Genius Archer’s Streaming - Chapter 657
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Genius Archer’s Streaming Season 3 Episode 127
43. Private Anto (2)
On the map displayed at the edge of the broadcast screen, Rome was marked in red and Joseon in blue.
Even the most complex and tragic warfare appeared to be nothing more than an unusual game of baduk when viewed from this distance.
So then, how was the game between the red and blue stones progressing now?
First, the blue side had barely deviated from its starting position since the game began.
As if an invisible fence surrounded them, they remained clustered in one place.
While this defensive tactic offered advantages, failure to advance meant they would eventually collapse from within.
Meanwhile, the red side occupied various points across the map, maintaining a wide operational radius.
They encircled and firmly pressured the blue forces from all sides.
Compared to the densely packed blue forces, the distribution of red troops per unit area was significantly lower, yet this posed no real problem for them.
Just as a shepherd dog needs fewer numbers than the sheep it herds.
* * *
Cookie’s eyes moved frantically.
He currently had the highest vantage point overlooking the entire battlefield, but…
Outside the area where our forces gathered, there was only darkness.
Even using hawk dispatch occasionally had clear limitations.
The fortress walls built to protect Joseon’s main base had now become a prison confining them.
‘They orchestrated this from the start.’
Cookie understood.
This was Anto’s intention.
The longer the battle continued, the more disadvantageous it became for Joseon, leaving them no choice but to rely on the fortress walls to fight only when they wished.
Anto had already understood this point and was now pursuing an all-out offensive strategy.
However, what Cookie didn’t know was just how expertly Anto could devastate enemies trapped within the fortress walls.
No, he knew Anto was skilled.
He simply hadn’t anticipated this particular approach.
‘It’s as if there are 200 enemies on all sides.’
Anto was known among commanders as the “Wizard of Vision.”
Cookie had never truly experienced his full capabilities until now.
Not until this very match.
‘It’s completely different from analyzing other teams’ matches.’
Analyzing why someone else’s house burned down is entirely different from knowing how to respond when your own house catches fire.
Especially the subtle tricks related to vision perception are barely noticeable from a broadcast perspective.
From Cookie’s current vantage point, one could believe the Roman forces numbered 1,000.
They applied pressure at every entrance, and it was impossible to determine where their actual main force was located.
Even the soldiers themselves seemed to constantly change.
It was entirely intentional.
‘I’d develop claustrophobia at this rate.’
Cookie let out a bitter laugh.
Honestly, it was difficult to come up with a breakthrough strategy right now.
Even if I managed to break through here, it would be purely a matter of luck.
Roll the dice and get a six, you win. In this game, I simply won because a six came up.
‘…But I still have to roll it.’
A Commander sometimes rolls the dice even knowing they’ll lose.
Mathematically, the probability doesn’t change before and after rolling the dice.
But in the real world, the probability changes after the roll compared to before.
[Assemble]
Ting!
He began gathering several people at the main base’s supply depot.
‘Let’s break through.’
I couldn’t tell which position was the real one, but I couldn’t just keep defending like this.
I would create one opportunity to attack.
I would roll the dice once.
If that dice came up as a six, I would gain one more chance.
* * *
“Ah. Rome!? They’re going all-out on offense! But Joseon can’t handle it!?”
“Anto’s operational ability! And above all, Rome has a thick middle tier of players! That’s Rome’s biggest advantage!”
The Commentators couldn’t help but mention the player roster.
“Right now, Rome’s forces spread across all directions are pushing the tightly grouped Joseon forces into a corner! Honestly, it can only be explained as a difference in skill!”
I’m crying / Tears streaming down
-Yeah
How am I supposed to win while working at a malatang stall and gaming at the same time? This is crazy ㅠ
Even if Chiseung cuts back just one part-time job, it’s a win.
-Joseon can’t do full-scale warfare partly because of the player pool
In small-scale battles that came down to Ace-versus-Ace duels, even weaker teams could hold their own against stronger ones.
But if the battle dragged on?
“The longer the battle, the higher the participation rate of mid-tier players in major combat! So! Just as King Gul said! It becomes a battle fought by the average combat strength!”
It wasn’t just a few Ace units solving major missions—the entire army’s average strength became the army’s combat power.
