GoTWiC [AoH] S5R3 "Old friend"

Another round of the Arena was ahead of us, but this time Stanko found himself in a situation he hadn't expected. He couldn't play with his standard team. To an outsider, this might not have seemed like a big problem, but Stanko knew how important team chemistry was. It's not enough to have a few strong players. You need to know their abilities, mindset, and reactions in the toughest moments of the match. You need to know that a teammate will do what's expected of them at the right moment. This time, Stanko didn't have that luxury.

He was very disappointed, but he didn't have much time to think about it. The afternoon match was approaching, and the new team hadn't been formed yet. He looked at the list of available players and started looking for the best possible options. “Alright... who should I find now?” he muttered to himself. He didn't want to go into the match completely unprepared, but he had no other choice. If he couldn't play with his team, he had to make a new one.

He managed to find a few players from the alliance, ones well-known enough to give him at least some security. He found the rest of the team practically right before the match started. One of them was Zarachiel, a very strong knight whom Stanko had played on a team with once before.

They had managed to win back then, so Stanko knew he could count on him. “That's good... at least I know him,” he thought when he saw him among the players. This time they were representing House Lannister and, as expected, they were the favorites.

However, Stanko didn't let that fact relax him. He looked at the other teams and immediately noticed several very strong players.

He knew this might be a much tougher match than it looked on paper, especially since their team wasn't well-practiced.

The first disagreements appeared even before the match began. Stanko believed they should start with trading posts right away, while Zarachiel wanted to start with war camps. “I'd go for the war camps right away,” Zarachiel said, laying out his plan. Stanko was silent for a moment. He understood his idea, but he had a different view of the situation. “If we go for war camps without a proper infantry player, we could lose a lot of time,” he replied. Zarachiel believed a more aggressive start could give them an advantage, while Stanko wanted a safer option. They couldn't agree, but there was no time for a long debate. “We'll see at the start,” Stanko said, ending the conversation. Inside, however, he was already thinking: If we don't resolve this quickly, we'll lose control of the match before it has even begun.

The match started and everyone immediately sent troops to their Strongholds to finish them off as quickly as possible. Although the Towers were spearmen, the team decided to use spear camps because they didn't have a strong enough infantry player.

Stanko still thought that trading posts would be a better choice, but he didn't want to cause a problem right at the beginning. He wanted to see how the situation would develop. However, it quickly became clear that their initial plan wasn't working out very well. They were waiting for the first big hit, but they weren't even close to capturing the neighboring castle. Stanko looked at the map and realized that time was passing and they weren't getting what they needed.

This isn't good. If we keep this up, we'll lose the momentum. We're the favorites, but that doesn't mean anything if we don't control the map.

He didn't want to wait anymore. He had to take responsibility. “Second line, trading posts immediately, and then we'll set up the first line,” he ordered. A few players objected, but most obeyed. Stanko knew the decision might not be perfect, but he was sure it was better than being indecisive up there. “We have to change the plan,” he said decisively. “We don't have a strong enough infantry to push this as we planned. The trading posts will give us a better foundation to continue the match.”

Fortunately, the opponents didn't have much more luck with the neighboring clans either, so their team wasn't far behind in points. This gave Stanko enough time to stabilize the situation. They began to capture more and more important buildings and slowly took control of the map. Stanko knew that they would need three Maidens for a final victory, so he immediately sent his strongest teammates to try to capture them. He ordered the others to send additional troops and reinforce the Altars, while he took responsibility for defending the buildings.

Soon it was Dragonpit's turn, another extremely important castle. Stanko personally attacked one of the three Dragonpits. This time, his teammates reacted quickly and provided him with support. The opposing solo attacks failed to knock him out of the castle.

As troops poured onto the battlefield, it became clear that Lannister was gaining more and more control. They held first place and had a large number of key buildings. Still, Stanko didn't allow himself to relax. His gaze was fixed on a single point on the map.

Glory.

He knew that this particular castle was the most important one. If they captured and held it, their advantage could become insurmountable. Stanko's original plan was for Zarachiel to take Glory, especially since they had a very strong opposing infantry player. However, Zarachiel was late with the attack. Stanko watched the time pass and realized there was no more time to wait. He had to act.

If I wait for Zarachiel now, we might lose our chance. Someone has to go. If no one will, I'll go.

Without much thought, Stanko launched the attack on Glory. The moment he entered the castle, the entire situation took on a whole new gravity. This was no longer just an attack. This was a moment that could decide the entire match. Stanko knew that if he lost Glory, he would give his opponents a chance to come back. That's why he immediately started giving orders.

