KBHoleN1
02-23-2006, 05:51 PM
Legends - the place where dreams are made, and luck runs rampant among the ranks.
I summarize at the bottom if you don't want to read all this
I have been given access to a gold account by bob, and have started turtling on Legends. I have played several arranged turt games with some very high-ranked players. I have "won" all 4 games, and had the wins ripped away by atrocious luck. I feel like bragging a bit, and bitching a bit, so suck it up and deal with it. Plus, I'll give you some good play-by-play action, and insight as to how the best players stay on top.
First was aza. We same-sided, as all 4 of my arranged turt games have been (just my luck, I am killer opposite side). The game progresses, aza comments on how he has been playing badly lately, and I can tell he is off his game. I am winning by about a unit, and in a position to take more, when it begins. Scout side blocks, followed by frontals on my scout. Beastie side blocks, as it is tearing up my turtle. A run of about 5 knight side hits (him hitting me), and then a few blocks for him. He was very apologetic, as he is a great guy, and I took it in stride, and still managed a draw due to my dragon. Yes, he had to force the draw with me, that is how well I had played in the game. His turtle was shielded by 3 knights, and made it very tough to avoid physical attacks, with my limited number of attackers.
Next came zeka, of the legendary Judgement. Arranged turt game, sameside. I was winning, once again, but just barely. Needing to finsh off his attacking BR to protect my stone, I dragon his BR, he heals. I poison the little bastard, he moves out and advances toward my frost. I move my scout around for the side hit (no back hit, he was against the side), and sure enough it blocks. Frostie dead, I'm at a serious disadvantage all of a sudden because of a 23% block. Np, play hard, make it up, I tell myself. Another side block and a frontal block later, his beastie won the game for him as it finished off my mud hidden behind my stone golem. The blocks won the game for him, and he refused to admit it. The bickering continues into the lobby, where I cahllenge him in front of many people to another game, to right the wrong. I figure if I win 1 of 2 I gain a good many stats anyway (I am about 1500 now, zeka is like 1800 or something).
Second game with zeka, same forms, same side. We play completely different, I avoid the beastie for most of the game by pressuring his flank and his cleric, even though I have a defensive form against a more offensive form. My normal goal in any game is to defend until I can attack. And I do it damn well if you ask me. He realizes he is losing, again, and charges his beastie in to kill my berserker, who is wreaking havoc among his mud and scout. I go for the kill with the frontshot (my scout from about 5 spaces away), there was no side shot available. Instead of healing, and pursuing next turn (when I would have set up a better defense), he took the chance with his BR. He forced me to take a fronthshot to save my bers, the same frontshot that would kill his BR and win me the game. A 45% block, my first physical attempt on his BR, and it blocks. He sheepishly admitted his luck, apologized, and took another win away from me.
Just now, I am asked for a turt game by sweet girl2, another Judgement member with outrageously high stats (almost 1800 I think). Game begins, sameside. I'm going to assume sweet girl2 is in fact a girl. She has a dragon on the 4th row (from back, so 2nd row from front), unstoned, and breathing down my neck. Muddy at the front of her stone cluster allowed my stone to last a whole 2 turns, as her dragon targeted my berserker. The berserker proved useful on the muddy, ending its life eventually, and distracting the dragon for another 3 turns as she used it to finsh my bers off. So far, mission accomplished. She tried several side hits on my knight, landing 3 out of 4 for the game - I'll take that, considering I normally don't see blocks for games at a time. I did however, score a scout side block, while siding her dragon twice over that period. A definite plus for me. After some amzing wisp/frost work to widdle down her units, the game comes down to this: Her full health frost, cleric, stone, and stoned scout, and an injured dragon. I have a dragon on about 44, a knight on 36, and a full health scout, and injured stone (damage doesn't matter at this point). She dragons my scout, bringing it to 14. I blast her dragon with my own, as her scout recovers, and then side hit her dragon for the kill with my scout (the 2nd side hit I mentioned above). I retreat my scout leaving only a frontshot from across the board. Sure enough, she lands it, crushing my chances. She also landed another side hit on my knight, and 2 front hits on my dragon, sealing my fate. I would have killed the frost, had it not been for any of the 3 frontshots (the scout was the most important, obviously). I could have retreated, stoned, and pwned her one attacking unit and frosty, no problem. Once again, a great game stolen away from me by blocking.
