Warzone returns!!
When our residential settlement expanded into the region of Hambone Slash, the Warzone event was put on indefinite hiatus as it slowly populated with more Wastelanders. Meanwhile, Fight Night continued given its focused attention at the Potato Farm arena. While some have complained about the increased potential for lag since Hambone switched to residential, it should be noted that the original Potato Farm was located just north and across the street from the Press in the Wastelands region for a long time and lag was often present then. Such is lag. It will always be an additional enemy to wrestle with during Fight Night (or at any time), even on the best of days.
Regardless, the additional density of Hambone Slash proved attractive as an obstacle course for Warzone and it was finally returned as an ongoing event for the last weekend of every month. For newcomers unfamiliar with Warzone, it’s a game of Capture the Flag. The flag in this instance being an irradiated Wastelands banner. Teams are formed from a roster of eager participants who then leap into the Potato Farm arena to snatch up the flag standing in its center. From there, the warriors shoot, hack, and slash at each other in pursuit to steal the flag away from its bearer or to pass it off to team-mates before succumbing to the radiation sickness. Warzone battles are timed events, each lasting 10 minutes at the end of which the time of possession is calculated. Whichever team held the flag the longest wins. The event must also stay within the boundaries of Hambone Slash since the Flag play well with sim-crossings. The team that wins 2 battles out of 3 receive the Warzone platter piled high with food, ammo, medkits, and sometimes weapons! The losing team often receives a loser’s platter with smaller amounts in appreciation of their participation.
WARZONE REPORT
Warriors were divided into two teams. Team One was theblackcloud Oh, Riptorious Ulrik, Voidtraveler Seetan, Tokiko Tigerpaw, and Kittykat Borkotron. Team Two was Psycho Baroque, Dassina Andel, Aposiopesis Fullstop, jaster Berkmans, and Syruss Constantine.
Warzone Battle 1
The buzzer sounded with Apo and Rip leaping into the arena for the flag. Rip claimed it and quickly exited while Void provided cover with gunfire, drawing the attention of Apo and Team Two. Rip struck off to the northeast among the Scarab Outpost supports with Tokiko and pursued by Dassina and jaster. Psycho held back with the Hunter’s Rifle, carefully looking for open shots at the enemy.
The flag changed hands among team-mates, moving from Tokiko only to have it taken by her team-mate Void. Void attempted to leap into one of the Hambone garrisons but gets caught on the fence, enabling Dassina to steal the flag. The Tigress took off with it along the pipeline while her teammate, jaster, kept up.
Dassina turned south around the quarry lake and up Hambone Hill to return to the northeast. Void moved to intercept but Dassina evaded the ghoul around one of the towers, leaping upon the pipeline again and turning north. Psycho covered her escape with gunfire upon the opposing team as Dassina scrambled up to the garrison’s roof. Apo joined her team-mate, took the flag, leaping off the rooftop to run south and up Hambone Hill.
Pursued aggressively by Team One, Aposiopesis fought her way around another tower, evading slugs from Void’s slugthrower but not theblackcloud Oh. Cloudy stole the flag and ran south around the quarry pit, with jaster giving chase, until it was taken by Rip who simply handed it off to Void. Void crossed back over the hill and down into the quarry pit at which point, the time limit expired. The Teams returned to the Arena where NeoBokrug Elytis announced the winner: Team Two.
Warzone Battle 2
Cloudy jumped into the Arena and quickly claimed the flag but her teammate Rip quickly took it away again, running north and then winding his way to the southwest…zigging and zagging…and dropping unconscious from radiation exposure. Jaster took this opportunity to pick up the flag but quickly lost it to Tokiko who ran to the south garrison. There, it was snatched by Void with Dassina in close pursuit. Void ran south around the hill to the western edge, taking hits from a slugthrower before passing it back to Tokiko who quickly lost it to Apo.
Aposiopesis slipped under the pipeline and over the hill to the south, keeping along the crater edge and passed it on to Dassina. Dassina jumped into the quarry and over the hill to the north until she too fell from radiation sickness but Syruss was there to pick up the deadly flag.
Void stole it back but it was too late and the battle ended. Team Two won again, assisted by Team One’s lack of teamwork.
Warzone Battle 3
The final battle was for exhibition and fun only since Team Two already secured the Warzone victory. Everyone was required to wear only fistwraps for this last battle. At the buzzer, Jaster jumped in to get the flag but quickly lost it to cloudy. Void took the flag and ran north where Tokiko got it near the garrison. Cloudy eventually reclaimed it and ran north by the pipeline. Syruss slipped in and stole it from her only to have Tokiko steal it back. She then ran among the ruins, evading the pursuit of swinging fists, and headed north to give it to Apo who moved west up the hill as the teams converged into a mess of flailing fists and the final battle ended.
((Editor’s Note: My notes for the final battle do not list the winner. If someone remembers, please notify me and I’ll update the report accordingly. – S.K.))
Warzone is held ever last weekend of the month at Hambone Slash, starting at 3PM SLT at the Potato Farm!