“HURRY AND SEND ME THE SPEARMEN! WE CAN'T RISK DOING A SWAP! YOU, ZARACHIEL, BE READY TO ATTACK SOLO IF SOMEONE KNOCKS ME OUT OF GLORY!”

Now there was no room for error. Stanko was holding Glory, but he knew his opponents would try to kick him out sooner or later. He looked at the map and waited for the first attack. However, nothing happened. Seconds passed. Glory remained under their control. The opponents didn't react.

“They're waiting...” Stanko thought. “But why?”

He got his answer soon enough.

The attack began.

First one opponent attacked, and then several more.

Stanko immediately spotted the most dangerous player. He was a very strong infantry player and the only one with enough strength to kick him out of Glory. Stanko knew that this player would be their biggest threat.

“NO RELAXING!” he shouted. “GLORY ALWAYS HAS TO BE FULLY STAFFED SO WE CAN PRESERVE IT UNTIL THE END!”

His comrades reacted. Troops began to arrive one after another. Stanko tracked every move of the enemy, every change on the map, and the arrival of his own troops. The first solo attack reached the castle, but it wasn't enough.

Hold on... just hold on.

The opponents didn't give up. Soon, a new attack arrived, this time much more serious. Stanko looked at his troops' status and realized there was no time for panic.

“Send more! We can't be left empty!”

His teammates listened to him. Glory was filling up again.

The opposing attack hit with full force. For a moment, it looked like they might cause some trouble, but the defense held. Stanko stayed in his position.

“One more!” he shouted.

They came again.

A solo attack.

Stopped.

Rally attack.

Stopped.

Another attempt.

They failed again.

Stanko felt the pressure the whole time. Even though their lead was large, he knew one wrong move could change the situation. He couldn't think about winning. He had to think only about the next attack.

Don't look at the score. Don't think about how far ahead we are. Just protect Glory.

Another rally came. The enemy's strongest infantry player charged straight for him. Stanko knew this might be their last serious attempt.

“Everyone on Glory!”

The troops charged.

The battle reached its climax.

Stanko watched as the two sides clashed around the castle. Glory was teeming with soldiers. The enemy was trying to break through the defenses, but with each new attack, their chances grew slimmer. Stanko felt the adrenaline, but he couldn't let his emotions get the better of him.

Stanko looked at the map.

Glory was still theirs.

“We did it,” he said quietly.

But he wasn't celebrating yet. He looked at the score. The lead was huge. His opponents didn't have enough time left to make a comeback.

Only then did he allow himself to relax.

The match was practically decided.

Still, Stanko had another goal, elimination points. Since he had held Glory the whole time, he hadn't had many opportunities to earn them. He knew his role was to guard the castle, but now that victory was practically assured, he could change his plan.

“I can go out now.”

He left Glory and allowed the opponent to take it over. There was no reason to risk it while the castle was crucial, but now he could use the situation to score additional elimination points. When Glory was charged up enough again, Stanko launched a solo attack.

The attack succeeded.

He got solid elimination points, further rounding out an excellent score.

A few moments later, the match was over.

A convincing victory for Lannister.

Stanko just stared at the score on the screen for a few seconds. This wasn't the toughest match he had ever played. On the contrary, it turned out to be one of the easiest matches in the Arena. Still, the way they had achieved the victory held a special meaning for him.

They entered as favorites, but they got off to a bad start due to problems with the Strongholds. The team was not well-coordinated, and disagreements between him and Zarachiel had arisen even before the match began. Still, Stanko didn't let it bother him. When he saw that the initial strategy wasn't working, he had the courage to change the camps into trading posts. When the crucial castles came, he took charge. And when Zarachiel was late with the attack on Glory, Stanko didn't wait for someone else to solve the problem. He entered the most important battle of the match himself.

It was Glory that decided everything. His decision to attack, his order to fully charge Glory, and his ability to remain calm while his opponents tried to knock him out made all the difference. If he had lost the castle then, the match could have become completely different. Instead, their defense held off every attack, and Lannister maintained a huge advantage until the very end.

In the end, Stanko could be proud. Not because they were the favorites, but because he managed to win even when he didn't have his standard team. They didn't have a perfect preparation, they weren't well-practiced, and they didn't always agree, but in the most important moments, they managed to function as a single team.

As he watched the final score, Stanko thought to himself: Maybe this match wasn't a true measure of our strength. Maybe we were lucky that our opponents didn't get off to an ideal start either. But one thing I know, when it mattered most, I didn't hesitate.

He smiled and looked away from the screen. This might not have been the greatest victory he'd achieved at the Arena, but it was important to him for one reason. It showed him that even without his usual team, he could take responsibility, make tough decisions, and lead the team to victory. And maybe that very experience would be what he needed the next time the favorite didn't have as much room for error.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUN5BwZrze8