Rumblings can be heard in the Outlands, growing louder each day: the Avalonians have arrived. What does their presence mean for the world of Albion? Will these ancient beings be suppressed, or will they overthrow those they see as invaders?
The Avalonian Invasion began on November 13, with the appearance of Acolytes and Archers in the Outlands, and Avalonian Mage World Bosses. From a guild warfare perspective, the Avalonian Invasion has provided a unique experience: a one-of-a-kind Standalone Season alongside the leadup to the Queen Update. In addition to being able to earn Season Points by taking down world bosses, guilds have had to adjust to a shorter and more hectic season schedule, with the frequency of Reset Days increasing.
So how has the season played out for Albion's guilds?
With the launch of the season, War Gods took an early lead, though over the course of November they were quickly overtaken by Error404. Immediately, veterans and two-time season winners Money Guild started participating in a tremendous number of GvGs (attacks in particular), building up their roster of territories and challenging guilds throughout Albion, while Error404 maintained a steady run of Crystal Realm Battles.
The next territory reset on December 7 was a topsy-turvy day that saw veterans Crimson Imperium Reborn emerge from the shadows to claim numerous territories (though many of these eventually fell to the forces of the SQUAK alliance).
Season Rankings as of December 17.
As of mid-December, Error404 held a not-insignificant lead over Money Guild. Though not a new guild, Error404 had never before cracked the top 10 in final season rankings, so their dominance in the Standalone Season was rather unexpected, particularly given Money Guild's tremendous amount of GvG activity (through early December, Money Guild was responsible for a full 25% of all GvGs in the season).
As Money Guild switched their focus away from GvGs and toward improving their ZvZ team, though, the gap between them and Error404 increased, aided further by the implosion of Extasis and Error404's ability to take territories from Zorn.
With the territory reset on December 23, Error404 and RAQ both surged ahead in total points, with the latter surpassing Money Guild to take second place.
Season Rankings as of December 30.
With less than a month remaining until the end of the season, and numerous territory resets still to come, can Error404 hold onto their lead and claim their first crown? And regardless of the winner, how will the Avalonians transform the Outlands? Only time will tell. Until then, you can catch the AO Daily Show weekdays at 18 UTC and watch Invasion Days (EU and NA primetimes) on AlbionTV.
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