GoTWiC [AC] S23R2 "Test"

After a great season opener and an exhausting rematch against the GEU Alliance, a new challenge awaited the alliance, perhaps the biggest one yet. The name NoS had long been a source of fear among players.

In the first match, they easily defeated the WAO alliance, proving why everyone considers them the favorites for the season finale. For most players, this was just another tough match, but for Stanko, it represented something much more. Every previous encounter against NoS had ended in defeat, and for that very reason, this war for him wasn't just a simple fight for points, but an opportunity to finally prove to himself and others that they could go toe-to-toe with them.

A few minutes before the match started, he sat in front of the monitor, completely focused on the map. The room was dark, lit only by the glow of the screen, while the voices of his teammates analyzing the opponent could be heard from a Discord call. Stanko was silent, observing the layout of the objects on the map. Names like Wisnie, Szostek, Wiktor, and Thornado ran through his mind. Each of them was capable of single-handedly changing the course of the entire war. He knew how difficult it would be to play against them, especially with their alliance being short-handed.

“This is going to be hell,” he muttered to himself as he gripped the mouse in his hand. “But we won't fall without a fight again.”

When the match finally began, NoS immediately showed why they are considered the dominant alliance. Their troops moved at an incredible speed, and before Stanko could send all the commands, they had already captured three castles, including Mother. For a moment, disappointment was felt on the voice chat.

“Mother is theirs,” someone said quietly.

Stanko took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. He felt nervous inside, but he couldn't show it to the others. “It's not over,” he said decisively. “We're waiting for their swap. If they make a single mistake, we're taking it.”

His task from the very beginning had been to send a slow march toward Mother and be ready to react if an opportunity arose. As he watched his troops slowly cross the map, he felt his heart pounding. The seconds passed slowly, and then the moment he had been waiting for arrived. NoS didn't do a perfect swap.

“Now! Send them immediately!” he shouted over the comms.

At that moment, complete chaos erupted. Dozens of markers appeared on the map, rally calls came from all sides, and allies sent troops without a second thought.

Stanko watched every move on the screen, his palms sweating from the pressure. After a few tense seconds, they managed to capture the OUTPOST, and for the first time during the match, the momentum shifted.

“That's it! This is how we keep it up!” one of his teammates shouted.

However, Stanko didn't let them get carried away by euphoria. He knew that against NoS, no mistake goes unpunished. “Don't get complacent,” he said seriously. “Now come the ports.”

His next task was even more complicated. He had to send troops toward a distant port using the same tactic. As he sent the march, only one thought ran through his mind: “In case of the same situation as in the last match, if I make a mistake now, it's all over.” Still, he focused to the max, and the attack was a near-perfect success. Their alliance was starting to find its rhythm, and for the first time in a long time, NoS didn't seem completely untouchable.

When they reached the CR, the situation became even more complicated. NoS started to make a serious difference in points, and Stanko knew this castle could decide the entire match. He looked at the scoreboard and clenched his jaw. “If we lose this, it's over.”

Although he never liked being the runner, he prepared his troops and said, “We have to act now. We're attacking the cavalry castles first. Most of us have spears; that's our best chance.”

“Makes sense,” came the voice on the voice chat.

Stanko then took the initiative and, for the first time during the match, completely forgot his fear of making a mistake. “I'm leading the rally. Send the troops now.”

The attack began. The sounds of notifications and combat effects filled the screen as the massive armies clashed. Stanko quietly repeated to himself, “Come on… just a little more…” When the castle finally fell, the Discord server exploded with cheers.

“WE GOT HIM!”

“LET'S GOOO!”

“AT LAST!”

But Stanko didn't have time to celebrate. Adrenaline rushed through his body as he quickly scanned the map. “Straight to CR! We're not stopping now!”

His voice was no longer that of a doubtful player. He was turning every previous defeat against NoS into motivation. As they prepared for a new attack, word came in that a horseman was inside.

Stanko smiled slightly. “Alright... same tactic then.”

The fight for CR was perhaps the most tense moment up to that point. The tension was felt in every voice on the call. No one spoke unless it was necessary. Just brief information, timers, and commands. When they finally captured the third castle and scored a huge number of points, Stanko thought for the first time that maybe they could actually pull off a miracle.

“This is our moment,” he said quietly. “We have to keep going until we catch up to them.”

He immediately marked new targets on the map. “We can't let them get to Mine first.”

But first, he had the toughest challenge, Mother. And inside of it was Thornado, one of the strongest players on the battlefield. For a few seconds, Stanko just sat in silence, staring at his power.

“What do we do?” someone asked nervously.

Stanko took a deep breath. “We attack.”

Although he didn't want to admit it, he felt the pressure. He knew how dangerous Thornado was and how one defeat could destroy the alliance's morale. The rally began and the battle was brutal. 

In the end, he managed to win his rally, but it was a pyrrhic victory as it wasn't enough to knock Thornado out of the castle.

But despite that, the point difference was still huge. Almost 20k. Fatigue was catching up with him, but he didn't want to show weakness.

“We can still do it if we take both mines,” he said decisively. “Don't give up now.”

And they went all out. However, even in the most important race, NoS managed to capture both mines, and their strongest players kept fending off every attempt to take them.

As time went on, Stanko slowly realized that victory was slipping away. He felt disappointed, but he didn't want them to end the match with their heads down. “We keep attacking,” he said firmly. “I want 60k points. We're not giving up.”

The final minutes of the match were complete chaos. Wisnia's solo attacks brought back castle after castle, but this time their alliance didn't look like a team falling apart under pressure. They fought for every point, for every structure, and for every second on the clock.

When the match finally ended, another NoS victory appeared on the screen. However, the feeling was completely different than before. There was no humiliation. There was no helplessness. They had scored 60k points and shown that they had progressed much more than others thought.

Stanko sat in silence for a few moments, staring at the result. Then he smiled slightly and quietly said to himself, “Next time will be different.”

There was no defeat in his eyes. Only a hunger for victory and the desire to finally take down NoS one day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpHw12IMbRc&t=7s