Sometimes, Calmest Moves Sets Brightest Flames

What sets into this massive burning, was a fragile calm plan that was overlooked by the opposition.

Hi, this is Daffa from server 1194. As of this writing, I am T2W member and one of the R4 responsible for banner handling, which I am doing a terrible job of, or so I would say of myself.

On one Saturday, 23th of June 2024, T2W command decided that we will set WVL to their destruction, officially due to them being a hindrance to our facility interest. The assigned task for me is clear: establish a path to their facility with banners from our old headquarters within a few tens of miles from them.

Operation starts in the morning of my time zone. A total of 5 banners was done by noon due to some resource complications. I am under impression that WVL would have some idea of what we are doing with a fast approaching banner, but our intelligence inside WVL suggests otherwise.

The reports shown that they consider us "have been quiet today" after some raids the previous day that I started over their cities. A temporary withdrawal was done since the raiders are needed for the upcoming fort battles.

As the bannerman, I decided to hold the advance halfway to create some illusion in case of getting found. However, since I didn't get any strong reaction, at 2:15 my local time, I started the remaining banners. The advance was calm, and despite one of their R4 being online, our intelligence suggest he doesn't give much care to this 'innocent' banner act.

By around 3:30 local time, our main hitter, Ocean, warped in near their headquarters within our banner aura range. This is just a few short moment before the 2nd to last banner completed. After placing the last banner and trying to finish the construction as fast as we can, the main strike begins.

Ocean quickly raided their headquarters, with the high command (R4 and R5) joining in from the old HQ base as strike position. R5 sends a signal to the alliance that our attack has commence and multiple members quickly warped in to get their kills and resources, some other send long distance reinforcement to hasten the razing. Ocean softened every single non-shielded player before everyone else mercilessly put everything in flames continuously. 

The HQ attack is not the only strike. I launched a side offensive with some members assisting to shut down 2 critical banners to recoup operational costs for the banners. I got counterattacks from WVL, forcing me to pull out from one banner and concentrate on the other due to number issue. Sean, a fellow R4, send assistance quickly to secure the banner I lost control. Soon after, T2W members send their reinforcements to accelerate the razing.

The main party is still ongoing by the time me and Sean are done with the banners. Sean dived in with the main force attacking the cities while I shut down some more banner with assistance from some members within the area.

The party is mostly over by around 6:00 local time, with minor wrapping up and enclosure to ensure difficult recovery for WVL. Banners are placed to secure the place which is settled by around 9:00 local time, as all of WVL was either ablaze or shielded with banners expired or burned to the ground for our banner to the facility. 

To be fair, I am mostly acting in the background of the war. While crucial to the success, I would say the attack cannot commence without everyone else playing the heavy offense portion. My duty for T2W, after all, for most part, lies with the banners.

Now, the truth is I act as the one planning the banner portion of the attack. In a sense, others dubbed me as the strategist, while I think otherwise. The plan, in my pessimistic view, is easily intercepted had they just reacted to the incoming banners. It would have been a much more gruesome and difficult siege instead of a massive burn with no hope of retaliation had they just close a small aisle on their base.

As the title said, the calmest moves sets the brightest flames. The whole preparation was calm, full of anxiety, and in general lulls opponent into a false sense of security. What follows on the completion is a one sided, merciless, and brutal annihilation that is probably not expected.

It is common to burn and zero all cities of an alliance across WoS servers, and sometimes small alliance just wage petty war with one side HQ ended destroyed. This however, might set a hallmark of not only razing the players, but also the alliance as a whole where a calm operation is nothing more but preparation for the full storm.