Mmmm, good MMO PvP, how I’ve missed you so.

Not even Comcast’s wrath could keep me away last night, as Flying V (my alliance) laid siege to the hamlet of Skogul, owned by the ReVenge alliance. We brought around 40, all from our alliance, while the enemy forces varied during the fighting but were always close to our numbers, and we also had third parties to contend with. The hamlet of Skogul is located on the northern coast of Agon, in the snowy dwarf lands.

As my internet was still spiking and d/c’ing me at random, I was at first hesitant to pull out my top gear bag, but after seeing everyone around me pull out Dragon and Infernal armor, I said the hell with it and went all out, even buying a few pieces of Infernal to really bulk up. I’m running Destroyer / Mage Killer right now, making magic encumbrance somewhat of a non-issue, so I had all crafted full plate with four pieces of Infernal, a keened r60 greatsword, a keened r70 bow, and enchanted arcane jeweler. Total value of the bag was probably north of 100k, which for me is a good chunk considering I have just under 300k gold in my bank (though the total value of my bank is likely in the 600k range, if not higher).

With everyone gear-up and looking good, we made our way north to the hamlet. On the way I got d/c’ed a good 3-4 times, and during one disconnect someone (random passerby no doubt) swiped my battlehorn. Now on foot with 100k of gear on me, the siege force far ahead, I ran as fast as I could to catch up, praying an enemy force would not find me. As I approached an NPC city near our meeting point, I spotted a dozen or so enemies, and in true hero fashion, hid behind a rock.

Over vent I heard that our force had pushed into the enemies, and so I charged out from behind my rock and into the enemies flank, getting some solid swings in before they knew what was happening. Like a madman I chased down one unfortunate soul, my Justicebringer sending him to his grave. This early skirmish was a total route, as we not only outnumbered but also heavy out-geared the enemies (most seemed to be in bone/scale/banded with r40s), and soon the snowy cliffs were littered with bodies and gravestones. Round one went to Flying V.

Our siege leaders had placed our siege stone on a plateau overlooking the hamlet, only accessible from one direction. This is where our force gathered, and it not only gave us the high ground, but also a great view of the entire area, making spotting enemy movement much easier. The fastest way up to our plateau was through a tunnel system, and its here that round two would go down.

Our scouts had spotted a solid number of enemies gathering at a nearby chaos bank just below our plateau, and the call was made to hit them now rather than allow them to fully gather and prepare. In one coordinated action, we jumped down to surround the little holding that contained the bank, and soon the enemies were either dead or fleeing in all directions. The strike was decisive and deadly. Once the fighting was over, we were told to return to our former position, and so we set out towards the tunnels.

Inside we found a solid number of enemies, and a deadly battle broke out, with both sides throwing Wall of Force bubbles and AoE magic inside the tightly packed space. The normally serine white tunnels were soon a kaleidoscope of colors, and for a few tense moments neither side made much progress. To make matters worse, a second enemy force had rallied from behind us, and attacked us at the mouth of the tunnel system. Pinned from both sides, we had no choice but to make an all-out rush, and with our melee group leading the way, we smashed into the upper tunnel force. In such a confined space, friendly fire was rampant, and even identifying an enemy to swing at consistently proved to be a challenge.

Our charge however broke the enemy’s spirit, and many of them were cut down as they attempted to flee. With one force dealt with, we turned our attention to the group at the base of the tunnels, and in one well-coordinated strike, wiped that group as well.

After looting the dead, most of our force went back to quickly bank, while others returned to the siege stone. At this point I somehow got myself separated long enough to be alone in the tunnels, and as I was running up I noticed five or six players running down. My first thought was that they were friendly, but this was not the case. A quick 180 turn and I went running back down the tunnel, magic and arrows flying in and all around me. I called for help on vent, and a few players were nearby. As my health dropped to zero, allies rounded a corner and engaged. An enemy, sword drawn, stood over my body, readying the gank, only to have a Wall of Force stop him. Clutch save by my side. As the enemies were routed, I was rezzed, and could thankfully continue the fight.

After regrouping everyone at our siege stone, the hamlet went live and our original goal was to spawn some cannons and hammer the stone down from our position. While our initial shots were successful, the enemy soon deployed strongboxes to block our fire, along with their own cannons to try and destroy ours. The call was made to jump down, storm the hamlet, and secure the stone.

Our initial push was a success, as well coordinated magic volleys and a strong assault pushed the enemies back and out of the hamlet. At this point however we were being attacked from multiple sides, and after hours of solid group cohesion, things broke down a bit and soon our force was in disarray. Over vent I could hear reports of fights being lost and units falling back. As I was moving back, I spotted an ally on the ground, and made my way over to rez. As I reached the body, an enemy player was preparing to gank. I was able to interrupt him, but then made the horrible mistake of trying to rez instead of killing the enemy. I not only failed the rez, but also took enough damage to get very low, and eventually went down when two other enemies jumped in. As I went down, I was able to see that we had lost that position entirely, and over vent could hear that our force overall had been broken.

While we officially lost the siege, to a man everyone had an absolute blast. The battle was also a great learning lesson for us, and I fully believe the next siege we drop our tactics will be even better. Morale on vent was very high even in defeat, and after some personal recounts of the battle, most logged for the night.

As annoying as my personal issues with my internet were, I must say I completely lucked out and avoided a disconnect that would have gotten me killed, staying connected at all key moments. Hopefully later this week the grand wizard of Comcast finally tracks down the issue, and I can get back to playing fully. It’s been too long, and Darkfall is the only MMO out that can make so many hours fly by so quickly, yet so enjoyable for me.

Good fights to ReVenge and their allies/mercs, and congrats to the leaders of Flying V for not only keeping us active, but getting us into such great battles. Looking forward to the next one!

Edit: Video of the siege from Ray Pew.

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