Rum4nyby [1567187] —
Original article
Find out how one man sparked a multi-billion-dollar betting ring ahead of one of the fiercest and closest faction wars to date.
Standard Torn knowledge dictates that wars begin and end in the forums, and the recent fight between Itsi Bitsi Bikini and Natural Selection 2 is no exception. The history between the two factions and a hunger for victory promised that this would be one of the bloodiest wars this year, and the pre-fight banter did not disappoint. Whatever your taste in humour, there is most likely a joke tailored for you that can be found in the discussion thread.
But this war had even more spice to it. Another layer of excitement. Another factor in play, which brought with it anticipation, motivation, and the promise of great riches. The source of this extra element was Rum4nyby, who also happens to be me, for this reporter had the distinct honour of being the creator of the largest betting ring in Torn ever seen for a single war in Torn.
Here's how it all went down.
WAR IS ON THE WAY
This war was unique from the outset, as the terms agreed upon by the two sides dictated it would take place over one offensive and defensive wall each, with EBG and FBG north of the Docks chosen as the battleground. There would also be no outside hits, no off-wall hits, no bounties, and no flight delays. This was a pure 1v1 war, with the winner being whoever took the first wall.
"We originally approached Mentos and Cola for a termed war but were unable to agree terms for various reasons, with that not an option - I reached out to MightyGoober to see if he was still interested (He'd previously indicated he was). He very much was and was up for doing the expensive (but actually useful for developing your war skills) form of termed war - one with revives." - Rhino, NS II Leader
Pictured: The battlefield.
Wars of rivalry or vengeance are always more exciting than a pre-planned termed war, because the inclusion of emotion in the situation amps everything up to 11. But just because the war between IBB and NS II was arranged, that doesn't mean there wasn't history between the two sides.
You could say that IBB and NS's rivalry started four years ago when Sector 1 territories had just opened and Bikini competed for the same territory as JFA - one of the founding factions of modern Natural Selection. There is also a case for this incident from the Insurgency war being noted as a source of our rivalry, when JFA declared on us for land and got dirty bombed in response.
There have been a few skirmishes since then too, and the feeling among both sides is that there has always been an urge for us to shoot at each other if the opportunity arose. So, when IBB went out to look for some wars to repair our reputation, NS2 was at the top of our list.
But shots were fired before the war had even started, when Yang, a member of the NS family, claimed that he would be willing to put money on the line that this war would be won by NS II. This reporter could not accept that someone would be willing to bet against his faction and matched the bet in favour of an IBB victory.
The Madness Begins
Neither of us knew at the time that this simple post would later be identified as the origin of the largest faction war betting ring in Torn's history. Interest from various parties soon skyrocketed with the allure of financial risk and reward, as with the bookies still limited to $10 million per bet, player-organized books remain the only source of high-stakes gambling outside of traditional casino games.
The community pounced upon this opportunity in their droves. $100 million, $250 million, $500 million, $1 billion; the bets piled on. The total betting pool increased as more came to bet, and some early birds even went so far as to increase their wagers once they saw what others were risking. Community interaction in this event skyrocketed, and suddenly, this war had so much more than faction pride on the line.
This reporter can admit that the betting pool thoroughly exceeded even my wildest expectations. While there may have not been a cap of sorts, my estimation of the number of bettors and the amount they'd likely risk resulted in a mental figure of $5 billion being my early limit. But competition from another bettor, Takashi of NS II, led to this reporter feeling competitive, and a need to exceed his showings.
The increase in community interaction, the buzz of gambling, the excitement of seeing the total increased by each and every dollar worked in synergy to make the $5b cap a quickly forgotten memory. Bets became larger, the number of people involved skyrocketed, and soon my inbox was flooded as messages flew in at a rapid rate.
Pictured: Chats and posts between fellow degenerate gamblers looking to join in on the fun
And then as suddenly as all this had started, the betting came to an end. A true limit of sorts for this reporter. I reached a point where going any higher would have been quite difficult, involving the sale of items and such. But what was my limit? What was the total sum of all bets placed on the IBB vs NS II war that this reporter took?
