Round 12

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Dates and Times

Signups opened on Monday 4th October 2004 at 18:800 GMT

Ticks started on Wednesday 13th October 2004 at 18:00 GMT

Ticks ended on Thursday 23rd December 2004 at 18:00 GMT

Round Summary

After the convincing victory of 1up in Round 11 they announced that they would be playing not for the #1 ranking, but rather as "kingmakers", limiting themselves to a 2/3 full alliance tag (the tag limit being 100 planets during this round). Agreeing to support NewDawn to the #1 spot, 1up prepared for a different type of round to round 11. Other major alliance changes included the end of FAnG, many of whose members joined MISTU as part of the Angels BG, and the formation of Absolute, who could trace much of their memberbase back to Phraktos.

As protection ended the top alliances seemed to be Absolute, MISTU and LCH, #2 alliance from the previous round. Unfortunately for Absolute they began to suffer many of the problems that commonly aflict newly started alliances. In spite of their good start they lost their way as the round progressed. With a number of effective "mercenaries" having joined and lacking a dedicated core to drive Absolute forward members began either to drift into inactivity or to leave for other alliances. By the end of the fourth week of the round they had dropped out of the top ten alliances and practically speaking ceased to exist, particularly in terms of exerting a meaningful force on the course of the round.

Meanwhile the second week of the round had seen LCH jump out to a significant lead over the rest of the universe. Concerned over 1up and what course of action they would take LCH targeted 1up planets, many of whom were in the t100 planets even though 1up as an alliance was below strength. Responding to this, and as part of their role as "kingmakers", 1up, along with ND and others, target LCH intensively over the next week. LCH concentrated on fighting back against 1up and while 1up's growth stagnated other alliances were able to gain large numbers of roids off LCH. They lost the roid lead that they had built up over the first couple of weeks, although they were able to hold on to their score lead.

The primary beneficiaries of this early war were MISTU, who were able to hit the best targets and pick up roids from everywhere. However MISTU, when targeted by 1up et al in order to remove this roid lead proved unable to cope. Losing over 20% of their roids in 2 days they dropped quickly back into the chasing pack. A further blow to their hopes came when the Angels BG, citing difficulties in working alongside various MISTU HCs and officers, left the alliance in order to go their own way. This both lost MISTU a good chunk of their firepower and led to them dropping back to #5 on the alliance rankings and their chances to win the round now seemed slim at best.

As MISTU lost their way 1up and LCH continued their war, with ND working with 1up and Vision and occasionally VGN with LCH. During this period ND, relatively untargeted, began to catch up fast on 1up and LCH and LCH's top position. After some six weeks of the round had passed LCH decided that to avoid defeat they had to change their tactics. Given the problems they had gaining roids from large 1up planets in a disciplined alliance, and hoping to force NewDawn into either hitting 1up, or at least push them into a sort of neutrality, LCH switched their full military might towards ND. Now relatively free from incs 1up surged ahead, on the back of a significant roid lead over LCH, and passed them with 3 weeks left in the round. With ND refusing to drop their agreements with 1up LCH's plan appeared to have backfired but with 1up pulling further ahead LCH continued to hope ND, hoping that they would realise they had to agree to hit 1up in order to stand any chance of winning the round.

Similarly to how events had transpired in the previous round LCH were hampered during this conflict by many of their biggest planets taking pNAPs with 1up. To pick one memorable example the #1 galaxy for much of the round, 31.3, containing 2 of LCH's largest members, elviz and cocteau, had avoided 1up throughout. Eventually losing their protection, due to landing on a planet in a 1up stronghold galaxy, cocteau was fleetcaught and, hindered by red defence from 1up Zikonians, lost huge chunks of his fleet. Other big planets, such as TeK, left LCH and joined 1up. Lacking full control of their alliance it seemed unlikely that LCH would manage to pull back in front. They attemped to switch their targeting back to 1up in order to halt their momentum but 1up continued to pull away. Many LCH planets continued to launch either on ND or elsewhere altogether and the round looked ike it was over for them.

The universe however wasn't keen on another 1up victory and with some two weeks left in the round attempted to peg them back somewhat with a widescale attack on the alliance. However 1up were by this time much bigger on average than any other alliance and were able to hold their own in the face of huge, albeit brief, incomings. After a couple of days these attempts fell off dramatically and the last ten days of the round largely consisted of 1up cementing their hold on the top planet ranks again. Aif, of 1up, finished as #1 planet and 22.5 passed out long time leaders 31.3 to claim the top galaxy spot. Heading into the next round the question was would anyone be able to beat 1up?

Final Rankings

See Also