“Exactly! Considering Civil M’s average soldier survival time! Even Aces would struggle to survive more than 10 minutes after battle starts!?”
No matter how skilled, one couldn’t stand out alone on a battlefield where hundreds of capable fighters were raging.
Everyone eventually faced death and waited for the moment to be recruited again.
“If battles continue like this from all directions! The recruitment speed slows down more and more! Because it costs more resources!?”
“That’s right. Soldiers are recruited in the order they died! And if you keep recruiting the same player….”
You couldn’t pick and choose which Soldier to recruit. They were only recruited in the order they died.
So what if you just kept pressing recruit as soon as they died? That wouldn’t work either.
Then a resource problem would occur.
“It costs slightly more resources each time, doesn’t it?”
“Exactly!”
-Spamming recruitment during re-recruitment just burns money lol
-This is a mistake beginners make
-Wow, so that’s why player pool matters;;
-It’s designed so you have to use them evenly lol
Duplicate recruitment incurs additional costs incrementally.
For example, recruiting six different soldiers once each (reviving them) is cheaper than recruiting Pangeo five times over.
Because of this, it’s difficult to implement a playstyle where a commander immediately presses recruit to revive a capable soldier, then does it again, and again…
As the game progresses into the late stages, costs increase exponentially, forcing the commander to be cautious about recruitment.
Usually, commanders wait until enough soldiers have died before pressing recruit again.
“Anto, on the other hand, doesn’t have this problem at all!?”
“Yes! It’s not because of resource differences! Rome’s soldiers maintain similar operational capability no matter how much rotation occurs!”
The only solution to this is ultimately to elevate the average operational capability of all 200 soldiers.
It sounds simple, but it’s actually the most difficult challenge.
Teams that solve this are usually called ‘championship-caliber squads’ in this field.
-They’re overwhelming lol
So this is championship material.
-Spain was nothing compared to this
-Just lose and move on to the main tournament~
-Rome was this strong?
“Rome! Continuing with overwhelming attrition warfare backed by an exceptional player pool!”
“Joseon has no choice but to be pushed back!”
The viewers were taken aback.
They knew Rome was strong, but they’d never seen them dominate this overwhelmingly before.
However, this was the perspective of casual viewers who only watched Joseon’s matches.
“Actually, Rome has shown this level of pressure against other teams quite frequently, hasn’t it?”
“That’s right. Joseon just performed exceptionally well in their last match!”
-Lost but fought well lmaooo
-Now they’re praising the previous match since there’s nothing to praise about this one lmaooo
-They fought well ‘in the past’ lolololol
The commentators were forced to dig up past matches just to say something hopeful—the situation was dire.
Sieges continuing on all fronts. Recruitment costs being drained continuously. Resources running dry.
If Rome’s third-era siege weapons appeared, the game would simply enter its final phase.
“It seems Joseon needs to make a decision right now? King Gul! Isn’t there any way to break through at least one position!?”
Currently, Joseon must break through this encirclement somehow.
Only then could they secure vision, gather resources, and strike at the enemy’s rear.
“Ah… from Cookie’s perspective, it’s extremely difficult to tell which areas are actually open right now?”
The problem is not knowing where to break through.
-Ah, it’s because of vision???
-Huh? Really?
-This is literally about commander skill, you noobs
-Hmm, is that so…
In cases like now where vision tricks come and go, there were many situations difficult to explain with just the commentators’ words.
Perhaps because of that, the Observer reacted.
Pop!
“Ah! The vision just changed, right?”
“Ah…! This, this is what it feels like!?”
-Creepy creepy creepy
-Huh?
-Horror game lol
-Why’d it switch to defense game vision? lol
-Oh…
-Why not Wall Maria?
When the broadcast switched to Cookie’s personal perspective, it became starkly clear.
The situation of the Joseon forces, now trapped like chickens in a coop.
They had to find a breakthrough.
Almost with the feeling of rolling dice.
“The moment I speak! Joseon has gathered their cavalry!”
Cavalry receiving weapons from the center of the Joseon forces came into view.
All their weapons were large Waldos.
These were probably the ones who would become Cookie’s dice.
“Ah. Waldo with heavy armor! These are mounted assault troops! Essentially the Eastern version of knights, right?”
