Alliance Conquest

[Season 24 - Round 1]

BDR vs RRH

Season 24 of Alliance Conquest was about to begin, and for SCEPAL, that first battle meant much more than just the start of a new season.

It would be their first time participating in Alliance Conquest alongside a new alliance—and one as important as BDR, no less.

They had already fought alongside BDR during the Siege of Winterfell, but in Alliance Conquest, it was a sort of trial by fire—they had to be faster, pay closer attention to the rallies and their leaders, and above all, move in sync with everyone else, since everyone else seemed to know exactly where they were supposed to be.

The first opponent in the first match would be RRH, a very seasoned team—though not as seasoned as some of the adversaries they would face later on.

The match featured 100 BDR members against 96 from RRH.

Up to that point, numerically speaking, the battle was fairly even.

But as soon as the match began, BDR took the initiative.

BDR quickly captured the Lannister Base, the Targaryen Base, and the Warrior’s Tower, while RRH managed to seize the Temple of the Mother. However, the response was swift: BDR retook the Temple and, almost simultaneously, regained control of both bases.

SCEPAL followed the orders, trying not to miss a single detail.

He knew what he had to do, but he still had trouble recognizing the rally leaders and keeping up with the exact rhythm of the counts.

“I have to be patient. I’ll soon learn who’s who and when I need to make my move…” he thought.

If there was one thing in his favor, it was precisely that: patience. As the games went on, he’d eventually get used to it, just as he had on his long journey toward growth.

At Torre del Guerrero, another change took place. BABA YAGA took control of the position and was reinforced with spearmen and cavalry.

Up to that point, RRH seemed to offer little resistance in the buildings. Everything suggested that BDR might be facing a relatively easy battle.

Meanwhile, RRH was carrying out a few raids using rallies. One of them targeted Torre del Guerrero again, but the attempt was futile as the defenses manned by BABA YAGA held firm.

Then came the moment when the ports opened.

And RRH reached both of them first.

Peugeot occupied Targaryen Port, and EsteBan occupied Lannister Port.

BDR's mission was to retake them as soon as possible.

“Rally to the ports! Let’s not give them time to reinforce their positions!”

It was then as if everyone had awakened from the momentary lethargy they had fallen into, and the alliance finally responded.

Falcon successfully recaptured Lannister Harbor and subsequently traded control with TATE; all that remained was to take Targaryen Harbor.

It seemed more difficult, but SCEPAL watched BDR’s moves with a confidence that was beginning to grow.

Nothing can be that difficult for these people… they’re so strong!

And almost as soon as that thought crossed his mind, MightyLemon quickly recaptured Targaryen Port.

However, while BDR was retaking both ports, RRH had managed to break into the Temple of the Mother once again, with very little time left before Casterly Rock opened.

That’s where the real difference could be made.

When it finally opened, Peugeot, from RRH, managed to occupy it first.

BDR responded with a string of consecutive rallies until Tardis managed to snatch the lead away from her.

Almost immediately, another change took place as the mighty Tholking took over the defense of Casterly Rock.

There was still a long way to go in the match, and the point difference between the two alliances wasn't yet large enough to predict which side would win.

Meanwhile, BDR was preparing a new counterattack at the Temple of the Mother, this time once again with a series of rallies.

One after another, they broke through RRH's defenses.

Finally, Maxima manages to retake the Temple and quickly switches places with Cocytus.

“Send reinforcements to Cocytus! Spearmen and cavalry!”

SCEPAL reacted immediately and sent reinforcements.

He no longer felt like he was simply trying to keep up with the others. Little by little, he was beginning to find his place, even though he struggled to keep up.

But the map changed again.

Suddenly, several locations came under RRH control. Targaryen Port was one of them, and although BDR quickly recaptured it, Lannister Base, Targaryen Base, and Lannister Fortress remained in enemy hands—but only for a very short time, as BDR reacted and almost everything returned to the way it had been before.

At the 40-minute mark, it was time to attack the enemy castles.

Some players set out in search of elimination points, while others preferred to keep their troops reinforcing the captured bases. For the latter, there was a challenge: RRH hardly attacked any buildings at all, so earning elimination points was difficult.

Meanwhile, BDR’s lead was beginning to grow wider and wider, even though the mines hadn’t opened yet.

When they finally opened, RRH reached Targaryen Mine first, while Doge, from BDR, managed to occupy Lannister Mine.

BDR had a quick exchange with The Mad King there, but EsteBan from RRH saw an opportunity to turn the tide, attacked, and managed to take control of the mine.

Now RRH controlled both.

BDR might have been winning the game, but he wasn't going to let his opponent keep both mines.

“Guys! Get the rallies ready! Let's go for both.”

The attacks began.

Tardis managed to enter Targaryen Mine and immediately swapped control with The Sickness.

BDR began reinforcing the position with everything at its disposal.

At the same time, Pantuflo recaptured Mina Lannister.

It seemed as though both were secure once again.

But RRH landed a powerful blow on Mina Lannister that shook the defenses, managing to break through again while they were quickly reinforcing them.

And once again, the mine had changed hands.

SCEPAL checked the map. There wasn’t much time left, but they had learned something from BDR during that first match: no matter how many times they lost a position, BDR wouldn’t sit idly by—they’d come back for it.

And that’s exactly what happened.

Blanco, from BDR, launched a new attack and managed to recapture Mina Lannister for the second time.

And now it was for real.

There were less than ten minutes left.

SCEPAL looked at the score.

The lead, which had been small at the start, had turned into a wide margin. RRH could still attack, recapture a building, or score a few points, but the outcome already seemed inevitable.

BDR had won its first battle of Season 24.

The remaining minutes would serve only to try to further extend the lead they had built.

For SCEPAL, however, the match had meant more than just a victory.

It had entered the race without fully knowing its rally leaders, trying to figure out their moves while striving to carry out every order. Now it was beginning to understand how BDR operated.

It still had a lot to learn.

“This was just the first one. Next time I'll be a little better prepared,” thought SCEPAL.

RRH had fought to regain ground, had managed to catch the opponent off guard at times, and had even seized both mines. But every time it found an opening, BDR ended up responding and regaining the position.

The final seconds of the countdown were ticking away, and the season had only just begun; surely, much stronger enemies lay ahead.

But this battle undoubtedly already had a winner.

And BDR’s first move in the opening match of the new Alliance Conquest season had ended in victory.

For SCEPAL, it had also been a new beginning.

Not just the start of a new season.

But the start of learning to compete as part of BDR.

https://youtu.be/FSAcCEn9-c0