Greetings Warlords! The APAC battles on May 8 brought nonstop action in the CBL group stage. Let’s break down the highlights!
Match 1
MANU vs GCA [White Elk Fort] 2-1
Round 1 (MANU Offense - GCA Defense)
GCA gave up early resistance to the siege towers and instead destroyed the battering ram, but MANU still broke through the right wall. With time left 11:07, MANU surged through the breach and seized the right supply point. GCA quickly took the high ground on the wall, applying pressure on the attackers. At 7:38, GCA descended from both sides and flanked Point A. Despite opening the gate, MANU’s push faltered as infantry support lagged due to GCA’s hold on the supply point.
GCA resecured the gate, but MANU regrouped and launched a relentless assault from the wall base, draining GCA's forces. Using supply-point hopping tactics, they blocked reinforcements, opened the gate, and let the cavalry charge in. With 2 minutes remaining, they took Point A and pulled 200 units ahead. Riding the momentum, MANU stormed the base and took the first win.
Round 2 (GCA Offense - MANU Defense)
MANU hid under the main gate wall to avoid ranged fire. GCA breached the right wall, left the other side barely standing, and rolled up all three siege towers. Their main force entered from the right, capturing the supply point. Cavalry circled to flank the left-side point, but MANU’s Siphonarioi wiped out the follow-up infantry. Amidst the skirmish, GCA slipped into Point A and took it. While MANU was focused on the supply point, GCA launched a surprise strike on the base.
MANU abandoned the point to defend, leading to a brutal artillery exchange. GCA pressed on with Hwarang harassment. Though MANU broke GCA’s weak flank, their base defense came too late, and GCA equalized the score.
Round3 [Grasslands]
GCA swiftly took Point B and set up a full artillery duel. They positioned ballistaes on high ground and had Hwarang chip away at range. MANU, under pressure, launched a desperate charge only to be ambushed by a hidden Sunward Phalanx, making B nearly unbreakable. When MANU regrouped, GCA feigned retreat to bait them into a trap, then surrounded them and dealt massive damage. Though MANU briefly stole the point, they snuck in a crucial 19% capture progress. Every clash afterward saw MANU on the back foot, but that crucial 19% turned the tide. With grit and timing, they clutched the comeback and secured the match 2-1.
Match 2
HBB vs VNC [Heilung Fjord] 2-0
Round 1 (HBB Offense – VNC Defense)
HBB went with a main push toward Point A and a feint on B. After scaling the wall at B, the troops converged at A and harassed from range with artillery. With forces flanking from both sides, HBB locked down the breach with Sunward Phalanx, then stormed Point A. The Siphonarioi unleashed devastating firepower, wiping out VNC’s defenses. Forced to retreat, VNC lost Point A with around 200 total unit losses.
Abandoning Point C, VNC fell back to defend the base. HBB then smartly deployed artilleries that kept VNC pinned down with no room to regroup. At 6:20, HBB launched their final push, crushing VNC’s infantry and sweeping in from the right supply point. VNC’s remaining cavalry units tried to stall but were methodically dismantled by the advancing Sunward Phalanx. The base fell—HBB took the first game.
Round 2 (VNC Offense – HBB Defense)
Noticing the light defense at Point A, HBB swiftly repositioned to hold B. The clash began immediately. VNC couldn’t deal with HBB’s entrenched Siphonarioi and ranged fire, so they pivoted to assault Point A. HBB responded with reinforcements. After breaching the gate, VNC set up their own artilleries, but were quickly overwhelmed by HBB’s multi-angle counter-bombardment. Their Pikemen were eliminated, and cavalry couldn’t follow through—another failed assault. HBB sealed the gate with a Sunward Phalanx wall, leaving VNC with only cavalry and scattered infantry. Each charge was crushed, with VNC’s losses ballooning to 300.
In the end, HBB’s cavalry tore through the remnants, closing the match in clean, commanding fashion. A 2-0 sweep for HBB.
Match 3
VNH vs BOD [Harbour City] 0-2
Round1 (VNH Offense – BOD Defense)
BOD opened strong with artilleries pounding the siege towers. VNH quickly gave up on the battering ram and shifted toward the side gate. Spotting the change, BOD dropped from the walls and braced for combat. VNH moved in a tight column formation through the gate toward the supply point, but BOD swiftly regrouped and cut them off. Forced to pivot, VNH tried climbing the wall to capture the point but was ambushed and wiped out.
Their second regroup at the side gate was met with another devastating cavalry strike, forcing them to retreat toward the central gate. Amid the chaos, VNH managed to sneak-capture Point A—but on the counterattack, BOD crushed them at the base, opening up a 400-unit lead. The fight reset at the wall. VNH's last push came as a cavalry charge through the small gate, but BOD’s counter-charge slammed the door shut. Out of units, VNH crumbled. First blood to BOD.
Round 2 (BOD Offense – VNH Defense)
BOD pushed multiple siege towers simultaneously and scaled the walls, driving VNH back inside. Artillery duels exploded at the central gate. BOD baited VNH into splitting forces with a fake supply-point rush, then repositioned their siege to sap VNH's strength. Instead of rushing the base, BOD kept the fight outside, slowly chipping away while sending small squads to tick up capture progress. VNH, preoccupied with the brawl, failed to stop the quiet advance. By the time BOD committed to a final push, it was too late—VNH collapsed, and the base fell. BOD closed out the series clean, 2-0.
APAC Group Stage Standings
Upcoming APAC Matches
Note: Team MPR has withdrawn from the competition. All scheduled matches against them are counted as 2-0 forfeits in favor of the opposing teams.
Wishing all players the best of luck in the CBL!