But that is not the best part. I draw out a few turns at the end of the game to "discuss" things, and she agrees that I was at an extreme disadvantage and got very unlucky with that frontshot. I had already b*tched about her power turt after she asked for a turt game, and ventured for a rematch with "real turts" as I put it. She actually agreed, and noted how much she was able to rush me in this game. I said, "yeh, my stone lasted 2 turns," and we laughed. We decided on opposite sides for the rematch, to make it fair, and we exit for the lobby. I give her about 30 seconds to reset and issue a challenge. She flees. Wow, such honor.
Here's the summary if you don't want to read all that:
So, in short, I played 4 amazing games, some of the best I ever had, and managed a draw and 3 losses against some very high ranked Legenders. I samesided all 4 games, my worst side, and had atrocious blocking in all. At every key moment in the game, where I was on the verge of victory, a block, or lack thereof on my part, sealed my fate. Either the top players on Legends are simply the luckiest ones, or I am fit to be ranked among them as one of the best. I feel like I play my ass off every game, and have it ripped away from me time and time again. Of the 3, aza is the only one that was even remotely honorable - he actually helped lead the game into a draw, instead of trying for the consecutive frontals that would have won it for him.
So if you decide to play among the top players on Legends, bring your rabbit's foot, I certainly needed one. At least I take away the knowledge that I outplayed my opponent in every game, and hopefully my luck will turn around for me. Ironically, I was jumped by a gray after I cancelled the challenge against sweet girl2, and blocked almost every attempt in that game, when I need it the least. My timing is always what makes my luck so bad.
EDIT: I almost forgot to mention that Twelve played my turt too. Only this time it was his dsm rush that samesided me. He won ... by one knight. The fact that the game was even close seems like a miracle. We both played exceptional, and as he put it, "that form (my turt) is no joke". The thing works like a charm, and I am playing the best TAO of my more than 2-year career. Somehow, I am still happy through a draw and 5 recent losses (I got rushed by a multi-drop 1700 gray with a mud, 2 clerics, 3 knights, BR, witch, lw, and scout. All sameside, all breathing down my neck, very tough game, I got owned at first, but pwned in the rematch - the gray jumped me again, knowing he had the best position, and i taught him a lesson :)) If anyone wants to see/play my turt, let me know. The bers (and the 1-scout rule) make it so great, so we'll either play on Legends or with 1 scout on Rev or Banff.
I summarize at the bottom if you don't want to read all this
I have been given access to a gold account by bob, and have started turtling on Legends. I have played several arranged turt games with some very high-ranked players. I have "won" all 4 games, and had the wins ripped away by atrocious luck. I feel like bragging a bit, and bitching a bit, so suck it up and deal with it. Plus, I'll give you some good play-by-play action, and insight as to how the best players stay on top.
First was aza. We same-sided, as all 4 of my arranged turt games have been (just my luck, I am killer opposite side). The game progresses, aza comments on how he has been playing badly lately, and I can tell he is off his game. I am winning by about a unit, and in a position to take more, when it begins. Scout side blocks, followed by frontals on my scout. Beastie side blocks, as it is tearing up my turtle. A run of about 5 knight side hits (him hitting me), and then a few blocks for him. He was very apologetic, as he is a great guy, and I took it in stride, and still managed a draw due to my dragon. Yes, he had to force the draw with me, that is how well I had played in the game. His turtle was shielded by 3 knights, and made it very tough to avoid physical attacks, with my limited number of attackers.
Next came zeka, of the legendary Judgement. Arranged turt game, sameside. I was winning, once again, but just barely. Needing to finsh off his attacking BR to protect my stone, I dragon his BR, he heals. I poison the little bastard, he moves out and advances toward my frost. I move my scout around for the side hit (no back hit, he was against the side), and sure enough it blocks. Frostie dead, I'm at a serious disadvantage all of a sudden because of a 23% block. Np, play hard, make it up, I tell myself. Another side block and a frontal block later, his beastie won the game for him as it finished off my mud hidden behind my stone golem. The blocks won the game for him, and he refused to admit it. The bickering continues into the lobby, where I cahllenge him in front of many people to another game, to right the wrong. I figure if I win 1 of 2 I gain a good many stats anyway (I am about 1500 now, zeka is like 1800 or something).
