Alliance Conquest | Season 23 Round 5 | GJs vs WAO | The Longest Final Minute

After four matches, the German Jokers were off to a respectable start in the AC season. With two wins and two losses, confidence within the alliance was still high. However, everyone knew the next match would be no joke—especially in the Super League. The GJs waited for match day with anticipation, and many even stayed awake for the reset just to see who their next opponent would be. When the matchmaking system finally revealed WAO (We Are One) as their next enemy, excitement spread through the alliance. Everyone was in good spirits except for Lux, who still found herself missing FDH. In her mind, she kept replaying the glory of Round 4, where she had truly felt like an active participant instead of merely reinforcement support as she often did with the GJs. She told herself she was still useless compared to the others, yet this was exactly the kind of match she did not want to miss. She wanted to test her defenses once again.

WAO was a notoriously strong alliance, and Lux remembered them well from her time fighting against them in SFU. Some of their players had attacked her relentlessly until the very last second of the match. WAO was known for showing absolutely no mercy; even when they reached 80,000 points, they never abandoned buildings for the enemy to claim.

As the match approached, all the GJs were ready. Everyone understood the importance of showing up. Lux equipped her war gear and entered the battlefield, though she did not feel particularly confident knowing how powerful their opponents were. Still, the GJs always relied on excellent tactics, and with 88 members present, anything felt possible. As usual, Taube coordinated everything over voice chat while everyone listened carefully.

When the match began, the racers were ready. The cavalry charged forward and captured three out of the four starting buildings, including the Temple of Mother. Since WAO was such a strong alliance, the plan was to keep the strongest players inside the buildings for as long as possible. A switch was needed, and slowly but surely, Biet took over the Mother while WAO piled rally after rally against the GJs. Lux watched in disbelief as sixteen rallies appeared pending on the screen. In classic WAO fashion, they reclaimed every building except the Temple of Mother.

In response, the GJs began rallying the Tower of the Warrior. Cavalry and bow players organized their attacks and waited for Taube’s signal. The tower was occupied by Achilles, an incredibly powerful player reinforced to the maximum, but Xenia and Winternig were equally formidable. Rallies from both sides crashed into one another, yet despite every effort, neither alliance managed to gain ground.

Soon after, the ports opened and everyone rushed in. GJs secured one port while WAO claimed the other. Winternig moved quickly to the outpost, keeping the map in favor of the red side with a 4-to-2 building advantage. In their attempts to save the Mother, however, the GJs lost two additional structures. Naturally, WAO immediately began rallying the port, but Winternig held strong. Reinforcements flooded in rapidly, and even Taube sounded stressed over voice chat.

“Bow and cavalry rallies! NOW!” he shouted.

The GJs launched their own rallies in response, but even that was not enough to break WAO’s defenses.

At that point, the point difference was only around 5,000—insignificant in AC terms—so everyone waited for Casterly Rock to open. Once again, the GJs’ runners proved faster and seized Casterly Rock before WAO could react. Romillia captured it, but as usual, she needed to switch with Xenia. Taube began the countdown, and the moment Romillia left the building, WAO seized the opportunity and captured Casterly Rock themselves.

Damn.

Frustration spread instantly through the alliance. Lux had seen this exact scenario against WAO far too many times before. They were simply too fast and too strong. By now, the point gap had widened considerably, and the only remaining hope for the GJs seemed to be the mines. Yet everyone knew that WAO would never surrender without a brutal fight.

Lux remained unusually quiet because, for her, the most stressful moment was still ahead. The last time she had faced WAO, she vividly remembered Dionisus—a player who had seemed personally determined to destroy her. He had attacked her more than thirty times in a single match, alternating between victories and defeats. She had lost countless heals but had also earned an absurd amount of elimination points.

As the bubbles finally dropped, Lux had her entire army inside the castle. She knew it was only a matter of time before the attacks began, and she was right. This time, however, she was much better equipped. The first attacker was a cavalry player using female synergy.

