A Fight To Remember

<div class="IPBDescription">Now that was fun</div> I had started getting a little down on the chances for marines in this game, figuring the chances of finding a group of players on a public server who could work together well enough to compete were pretty slim. Tonight changed that opinion entirely, and provided me with one of my most enjoyable gaming moments ever. After some initial expansion which ultimately got beaten back, my hardy marines (I was playing commander) fell back to our base on ns_eclipse. Fortunately, our defenses were strong enough to hold the alien swarm for a few minutes while we regrouped and recovered from our failed excursions. We began fortifying our position as quickly as possible, and upgrading our weapons with the resources we had gained earlier in the game. I was reasonably sure that we'd be overrun sooner rather than later, but we weren't going to go down without a fight. I can't tell you how impressed I was with the disciplice showed by our squad, fighting back wave after wave of progressively more dangerous opponents. Enduring everything from hit and run skulk attacks, suicide xenocide attacks, and Onos rushes the valiant troops held on for dear life. I was amazed at how well this group understood that our only chance for a breakout required that I conserve as many resources as possible. When we had equipped as best we could, and added some more fortifications to our right-side exit, our push to the left began. Fighting for every inch, we managed to reach the first intersection where one of the most intense battles I've ever seen took place. Each warrior equipped with his welder and HMG, our troops swapped frequently between repairing each other and fighting back the horde. By now we'd invested over 2 hours in this match, and we weren't going to stop there. Somehow achieving the Horseshoe, we managed to capture some much needed resources, and threw up all the turrets we could afford. With one marine watching our backs, the balance of our force began the assault on the Maintenance hive. Meeting suprisingly little resistance (I think the aliens had been so sure of victory that they relaxed their defenses) we destroyed the hive and claimed it for our own. Coming from basically a 'last stand' in our base and eventually winning the game was memorable for me, in large part due to the quality of people I met. Things were pretty hectic for me as the commander, but I'd like to send greetings out to a few of the guys on that squad. If I spell the names wrong I apologize.... Kaetean and Maverick were quiet and reliable, allowing me to focus on my many duties. They knew what we were trying to achieve and didn't waste valuable resources when we couldn't afford them. Blizzard the welder was a very valuable member of the squad, running around behind the scenes repairing marines, turrets, and equipment efficiently and without complaint. Blade was focused on our goals throughout our base defense, and helped to remind fellow marines of the value of teamwork. It's very sad that he got disconnected somehow part way through, but his contribution was great just the same. Black Spider, though a bit of a lone wolf, did provide some very good diversions for our main force, and was there in the thick of things when we needed to mount a major assault.

Thanks to all you guys, and the others involved in that game for a great experience. It was a thrill playing through it with you, and I'd welcome the chance to play with any of you again anytime. Seeing first-hand what's possible with some great teamwork and patience has completely restored my excitement about this game, and also proven my belief that there really are some good people to meet on these public servers. Hope to see you soon

Lesch