Pictured: What does it look like? Don't ask me why this is added as a picture, because your guess is as good as mine.
Confidence. Arrogance. Ignorance. Perhaps, obliviousness. Various words could have been and were used to describe the decision to continue with bets and allow it to spiral out of control, both from allies, enemies, and neutral observers. But the deed was done. And this reporter can confirm that there were no regrets. A faction war is a time to have fun. And if, through this betting ring, that fun could be amplified and shared with the community, then $25 billion is but a small sum to pay in the grand scheme of things.
But this was no act of charity, for this reporter truly believed that there was a real chance for IBB to achieve victory here. Many in the community thought otherwise. But pre-war thoughts are just that: thoughts. So with the bets lodged and the armies readied, it was time to take part in one of Torn's closest wars to date.
IBB's False Start
At exactly 6 pm TCT on Saturday the 17th of July, the war between Itsi Bitsi Bikini and Natural Selection finally began. The tension erupted, attacks swarmed in, and much to my consternation, IBB didn't retaliate at all! Our lack of action was thanks to the esteemed public buffoon and IBB co-leader Mightygoober, who delayed our war parks by 3 hours when the war began - and that was after he'd already delayed the official start by a day for the same reason. The action fizzled out very quickly at the beginning.
Pictured: An NS II dominated wall, and heartache for this reporter
But once IBB had finally obtained war perks, the battle truly begun. Fighting commenced on both sides, with IBB letting loose and going all out to reclaim the walls. With a ~300k point disadvantage on their defending wall at FBG, there was no time to waste, as the winner of this war would be the first faction to claim victory on an assaulting wall.
After a few hours of intense fighting, the wall at FBG was finally retaken by IBB in a period of time that would be quickly identified as the weakest time for NS. This allowed IBB to begin reducing the points gained by NS II on the wall, and hopefully relieve the pressure enough to focus on assaulting EBG instead.
But this gain would later prove to be temporary, and a few hours later, the bulk of NS II returned and began reclaiming the wall. An intense pushback from the members of Natural Selection II resulted in 12 hours of absolute domination from their side, and a steady increase in the points secured, inching them closer and closer to a very early victory.
IBB attempted at various times throughout this period to clear the wall and regain control, but all attempts were quickly snubbed out. Despite having Leaf_Bikini on our side, the official untouchable mega-zord of the war who ranks in the top 20 for battle stats in Torn, IBB could do nothing to stop the momentum of the NS II troops. The war truly began to look bleak, and for this reporter, there were 25 billion reasons why my face was more glum than my comrades.
Pictured: NS II on the warpath for 12 hours of absolute domination
Things had to change. Despite knowing that a period of weakness for NS was coming up, we also knew that if the war continued as it had, NS would walk away with the victory without question. The length of time that they were able to dominate for was simply far too long, so we had to start doing something differently.
This war was a real test for us, as until this point, IBB had only taken part in a few wars this year, and none were anywhere near as intense or challenging. And with changes to the medical and reviving systems having been made this year, we knew we could no longer rely on the vast fortunes of Leaf_Bikini to mass purchase revives in order to retake the wall and begin to defend.
Change was necessary, and was needed fast. Members slowly lost hope throughout the day as the NS II war machine was seemingly unstoppable, with no opposing action able to faze them for very long. Activity needed to increase, battle effectiveness needed to increase, and morale needed to increase. There was but a single ray of hope. A single collective thought that reinvigorated the troops. A single thought that reignited the spark of fight within them. A single thought that everyone could gather behind.
Pictured: A reason that I cannot seem to disagree with.
The Tide Turns
It was time for Round 2. The pushback to victory had begun in heart and spirit, and now had to begin in the mind. Battles cannot be won with pure strength; a sound strategy and the ability to adapt are crucial for success. And as we'd unfortunately proven, the stat advantage IBB had over NS II did not aid us well in the first 24 hours of war.
Analysis into the fights that had taken place throughout the first day revealed that members of NS II had constantly used pharmacy boosters to great effect. With plenty of losses recorded against opponents who should have been easy targets for the attackers, it became clear that these boosters, which had gone overlooked by our side, were necessary in order to compete in this war.