POOF.

Lux won.

The same player attacked her twice more, and she won again both times.

Then came her nightmare.

Dionisus.

But somehow—OMG—she won again. He attacked her three times, and she defeated him every single time.

“Not bad… not bad at all,” Lux muttered proudly.

After those losses, Dionisus stopped attacking altogether. It seemed he had learned his lesson, and Lux could not help but feel satisfied. Only a few months earlier, her account had been far weaker, but now she could clearly see how much she had improved.

A few weaker players attacked after that, and Lux still felt confident… until Achilles appeared and instantly wiped out 3.5 million of her troops.

“Wait, what?! Isn’t he supposed to be in the Tower of the Warrior?”

“Ah, Lux, he has many formations,” Winternig explained casually.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” she muttered.

Lux healed her troops and climbed the healing rankings high enough for Achilles to notice her again. Moments later, he attacked once more and devastated her army all over again.

“Ughhh, I hate WAO!” she complained in alliance chat.

By now, the point gap had grown to 13,000 points, which was still recoverable through the mines. As the war raged on, the ports reopened. GJ’s Warlord and Lord Romus moved with lightning speed, capturing both strongholds. The point difference remained manageable, and the ports generated valuable points every minute. But as expected, WAO retaliated fiercely with devastating solo attacks and rallies, eventually reclaiming the ports. The GJs continued recapturing outposts and strongholds, but momentum slowly began slipping away.

Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for.

The mines.

Once again, the GJs’ runners proved their worth by capturing the first mine, while WAO secured the second. Alone, however, that would not be enough for victory. The GJs were prepared. Cavalry rallies struck with terrifying speed and precision, overwhelming the infantry defenders before WAO could properly reinforce them. One mine fell, then the other. Despite repeated counter-rallies, the GJs’ bow specialists, now defending both mines, proved nearly impossible to remove.

For the first time in the match, it became clear that victory might actually slip from WAO’s grasp.

Biet quickly secured the remaining mine, and suddenly the GJs controlled both. The point gap began shrinking rapidly, even though WAO still controlled most of the buildings on the map. Everyone stared at the scoreboard in disbelief.

77,000 to 77,000.

Ten minutes remained.

Eventually, the mines emptied, but the GJs still held a tiny lead of only 1,150 points.

Wait… what?

Only 1,150?

The rallies immediately resumed. Another building fell to the GJs, but WAO still controlled three-quarters of the map, meaning everything was still possible.

OMG… what a drama.

Lux could barely believe what she was seeing. Both alliances attacked and defended relentlessly, trading rallies nonstop. In the final minute of the match, the point difference dropped to only 450 points while Asenherz prepared a rally against one of the strongholds. WAO still controlled Casterly Rock and one port.

Then the gap became only 100 points.

ONLY 100.

Could the GJs actually pull this off?

The clock ticked down while everything became a blur for Lux. She lowered her head, unable to watch the screen any longer, silently counting the final seconds to herself.

When she finally looked back up, Asenherz still held the stronghold, preserving a narrow 150-point lead.

The countdown began.

3…

2…

1…

The match was over.

The GJs had won.

Alliance Conquest | Season 23 Round 5 | GJs vs WAO | The Longest Final Minute

That victory gave them the opportunity to enter Match 6 with renewed confidence and hope for UC.

“OMG, what a match…”

Everyone erupted in cheers, while Lux could only sit there in stunned silence, repeating the word “WOW.” She felt incredibly proud of her teammates and her alliance. As the excitement settled, the team reflected on their performance. The runners had been exceptional, though reinforcement coordination still needed improvement. With three wins and two losses, the GJs remained firmly in contention for a Top 16 finish.

Round 6 awaited them, and nobody knew what the matchmaker would bring next. Would fortune favor them again? Lux speculated about possible opponents—TIS, UTB, or perhaps even a rematch against a familiar rival.

Only time would tell.