Second game with zeka, same forms, same side. We play completely different, I avoid the beastie for most of the game by pressuring his flank and his cleric, even though I have a defensive form against a more offensive form. My normal goal in any game is to defend until I can attack. And I do it damn well if you ask me. He realizes he is losing, again, and charges his beastie in to kill my berserker, who is wreaking havoc among his mud and scout. I go for the kill with the frontshot (my scout from about 5 spaces away), there was no side shot available. Instead of healing, and pursuing next turn (when I would have set up a better defense), he took the chance with his BR. He forced me to take a fronthshot to save my bers, the same frontshot that would kill his BR and win me the game. A 45% block, my first physical attempt on his BR, and it blocks. He sheepishly admitted his luck, apologized, and took another win away from me.
Just now, I am asked for a turt game by sweet girl2, another Judgement member with outrageously high stats (almost 1800 I think). Game begins, sameside. I'm going to assume sweet girl2 is in fact a girl. She has a dragon on the 4th row (from back, so 2nd row from front), unstoned, and breathing down my neck. Muddy at the front of her stone cluster allowed my stone to last a whole 2 turns, as her dragon targeted my berserker. The berserker proved useful on the muddy, ending its life eventually, and distracting the dragon for another 3 turns as she used it to finsh my bers off. So far, mission accomplished. She tried several side hits on my knight, landing 3 out of 4 for the game - I'll take that, considering I normally don't see blocks for games at a time. I did however, score a scout side block, while siding her dragon twice over that period. A definite plus for me. After some amzing wisp/frost work to widdle down her units, the game comes down to this: Her full health frost, cleric, stone, and stoned scout, and an injured dragon. I have a dragon on about 44, a knight on 36, and a full health scout, and injured stone (damage doesn't matter at this point). She dragons my scout, bringing it to 14. I blast her dragon with my own, as her scout recovers, and then side hit her dragon for the kill with my scout (the 2nd side hit I mentioned above). I retreat my scout leaving only a frontshot from across the board. Sure enough, she lands it, crushing my chances. She also landed another side hit on my knight, and 2 front hits on my dragon, sealing my fate. I would have killed the frost, had it not been for any of the 3 frontshots (the scout was the most important, obviously). I could have retreated, stoned, and pwned her one attacking unit and frosty, no problem. Once again, a great game stolen away from me by blocking.
But that is not the best part. I draw out a few turns at the end of the game to "discuss" things, and she agrees that I was at an extreme disadvantage and got very unlucky with that frontshot. I had already b*tched about her power turt after she asked for a turt game, and ventured for a rematch with "real turts" as I put it. She actually agreed, and noted how much she was able to rush me in this game. I said, "yeh, my stone lasted 2 turns," and we laughed. We decided on opposite sides for the rematch, to make it fair, and we exit for the lobby. I give her about 30 seconds to reset and issue a challenge. She flees. Wow, such honor.
Here's the summary if you don't want to read all that:
So, in short, I played 4 amazing games, some of the best I ever had, and managed a draw and 3 losses against some very high ranked Legenders. I samesided all 4 games, my worst side, and had atrocious blocking in all. At every key moment in the game, where I was on the verge of victory, a block, or lack thereof on my part, sealed my fate. Either the top players on Legends are simply the luckiest ones, or I am fit to be ranked among them as one of the best. I feel like I play my ass off every game, and have it ripped away from me time and time again. Of the 3, aza is the only one that was even remotely honorable - he actually helped lead the game into a draw, instead of trying for the consecutive frontals that would have won it for him.
So if you decide to play among the top players on Legends, bring your rabbit's foot, I certainly needed one. At least I take away the knowledge that I outplayed my opponent in every game, and hopefully my luck will turn around for me. Ironically, I was jumped by a gray after I cancelled the challenge against sweet girl2, and blocked almost every attempt in that game, when I need it the least. My timing is always what makes my luck so bad.
EDIT: I almost forgot to mention that Twelve played my turt too. Only this time it was his dsm rush that samesided me. He won ... by one knight. The fact that the game was even close seems like a miracle. We both played exceptional, and as he put it, "that form (my turt) is no joke". The thing works like a charm, and I am playing the best TAO of my more than 2-year career. Somehow, I am still happy through a draw and 5 recent losses (I got rushed by a multi-drop 1700 gray with a mud, 2 clerics, 3 knights, BR, witch, lw, and scout. All sameside, all breathing down my neck, very tough game, I got owned at first, but pwned in the rematch - the gray jumped me again, knowing he had the best position, and i taught him a lesson :)) If anyone wants to see/play my turt, let me know. The bers (and the 1-scout rule) make it so great, so we'll either play on Legends or with 1 scout on Rev or Banff.