“That’s correct! They have slightly lower defense than Western knights! But excellent mobility! And especially outstanding breakthrough power!”
“So they’re breaking through after all!”
Among the roughly thirty cavalry that gathered, Almond was also included.
-Almond creepy creepy
-Almond what? Isn’t he an archer this time??
-Huh Almond!?
-Whoa
The commentators also widened their eyes and looked again, then mentioned it.
“Wait, and interestingly Almond is included?”
“Uh…?”
“I thought Almond would be better off just shooting arrows from the top of the wall. What’s the reasoning here, King Gul?”
“Due to the game’s characteristics, headshots are difficult when shooting arrows from above. I think that’s why they included him in the assault unit instead.”
“Mounted archers were difficult to use in this situation?”
“Yes. It doesn’t suit the current operation, and that unit costs a lot of resources!”
-Real talk…
-Too elite a unit lol
-Agreed
“This is the first time in the National Team Tournament, right?! Coming out as a troop unrelated to archery!”
“That’s right. It seems Cookie is trying to test something new?”
King Gul didn’t think this was simply a matter of cutting costs.
‘Are they trying to expand their tactical options?’
It seemed they wanted to demonstrate that Joseon could handle different playstyles.
“Charging forward!? Ah, which direction should we go!? Honestly, heading south right now would be the best option!”
“Right? On the other hand, going north is hell!? Just like the Korean Peninsula!”
I’m dying laughing ㅋㅋㅋ
Haha, as expected from a fellow peninsula nation.
Hell Joseon lol
-The north of the Korean Peninsula really is hell
Hahahahaha
* * *
[Mounted Cavalry Charger]
A unit type I was receiving for the first time as Almond appeared above my head.
It was a special unit that Joseon took pride in. It was probably among the highest tier of Joseon’s melee units.
It had better efficiency than absolute specs.
Unlike mounted archers, it could be used immediately without upgrades, had considerable mobility among heavy cavalry, and the Waldo they wielded had such high versatility that even infantry could use it directly.
“We’re departing soon. Check your positions and maintain your equipment!”
Maratang stepped forward at the very front and shouted.
Following behind him, exactly twenty-eight mounted cavalry chargers lined up in formation.
These were faces unfamiliar to me as Almond.
[Breakthrough]
The commander’s order came down.
“Hyah!”
Maratang charged ahead first, and one by one they began to gallop beside him.
Positioned in a V-formation, they pierced through like a lance striking their opponent.
Whoooosh…!
Each position glowed and was marked.
‘There it is.’
Since my turn was delayed in this unit type, I was at the far right flank.
“Ha! Let’s go! Follow me!”
The second position from the right flank departed, and I too spurred my horse forward.
Clop! Clop!
The direction they were galloping was twelve o’clock.
North.
Clop!
The horse’s speed increased steadily. The sound of hoofbeats thundered fiercely.
Clop! Clop!
Maratang was shouting something from the very front, but his voice was barely audible.
“Our target… the enemy encampment near the north gate… the rear… that’s it!”
Without Danggeun or Pangeo there to explain things as usual, it was difficult to grasp the situation.
The only thing I could discern was the command [Breakthrough] that Cookie had sent directly.
‘Well, it’s a breakthrough, so….’
A breakthrough meant charging headlong into the enemy.
At least, that’s how Almond understood it.
After all, this mounted shock cavalry unit had been created for precisely that purpose.
“Hiyaaah!”
“Haah!”
The cavalry around me began accelerating their pace.
‘The gate.’
The castle gate would appear soon.
[Movement Speed Acceleration]
Due to the mounted shock cavalry’s trait, the horses accelerated progressively.
[Cutting Power Increases Proportional to Acceleration]
Speed was combat power. This wasn’t merely a metaphor.
Thrummmmm!
The gate opened.
Maratang, standing at the front, raised Waldo high.
Slash!
“Breakthrooooough!”
Those following him roared in unison.
“Waaaahhhhh!”
With their shouts, the entire cavalry unit surged through the gate.
After they passed through, the gate shut immediately.
Boom──!
“!”
The sound was like a heart sinking into the depths.
The cavalry could tell the moment they exited the gate.
‘This, this many?’
‘Damn….’
Cookie’s dice roll had come up as ‘1’.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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