Despite the stat advantage being in favour of IBB, fighting against an opponent with a 500% increase in a stat (300% in the case of Serotonin) proved far too difficult. It was also evident that NS II had far more activity than IBB on day 1, and for there to be any chance of a turnaround, activity and participation levels in IBB needed to rise to match NS II.
With the mind clear and informed, and the spirit emboldened, it was finally time to take action. Funded by Leaf_Bikini's incredible $900 billion networth, members of IBB began to purchase temporary boosters from the pharmacy and donate them to the faction armoury. A large quantity was procured for the sole purpose of aiding fights and ensuring the stat advantage could actually have an effect.
Pictured: The top booster users by the end of the war.
Faction mails were sent, discord pings launched, and any and all non-participants were messaged and heavily encouraged to aid in the fight. The night period began for NS, and members of IBB claimed the wall, as per the status quo. However, the shock to the NS II system came when, come morning, they could not reclaim control over the wall as they had so easily accomplished the previous day.
Pictured: NS perspective, IBB finally enacting a proper defence and beginning to counter-punch on the opposing wall
Various attempts were made, but the hold on EBG remained strong from IBB, and NS II could not regain control. Our activity levels had also soared, and that meant there were now enough participants to finally enact pressure on the assaulting wall at FBG. For the first time in this war, NS had more than one wall to consider, and IBB were giving them problems that required solving.
"Much as we were in control on day 1, we realized we were in trouble late that night - we had to drop our revive contract from 50% to 30% just to maintain control of the wall (IBB started at 70% and swapped to 60% shortly before we dropped to 30%). Leaf_Bikini was a massive pain for our top end which being so outstatted - we were really relying on."
"We even had hostile revives arranged to try and weaken IBB somewhat though they turned out to be rather appreciated by Goober. With the combination of our somewhat arrested top end and a great deal of the faction stuck in hospital, day 2 turned out to be quite a different story." - Rhino [982382], leader of NS II and a personal pain in this reporter's ass throughout the entire war
Pictured: A new and effective warfare tactic confirmed to be used by NS II that IBB was completely unaware of and also thankful for
The points gained by NS II on FBG started to dwindle, and points towards the assault on EBG by Itsi Bitsi Bikini began to accumulate. Whenever a very strong NS II push took hold, a break was taken in IBB. For no longer than an hour, members were given time to regroup and recover some cooldowns, before claiming the wall once again.
This plan proved to be highly effective, as NS II were unable to hold back against these concentrated bursts of activity. Morale in Itsi Bitsi Bikini only increased throughout the day because of the success of this tactic, and NS II soon responded by changing their primary objectives from keeping control of FBG to mounting a full-scale defence on EBG to prevent defeat.
39 hours into battle, the points gained by IBB on the wall EBG finally surpassed the points gained by NS on the wall FBG, and for the first time in this war, it could finally be said that IBB was truly in the lead. It seemed nigh on impossible that such a turnaround could be made from one day to another. How did the members of IBB find that sixth gear to lean on?
Pictured: A highly effective form of motivation.
The battle then saw another major development with the focus of IBB's attention switched to EBG, as the Bikini troops fought to continue their march to victory. Over five hours, control of EBG's wall flipped multiple times between IBB and NS II, with neither side letting up. With every ounce of energy from NS II being used to defend EBG, this meant that FBG was no longer as hotly contested, and the wall continued to inch closer and closer to 0 points with IBB members remaining steadfast on the wall.
After 47 hours of warring, FBG was finally brought back down to 0 points. Members of IBB showed their maturity and resolve by remaining steadfast, not letting up for even a moment, and keeping in a state of total focus. There was no time to celebrate at all. No time at all.
Pictured: Faction chat after IBB reduced FBG to 0 points
With all efforts now solely focused on EBG wall, the end of the war was finally in sight. IBB continued to control the wall, as every member fought tooth and nail for a true and total victory. NS II continued to fight, however, and despite being pushed back time and time again, they regrouped numerous times in an attempt to reclaim control. This reporter commends the efforts of NS II, as they showed great heart despite being in a scenario where many would have conceded. The mentality towards war demonstrated by NS II was one that many factions within Torn could only hope to achieve someday.
