Remember The Monthly Cups: North America, January

It is time to remember North America's Monthly. Competition was weaker here, as the bulk of top players hail from Europe. Many of whom did not join the American cups, despite that this was the time when it was allowed. But no more. It has passed, forever.

As before, only the Finals are text replayed.



Seven players were accounted for and one were missing in action. But he was not the only one, or thing, to be missing. Several replays were never uploaded. And now, their contents are lost.


This was supposed to be a gaming day for PauLaD, but all he got was a cricket and a bit of sound. Alucard had not checked in. The New Yorker had to wait.


Sloppy. Two games, and only one replay, which Wada uploaded. Map: Crossing in the Woods. Let us hope he will not… Oh. He embarrassed himself already. That was quick. New record? Shadowwada failed to anticipate an AEC rush by Dusty, and then he lost three squads rapidly. From there on it was a struggle until he managed to recover in the late game. Just in time for that nice Artillery Cover ability to say hi! Glad that ability got nerfed, eh, Shadow?


The series was a beautiful sight, filled with mass sacrifice and slaughter. Game one was like a reverse Operation Barbarossa, where VonIvan lead the Soviets in an invasion of Germany. Almost winning, but then tossing it all away, in a similar fashion to what Hitler did. But it was all forgiven in game two, when it was Price’s turn to throw. He obliterated the German army early with snipers and partisans. He then slips, dives, and cracks his head open on a jagged rock in the late game: he lost most of his army. With both beds soiled, it was up to game three to decide who was less of a pisser. And what better way of doing so than to simulate the trench warfare from WW1? It was slow until the tanks arrived, then things lived up. For the Soviets and VonIvan that was. He caged Price into the German base and proved himself the lesser pisser. Congratulations!


Game one was not saved by neither player. But game two was uploaded, and it was a wash. Soviet Luvnest outplayed his Wehrmacht opponent early on, faltered a bit, and then came smashing back with a T-70. Bleeding and killing Hamster’s squads, until it died. A replacement T-70 then got lucky. Finding a grenadiers squad and a sniper, wiping them both before dying. At which point Hamster surrendered. He had been behind in map control all game.



Gawd dammit. Kids now days...! Always forgetting 'em replays! Makes grandpa Hitler angry.


Two games, but no replays uploaded. Seems the ESL admins are rather lax about their rules. What a pity. I was hoping for murder. Anyway, Paul won this one.


Four mortars, Von? Really? And you just left them in one spot. No wonder you lost game one against Luvnest. Of course, losing three T-70s did not help. But you could have tried to conserve your troops! It went better in game two, where Luvnest lost a sniper team early. After a period of map dominance for VonIvan, things turned as Luvnest recruited two sniper teams and recovered parts of the map. With about fifty Victory Points left, he managed to hold on until his IS-2 arrived. Then it triggered a teller mine. Then it was destroyed. If only you had a minesweeper, Luvnest… If only. Winter Semoskiy was the decider map. The early and middle game were even, but then a few disasters for Von made things worse. And embarrassing. Satan’s second in command, Luvnest, lay a mine in front of a door and killed a squad. Would have thought VonIvan saw that one coming, but no. From there on, it was down, until he could fight no more.



They had meet once before. Long ago, at about the same time as Luvnest and Barton meet. Would that give either an advantage? Or fear?

PauLaD had advanced into the finals of the first North America cup. There he meet Luvnest and lost. He took a break from the second cup. Entered the third, and was knocked out by VonIvan in the Semi-Finals. But came back during the forth cup and won. However, DevM took Paul down in the fifth. And now, he faced Luvnest, champion of Europe. Was he nervous? Could he do it?

Luvnest won the first NA cup, but did not play in any later cups. Somehow, he had enough points to join the Monthly. Anyway, he won the European Monthly and moved onto the American one. Would he be tired and slip? Or would he continue to be strong?






Map: Faymonville Approach
PauLaD: Wehrmacht
Luvnest: Soviet

Luvnest did not switch it up. Quick sniper and a jab at the centre was his choice, just as it was in the EU cup. Problem was, though, that Paul was not there. He was playing on the flanks, aiming for both fuel points. A quadruple grenadier build made it pay off, as the quick sniper leaves the Soviets vulnerable early.

But it would not last long. Luvnest was building up his forces to handle the situation, while keeping his sniper team busy. And the Germans focus on the flanks left their centre open. Something Luvnest finds out quickly. He snacthes away the cutoff point to the West and digs down, waiting for the Germans to counterattack. Will they come?

They do. But not from the direction he expected. They flank his position and then attack from the front. The one squad of defending conscripts does not stand a chance. Neither does the combat engineers on the East flank. Earlier, a 222 scout car arrived. It was ready to hunt snipers, or so they thought. Unexpectedly, they found the engineers and let loose a few rounds. Blowing up a mine.


