Battle of Urnu-Arrak

The Battle of Urnu-Arrak was the final battle of The Great Rathnir War and the largest conflict in Stoneworks Minecraft history. It was fought just south of the city of Urnu-Arrak on January 9th, 2021, and lasted for about an hour with roughly 170 players joining.

Agreed Terms
The RP rules were thus:


 * 1) No invis - No slime/honey shenanigans
 * 2) If your bed is destroyed and you die, you cannot rejoin the battle.
 * 3) Actively killing eachother is only to occur during the skirmishes & battle.
 * 4) You cannot maliciously hide your bed. It must be within a clear fortification/building.
 * 5) Absolutely no lava casts.
 * 6) You may use a small amount of TNT. 6 per person.
 * 7) No Fire Charges/Ghast FireBalls
 * 8) No Withers
 * 9) No End Crystals
 * 10) You CANNOT spawn on the opposing side's area.
 * 11) Looting is NOT allowed. You may take gear from angel chests and the like but YOU MUST RETURN THEM AT THE END OF THE WAR

Coalition Fighters
Cobblework Mines


 * LonLangLin
 * Waferknight

Carvay


 * FermMinecraft
 * Jane the Bane
 * 8jaaroud
 * Out_run
 * SpyceyT
 * MercuryE327
 * pandanna104
 * Frostina

Uldarash


 * WhiskeyKnight
 * RumKnight9K
 * Ginknight
 * Knilz1999
 * Tequiliaknight

Sironvir


 * SirBowi
 * Sedail
 * Hobble_Wobble
 * Longbow312
 * Mr_Krakowsky
 * FrozenCoati
 * TheLastSven
 * Samsam418
 * indiana_jack
 * Jambocop

Reyllea


 * MrBreadington
 * ThianGames_NL
 * Laheygaming (Conster543)
 * SaltySmeagol
 * ColdDesert

Volandia


 * dlopukhin
 * EMTGO
 * doomdynamite
 * D0ugDimmad0me
 * Monado_Boii
 * Rex29

Wahar


 * An_individual_81
 * Nefola
 * Owlgoddess

Palatine Confederacy


 * Axyr
 * Valencia117

Ryzan


 * GreenToss

Yimmu-Audal


 * Carpicious
 * Gray_Is_Yes
 * Takiruko01
 * Ghastly_Bespoke
 * CRAZYCHAOSCALEB

Aurora


 * Canine14
 * Crackdown9000
 * domn8u
 * The_Mine_Goop
 * Robot_Girlyman
 * Lasercat Voajus
 * Spino Hydrolixxx
 * WhiskeyHusky

Noxnorr


 * PilzExpolorer
 * FroggyFlippers
 * Ssason88
 * DarkBlade_T2
 * SendNamesHere
 * ZBLB47
 * Mr_Meeseeks69
 * JustAtlas
 * MultiO7
 * Mr_Phoenix
 * siginterrogacio
 * julijajo

Socialist Autonomous Region of Posavaria


 * Skysearcher5 (Aideeyot)
 * Minerabbitt604
 * BatChatap

Kostuco


 * Koza66
 * Mr_Inkognito84
 * Musztardan
 * Szarnyy
 * Wojciechvj
 * Zawisza_Black
 * MinecraftZiQ
 * Daddi_Michalski

Knights of Haven


 * SnapplyPie

Plagatea


 * Maruchxn

Sterling Crownlands


 * StarSixSeven
 * JustAtlas1
 * Kiwirion
 * (The Kingsguard, Turned out to be traitors to the Coalition):
 * TNTPiggles
 * RonOriginal
 * nurakid

The Undead Legion of the Valdreach Imperial Republic


 * Assurdirapal
 * TheRealOJOJ
 * Justa_
 * DatDejvTho
 * JesperHD
 * MeatyHobbertson
 * Starlorde123
 * Viomelia

Nýr Tlörn


 * Oussmac
 * Lego551
 * TheReal_Mando

Solo Entities


 * RedFireRex
 * Juan Coyo
 * Gpro55
 * darkwizard07
 * HimoS401
 * Dotto
 * Vickett
 * HairySonic

Mercenaries


 * Cadmus447
 * H8_creeper
 * Erandor
 * Aw222
 * LunaIsDaMoon
 * HimoS402
 * Cerberus_22
 * Infinick

