Perhaps the most prestigious trophy in the community is the Legends Cup. This tournament has, without fail, motivated armies to give it their all in order to secure the win. It has historically brought out high maxes, with armies reaching towards 100 online in their pursuit to win the trophy. Today, we’re not there anymore.
Designed by Gabgeirl
The Templars, winners of Legends Cup XII, hit a high max of 83 last year during the tournament. They defeated Rebel Penguin Federation in the Semi-Finals then Water Vikings in the Grand Finals, bagging their first-ever tournament win. This impressive max was a singularity, however, and has yet to be replicated in the community. It’s hard to say whether we can see such a high max this Legends Cup.
Legends Cup XIII Semi-Finals
Since Club Penguin Rewritten shut down, but most noticeably this year, armies have struggled to max over 30. This change came at a shock to many in the community, given how easily maxing above 30 had come in the pre-Battleground era. This change in max size unmistakably saw its way into tournament battles; just this past tournament, AUSIA Arena: Summer Edition, saw considerably smaller maxes compared to the Aces of AUSIA or even the Winter Edition itself. Interestingly enough, Winter Edition in 2022 had very similar maxes despite taking place on Rewritten. The winning army of Aces of AUSIA, Help Force, had their highest max of 47 at the Finals where they saw 85 in attendance.
This significantly higher max, almost double compared to today, is a remnant of an army period long-gone. Tournaments don’t hold the same weight that they used to, or the same excitement. Armies could pull amazingly high maxes in the past, often breaking 80 troops, but today major armies are barely holding a 25-troop average. One could attribute these changes to lockdown restrictions phasing out, also becoming a thing of past.
Aces of AUSIA Finals
This year’s Legends Cup is especially interesting because it takes place hot off the heels of World War IX [WWIX], possibly the least impactful world war in army history. In spite of its questionable outcome, it provided participating armies’ staff with experience that can be transferred to a tournament. Club Penguin Armies reached out to staff members to ask how they feel their experience in the war will impact their performance:
Overall, how well do you feel your army performed in the war?
Lance, Rebel Penguin Federation: I felt like Rebel Penguin Federation [RPF] performed very well in WWIX! I was very proud of the work of our allies, staff and troops throughout the war. Although I generally have confidence in us, I was very impressed with the battles and our general overall performance.
WaffleDog, Water Vikings: Overall, I feel like my army did alright. We could have been a little faster though.
Geneysis, Army of Club Penguin: Overall we did well in the war as we always do but there’s always room for growth.
Did you learn anything as a staff member during the war?
Lance, Rebel Penguin Federation: I feel like there’s always something to be taken as a staff member in conflicts like this. Although this wasn’t my first major conflict as an army staff member, each one brings unique challenges that require unique solutions. I definitely feel like I, and my other fellow staff members, learned a lot from this experience. I especially felt like I learned a lot about strategies and relationships across armies.
WaffleDog, Water Vikings: I learned about other armies and the importance of fostering good relations with them.
Geneysis, Army of Club Penguin: As I am a new member to the Army of Club Penguin [ACP] staff, I am still learning about its significance and work.
Will this new experience help you and your army during LC?
Lance, Rebel Penguin Federation: I believe so, yes! Any conflict is good experience under our belt for the troops and the staff alike. I think that WWIX was a great war to participate in and served as a bonus way to keep us on our feet in preparation for Legends Cup. Now we have a good idea of the training that needs to take place and what we should work on!
WaffleDog, Water Vikings: I believe our army will do better in Legends Cup. The war changed our outlook on relations, motivation, and teamwork.
Geneysis, Army of Club Penguin: Yes, during this war we understood that our members needs to be more efficient in there formations and compatibility with the patterns and commands that are posted during the war by the leader.
In my opinion, this year’s Legends Cup isn’t going to be as big or exciting as previous years. The war may have certainly bolstered troop participation and staff interest, but, overall, interest in attending seems to have gone sharply down. This isn’t to say that it won’t be worth fighting for the trophy, though. Armies may make a comeback and relive their former glory, at least for the duration of the tournament, and prove that armies are far from dying. What will this mean for the biggest tournament of the year? Will armies be able to achieve their once-glorious high maxes, or will the definition of a “high max” finally be changed?
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Mchappy is interning at Club Penguin Armies as the Chief Executive Producer. Max held him at gunpoint to finish his biography.