Highlighting the December 3332 Progressive Pileup
This was one of the special events that tend to favor those who have the big bases. Someone using base Aster could bring 15 Mechs to the field, those who used Zeus could bring 20 and if you were on Cronus the limit rose to 25.
Unsure of the exact layout of the other bases, but I was on Zeus and on K2 there were several of the competition who had the biggest base and were allowed to bring 27 Mechs.
To do so required them to have a licence about a hundred higher than mine, which meant their BFMs had 30+ weapons more than mine and a much thicker armor. But that is how it is, and I signed up.
As the scramble neared some of my optimistic friends had sent some superhatorades and I returned to the mountain to see what could be done.
Not much it turned out. My formation had been pushed out onto the plains, and all those in reach had licences at least 60 higher than mine. I tested them, but to no avail. The few times some of my pilots stumbled into the sixth line of the opponents, they were dispatched so fast they hardly noticed a seventh line waiting in the background.
After dutifully drinking my supers and getting my head handed to me on futile attempts I turned the attention to other tops. It seemed about half of them were static and some had plenty of active fighting.
The light flashed as I contemplated yet another charge of my light brigade, and those who held the tops at that time were:
- Div 1 257+ (23 Commanders): Dexter Berry, Warlock (1m,19s)
- Div 2 -256 (17 Commanders): Don Lindley, Spirit of Bunny (3h,20m)
- Div 3 -194 (17 Commanders): KiloToneRecoil, Northwind Dragons (11m,14s)
- Div 4 -144 (40 Commanders): Michael Beagle, Death`s Brethren (19m,43s)
- Div 5 -110 (29 Commanders): James Waddington, Northwind Dragons (8m,11s)
- Div 6 -85 (38 Commanders): Leeboy Wegenast, B.S.L.R. (5m,2s)
- Div 7 -74 (41 Commanders): Tom .Fong Jr, Steampunk Dragons (7m,3s)
- Div 8 -55 (29 Commanders): Dave Chapin, Ronins (13h,35m)
- Div 9 -37 (15 Commanders): Dymaxionpz, JC`s Rowdy Bunch (1h,4m)
- Div 10 -26 (7 Commanders): Jeff Jamieson, Behemoth (18h,59m)
- Div 11 -22 (24 Commanders): Lisa Liney, clown clan (11h,15m)
- Div 12 -12 (8 Commanders): BatGirl_, Troubled Minds (14h,49m)
Total Contestants: 268, Total medals claimed: 165 (of 180 possible)
The number of Commanders who showed up for the event rose again. Compared to the Axe Chrono we had 45 more.
But the spread was uneven and a total of 15 Bronzes from K10 and K12 went unclaimed and were sent for resmelting.
According to my timepiece the scramble ended at around the 15 minute mark. That is about average lenght for a scramble, and enough time to get quite a bit of fighting done. In the struggles for the Gold Medals six of them got new holders the last half-hour, while the other six were held for more than two hours.
This more or less reflected what went on on the various mountains as evidenced by the number of medals held for more than 30 minutes in this event:
.............Silvers......Bronzes
Div 1 ....1 of 4.........2 of 10
Div 2 ....4 of 4.......10 of 10
Div 3 ....1 of 4.........8 of 10
Div 4 ....0 of 4.........5 of 10
Div 5 ....1 of 4.........6 of 10
Div 6 ....1 of 4.......10 of 10
Div 7 ....3 of 4.........7 of 10
Div 8 ....4 of 4.......10 of 10
Div 9 ....4 of 4.........8 of 10
Div 10 ..4 of 4.........2 of 2
Div 11 ..4 of 4.......10 of 10
Div 12 ..4 of 4.........3 of 3
On the half of the tops where the Golds got new holders 8 of 24 Silvers (33%) and 38 of 60 Bronzes (63%) were held by the same commander for more than the half hour. On the other six tops there was a total of one successful attack.
This indicates either a layer where the strong cant be beaten, or that the great majority of the Commanders on those mountains were elsewhere during the scramble. If it is the later, a hungry Commander would be well advised to show up as the scramble starts and claw the way up for (better) Medals.
The Northwind Dragons was the only clan to be awarded multiple Golds, They claimed both K3 and K5.
There were neither repeat nor unaligned winners this time.
Upcoming event: Triple Rainbow
Here you can use any Mechs you want, but no more than three of each model. Bringing four or more will result in empty holes in the formation when fighting.
Equipment and weapons work as normal.
Event ends March 7 between 1500 and 1530 New York Time
As the Meta is over and I might have some time on my hands, any fresh winners who want to share their joy over winning and get some limelight should try to get in touch. The first who reach me before the next events looms close will be chosen.
(By Sten Hugo Hiller - 627184)