Meanwhile, in camp IBB, co-leader and general buffoon MightyGoober decided it was time to have a little fun. A faction mail was sent requesting members of IBB to change their honour bars, and members quickly agreed to carry out instructions given in said mail. The result was this.
Pictured: An actual brick wall. This reporter secretly and openly loved this idea. It is also a milestone, being the first and only good idea to ever originate from MightyGoober in his entire life.
NS II continued the attempts at pushbacks, never letting up for long between attempts. Break, after attempt, after break, after attempt, they valiantly fought, right up until the final moments of the war. However, after a trying and fierce 59 hours, IBB finally achieved 1.5 million points on the EBG wall, successfully assaulting and taking claim of that territory, and thus winning the termed war.
Despite pre-war expectations being high, this war ended up being far more intense and closer than anyone could have expected. Kudos to both IBB for finally proving they do, indeed, belong in the HoF, and NS II for demonstrating that, despite being a sub-faction, they are a force to be reckoned with in their own right, with few able to fight on par with them.
Pictured: Activity data for the top performers in this war.
Community sentiment on the war was overwhelmingly positive, with praise thrown at both sides for the fierce battle that took place. Rhino of NS II feels that his side suffered through their status as a subfaction, as it meant their extreme top end doesn't exist. But even without a gang of stat monsters to call on, NS II should be just as pleased at IBB at the progression and resolve shown in this fight.
"The war was very intense. NS2 are a very strong bunch. With a lower average total they kept up in ways that they shouldn't have been able to. They capitalize on the mistakes of their enemy and are a force to be reckoned with for any opposing faction. The rivalry is still here, it's just been changed. Both sides have a lot more mutual respect for each other, instead of disdain and disgust. That doesn't remove the driving force of wanting to beat each other. I would imagine a lot of their internal discussions will be aiming for a rematch. That will be quite the show. " - MightyGoober [812478], co-leader and overall buffoon of IBB
"The war was obviously amazing. I still don't think I can recall a 1v1 war in the last 2-3 years that was as close. The only one I can think of was the CR vs NS war but due to the revive changes this one was more of a back and forth. I think everyone in NS2 that showed up did an amazing job. I think the revive/medical changes are extremely hard on smaller players giving a big buff to stats and this was a great learning experience for us since imo NS2 is still lacking on warring experience. On the rivalry point, there really is no rivalry imo between NS2 and IBB, the #raidIBB was just a meme phrase that started when IBB was helping SA during AK." - LTJELLOMAN [1161626], the official little toes of NS II
The Spoils of War
IBB vs NS II was such a fine war, enjoyed by those who both took part and those who watched from afar. But how did this reporter feel about it, given it had an extra element of jeopardy for him? Well, I can confirm...
I enjoyed it. Thoroughly. This war was fascinating enough on its own, but the addition of a huge gambling ring certainly made it more so. Everyone I spoke to appeared to enjoy this extra element, even those who lost huge sums of money! Here are a few quotes from those involved:
"The overall experience watching from the outside was better than anticipated. The back and forth action in the beginning was especially exciting. I would have been checking in on NS2 regardless, but having money on the line definitely made me more interested in how it was going. I hope we can start making bets on more wars in the future!" - Blaze [1591396], observer and $2 billion bettor
"The betting was a pretty fun addition to the war. So many people had fun with betting. I would ask that if it's done again we could get a couple staff members to help out. I appreciate that all the bets were honoured, but that won't happen every time for every war. I myself had a bet with Spliffy, winner got an SE. I'd like Spliffy to know that these gloves, along with many others will go to great use by the end of this year." - MightyGoober
"The betting ring was very interesting. I had expected maybe up to 5b being bet but I think the total was around 40b. This was extremely scary for me because I assumed there would be more outside hits to rig the outcome. There were a few, but I don't think it would have changed the outcome, though they didn't help. I did bet, but I don't think it changed anything for me as I've always been willing to give my all for NS2." - LTJELLOMAN
"I thought a friend was about to go bankrupt and quit the game. Day 1 when we were in control I felt really bad for him. Day 2 it was 'Oh maybe he won't lose money, but he won't make any either'. Day 3, well, you know." - Rhino
But this war had even more spice to it. Another layer of excitement. Another factor in play, which brought with it anticipation, motivation, and the promise of great riches. The source of this extra element was Rum4nyby, who also happens to be me, for this reporter had the distinct honour of being the creator of the largest betting ring in Torn ever seen for a single war in Torn.
