KLONDIKE, CP Army Headquarters- After an entire month of battling, Project: Conquest has reached it’s natural conclusion.
Foreword
As the Director in Chief of CPAHQ and one of three gamemasters of Project: Conquest, I would like to thank every army who participated in this landmark tournament. Never would I have expected to be able to see one of my pipe dreams come into fruition for the community. The fact that it saw success, even if some view it as just a modicum, instills hope in me that we all have the common goal of making armies fun. Project: Conquest would have been impossible without the tremendous support from the army leaders and their HCOMs, as well as the dedication and engagement shown by the rest of the community. I think it is important to just say it how it is: we worked together to put on a continuous, month long tournament.
The judging team, especially the Head Judges, deserves tons of credit for making Project: Conquest a reality. Amber, Light, Spotty (and recently promoted DF44) would always make sure each battle had enough judges and that those judges were appropriate for what battle they were in. Every day, for four weeks. One of our biggest worries at the beginning of the tournament was being unable to keep up with assigning judges, but our four Head Judges moved mountains to make it happen. The rest of the judging team was always able to fill holes for battles that needed help. Every judge showed their flexibility and prowess, being able to handle anything thrown their way.
Us administrators did not just lounge around though! Sidie9 went above and beyond to manage moves every Sunday. She would make sure that the schedule was always updated accurately and promptly. Vanish was integral in communicating with all of the armies whenever they needed something. Superhero123 was always on hand to update the map with all of the crazy names. Kingfunks4 helped prep our Discord server for both informing the public and making an easily accessible way for the judges to claim battles. And of course, every admin helped to make decisions and gather feedback about Project: Conquest.
Lastly, the leaders of armies participating in Project: Conquest always remembered that this tournament is just a ‘test’ of what’s more to come. Whenever issues arose, leaders and representatives recognized that in such a complex tournament, dealing with said issues now is paramount to the long term success. This allowed our staff to gain a deeper perspective on the workings of our competition. Everyone involved had exactly the right mindset to let us run Project: Conquest as an experiment.
The administration of CPAHQ is overjoyed with how Project: Conquest went, and I am not just saying that. We truly think that we have come up with a competition that will one day be a mainstay, where everyone competes in a fair and safe environment. Although Project: Conquest is over, by no means are we done with bringing an innovative and intuitive into the army world. Because of this, we need your help. To gather feedback on Project: Conquest, we have made an exit survey for the community to fill out. Although this survey asks for your Gmail account, we are NOT able to see gmail account information when viewing answers. Regardless of that, we strongly recommend everyone to use a gmail account that does not contain personal information. If you have any questions in that nature, please feel free to reach out to me. Click HERE to take it directly.
Consolidation Stage
As a refresher, here’s the protocol for the Consolidation Stage:
The Consolidation Stage takes place in the event that there is a tie for land. If multiple armies hold the same server count, the first tiebreak will be the army’s record. The results of every battle will be tabulated, assigning a Win, Loss, or Draw. Then, the army’s win percentage will be calculated. The win percentage for Project: Conquest is derived as so:
- Step 1- multiply the amount of ties by .5.
- Step 2- add the product of the equation in step 1 to the amount of wins.
- Step 3- divide the sum of the equation in step 2 by the amount of battles completed (this includes no shows).
- Step 4- Round to the nearest thousandth for the win percentage.
[…]
So, in this scenario, the Striking Raiders would finish above the Smart Penguins in the final standings. If armies happen to have the same winning percentage, the army with more wins places ahead of the other armies. If armies happen to have the same winning percentage AND the same amount of wins, then a tiebreak battle will be scheduled by the gamemasters. Armies who are tied while in fifth through tenth place can choose to opt out of the tiebreak battle, at the cost of placing lower than their would-be opponent. Armies who are tied while in first through fourth place must participate in the tiebreak battle.
–Excerpt from Introducing Project: Conquest
After the final battle at 5 PM EST on July 3rd, the standings were solidified. No tiebreak battle was necessary.
10th: Magma Clan
Servers: 0 Winning Percentage: .000
The Magma Clan were the lone army to not win a battle in Project: Conquest. After losing Santorini and Methana in week one, MC lost Lord Pain’s Grave and Nisyros in week two, leaving them with just one server. Shortly after that, the army announced their closure.
The Magma Clan versus the Doritos in the battle of Santorini, June 8th.
9th: Special Weapons and Tactics
Servers: 0 Winning Percentage: .400
SWAT began Project: Conquest with wins over the People’s Imperial Confederation and the Red Ravagers, but also a loss to the Silver Empire.In their successful invasion of Sled over PIC on June 12th, concerns were raised over the possibility of allies. Before a thorough investigation and conclusion was reached by the gamemasters, SWAT announced their resignation from P:C to focus on Legends Cup XI. After week two, their remaining land became freeland.
SWAT versus the Silver Empire in the battle of Tuxedo, June 10th.