Trillium Fighters
Kingdom of Coltmaere


 * Emperor_Scoubs
 * Agnarr_Ragnarok
 * Bardonia


 * BackToTheHub
 * The_Mobius
 * Crezyman
 * Spartan_37
 * ViewedMarquis
 * Lilpuddintator
 * MamaMurphy66
 * Unic0rnb0i
 * Thinker__
 * Moyye
 * Tzseu
 * Call_Me_Realz
 * Sheepell
 * pwou
 * JurzTheAndal
 * DHVO
 * LobsterLights
 * d3Bi
 * Avensur
 * King_Zelorm
 * Dalerl
 * gamersgaming
 * RamTheKidRS
 * Bunnycorn
 * Reuzepannekoek
 * redtommato
 * EasternKhan
 * Eviltabbi2
 * SirMisterPanda
 * Jolte28
 * joostminer
 * Neorgothic
 * AkioYuki
 * BrydonThunder
 * CalamityTree
 * Ksukiyo
 * ItsDomIGuess
 * Comrade_Max_
 * MidgeApe
 * kingjon101
 * HimoS400
 * dex_og
 * OneSonOfLoki
 * T2snow
 * Spaceman220
 * Eiknarfp
 * Gamersgaming
 * Acidrum
 * kingofthering01
 * chickycarlos
 * bojijoy
 * dads_fist
 * BackToTheMorgue

Preparation
The Coalition notably did not have much organized preparation. 8jaaroud has claimed on Apollo Radio that the leaders did not organize an effective battle strategy, plan, or defenses in this war. Most preparations happened within nations, getting players equipment ready. Many players had not seen the battlefield nor coordinated with players of other and unknown nations.

Base Setup
The Coalition's base was built to the northeast of Trillium's base, closer to Urnu-Arrak in the desert. Darkwizard07 and Maruchxn built a labyrinthine base stretching into the sky with no apparent rhyme or reason as to its design. Lego551 was responsible for much of the internal decoration, including trees, a lake, grass and dirt, and a tiered setup for the base. The walls were made of bamboo, cactus, and even obsidian in places, with a minefield of cobblestone walls, pits in the sand, and assorted TNT 'mines'.


 * The cobblestone wall field on the outside provided a more difficult terrain for attackers to navigate. This gives more time for the archers to attack. The walls also distract from any landmines and traps on the ground.
 * The base had multiple layers of small cobblestone and cacti walls above the sand. In-between the two outer wall layers laid a ditch which archers could easily shoot down into, and defenders could jump in for combat. With large numbers defending the base, these kill-zone ditches between walls were useful. However, the walls were not so successful because they were 2-3 blocks tall, made of easily-mineable cobble, and atop easily-diggable sand.
 * Placing beds in the labyrinth was certainly detrimental to the time management of Trillium, as some of its leaders were forced to wander in the erratic structure.





Preparation
Trillium had an advanced preparation that mostly took place in national discords, with dedicated channels to moving the materials of war around for the active citizens.

Base
The Trillium's base was a monolithic cobblestone spire reaching all the way up to the world's building limit. There were three platforms of varying heights connected to the base by glass.

There was also a lower Trillium Base, which

This base was optimized for difficulty in invaders to climb it and access the beds, which were on the various platforms.


 * To climb up to the platforms, one must take a latter or pillar up. Both of these make it easy to hit an ascending attacker off of their block. This makes for easy defense- falling players waste time and suffer extra damage.
 * The glass panes are similar to the height, as one must be careful going across them, which is only afforded to those on the Trillium side. Some fall off of the window panes, but with /keep inventory on, this was not an issue, since the respawn would be right there on the platforms.
 * Concentrating people on the platforms and the top of the tower allowed them to easily shoot any pillaring or climbing attackers.
 * Each platform had trapdoors and open spaces in the middle, likely to guard against pillaring players from below.
 * The lower Trillium base had a more traditional style, with low walls, lava, and lines of cacti. This did not hold many beds, but likely served as an addition to the Trillium Tower base, and would divert attackers away from the strategically important tower-beds.

The Battle
The battle officially began at 4:07 PM EST. Lego551 was fishing the entire time in his pond in the Coalition base; despite active combat around the pond over the course of the battle, he was not attacked by either side at any point.

Refreshments and drinks were to be served by HimoS401 and Dotto21 at the official POGBAR MINI buily by Ghastly Bespoke before the battle

Pre-Battle
A few Coalition fighters attacked inside the Trillium lower base before the battle officially started.