Here's how it all went down.
WAR IS ON THE WAY
This war was unique from the outset, as the terms agreed upon by the two sides dictated it would take place over one offensive and defensive wall each, with EBG and FBG north of the Docks chosen as the battleground. There would also be no outside hits, no off-wall hits, no bounties, and no flight delays. This was a pure 1v1 war, with the winner being whoever took the first wall.
"We originally approached Mentos and Cola for a termed war but were unable to agree terms for various reasons, with that not an option - I reached out to MightyGoober to see if he was still interested (He'd previously indicated he was). He very much was and was up for doing the expensive (but actually useful for developing your war skills) form of termed war - one with revives." - Rhino, NS II Leader
Pictured: The battlefield.
Wars of rivalry or vengeance are always more exciting than a pre-planned termed war, because the inclusion of emotion in the situation amps everything up to 11. But just because the war between IBB and NS II was arranged, that doesn't mean there wasn't history between the two sides.
You could say that IBB and NS's rivalry started four years ago when Sector 1 territories had just opened and Bikini competed for the same territory as JFA - one of the founding factions of modern Natural Selection. There is also a case for this incident from the Insurgency war being noted as a source of our rivalry, when JFA declared on us for land and got dirty bombed in response.
There have been a few skirmishes since then too, and the feeling among both sides is that there has always been an urge for us to shoot at each other if the opportunity arose. So, when IBB went out to look for some wars to repair our reputation, NS2 was at the top of our list.
But shots were fired before the war had even started, when Yang, a member of the NS family, claimed that he would be willing to put money on the line that this war would be won by NS II. This reporter could not accept that someone would be willing to bet against his faction and matched the bet in favour of an IBB victory.
The Madness Begins
Neither of us knew at the time that this simple post would later be identified as the origin of the largest faction war betting ring in Torn's history. Interest from various parties soon skyrocketed with the allure of financial risk and reward, as with the bookies still limited to $10 million per bet, player-organized books remain the only source of high-stakes gambling outside of traditional casino games.
The community pounced upon this opportunity in their droves. $100 million, $250 million, $500 million, $1 billion; the bets piled on. The total betting pool increased as more came to bet, and some early birds even went so far as to increase their wagers once they saw what others were risking. Community interaction in this event skyrocketed, and suddenly, this war had so much more than faction pride on the line.
This reporter can admit that the betting pool thoroughly exceeded even my wildest expectations. While there may have not been a cap of sorts, my estimation of the number of bettors and the amount they'd likely risk resulted in a mental figure of $5 billion being my early limit. But competition from another bettor, Takashi of NS II, led to this reporter feeling competitive, and a need to exceed his showings.
The increase in community interaction, the buzz of gambling, the excitement of seeing the total increased by each and every dollar worked in synergy to make the $5b cap a quickly forgotten memory. Bets became larger, the number of people involved skyrocketed, and soon my inbox was flooded as messages flew in at a rapid rate.
Pictured: Chats and posts between fellow degenerate gamblers looking to join in on the fun
And then as suddenly as all this had started, the betting came to an end. A true limit of sorts for this reporter. I reached a point where going any higher would have been quite difficult, involving the sale of items and such. But what was my limit? What was the total sum of all bets placed on the IBB vs NS II war that this reporter took?
Pictured: What does it look like? Don't ask me why this is added as a picture, because your guess is as good as mine.