8th: Templars of Club Penguin
Servers: 0 Winning Percentage: .429
The Templars participated and won the first battle of the tournament, an invasion of Northern Lights against the Water Vikings. Although a loss to the Silver Empire occurred at the end of week one, they provided one of the most electric performances of the year, successfully invading Ascent from the Army of Club Penguinon June 15th. ACP, however, would invade Alexendria the following day at 9 AM EST. The Crusaders would recover with a successful invasion of Ur Mom against the People’s Imperial Confederation, but week three began their tumble. On June 22nd, their invasion of Snow Fort versus ACP, along with their invasion of Funny Bone versus SE that on June 24th, was invalidated after actions of misconduct came to front. Shortly after that, the Golden Troops pulled off an upset, invading Rome at 3 AM EST. In the wake of these events, the Templars raided a battle between PIC and GT. This was a violation of the Project: Conquest rules, which led to their suspension from the tournament. Their remaining servers, along with WV’s remaining servers and freeland from SWAT, their servers were randomly distributed to the remaining six armies heading into week four.
The Templars versus the Army of Club Penguin in the battle of Ascent, June 15th.
7th: Water Vikings
Servers: 0 Winning Percentage: .625
Even with the Water Vikings losing the first Project: Conquest battle, the army got off to a hot start, winning their next five battles, including successful invasions of Half Pipe, Jerry’s Funeral, Ganger’s Gorillas, and Beanie, against the Golden Troops, SWAT, and the People’s Imperial Confederation, respectively. Like their adversaries, week three began their decline. The army were quickly beat by the Silver Empire on June 22nd, and upset on June 23rd by the Red Ravagers. After losing two servers, Frostbite and RIP Ur Mom, in quick succession, the army announced a temporary shutdown on June 24th. Their remaining servers, along with TCP’s remaining servers and freeland from SWAT, their servers were randomly distributed to the remaining six armies heading into week four.
The Water Vikings versus the Templars in the battle of Northern Lights, June 7th.
6th: Red Ravagers
Servers: 4 Winning Percentage: .214
One of four S/M armies entering the tournament, the Red Ravagers were quickly targeted by their opponents. Four consecutive losses to SWAT, the Silver Empire, the People’s Imperial Confederation, and the Doritos of Club Penguin made many expect that the army would be eliminated quickly. But RR fought until the very end. A close battle against DCP on June 17th renewed their hope, which led to their surprise victory over the Water Vikings on the 23rd. They would triumph again on June 30th, successfully invading Jerusalem from PIC. On the final day of the tournament, they snagged one last server, RR’s Unmasked Reality, from the Doritos. Unfortunately for them, they lost out on winning percentage to the Golden Troops, but their performance in Project: Conquest went much better than the majority of pundits expected.
The Red Ravagers versus the Water Vikings in the battle of RIP Ur Mom, June 23rd.
5th: Golden Troops
Servers: 4 Winning Percentage: .273
The Golden Troops were given the same grim outlook that the Red Ravagers had. Also like RR, GT began slow but made a turnaround that was vital to their survival. Successive 3-0’s against the Water Vikings and the Doritos prompted their infamous AUSIA invasion of Rome, which granted them their first win in Project: Conquest. The day after, GT successfully defended Mighty’s AFK Dome against the People’s Imperial Confederation, which guaranteed their place in the tournament. They didn’t find the same AUSIA success against the Silver Empire on June 25th, but they did six days later, invading Acre from PIC. Although they ended with a loss of Jerry’s Second Funeral to SE, the Golden Troops excelled enough to finish in the top five, a far cry from where most predictions had them finishing.
The Golden Troops versus the Doritos in the battle of Golden Hell, July 2nd.
4th: People’s Imperial Confederation
Servers: 6 Winning Percentage: .358
In a tournament with a varied pool of participants, the People’s Imperial Confederation were in the middle ground of competitors. Although not as big as major armies, they demonstrated consistency and intelligence throughout Project: Conquest. When PIC lost Below Zero to the Doritos, they snatched Gamer’s Glaciers from the Red Ravagers to even their server count. A close loss to SWAT ended up in their favor when their opponents resigned from the tournament, keeping Sled after all. More of the same occurred in week two, as the Comrades invaded weaker armies when they found out the Templars and Water Vikings were invading them. This happened again in week three, where they beat RR but narrowly lost to the Golden Troops. Heading into week four, PIC had the chance to spoil the day for the top three armies after another successful invasion against RR. Unfortunately for them, things went sour. On June 30th, they finally were beaten by RR, which was quickly followed up with another loss to GT. DCP administered the final blow to their good run, invading Sled to reduce PIC’s server count to 6. Although the army faltered down the stretch, the People’s Imperial Confederation played an important part in the tournament, which earned them fourth place.
The People’s Imperial Confederation versus the Golden Troops in the battle of Acre, July 1st.