Battle Start
As the battle first began, Enfys and Stoney spawned ghasts and a few withers at the trench in the middle of the battlefield. a large skirmish outside the Trillium tower base occurred, where the main Trillium army of about 10 people killed 2-3 Coalitioners. Vickett patrolled outside the Coalition fort defenses. The Trillium army then ran to the southern end of the desert. ViewedMarquis exchanged arrow fire with a group of 3- SkySearcher5, ChickyCarlos, and HimoS402. He killed SkySearcher5, and then the Trillium Army descended on the other two and killed them by the southern end of the canal, specifically Sheepell killed HimoS402 and bojijay killed ChickyCarlos. The army then ran up to the Coalition fort.

Coalition Assault Force
The original Coalition strategy consisted of, with the advance knowledge that Trillium would be sending their best fighters in their frontal assault, sending a small, agile force hugging the Northern edge of the battlefield. This assault team consisted of WhiskeyKnight, WaferKnight, SnapplyPie, TheLastSven, Sseasson88, Samsam418, Dairbeag, SirBowl and others, the original intent of their assault being to use Crimson Wine to scale the sides of the tower. However, vastly overestimating the length of Crimson Wine's levitation property, their first assault was beaten back by the defenders, including the 10 minute standoff between WhiskeyKnight of Uldarash & Unic0rnb0i of Bardonia, reminiscent of the 2 nations feud in the Great Western War. The team's first assault saw minimal success, with the exception being a large bridge built by SnapplyPie nearly breaching defenses of the Trillium Fort. A second assault from the team saw, although increased success, with ground defenses being eventually overrun, another defeat to the Trillium defenses.

Assault on the Coalition Fort
As the Trillium army attacked the Coalition fort, BrydonThunder dug a trench on the outside of the stone wall field. An estimated 30 Coalition fighters sat on the wall behind the cactus line and fired upon the Trillium army as they navigated through the walled minefield. Lilpuddintator was the first to dig up into the walls and infiltrate the fort. BackToTheHub ran into the ditch between the outer wall and the inner, cactus lined wall. He and ViewedMarquis fought some 6-7 people in the ditch there and made it out alive, destroying some part of the wall with TNT. There was also a larger fight between the rest of the Trillium army and the Coalition defenders separated more to the north. They made it past the first wall and were shot down at heavily in the ditch in front of the cactus wall, where the Coalition forces broke them up and killed a few.

The first wins on the Trillium side were actually scored by the traitors from Kingsguard, a faction of Sterling Crownlands fighters who were supposed to protect their king Darkblade_T2. They betrayed the Coalition and killed King which they were said to be a part of, but nurakid, TNTPiggles, Ronoriginal and more set about the tents of the Coalition early on in the fighting and destroyed somewhere between 10-20 beds. This was seen as an act to avenge their first king, who was ousted from power in the civil war during the Great Rathnir War.

However, another army of Trillium, mainly Bardonians, were in battle with the Coalition defenders on the northern hill of the fort, near to their tents. The players BackToTheHub, DHVO, bojijay, lilpuddintator, Ksukiyo were dominating Coalition players for Trillium, but the Coalition saw some kills and darkwizard07 got multiple himself.

BackToTheHub was the first player in the Eldritch Mostrosity, a massive stone structure built by Maruchxn to hold beds. He destroyed some when 8jaaroud of Carvay came up, and the two engaged in an intense duel. During this, some of the Kingsguard of Sterling Crownlands split up and broke beds throughout the Coalition fort. nurakid destroyed some in the ground camps, and TNTPiggles destroyed the ones in the labyrinth as 8jaaroud and BackToTheHub dueled. Bojijay and dlopkhin entered the battle. Dlopukhin was killed by BackToTheHub. JamboCop came down from above and attacked Back, whilst 8jaaroud and Bojijay left the battle, JamboCop was killed.

At this point there was serious confusion on the Trillium side about the erratic and disparate placement of the Coalition beds. Many in the labyrinth were destroyed by the Kingsguard, and the Trillium forces now had to search the various nooks and crannies of the Coalition fort to find the beds. There was a great battle in a sandstone tomb involving 8jaaroud and d3Bi, as well as FrostNotFound_, MrBreadington, and more. D3Bi was the only survivor of this fight. The Trillium forces raided the longhouse tent on the top of the fort hill, and cleared out the beds from there.