Confidence. Arrogance. Ignorance. Perhaps, obliviousness. Various words could have been and were used to describe the decision to continue with bets and allow it to spiral out of control, both from allies, enemies, and neutral observers. But the deed was done. And this reporter can confirm that there were no regrets. A faction war is a time to have fun. And if, through this betting ring, that fun could be amplified and shared with the community, then $25 billion is but a small sum to pay in the grand scheme of things.
But this was no act of charity, for this reporter truly believed that there was a real chance for IBB to achieve victory here. Many in the community thought otherwise. But pre-war thoughts are just that: thoughts. So with the bets lodged and the armies readied, it was time to take part in one of Torn's closest wars to date.
IBB's False Start
At exactly 6 pm TCT on Saturday the 17th of July, the war between Itsi Bitsi Bikini and Natural Selection finally began. The tension erupted, attacks swarmed in, and much to my consternation, IBB didn't retaliate at all! Our lack of action was thanks to the esteemed public buffoon and IBB co-leader Mightygoober, who delayed our war parks by 3 hours when the war began - and that was after he'd already delayed the official start by a day for the same reason. The action fizzled out very quickly at the beginning.
Pictured: An NS II dominated wall, and heartache for this reporter
But once IBB had finally obtained war perks, the battle truly begun. Fighting commenced on both sides, with IBB letting loose and going all out to reclaim the walls. With a ~300k point disadvantage on their defending wall at FBG, there was no time to waste, as the winner of this war would be the first faction to claim victory on an assaulting wall.
After a few hours of intense fighting, the wall at FBG was finally retaken by IBB in a period of time that would be quickly identified as the weakest time for NS. This allowed IBB to begin reducing the points gained by NS II on the wall, and hopefully relieve the pressure enough to focus on assaulting EBG instead.
But this gain would later prove to be temporary, and a few hours later, the bulk of NS II returned and began reclaiming the wall. An intense pushback from the members of Natural Selection II resulted in 12 hours of absolute domination from their side, and a steady increase in the points secured, inching them closer and closer to a very early victory.
IBB attempted at various times throughout this period to clear the wall and regain control, but all attempts were quickly snubbed out. Despite having Leaf_Bikini on our side, the official untouchable mega-zord of the war who ranks in the top 20 for battle stats in Torn, IBB could do nothing to stop the momentum of the NS II troops. The war truly began to look bleak, and for this reporter, there were 25 billion reasons why my face was more glum than my comrades.
Pictured: NS II on the warpath for 12 hours of absolute domination
Things had to change. Despite knowing that a period of weakness for NS was coming up, we also knew that if the war continued as it had, NS would walk away with the victory without question. The length of time that they were able to dominate for was simply far too long, so we had to start doing something differently.
This war was a real test for us, as until this point, IBB had only taken part in a few wars this year, and none were anywhere near as intense or challenging. And with changes to the medical and reviving systems having been made this year, we knew we could no longer rely on the vast fortunes of Leaf_Bikini to mass purchase revives in order to retake the wall and begin to defend.
Change was necessary, and was needed fast. Members slowly lost hope throughout the day as the NS II war machine was seemingly unstoppable, with no opposing action able to faze them for very long. Activity needed to increase, battle effectiveness needed to increase, and morale needed to increase. There was but a single ray of hope. A single collective thought that reinvigorated the troops. A single thought that reignited the spark of fight within them. A single thought that everyone could gather behind.
Pictured: A reason that I cannot seem to disagree with.
The Tide Turns
It was time for Round 2. The pushback to victory had begun in heart and spirit, and now had to begin in the mind. Battles cannot be won with pure strength; a sound strategy and the ability to adapt are crucial for success. And as we'd unfortunately proven, the stat advantage IBB had over NS II did not aid us well in the first 24 hours of war.
Analysis into the fights that had taken place throughout the first day revealed that members of NS II had constantly used pharmacy boosters to great effect. With plenty of losses recorded against opponents who should have been easy targets for the attackers, it became clear that these boosters, which had gone overlooked by our side, were necessary in order to compete in this war.
Despite the stat advantage being in favour of IBB, fighting against an opponent with a 500% increase in a stat (300% in the case of Serotonin) proved far too difficult. It was also evident that NS II had far more activity than IBB on day 1, and for there to be any chance of a turnaround, activity and participation levels in IBB needed to rise to match NS II.
