Genius Archer’s Streaming - Chapter 691

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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 161
53. Seeing Through (3)
A bold strategy from the early game—expanding hunting outposts relentlessly.
For Vikings, creating multiple hunting outposts is how they solve both food and gold problems.
So if they keep expanding hunting outposts from the start, they can definitely multiply their resources quickly.
But before those outposts cross the break-even point and resources explode, they become dangerously vulnerable.
“Isn’t this a risky choice for the Vikings?”
King Gul couldn’t help but say it.
“What? Why? They should be earning gold like crazy though?”
“In the end, resources exist so you can use them to become stronger, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“But right now, the Vikings are spending resources just to get more resources. They’re earning money to earn money! Sure, they’ll make plenty of gold! But they have no gold left to fight with!!”
-Responsibility without reward lol
-Total gamble
-They’re gonna blow it all at once right now
Haha, trying to make money by making money.
This was definitely a gambling play from the Vikings’ perspective.
If the opponent noticed this pattern, they could inflict massive damage.
“If Joseon catches on and launches a first-era defense tower rush, the Vikings will have a really tough time!”
“Exactly! Cookie is incredibly good at that kind of thing, right!? How many Commanders has he crushed with it!! And now he’s pulling out Nalbit right in front of Cookie!?”
As the commentators said, Cookie was a Commander skilled in early-game poking.
In fact, most of the Joseon Soldiers were also experts in this kind of play.
“Joseon starts from the third era, sure! But skill varies person to person, you know!? Honestly, the players fighting for our Joseon right now are probably more comfortable with small-scale skirmishes in the first and second eras?”
-For real lol
-We barely win when we actually reach the third era lol
-Masters of rice cake fights lol
-Best at bickering back and forth
Joseon’s strength lay in having already synchronized their tactics with Cookie through such early-game strategies, and they had victory experience to back it up.
“No matter how strong the Vikings are early on, such an extreme Nalbit strategy could actually backfire!”
Meshing with the opponent’s tendencies, the Vikings were definitely making a risky choice.
“Yes, that’s right. But! Joseon has to notice this! Only then does everything work out….”
Of course, if Joseon doesn’t catch on, it’s all pointless.
But—
“Huh!?”
Whoosh!
The Observer switched to one faction’s perspective.
Joseon’s point of view.
The arena did the same.
Kuguguguung….
Half the arena plunged into darkness as the terrain collapsed.
“Ooooooh…!”
The audience murmured as the perspective shift was displayed through hologram for the first time.
“I told you it’s crucial whether Cookie discovers it or not!? That’s why they’re broadcasting it this way now!”
-Observer
-Wow, seeing it like this makes me think he might actually spot it lol
-Man, watching this live must be insane
Nearly the entire field of vision was shrouded in darkness.
Sending out aggressive scouts against the Era 1 Vikings was no easy choice, so Joseon’s vision was far narrower than the Vikings’.
“Ah… this is the Vikings’ strength. The difference in vision control is enormous, isn’t it?”
“Still, in Era 1 when there’s no warmonger faction. Even if we die now, we have to send in scouts!”
“They often die before even getting in! The Vikings just throw axes from range!”
From Era 1 onward, Vikings can produce axes, and axes are considerably cheaper weapons compared to spears or swords.
They’re essentially disposable projectile weapons.
“Exactly. That’s quite useful.”
“But right now they’re expanding hunting camps like crazy! So they probably didn’t produce axes! That’s why Cookie is hesitating now!”
In truth, if Joseon pushed their scouts forward, they could see right through the Vikings’ intentions.
The problem is Cookie has no way of knowing that’s possible right now.
“Alright, Cookie. Keep sending scouts out steadily and carefully, okay? Ah? They’ve spotted something? What decision will he make?”
A few soldiers from each side encountered each other on the map.
It didn’t escalate into combat, but information reached both commanders.
“Cookie. You need to sense something’s off, right? The way the Vikings are scouting looks strange. There are no ones carrying axes!”
The clues Cookie could discern were scattered bit by bit.
Normally, with Vikings, at this timing there should definitely be at least one axe-wielder included in each scout group.
But in the current situation, nobody was carrying axes.
Because they’re spending all their resources building hunting camps.
Of course, it’s possible they just happened to encounter a group without axes, so this isn’t definitive information.
The definitive information is the ‘pattern of scouting itself’.
“The way they’re scouting is completely different!?”
Vikings are a civilization known for extremely aggressive scouting, spearheaded by their Era 1 strength.
Just last game, they tried to monopolize all the food that way.
But what about now?
They’re advancing slowly, forming a line. Like defensive players waiting for an offside.
“The Vikings are playing defensive soccer right now! This isn’t Vikings at all!?”
As if hearing King Gul’s words.
Beep!
[Attack]
An order comes down from the Vikings.
“Huh? Vikings! They’re charging!”
“It’s a bluff! They’re overacting to seem normal!”
-Overacting lol
-Total bluff lol
-How did he fall for that
The Viking isn’t actually thinking about fighting properly, but that’s uncharacteristic of the usual Viking.
So he’s just rushing forward as if to bluff.
If Joseon doesn’t retreat, the Vikings will eventually not attack and pull back instead.
But—
Ting!
[Retreat]
Cookie pulls his forces back momentarily.
“Ah…!”
“W-wait, the bluff actually worked!?”
“Actually, that’s the proper response. When the Viking charges recklessly in Era 1, thinking ‘is this a bluff?’ and fighting anyway is insane! Ma Dong-seok doesn’t just pretend to be strong when showing off his arm muscles! He’s actually strong!”
I’m dying laughing ㅋㅋㅋ
-Facts
Haha, that’s hilarious!
-That’s right
This is so unreasonable lolol
If Ma Dong-seok bluffs, you just have to fall for it, damn it.
-(You die if you catch on)
Bluffing (literally) lol
“But Cookie? Did he notice something was off? He brings the Assistant Commander to the front line.”
Though he pulled back his forces, Cookie sensed that the Viking scouts’ behavior was strange, so he calls the Assistant Commander forward to the front ranks.
It seemed like he was planning to use the [Release Hawk] skill.
Early on, the cooldown is quite long, so you need to use it carefully.
The fact that he decided to use it now means something feels off.
“Right. Joseon noticed something was strange! But not openly—like, ‘Hey bro! Don’t lie!’ Instead, he’s subtly probing from behind, you know?”
“Good social skills!”
Damn, haha
Don’t mess with me, lol.
I’m dying laughing ㅋㅋㅋ
-Social skill OP
-This is being popular!?
Bread charges forward on horseback and releases a hawk.
Whoooosh!
Suddenly, a circular area of the dark map lights up.
At the edge of it, a hunting outpost was visible.
“!”
“Discoverrrrrred!!!”
A hunting outpost had been built all the way out here.
“Ah. When did they build it this far out!? Since I had no vision! I was genuinely startled!”
Though I couldn’t fully sense it without vision, considerable time had passed since the Viking began expanding their hunting outposts.
“Cookie! You’ve confirmed the discovery, right!? So what’s our countermeasure now!?”