3rd: Doritos of Club Penguin
Servers: 11 Winning Percentage: .700
The Doritos arguably had the wildest run in Project: Conquest, as they were dealt big losses and resounding victories seemingly at random. They quickly invaded Santorini from the Magma Clan and Below Zero from the People’s Imperial Confederation, but met their match against the Army of Club Penguin the battle of Aaron’s Base(d)ment. On June 17th, the army barely defended Musta’s AFK Store from the Red Ravagers, drawing what most thought would be a cakewalk for them. The Chips got back to winning the next day, invading Sabertooth from the Golden Troops, but were thrown into peril in week three. The Army of Club Penguin invaded Rah’s Dwarf Village on June 21st, which preceded the Silver Empire’s successful invasion of Summit on June 23rd. Fortunately for them, they invaded a freeland server as well as Sidie’s Retirement Home against the People’s Imperial Confederation. So, for the final week, a lot was at stake for DCP. Under pressure, the army came through, strengthening their AUSIA performance and successfully defending Shira’s Shbeep Shack from the Golden Troops. In retaliation, they beat GT once again, taking Golden Hell from them. Despite this, they needed GT to beat SE on July 2nd to have a chance at 2nd place. This did not come into fruition, which made their final two battles purely for server count. They invaded Sled from PIC, but did not show to RR’s AUSIA invasion, reducing their server count to 11. Through the highs and lows, the Doritos put together a good tournament run, their first of this new generation.
The Doritos versus the Red Ravagers in the battle of Masked Dreams, June 15th.
2nd: Silver Empire
Servers: 12 Winning Percentage: .808
The Silver Empire were the ‘odd men out’ when the participants for Project: Conquest were announced. Although a major army like the Water Vikings and the Templars, many thought those two would place over SE, referencing WV’s and TCP’s battle experience and SE’s lack thereof. In spite of this, they delved into the strategy side of P:C, making sure the servers they drafted were not bordering servers owned by the Army of Club Penguin. This gave the Silvers the opportunity to build an Empire (pun intended), and they ran with it, winning all four of their battles in the first week. In week two, they successfully invaded Parka from SWAT, tying their server count with the Templars and the Doritos. On June 18th, ACP and their feared AUSIA division set forth to invade Funny Bone, but were surprised to find that the Silver Empire were able to eek out a draw, keeping the server. Hours later, they invaded Nisyros to match DCP’s invasion of Sabertooth. The Silvers launched an aggressive offensive in the following week, making quick work of defenses from WV and DCP while nullifying GT’s invasion of Pumpkin Patch. Heading into week four, they were the sole leaders with 12 servers. Instead of invading ACP head on, SE opted to invade servers that they were virtually guaranteed to win, scheduling a battle with GT and a freeland siege. If the Silver Empire could successfully defend at least one of Funny Bone or Dragon Alley from the Clovers, they would guarantee themselves as tournament champions. When the dust settled, they emerged just behind after a brilliant month-long run.
The Silver Empire versus the Water Vikings in the battle of Frostbite, June 22nd.
1st: Army of Club Penguin
Servers: 13 Winning Percentage: .833
Although entering Project: Conquest as the favorites, the tournament was not as easy for the Army of Club Penguin as most thought. They jumped out to a quick lead in week one by virtue of not even being invaded, leaving them to take care of business against the Magma Clan and the Doritos. When week two began, the complexion of the tournament changed after an unexpected sweep at the hands of the Templars on June 15th. It was expected that the Clovers would go undefeated in the tournament, but here they were, getting handed an early loss. While they quickly recuperated with their AUSIA invasion of Alexandria the next day, they drew against the Silver Empire in their invasion of Funny Bone. This draw felt like a loss, as it kept the Army from taking 1st place heading into week three. This rude awakening sparked improvement, as ACP would win all four of their battles before the week that was for all the marbles. By virtue of scheduling first, the Clovers opted for two invasions against SE at 12 PM, one taking place on June 28th, and one on June 30th. This quick turnaround proved to be too much for their opponents, as ACP outsized and outpaced the Silvers. Since they were able to defend Shamrock Bulletin HQ from RR the day prior, their victory at the battle of Dragon Alley solidified their place as the Grand Conquerors of Project: Conquest.
The Army of Club Penguin versus the Silver Empire in the battle of Dragon Alley, June 30th.
Congratulations to the Army of Club Penguin for winning Project: Conquest! The Clovers added eight servers to their empire after drafting five. Throughout the tournament, they won ten battles, drew one battle, and lost one battle. They achieved a tournament high max of 57, which took place in the battle that guaranteed their status as the Grand Conquerors. This is the first tournament win for ACP since August 28th, 2020, when they won August Anarchy, and the first major tournament since they won the Holiday Championship on January 5th, 2020.
What do you think? Did you enjoy Project: Conquest? What changes do you want to see for the tournament? Let us know in the comments below!
DMT
CP Army Headquarters Director in Chief