With the mind clear and informed, and the spirit emboldened, it was finally time to take action. Funded by Leaf_Bikini's incredible $900 billion networth, members of IBB began to purchase temporary boosters from the pharmacy and donate them to the faction armoury. A large quantity was procured for the sole purpose of aiding fights and ensuring the stat advantage could actually have an effect.
Pictured: The top booster users by the end of the war.
Faction mails were sent, discord pings launched, and any and all non-participants were messaged and heavily encouraged to aid in the fight. The night period began for NS, and members of IBB claimed the wall, as per the status quo. However, the shock to the NS II system came when, come morning, they could not reclaim control over the wall as they had so easily accomplished the previous day.
Pictured: NS perspective, IBB finally enacting a proper defence and beginning to counter-punch on the opposing wall
Various attempts were made, but the hold on EBG remained strong from IBB, and NS II could not regain control. Our activity levels had also soared, and that meant there were now enough participants to finally enact pressure on the assaulting wall at FBG. For the first time in this war, NS had more than one wall to consider, and IBB were giving them problems that required solving.
"Much as we were in control on day 1, we realized we were in trouble late that night - we had to drop our revive contract from 50% to 30% just to maintain control of the wall (IBB started at 70% and swapped to 60% shortly before we dropped to 30%). Leaf_Bikini was a massive pain for our top end which being so outstatted - we were really relying on."
"We even had hostile revives arranged to try and weaken IBB somewhat though they turned out to be rather appreciated by Goober. With the combination of our somewhat arrested top end and a great deal of the faction stuck in hospital, day 2 turned out to be quite a different story." - Rhino [982382], leader of NS II and a personal pain in this reporter's ass throughout the entire war
Pictured: A new and effective warfare tactic confirmed to be used by NS II that IBB was completely unaware of and also thankful for
The points gained by NS II on FBG started to dwindle, and points towards the assault on EBG by Itsi Bitsi Bikini began to accumulate. Whenever a very strong NS II push took hold, a break was taken in IBB. For no longer than an hour, members were given time to regroup and recover some cooldowns, before claiming the wall once again.
This plan proved to be highly effective, as NS II were unable to hold back against these concentrated bursts of activity. Morale in Itsi Bitsi Bikini only increased throughout the day because of the success of this tactic, and NS II soon responded by changing their primary objectives from keeping control of FBG to mounting a full-scale defence on EBG to prevent defeat.
39 hours into battle, the points gained by IBB on the wall EBG finally surpassed the points gained by NS on the wall FBG, and for the first time in this war, it could finally be said that IBB was truly in the lead. It seemed nigh on impossible that such a turnaround could be made from one day to another. How did the members of IBB find that sixth gear to lean on?
Pictured: A highly effective form of motivation.
The battle then saw another major development with the focus of IBB's attention switched to EBG, as the Bikini troops fought to continue their march to victory. Over five hours, control of EBG's wall flipped multiple times between IBB and NS II, with neither side letting up. With every ounce of energy from NS II being used to defend EBG, this meant that FBG was no longer as hotly contested, and the wall continued to inch closer and closer to 0 points with IBB members remaining steadfast on the wall.
After 47 hours of warring, FBG was finally brought back down to 0 points. Members of IBB showed their maturity and resolve by remaining steadfast, not letting up for even a moment, and keeping in a state of total focus. There was no time to celebrate at all. No time at all.
Pictured: Faction chat after IBB reduced FBG to 0 points
With all efforts now solely focused on EBG wall, the end of the war was finally in sight. IBB continued to control the wall, as every member fought tooth and nail for a true and total victory. NS II continued to fight, however, and despite being pushed back time and time again, they regrouped numerous times in an attempt to reclaim control. This reporter commends the efforts of NS II, as they showed great heart despite being in a scenario where many would have conceded. The mentality towards war demonstrated by NS II was one that many factions within Torn could only hope to achieve someday.
