Alliance Conquest | Season 23 Round 2 | GJs vs SIN | From Setback to Surge

After a hard-fought loss against NoX, the GJs alliance was still buzzing with energy. The excitement of the new Alliance Conquest season lingered, and for a while no one even wanted to think about the upcoming second match. Everyone was focused on planning and riding the high of competition. Still, the unpredictability of the matchmaking system kept them grounded. Their next opponent could be overwhelmingly strong, noticeably weaker, or evenly matched—just like NoX had been—so relaxing completely was never really an option.

Even before the matchup was revealed, leadership agreed to stick with the strategy that had worked so well in the first battle. Lux, the alliance’s main commander, continued to deal with spotty internet, making her role more difficult than it should have been. Despite that, she refused to adjust her approach. She committed fully to a bow-only setup. With the alliance recently gaining more bow players, there were now 27 members capable of fully filling rally spots with bow troops. This left Lux relying entirely on them for fast reinforcements, whether convenient or not.

For this match, Lux chose a full female-synergy lineup anchored by Daenerys, whose abilities complemented her bow-focused strategy. Still, she knew it wasn’t her ideal formation. To unlock its full potential, she needed Missandei at four stars, and she was eagerly counting down the days until that became possible. Until then, Deny would have to fill the gap.

When match day arrived, their opponents were revealed: SIN, an alliance nearly identical to GJs in power. It immediately felt like another close, intense showdown, much like their fight against NoX. Unlike previous seasons where GJs often faced overwhelmingly strong alliances, this time the matchup felt balanced. It was a refreshing change.

As the countdown reached zero, Lux prepared herself, briefly glancing at her still-blue Missandei and wishing for the golden upgrade she hadn’t yet achieved. She selected Deny as her Lord, a strong fit for her bow army, and readied for battle. Although she usually relied on Cossomo, this time she decided to test the all-female synergy setup, even knowing deep down that Cossomo remained the stronger option.

The tension was immediate as both alliances deployed nearly identical numbers of players. At the signal—“3, 2, 1, go, go, go!”—GJs moved quickly, capturing the first three buildings in record time. Traditionally, cavalry players handled these early rushes, but this time all troop types contributed, easing the burden and improving efficiency.

The first ten minutes went smoothly, with GJs maintaining control. Soon, however, SIN launched a coordinated counterattack, targeting the Temple of Mother. In past seasons, GJs had struggled with slow reinforcements, but this time was different. Reinforcements poured in at an incredible pace. Lux watched in disbelief as wave after wave of enemy rallies—ten, twelve, and more—crashed into the temple, yet it held firm. It was one of their strongest defensive performances to date.

Shortly after, Casterly Rock opened, and both alliances prepared for another clash. SIN captured it first and quickly reinforced it with spears. GJs responded with over twenty rallies, but SIN cleverly mixed in solo attacks and managed to hold the landmark. The map shifted back to red, and the score remained uncomfortably close.

Once protective shields dropped, chaos spread across the battlefield. SIN’s strongest players launched aggressive attacks, forcing Lux to act quickly. Spotting enemy bow players, she seized the opportunity and launched four consecutive solo attacks, winning each one cleanly. She was impressed with her lineup’s performance, especially as she managed to defeat opponents with millions of troops still inside their formations.

However, the enemy soon countered with a powerful female-synergy march led by Cersei and backed by T5 troops. Lux lost that fight, but not without inflicting heavy damage—over a million enemy troops eliminated. Checking the rankings, she saw she had climbed from 20th to 12th place. Her bow army had even managed to take down some of SIN’s strongest forces.

With twenty minutes remaining, the mines opened, and GJs secured both. The score jumped to 80,000 to 25,000 in their favor, effectively guaranteeing victory. Still, internal debate arose. Some members suggested allowing SIN to gain more points out of fairness, but leadership was determined to push beyond 100,000. Lux tried to advocate for giving up a few buildings, arguing it wouldn’t affect their ranking but could help SIN. Her suggestions were rejected. Frustrated, she withdrew her troops, but others quickly filled the gaps.

As the timer ran down, Lux hoped someone would release a few buildings so SIN could at least reach 50,000 points, but no one did. GJs finished with over 100,000 points and a well-earned victory. Despite the frustration, Lux couldn’t help but feel proud, especially seeing GJs climb to 25th place in the rankings.

Alliance Conquest | Season 23 Round 2 | GJs vs SIN | From Setback to Surge

Looking back, she felt a strong sense of progress. Her elimination scores were improving, her base attack was getting stronger, and she was inching closer to her ideal lineup. Still, she realized she wouldn’t sideline Cossomo again anytime soon, as it remained the strongest commander for her bow setup. The alliance continued to rise steadily, moving closer to their goal of breaking into the Top 16. But with many battles still ahead, one thing remained certain—in Alliance Conquest, anything could happen.