Battle Report: Season Opener [May 5 2007] - Official Report

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DX
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Post by DX » Sat May 05, 2007 4:53 pm

Season Opener [May 5th 2007]

Ridgewood Militia [14-2-3] vs Waterbridge [2-14-3] @ Waterbridge

Ridgewood Militia Victory [1-0-0]
Score: 8 to 3
Strength: 4v4
Length: 2 Hour Day
Park: Waterbridge
Class: Ranked War
MVP: Dan [RM] - 6 Kills

Players [Ridgewood Militia]:
Rob: CPS 1100
Zach: WW Orca
Dan: CPS 2500
Dave: CPS 3200

Players [Waterbridge]:
Nick: Thunderhead
Matt: CPS 2100
Jeff: MI Flash Flood
Evan: XP 310? I don't remember?

Today's season opener featured two under-strength teams with even numbers. Nick was actually babysitting and brought the kid along, which both slowed his team's maneuvers down and gave away their position often. However, Waterbridge handled that disadvantage well enough to keep things hot. The Ridgewood Militia ran away with the battle late, literally. The decisive factors today were maneuvering speed, heads-up plays, and the willingness of the RM to take the Initiative by force via calculated gambles. I myself made no kills, but I did have 16 saves via the Founder Defense. Dan earned MVP for his 6 kills, which is a seriously remarkable feat for a first battle debut.

The Early Action:

The expected numbers were 6v6, however, that quickly dwindled to 4v4 when both teams started arriving at Spring St. The RM arrived together, so we walked in first while Waterbridge waited for the rest of its team. We decided on an ambush position near the north end of the bluff and waited. When Waterbridge finally was ready, they came down the East Bank to fill. We watched them fill, powerless to range them across the brook and not willing to reveal our position. Nick was babysitting and had brought his kid along rather than miss the battle. The kid talked a lot, enough to let us track the enemy as they walked down the bank towards the Grove St Bridge. We mirrored the enemy along our own bank until the dead reeds and half-grown new ones blocked our view.

Having lost visual, we climbed up to Ivy Hill to try and see them. After a few minutes, Waterbridge arrived on the main path from the direction of the bridge. Nick and Jeff split to press our right, while Matt and Evan kept advancing on the path. Now the last time we defended Ivy Hill, we got pwned. So instead of that, we ran to the left. Both splits of Waterbridge made their moves, so I brought Dan down around to our left-center, all the way down to the main path to block it. Now it was a squad battle, with Zach and Dave fighting Nick and Jeff and Dan and I fighting Matt and Evan. Since we were on the path, it became a complete stand-off, but there was action at the base of the hill.

Dan and I managed to press back Matt and Evan a few dozen feet. Matt felt it was safe to send Evan to support the other battle, not counting on the move that was to follow. While Evan hesitated, Dan and I sprinted over to tip the balance on the hill and forced Nick and Jeff to flee. Dan shot Jeff in the back as he scooped up the kid and tried to run. 1-0.

Dan and I were back covering our former position before Matt or Evan could exploit our absence. Nick, however, was making his way through the middle reeds and his presence caused us to retreat to the base of the hill. Reunited, the RM ditched the base of Ivy Hill and moved to the south end of the bluff.

Here, we waited for Waterbridge's next move. Back at full strength, they came up to our position, but did not attack. So we made a cautious mini-attack, but did not advance into the reeds like they wanted. We actually fell back to the top of the bluff. Waterbridge came up to the base, and while Nick was starting a flanking move, I sprinted over to our far right to block it. That single move foiled the whole plan and Waterbridge backed away again.

In the original positions, Jeff and Dave drew close enough to engage, with other shots being useless. Jeff's taunting didn't work, however, for this is after all the Ridgewood Militia. We thought that Jeff was purposely stalling as a cover for a pincer [two members of Waterbridge were totally MIA], so we withdrew. I sometimes hear it for being not aggressive enough in situations like that, but there's a very good reason not to attack in that case. I have to consider all the enemy options, and go with the most effective. There was no choice but to counter as if it were a pincer. No pincer materialized, but better safe than very sorry.