Meanwhile, in camp IBB, co-leader and general buffoon MightyGoober decided it was time to have a little fun. A faction mail was sent requesting members of IBB to change their honour bars, and members quickly agreed to carry out instructions given in said mail. The result was this.
Pictured: An actual brick wall. This reporter secretly and openly loved this idea. It is also a milestone, being the first and only good idea to ever originate from MightyGoober in his entire life.
NS II continued the attempts at pushbacks, never letting up for long between attempts. Break, after attempt, after break, after attempt, they valiantly fought, right up until the final moments of the war. However, after a trying and fierce 59 hours, IBB finally achieved 1.5 million points on the EBG wall, successfully assaulting and taking claim of that territory, and thus winning the termed war.
Despite pre-war expectations being high, this war ended up being far more intense and closer than anyone could have expected. Kudos to both IBB for finally proving they do, indeed, belong in the HoF, and NS II for demonstrating that, despite being a sub-faction, they are a force to be reckoned with in their own right, with few able to fight on par with them.
Pictured: Activity data for the top performers in this war.
Community sentiment on the war was overwhelmingly positive, with praise thrown at both sides for the fierce battle that took place. Rhino of NS II feels that his side suffered through their status as a subfaction, as it meant their extreme top end doesn't exist. But even without a gang of stat monsters to call on, NS II should be just as pleased at IBB at the progression and resolve shown in this fight.
"The war was very intense. NS2 are a very strong bunch. With a lower average total they kept up in ways that they shouldn't have been able to. They capitalize on the mistakes of their enemy and are a force to be reckoned with for any opposing faction. The rivalry is still here, it's just been changed. Both sides have a lot more mutual respect for each other, instead of disdain and disgust. That doesn't remove the driving force of wanting to beat each other. I would imagine a lot of their internal discussions will be aiming for a rematch. That will be quite the show. " - MightyGoober [812478], co-leader and overall buffoon of IBB
"The war was obviously amazing. I still don't think I can recall a 1v1 war in the last 2-3 years that was as close. The only one I can think of was the CR vs NS war but due to the revive changes this one was more of a back and forth. I think everyone in NS2 that showed up did an amazing job. I think the revive/medical changes are extremely hard on smaller players giving a big buff to stats and this was a great learning experience for us since imo NS2 is still lacking on warring experience. On the rivalry point, there really is no rivalry imo between NS2 and IBB, the #raidIBB was just a meme phrase that started when IBB was helping SA during AK." - LTJELLOMAN [1161626], the official little toes of NS II
The Spoils of War
IBB vs NS II was such a fine war, enjoyed by those who both took part and those who watched from afar. But how did this reporter feel about it, given it had an extra element of jeopardy for him? Well, I can confirm...
I enjoyed it. Thoroughly. This war was fascinating enough on its own, but the addition of a huge gambling ring certainly made it more so. Everyone I spoke to appeared to enjoy this extra element, even those who lost huge sums of money! Here are a few quotes from those involved:
"The overall experience watching from the outside was better than anticipated. The back and forth action in the beginning was especially exciting. I would have been checking in on NS2 regardless, but having money on the line definitely made me more interested in how it was going. I hope we can start making bets on more wars in the future!" - Blaze [1591396], observer and $2 billion bettor
"The betting was a pretty fun addition to the war. So many people had fun with betting. I would ask that if it's done again we could get a couple staff members to help out. I appreciate that all the bets were honoured, but that won't happen every time for every war. I myself had a bet with Spliffy, winner got an SE. I'd like Spliffy to know that these gloves, along with many others will go to great use by the end of this year." - MightyGoober
"The betting ring was very interesting. I had expected maybe up to 5b being bet but I think the total was around 40b. This was extremely scary for me because I assumed there would be more outside hits to rig the outcome. There were a few, but I don't think it would have changed the outcome, though they didn't help. I did bet, but I don't think it changed anything for me as I've always been willing to give my all for NS2." - LTJELLOMAN
"I thought a friend was about to go bankrupt and quit the game. Day 1 when we were in control I felt really bad for him. Day 2 it was 'Oh maybe he won't lose money, but he won't make any either'. Day 3, well, you know." - Rhino
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