WAO vs TIS [S23R1]On the Brink of Victory /First Conquest Match

WAO vs TIS [S23R1]

On the Brink of Victory

First Conquest Match 

WAO started off confidently. Perhaps a little too confidently.

No one needed to say it. You could tell by the way they moved, by the speed at which they made decisions, by that rare sense of calm that comes from playing a match that, in theory, shouldn’t be a problem. TIS wasn’t a big-name team; they didn’t seem to carry much weight. They hadn’t made a name for themselves yet.

And at first, everything seemed to prove them right.

The number of players entering the match was 91 to 93, fairly even, so I assumed it would be a fairly even match.

The Temple of the Mother fell without much resistance; the Warrior’s Tower held up well, as did the Targaryen Base. Each move flowed seamlessly into the next, as if they’d played it before. On the other side, TIS had only managed to capture the Lannister Base.

Nothing out of the ordinary.

But it didn’t quite feel solid.

SCEPAL sensed it before he could put it into words. It wasn’t a clear mistake, nor a bad decision… it was something else. As if everything were too orderly—the kind of thing that gives off a different vibe.

And when something is that good in Conquest…

It usually falls apart.

The strike on Targaryen Base came without any real warning. It wasn’t chaotic, it wasn’t disorderly. It was precise. They entered, took control, and established themselves. By the time they tried to react, it wasn’t about recovery anymore… it was a fight.

That changed the pace of the game.

Achille took Lannister Base, Korillion reclaimed Targaryen, and suddenly nothing lasted very long. Positions began shifting faster than was comfortable, constantly alternating.

And in the midst of that constant flux, the Temple of the Mother ceased to belong to WAO.

There wasn’t a single moment when everything suddenly felt wrong.

It was a gradual process. First came a sense of unease, then doubt.

They’re not playing like a minor rival… these guys are really strong!

And then came the blow that cemented that idea.

The attack on the Temple of the Mother left no room for error. The defense fell apart before it could fully react. SCEPAL sent in its spears almost on reflex, trying to hold on to what was left.

But it wasn't enough.

And it wasn't just a matter of losing a position.

Immediately, rallies began to form in an effort to regain it. 

And so they realized they weren’t in a comfortable position against an almost unknown opponent.

The ports opened at that very moment when things were already getting dicey. WAO reacted quickly, reached Targaryen Port, and for a second it seemed they might be able to regain their footing.

But it wasn’t over yet.

Port Lannister remained on the other side, and attempts to dislodge them began to pile up. Rallies came and went, reinforcements pushed to the limit, tight maneuvers.

SCEPAL sent in reinforcements again, which entered and fell... then more attempts, but nothing—the same thing all over again.

It wasn’t that they were failing.

It just wasn't enough.

By then, no one was relaxed anymore. You could feel it, even if no one said so. Decisions kept coming, but no longer with that initial calm.

There was respect.

The Temple of the Mother was targeted several times, but it never quite managed to consolidate its position. Each attempt seemed to fall short, as if there were always just a little more needed.

And in the meantime, time was running out.

Casterly Rock was about to open.

And WAO didn't come in as I'd expected.

When the gap opened, TIS got there first. That already said something. But they couldn't hold on to it, and in that tiny opening, WAO slipped through.

CSM1 captured it by reinforcing its position with cavalry.

Finally, something that felt solid—or so it seemed.

For a moment, it looked like that was the turning point. Lannister Port began to shift, as did Targaryen Base, and the feeling that they could regain control returned, even if only briefly.

TIS didn’t hesitate. It didn’t retreat. It always responded.

Lannister Port began to come under constant pressure. Killer Bob held his ground, but there was no respite. It was attack after attack, as if the other side already knew exactly how hard to push.

WAO tried the same thing at Targaryen Port.

But it wasn’t the same. In the end, TIS held onto the port.

WAO managed to retake the Temple of the Mother with Korillion, but the difference was minimal. Barely a respite in a situation that remained unstable.

Nothing held up for long.

And then it happened again.

Attacks from different points, all at once. No chaos, no hesitation.

Casterly Rock fell again and was now TIS’s.

And by then, there were no more surprises.

Just frustration.

Because it wasn't that it couldn't be done.

It was that it wasn't happening.

From that point on, the game stopped feeling controllable, even though it remained evenly matched. Structures came and went, and the score didn't show a clear difference. By then, nothing was decided; either player could win.

But the pace…

That wasn't WAO's style anymore.

It was TIS’s.

And you could tell in every attempt that came a second too late, in every defense that held out less than expected, in every reinforcement that seemed insufficient.

SCEPAL was no longer thinking about whether they were winning or losing.

They were thinking about where that margin had gone that had seemed so clear at the start.

And the answer wasn’t just one thing.

It was a little bit of everything.

When the mines arrived, no one said it, but you could feel it. That’s where everything was on the line; the mines would be decisive.

And the moment came. TIS took both.

The impact wasn’t immediately apparent in the numbers, but it certainly was in how it felt—the difference was now clear. It was one of those moments when you know there’s still a fight left in you… but you also know it no longer depends on just a few people, but on the whole team.

WAO didn’t let up. No one did. They fought for every point, every building, every opportunity that came their way, and managed to recapture one of the mines.

WAO then took the other mine, but it wasn’t enough

It never quite came together.

The other one was still in TIS’s hands, and that held everything else together.

The game went on. It didn’t slow down. The bases kept falling on both sides, just like from the start.

But something had already changed.

SCEPAL sensed it without having to think too hard.

The game is slipping away from us… there’s less and less time left.

Not for lack of strength.

Not for lack of desire.

But because we went in believing it was something else.

And when it ended, there wasn’t a clear moment of defeat.

It was more like a sudden realization.

That idea of underestimating the opponent just because of their name.

That little bit of optimism that seemed certain… and wasn’t.

The game ended, but it didn’t leave a sense of closure.

It left something else behind.

One of those things you don’t talk about, but that stays with you.

Because it wasn’t just any defeat.

It was a victory…

that slipped away.

But that loss didn't slow WAO down—it spurred them on.

And when they faced RmR in the next match, WAO was a different team.

More determined. More precise.

And this time, victory was theirs.