Counter-attack on the Trillium Fort
There was a small counter-attack below the Trillium fort that was ultimately fended off. It was led by Infinick of Tlahatl, though here a mercenary, and SirBowi. It was fended off by Unic0rnb0i, JurztheAndal, MidgeApe, and Eiknarpf. The fight happened in a river where Infinick was killed, but SirBowi escaped up a savannah hill and built cover out of cobblestone, where he would shoot at MidgeApe as he climbed the hill. The two had a duel, but Crazychaoscaleb stepped in and killed MidgeApe. ChickyCarlos who defended the fort was killed by SirBowi

Continued Attack on the Coalition Fort
There was still fighting in the labyrinth as BackToTheHub, pwou, and more fought. Rex29 fought BackToTheHub and TNTPiggles on a high up staircase, but was hit off to his death. The Coalition forces on the ground defended their base still, Musztardan killing Eiknarfp. Lego551 was fishing in the Coalition base the entire time, straight vibing, all as the Trillium forces rushed by him into the east side of the fort, where another fight went on. Batchatap was shot by SkySearcher5 twice, who then died jumping into lava trying to escape Call_Me_Realz_. Meanwhile, at the top of the sandstone tomb, FrostNotFound_ was perched and picking off Trillium fighters. Eventually CalamityTree and TNTPiggles climbed the structure under fire-arrow fire and killed him, where CalamityTree killed the bed in the top of the tomb. BacktotheHub continued searching the labyrinth, enderpearling around to destroy beds. One player pillared up to the top of it and destroyed a few beds there. MinecraftZiQ killed Midgeape, Acidrum, and ChickyCarlos at the Trillium Fort.

The Kingsguard of Sterling Crownlands sabotaged the deepest part of the Coalition defense, the Kostuco-ian bunker, where they sprung a lava trap. Coalition forces now had much fewer beds here. Koza66 and Valencia117 held the spawn room that had been cleared out of beds, but they and MinecraftZiQ repulsed the Trillium army out of the bunker, and some beds in other rooms survived. There was a final massive battle in the middle of the Coalition fort, where Trillium won and pushed into the Kostuco-ian bunker, where a great battle was had in a tight space between walls of stone and lava. Zawisza_Black defended against the rush of Trillium fighters behind a stone wall before being killed by d3Bi. Musztardan, Axyr, Mr_Inkognito84 and Koza66 defended the bunker too, but were eventually killed by the rush of Trillium. Backtothehub and Bojijay got into some of the other rooms and destroyed the extra beds.

Stoney and Enfys spawned more Withers on both sides, and BackToTheHub and Carpicious had an honorable duel under the small pond that Lego551 was fishing in- Backtothehub won and took her head as a trophy.

Second Attack on Trillium
Meanwhile at the Trillium base, Blue_Marble pillared up to try to sneak in and destroy the beds. He was soon seen by the defending Trillium on the top platform, and was shot off of his pillar despite the cover he'd made, though he was hit into the water. Blue_Marble used water to get back onto his pillar, where LobsterLights had jumped down onto, and the two engaged in a high altitude duel. Blue_Marble was eventually shot off the pillar to his death by JurztheAndal

Takiruko01 used levitation to get about half way up the Trillium base, until it wore off and he fell to his death.

Ghastly_Bespoke attempted to infiltrate the trillium base by climbing up a pillar, they intented to use crimson wine from pogbar mini to fly up but caught a spontainious case of chronic bad internet disease

At about 40 minutes into the battle (3 nights and 2 days) at 4:51 EST, Blue_Marble called for surrender, even though there were there were still secret beds, in violation of the terms of war, in the Coalition base. At this, Stoney and Enfys spawned a bunch of ghasts and withers on the Trillium attackers.

Post Battle
Stoney kept tp'ing everyone to the middle of the battlefield and killing them with a Smite 100 sword.

Analysis
Trillium was able to keep the defenders at bay except for a few bands of Coalition fighters who detached from the main force. The majority of Coalition stayed near to the fort, while Trillium's forces were split between defenders on the tower and 2-3 armies who quickly crossed the battlefield to start an offensive. Being the first to attack the main fort in earnest, the Trillium armies certainly drew players from the Coalition's offensive efforts, being relegated to defense as they were.

The design of the forts also greatly impacted the outcome of the battle. With the Coalition's fort design, many could filter into it from several directions, so long as they broke/snuck through the walls surrounding it. The Coalition certainly had some well used and creative defenses, but in the end this did not change the outcome. Trillium's fort design, however, only allowed for single players to enter it from one direction- below. The trouble which it takes one to rise up to Trillium's spawn platforms is great, and one could easily be thwarted by a single archer while climbing up to the Trillium base.

The need for skilled pvpers is vital, there is no way around this. Trillium had many of the server's best pvpers.

Results
Trillium ended up winning the battle, and Tzseu was installed quickly after the battle as the new Empress of Yimmu Audal.

The assassination of High King Dark Saigard lead to the coronation of High King Juli Aulder in the Sterling Crownlands.