I felt so secure with my grand plan, where to use niodes, what medal to take from kotm and when. Hah! I even get away with it some time. Took few bronze and gold, only two misfire with silver (one when I was too tired to stay awake, so it don't count), so I was so sure that all was on my control. Sure there was competition, couple strong ones who hunt in kotm with kinda identical strategy, but usually we take turns when we try gold. For that purpose that four turn penalty is really useful. Only when there is too big a change on player levels in division, we could end in “wrong” company and are forced to postpone our hunt (or fight). Or so I thought...
It started to go all wrong after last King Chrono. Feeling all high and mighty I rushed in to next one, Double Rainbow, and sped through my niode spending to make things more easy. That ended spectacularly in a crash and burn with lots of xp, but I did manage avoid silver and took still bronze. Well, that was only second “real” misfire, so I was not worried, disappointed yes but not worried... little did I know that it would be a trend after that!
So again in kotm, now Limited Gateway, and with mech and upgrade sale I boosted my line to the way over to the top formation. Unbeatable by anyone. Or at least a “normal” player in five level radius. Hah! Either level means a lot more that I thought or my strategy, and outfitting skills are nothing to brag about.
It started fine, I was early enough in, so all was in my grasp. Player levels were little wide, top was that five levels bigger than me, but with same amount of mechs so no big deal. And in here, at low end, variety of possible equipments are not so high that there could be really big surprises. Or at least my equipments are as good as theirs. So it would go by luck if they try to kick me down. And sure they did. Few ladders down. Then some more. And more.
Some of those drops I managed to track, who was one to do it. Couple levels bigger but equal tons with regular mechs, no raid loot on sight... Maybe just luck then, bad for me and good for them. I, on the other hand, boosted with multiple Keradons with all niode equipments and weaponry. Must admit that weapons weren't top quality ones, I haven't gone so far with my plan that I could use niodes to buy weapons, so all were from kotm or came with mechs. But still all were niodes ones... of course, others got access for those too, and even more, if they done raid with little luck on their side...
Time goes by, end fight creep ever closer, and I was in spot 40. Situation was way worst that it should be. Even bronze would mean two fights, gold at least five. Between need of niodes and avoiding xp, I was forced to make a selection. Postpone everything little and wait next event or take xp now and stay on schedule. I am little trigger happy, so fight it was.
And then reality kicked me. Hard. What should been easy climp up turned to be failure after another. It took eight friggin try to go in striking distance for bronze. Eight! Good grief if lost battles would give xp... At least next one took only two, so with 20 xp i was in spot 22 and could start waiting for end (or drop). What irked me little was, that almost all opponents were “new” ones? Old ones I did know, what mechs they own, what weapons they use, how to place mechs to counter their formations. But where those all came from? Did the factions wake them up? And will they stay?
End with bronze. Time to readjust formation. Strip all away and think everything again with hopefully new perspective. There usually is enough time to do main formation before next event. At least when you got only small amount stuff to rearrange. When I was sort of happy with results, it was again time to wait... and hit refresh button often...
KOTM. As unlimited. And I was only one level smaller than what was division max level. Lucky! Time to hunt! Waited for players to emerge, hit join when top 10 was full. Spot 11. Easy striking distance for gold if dangerous ones won't show up. I was so pleased for myself. It couldn't get much better than this.
First drop was little shock, but hey, lucky hit can happen, so no big deal. Second was kinda okay too but third formed pattern already. Some reason I was out gunned and badly.
Formation change, rearrange weapons, nukes in use.
Drop!
More rearrange with everything.
Drop!
Again rearrange, more repair in use.
Drop!
I was desperate. Everything I did didn't mean anything. Unable to see how many hits it took to drop me, this felt like total failure... again I was in spot 40 when last fight started. Again I made decision to take xp to get guns, so I did fight. To my relief it was much easier than last time, so only two tries and I was in top 25.
Time to spend, I looked more closely all top 25 players in that division. And one division up and down. Still lots of new names. Well, kinda familiar, but haven't had a fight with them. Oh crap! Division chance could be bad, but I thought that bad ones would go one up when I go one up. That only familiar enemy would be continuous nuisance. Not this tons of new ones whom I don't know anything about!
Well, end again with bronze. At least there is faction war ahead, most will take level or two from there, so there should be room for me to continue hunt after that. And if I go slow enough, they will stay ahead of me...
Ah, next event. Classic Chrono (or again unlimited for us small ones). Join just to the spot 11. Good. Wide at levels again, I'm in low end this time. But hey, it's chrono! I have won those before, bronze is easy... First day, spot 51... There definitely is pattern here, I get my arse kicked from left and right... This round is done, can't stay up long enough that it would mean anything... other than xp for me...
I do hope, that explanation is that all others had too gone shopping, so when I get my hand's on new stuff, I can again fight with equal terms... or that after faction wars all those new guys go back to sleep until next war (preferable next faction). But I'm afraid that this got something to do with how I use mechs and stuff, and how others do it. Start was easy because there were many new players yet to learn all tricks... now I hit a wall of campers, ones that had played who knows how long, with one account or another...
To counter this I need to observe their behavior, there should be a strategy that lets me win again. If nothing else then I collect bronzes when I wait for those to level out of my way. And if they drop me, it's xp to them, and they are one step closer to level up... I have time, so screw you reality, I will win again!
Submitted by Kalevi Kavinen#863817