The Middle Action:

Just when you think I'm not aggressive enough, I throw you a curveball. Dan had an idea for a single person Distraction Ambush, where he would hide and the rest of us would draw the enemy in. I agreed to go for it, and we all ran farther up the bluff so the enemy would not see the setup.

Dan went down to hide. We stayed spread on the top of the bluff, watching the enemy advancing towards us. We formed an angled line to deal with 3v4, but there was great enemy pressure. Height helped, for Jeff and Evan had been on the main path and couldn't climb the bluff very quickly while under fire. Jeff's flanking action on us was dangerous, though, so I yelled that "we need to give Dan more time to come around" in the hope that Nick would react to a possible rear flank. We made a small push that caused Matt to fall back and Nick to sprint away. He was buying the fake flank!

However, we were too far away for Dan to spring his ambush. A four person push by Waterbridge split Dave off to the left and Zach and I to the right. Dave was hit. 1-1. The action was still too far from Dan, so Zach and I prepared to defend against a 2v4. As we retreated, Jeff and Evan advanced to block our retreat to the left. Waiting behind a row of bushes, we waited for all of the enemies to move, then sprinted to the right, effectively switching positions with Nick and Matt. Now Waterbridge was pincered between us. Dan finally was able to launch his ambush and nailed Jeff. 2-1.

Zach and I ran away, drawing 3 enemies after us. However, commotion to the rear distracted them, for Dave came back in. As Zach and I held what was now 2 enemies, Dan and Dave managed to kill the other two. 4-1. Both teams disengaged at this point. The majority of my saves came in that engagement. It was a risky gamble, but good execution of the plan paid off.


The Late Action:
We arrived at the gravel bar to refill. We finished right as Waterbridge was visible on the path and so withdrew to the Spring St Bridge. Our last attempt to defend the bridge had been a mess, so rather than that, we continued around to the East Bank. Waterbridge mirrored us on the West Bank. We beat them to the Grove St Bridge, but upon visual of them, we withdrew. Matt came out too far, so Dan chased him back to the bridge with myself in support. A battle broke out directly on the bridge, which invites mistakes, for the road next to the narrow sidewalk is OB. Dan and I made a slow push that caused Waterbridge to fall back. However, our whole team had barely crossed when Waterbridge countered suddenly. I did not see what happened, but Zach ended up dead, some enemy ended up dead, and Matt ended up on the street, which is an automatic kill for crossing an OB line. After a brief Founder time-out, Nick was cleared of a contested death, so it was 6-2.

With 10 minutes left, we walked casually up the East Bank. Waterbridge split, with Evan and Jeff taking off on the West Bank and Nick and Matt coming across the bridge. Dan and I sprinted to mirror the West Bank move, but eventually decided the enemies were taking too long and sprinted back. With 4v2, Matt and Nick fell back. Dan killed both. 8-2.

There were still a couple minutes left, but we decided to end it there, for Waterbridge could wipe out the RM and still be down 2. Right before leaving, I discussed the OB incident with Nick and we settled it as an accident. So I gave him one for a final score of 8-3.

Next war is to be 3 hours at the Goffle. A great start to the season [at least for the RM].
marauder wrote:You have to explain things in terms that kids will understand, like videogames^ That's how I got Sam to stop using piston pumpers

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Leviathan
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Joined: Mon Mar 26, 2007 1:16 pm
Location: Bristol

Post by Leviathan » Sat May 05, 2007 6:25 pm

Excellent. Looking forward to hearing more from Ridgewood Militia.
Heavy artillery + high ground = an easy battle.
Why else would they call me Leviathan?
"Artillery batteries, prepare to fire. XLs, dual aquastorm. Balloons, quick burst, short range. Battery commanders, FIRE AT WILL!"

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