanko felt the true weight of leadership for the first time. Everyone was looking at him, waiting for his decision, and he didn't have a sure answer.

He decided to take a risk and, together with JOKER, head to Dragonpit to score important points. It was an attempt to get back into the match, to find a glimmer of hope in the chaos that surrounded them.

However, time passed, and the point gap continued to grow. The moment came when he had to switch camps. He paused for a second, aware that the course of the rest of the match depended on his decision. “Let's go for the infantry camps! Send everything you've got!” he said decisively, even though he was still questioning whether it was the right move.

Hope appeared when Glory was announced. It was their last chance to get back. However, the Lannisters were faster and took it first. Inside was Benjanin. Stanko knew he had no time to hesitate. He started a spear rally and called on everyone to send their spearmen. The battle was intense, and he managed to capture Glory.

“Great, now send all the spearmen you have, fast.” Stanko called his teammates because the Lannisters had started two rallies; spearman went first, followed by Benjanin.

The first defense was successful, but Stanko couldn't defend himself against Benjanin, even though he was stronger.

They attacked at the exact same time, and his teammates couldn't send new troops between the two attacks. “Let's go again, let's not give up!” Stanko said, even though he didn't believe they could capture Glory himself. But it was their only choice. Stanko captured Glory, but the support wasn't what he had expected.

Only a few players sent troops to defend. “Hurry up. This is our only chance!” Stanko urged his teammates to get moving and not give up so easily. He felt disappointed, but he didn't give up. He focused exclusively on the goal. Now it was no longer a fight for position, it was a fight for survival. If they captured Glory, they would get bonus points, which would certainly soften the blow of defeat. The Lannisters attacked again with the same strategy, and the outcome was the same again. 

Stanko attacked again. “Why are we attacking Glory again when we can't conquer it?” one of his teammates asked, but Stanko hoped he would succeed this time. At that moment, the mines were also opened, which certainly meant a lot, and he knew both teams would focus on them to get as many points as possible. Stanko took advantage of this and as soon as the rally was full of spears, he attacked Glory. This was another easy victory, and now it was important to defend.

However, no one was declaring an attack. Stanko expected this but was still cautious. Glory was ours. "FINALLY! I KNEW IT!" he said, but they were too far behind to get second place, even though their opponents' points had been reduced. With about 10 minutes left, Stanko knew the opponents would attack again after the mines were cleared. After the balloon dropped and the mines were empty, the Lannisters attacked with a full four attacks. 

"OUCH, THIS IS GOING TO BE IMPOSSIBLE TO DEFEND! BUT LET'S GIVE IT OUR ALL! IF WE LOSE, WE IMMEDIATELY ATTACK WITH 3 RALLIES TO WIN BACK THE GLORY!" Stanko told his teammates. Everything was on the line here; if by some miracle we defend, the Glory will be secured. If not, we'll all have to focus on attacking for the Glory. As the attacks came, Stanko was already preparing for the next ones. This time, Benjanin wouldn't be the second to strike. They probably calculated that it would be difficult for Stanko to defeat Benjanin if he captured Glory, so they wanted to weaken Stanko as much as possible to make it easier for Benjanin to win. 

His heart was pounding as he tracked every strike. It all came down to this moment. There were no more plans, no more calculations, just instinct and fight. In those seconds, Stanko wasn't thinking about mistakes, the team, or the outcome. He was only thinking about one thing, to hold on.

"IMPOSSIBLE! HOW DID WE DO THIS?! ALL 4 ATTACKS WERE STRONG AND WE DEFENDED! HOW DID WE NOT DEFEND AGAINST THE 2 EARLIER?!"

Stanko asked himself, but he was too proud of what he had done. He had managed to defend what was left to them, thus preserving the points. In the end, it was a result no one wanted. But Stanko knew they had only themselves to blame.

He was still haunted by the fact that they hadn't conquered the neighboring clan at the beginning, but what bothered him more was his teammates' poor play, who didn't send troops to the camps when Stanko changed them, and that was what they talked about after the match, in which Stanko was the only one who played at a high level and, above all, managed to preserve Glory and thus soften the defeat. That was what comforted him, and he was proud of himself for managing to defend against such strong players. That whole strategy was wrong, and Stanko will definitely have to prepare better for the next match and try to gel the team. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDG3CivLkcY