* * *
Cookie had seen it.
‘A hunting outpost this far out at this timing?’
Something about the Viking scout’s presence felt off from usual, so I’d released my hawk early for reconnaissance.
And it had paid off.
‘If the hunting outpost has stretched this far… it means they’ve already filled everything behind it.’
Hunting outposts are structures that only function when built at certain intervals.
So when you build enough of them, they eventually spread across into enemy territory.
But this normally only happens after the mid-Age 2 period, when Viking civilization is at its peak.
If hunting outposts appear this close to the neutral zone in Age 1, something is definitely wrong.
They’re plotting something unusual.
‘Just how many hunting outposts are behind all this?’
This was different from the usual Viking approach.
That much was certain.
Cookie closed his eyes for a moment, lost in thought.
“Huh.”
As I relieved the strain from my eyes and emptied my mind with a deep breath, my thoughts suddenly accelerated.
The movements visible so far.
‘That initial scout movement. Even that clumsy bluffing on top of it.’
The scouts’ peculiar movements.
The hunting outposts that had poked their heads into the neutral zone.
‘Now that I think about it, there were no axe-wielders.’
Vikings supply axes from Age 1 onward, and most scouts at the front lines carry axes.
But all the ones I just encountered had none.
This could be coincidence alone, but when all these elements combine, it’s no coincidence.
‘They’re pooling every last resource to burst forth in Age 2.’
In other words, the Vikings are currently all-in on their leverage.
It’s practically bankruptcy.
And they’re aiming for a reversal at the start of Age 2.
‘They’re going for an early Age 2 strike. Not the typical early Age 3 approach.’
Though the Vikings are bankrupt now, they’ll soon stop building hunting outposts and drain their resources dry, focusing entirely on military production.
That’s the early Age 2 phase.
While not quite as explosive as early Age 3, they’ll field a devastating army that other civilizations simply cannot match at that stage.
Joseon’s Age 2 has no way to keep pace with that firepower.
If we leave things as they are, Joseon loses in Age 2.
However, it’s not hopeless.
In fact, this strategy has many vulnerabilities.
‘Their activity decreases in the first era.’
The Viking’s early-game advantage disappears.
They cannot properly observe and pressure the early Joseon forces.
With the increased outposts, nearly all two hundred soldiers must focus on hunting, while the rest must guard the outposts.
Only then does gold production skyrocket.
To summarize, this strategy has an extremely vulnerable timing window.
‘Right now.’
That window is now.
Cookie’s eyes light up.
[ATTACK]
He issues the attack command.
About twenty Barbarian Soldiers line up and begin charging toward that location.
He intends to destroy the hunting outpost.
Then, the Vikings in the vicinity gather at the hunting outpost.
[HOLD]
Cookie immediately issues a halt command.
The Joseon Soldiers stand frozen, facing off against the Vikings.
The Vikings form a line in front of the outpost, as if determined to defend it.
‘Just as I expected.’
I never thought they’d surrender it so easily.
These hunting outposts are pushed this far forward. Of course the Vikings would be paying attention to them.
‘Then….’
Ping!
[RALLY]
Excluding the hunting personnel, one hundred soldiers begin rushing together.
The blue dots on the minimap move frantically, and the crowd seems to realize something is starting—their cheers grow louder.
‘If you use a strategy like this, you deserve to be punished.’
Building hunting outposts like that from the start, demanding I split my forces, and then trying to defend them.
They’re being quite greedy. Endlessly expanding their economy while essentially saying ‘if you don’t like it, split your forces’—that’s how they’re playing.
Then I really had no choice but to split my forces.
Splitting forces was Cookie’s specialty.
He gauges the outpost positions and designates the most troublesome location.
Thud.
[DEFENSE TOWER]
[CONSTRUCTING – 1%]
About five soldiers rush forward, and the defense tower’s foundation rises in an instant.
“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”
At that moment, a roar erupts throughout the entire arena.
Not only is the defense tower rising, but two soldiers who will enter the tower are standing by.
[ALMOND]
[Pangeo]
Joseon launched a first-era defensive tower rush against the Viking.

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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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