With the Christmas Crusade coming to an end. It’s intriguing to hear the judges’ perspectives on the war. Therefore, today, we sat down with the main judges of this war to understand their views on the conflict.

Designed by Wynn

On December 22nd, after many allegations, the United Front alliance, which included the Templars, Army of Club Penguin, Coup Crusaders, and People’s Imperial Confederation, declared war on the Elite Guardians. After 27 difficult battles, the Christmas Crusade ended when, on January 21st, both sides signed a peace treaty ending the war. The peace treaty is known as the Treaty of Mammoth-Zero Grau, and it marks a formal end to hostilities.

Treaty of Mammoth-Zero Grau

Including the Penguins of Madagascar, who initially supported the UFA, and the Winged Hussars, who assisted the Guardians, the Christmas Crusade saw seven armies engaging in warfare. Therefore, every battle was bound to face a possible different outcome. Given every army has a different asset of battle strategies, to judge this war was undoubtedly a unique experience. 

Invasion of Elite Guardians’ Territory

In light of this, the Club Penguin Armies team conducted a special interview with the main judges who oversaw the most battles.

What is your point of view on the war overall?

Spotty: At the start the war seemed kinda boring and pointless because of the increased no-shows. However, it was nice to see a fairly close war battles-wise.

Mare: EGCP was definitely fighting back and putting up a good challenge even though they are against a bunch of armies.

df44:1. This war was an interesting one to watch from the outside. ACP and EGCP were truly dominating in 2023 so beforehand I knew it would have good battles to judge and watch from both UFA and EGCP sides. Apart from the reasons behind the war, which all parties involved made sure to clarify, it’s important to analyze the war beyond that and look at the battles. The truth is that battle-wise it met my expectations and there were a good amount of close battles.

What do you think armies lacked during the battles and what could they improve?

Spotty: Well I think both sides lack letting judges know if they are planning to attend battles or not, as both seem happy to let judges waste time to judge a no-show. Some armies do let judges know now, however most still don’t. However, sorry that both sides seem to be listening to feedback and improving.

Mare: Probably formations, the armies have had a good size but their forms lack. I’d possibly suggest formation training in different rooms on their own.

df44:Leading a battle is challenging, especially close battles. But there’s always room for improvement. It’s common to see a lot of AFK troops and that’s something leaders should always consider to improve from battle to battle. Besides that, it’s important to remain creative either by not reusing tactics or by having creative forms that stand out in a room or in the whole battle.

Christmas Crusade Last Battle

Are there any particular moments or battles that stand out to you as particularly challenging or memorable in your role as a judge?

Spotty: Honestly I’ve enjoyed seeing new formations throughout this war, with both sides putting in a lot of effort to grab those few extra creativity points throughout the war.

Mare: EGCP using Xmas tactics in January

df44:I’ve seen and judged a lot of battles over the past years and I always like it when they’re close. Being a judge is exactly being able to decide victors in close situations so you need to consider every single battle factor, both armies depend on your decision and you cannot make mistakes.

Out of curiosity, how do you handle situations where external factors, such as technical issues, appear during the battle?

Spotty: CPAJ has set rules for external factors, which usually include making a group chat with both sides of the war to discuss the ongoing issues and possible outcomes. Although, if CPAB is down the battle would be postponed to a later time and date which the invading army decides upon.

Mare: This hasn’t happened when I’ve been judging, but if it’s serious the battle would get postponed/ or rescheduled. Also, if the technical issues are really bad, armies are able to get a review of the battle.

df44: It’s always difficult to handle things like technical issues during battles but we must always be prepared for it. Whenever lag is experienced or even when a judge loses connection, it’s key to immediately inform the Head Judge in charge of supervising it. Then there’s a decision to make in order to be fair for the armies battling – is this technical issue preventing us from giving an accurate result? If yes, the Head Judge will take the next steps which might be voiding rooms or the whole battle. If not, it’s important to remain calm and keep doing our job the best we can. I remember this as being one of the most challenging parts of being a Head Judge. 

With these special interviews, we have gathered some interesting thoughts on the war, despite the war having no victors both armies did well According to the judges. Judges also pointed out what armies lacked in battles and gave suggestions. If the armies implement everything the judges suggested, it is going to be interesting to see how the battles will change and improve. What do you think the involved armies should improve?

More Information