This user has no description yet

[Review] Analysis of ARC vs HVN in IBL in Infinity Kingdom

Guide Forum suggestion
Article Publish : 07/27/2026 08:39

Translate

Edited by fictions at 07/27/2026 08:50

💠Introduction

What’s up, folks? Welcome back to my Illusion Battlefield League(IBL) series, where I take a closer look at different matches. The IBL tournament differs from regular IB in that everyone will construct marches and skill builds using a fixed set of skills. At different stages of the tournament, more immortals and skills will become available. Everyone has access to the same immortals and the same skills. Castle skins and Lord Talents do not affect the more fast-paced battles of IBL. Relocations and marching speed are also faster. The event is one of the most entertaining events in Infinity Kingdom, and players enjoy spectating, almost like a sporting event. In this article, I’m going to take a closer look at the match between Server 73’s The Arcane(ARC) and Server 432’s Mandate of Heaven(HVN).

💠Table of Contents

Overview
Starting Positions and Talents
ARC
HVN
Tower 1
Tower 4
Central Tower
Altars
Home Towers
Play-by-Play
Summary

💠Overview

HVN entered the match tied with ARC atop the standings at 5–0, making this one of the most anticipated matchups of the season. Despite this being their second IBL tournament, the relatively new server has exceeded expectations, putting together an impressive undefeated start even if they have yet to face many of the league's established powerhouses. ARC, also unbeaten at 5–0, represents HVN's first true measuring stick. As one of the most experienced alliances in IBL, ARC has consistently demonstrated strong coordination, disciplined rotations, and the ability to field more than 30 players every match. With both teams boasting excellent attendance, this matchup is expected to come down to execution rather than numbers, though ARC enters as the slight favorite thanks to its experience on the biggest stage.

💠Starting Positions and Talents

ARC

Started with 30 players and ended with 34
13 Attack talents
13 Defense talents
4 Support talents

HVN

Started with 23 players and ended with 32
14 Attack talents
9 Defense talents
0 Support talent

💠Tower 1

At Tower 1, ARC committed 10 players, quickly occupying most of the area around the objective and corralling HVN's three defenders into a corner. With only three players contesting the tower, HVN had virtually no chance of holding the objective. Given that they started the match with seven fewer players than ARC, trying to contest all three objectives was an uphill battle from the outset. HVN would have been better off conceding Tower 1 entirely or sacrificing Tower 4 to concentrate their forces elsewhere. With their attendance disadvantage, they needed to prioritize two of the three opening objectives rather than spreading themselves too thin. ARC should have little trouble securing Tower 1.

💠Tower 4

At Tower 4, ARC committed nine players while HVN sent eleven, though one of their relocations overlapped. ARC also positioned several players along the edge to block incoming relocations. One HVN player attempted to relocate to ARC's side of the tower, a move that was unlikely to succeed since Tower 4 is closer to the top-side team, giving ARC the faster relocation timing. While HVN held a slight numbers advantage at this objective, they likely overcommitted. Given their attendance deficit, shifting a few of those players to Tower 1 would have given them a much better chance of contesting two objectives instead of conceding one almost immediately.

💠Central Tower

At the Central Tower, ARC committed eight players, surrounding two sides of the objective, while HVN sent only four. Rather than staying together, HVN split into two pairs on opposite sides of the tower, making it much easier for ARC to isolate and overwhelm them. With half the numbers already, HVN's best chance was to keep their players grouped together so they could support one another and make ARC commit more resources to each engagement. Splitting up only made their numerical disadvantage even more pronounced.

💠Altars

ARC didn’t send anyone to either altar. HVN sent three players to the Sun Altar. Given they had fewer players to start, going to the altar was a mistake.

💠Home Towers

ARC stationed one player at their home tower. HVN chose to leave theirs unguarded in the opening minutes.

💠Play-by-Play

At Tower 1, ARC opted not to destroy a late HVN relocation, instead committing all of their marches to securing the objective as quickly as possible. They concentrated their attacks on a single target, rapidly eliminating the immediate threat. ARC captured the tower just four minutes into the match before zeroing two HVN players and forcing another to shield. One additional defender managed to relocate in as reinforcement, but neither that player nor the remaining defenders lasted long. With Tower 1 firmly secured, several ARC players immediately began rotating toward the Central Tower to reinforce the next objective.

At Tower 4, ARC dominated the opening by blocking four HVN relocations and destroying another before it could complete. With the defenders unable to establish themselves, ARC immediately began sieging the tower and captured it just a couple of minutes later. They then destroyed two more late relocations, zeroed another defender, and methodically rallied their remaining targets one by one. As ARC surrounded the objective, they forced HVN farther away from the tower while continuing to block and destroy incoming relocations. Once the area was secure, a few ARC players rotated toward the Central Tower and HVN's home tower, while the rest remained behind to repel HVN's relentless but ineffective counterattacks.

At the Central Tower, ARC's numerical advantage allowed them to immediately focus down the first HVN player who entered the area, zeroing him almost instantly. HVN responded by sending three more players, who managed to hold their ground surprisingly well. As players from the fights at Towers 1 and 4 were eliminated, many relocated to the center, and for a brief period ARC actually found themselves outnumbered. They responded by relocating closer to the fight, quickly zeroing a couple more HVN players to stabilize the engagement. Soon after, ARC reinforcements began pouring in from the outer towers and late arrivals. Once ARC started coordinating multiple rallies simultaneously, they systematically cleared HVN from the front lines and created the opening they needed to siege the objective. ARC captured the Central Tower 20 minutes into the match before shifting their full attention to eliminating the remaining HVN players.

Eight minutes into the match, an HVN player relocated to the outskirts of ARC's home tower, where only a single defender was stationed. The defender failed to destroy the relocation before it completed, allowing the invader to move closer and begin the assault. HVN was consistently winning the one-on-one engagements, and before long the lone ARC guard was zeroed. ARC sent another defender from their spawn, but it was not enough to prevent HVN from capturing the home tower at the 20-minute mark. Shortly afterward, two more ARC players arrived, eliminated the invader, and quickly recaptured the objective. At the same time, ARC had players pressuring HVN's home tower, forcing HVN to commit resources to its own defense instead of reinforcing attacks elsewhere on the map.

💠Summary

ARC defeated HVN 100,000 to 9,600, with James Gordon earning MVP. HVN's biggest obstacle was their poor opening attendance. Despite starting the match shorthanded, they still attempted to contest all three objectives instead of conceding one and concentrating their forces to offset the early numbers deficit until reinforcements arrived. That decision left them playing from behind for the entire match. To their credit, HVN rotated reasonably well and even managed to steal ARC's home tower for a brief period, though that sequence reflected more of a lapse by ARC than a strategic success by HVN. With the victory, ARC improved to 6–0 and overtook HVN for first place in the standings, while HVN dropped to 5–1.