One man survived, but barely. The 222 smells a kill. It chases him down and then kills him, but in the process, it is hit by an anti-tank grenade. Another grenade seals its fate. Luvnest buys a new squad of engineers. Then he trains another sniper. Somewhat risky, should Paul purchase another 222, or worse: an assault group, from the Mechanized Assault Doctrine, which he selected earlier. He has enough command points and fuel for the group, but not the manpower.

Regardless, he has little time to think. Luvnest pushes hard. Perhaps too much so, as he almost loses a squad to a blob of grenadiers. Almost a sniper team too. Ouch, ninety manpower to reinforce is quite the blow.

Paul does a fine job of attacking across the front. Keeping squads in support range of each other whenever possible, but it is not quite enough. The sniper teams whittle away at his forces, and he has no means to counter them. Short of charging them of course. And that sounds like suicide. He needs something else.

Remember that mechanized assault group call in? They are here. And they know where the snipers are. Straight for them the group drives. They sight the enemy, and... Bang! The engine blew up. An anti-tank grenade, of course…! No sniper killing today, boys!

That may have been Paul’s only chance to kill the snipers. Luvnest will be more careful from now on, and he will build a counter in due time. Or sooner, should he quit being lazy and build his Tankoviy, instead of fighting with his engineers. Yes, they are combat engineers, but no, they are not good at that first part. Ever. Finally, he realizes that.


The snipers bother Paul a lot. His blobbing fist cannot deal with them. Plus, his opponent will eventually catch on and buy a maxim or two. Something more is needed. Something fast, and less fragile than the assault group. What we need here is a StuG E. Meanwhile, Luvnest has already figured out what Paul will do. A SU-76 is on its way to deal with the problem. But, the StuG is first.

Its task is to drive at the enemy base, to try and kill the snipers. All the while ignoring the possibilities of mines, three separate anti-tank grenades, and any other nasty things that may lie in wait. Brilliant plan there, Paul. I am sure Hitler would be proud.

One grenade clues the driver to what may happen to him and his crew. Plans cancelled! Let us play it safe, kommandant! A good choice. The SU-76 is afield, and on the hunt! It finds the StuG, hits twice, and gives chase. Only a German infantry screen stops it, allowing its prey to escape.


Paul marches into the centre with his infantry alone. Alas, the snipers are about and they have support. A few shots later, a grenadiers squad lies dead. And moments after; a mine destroys the 250 halftrack, from the assault group. Then the Panzergrenadiers go down. Paul is unwell, and his map control falters.

In desperation, he sees a small opening. Or so he thinks. The sniper teams appear exposed, but the SU-76 is nearby, and deeper into the Soviet line waits conscripts. The StuG E speeds in, kills one of the teams, and perishes. A new E replaces it. The damage, however, is done.

Two more squads of grenadiers departs the Earth. Paul gives the GG.

Winner: Luvnest!




PauLaD: British Forces
Luvnest: Oberkommando West

It is a slow start. Trenches and steel barricades are built. The map is captured, a kubel gives Luvnest a lead. Then, in the West and near the fuel, the first engagement starts. Here, a section are entrenched and fighting a sturmpioneer. Whom retreat behind a shed, appearing to be heading for the cutoff belonging to Paul.


But it is a faint. The section chases their foe, unaware that the kubel scouted them doing so. As they turn the shed corner, they are greeted by sturmgewehr fire and must flee. Luvnest has just won the West. And, he manages to hold the East as well. Despite a vickers in a house.

Not for long though. British reinforcements force him out, but two minutes of double fuel control gives him a choice. The Mechanized Regiment Headquarters is set up. Will it be a Luchs or a Puma? In this patch, the AEC Armoured Car was a menace. Capable of slaughtering men and light vehicles alike. Fearing the worst, Luvnest plays it safe: a Puma it is, and a panzerschreck as well.

Paul has other plans though. Another vickers is under his command. There will be no AECs. There will be vickers in houses, the centre is taken, and the East fuel is watched from the house.


It is a turtle plan, and it may not be the best course of action. The Puma is mobile, and an anti-tank gun will have trouble keeping up with it. Luvnest puts it to good use. Dashing here and there to support his troops. He progresses in the centre, sending the vickers there home. And he calls in some Jaegers from the Scavenge Doctrine. The British trenches are now useless, thanks to the German infiltration and incendiary grenades.

Things are not well for Paul. He is pushed back on all fronts. Even losing a vickers to the enemy in the process. Then two infantry sections. An air supply run is called, but the Tactical Support Regiment is not sure what to do. Retreat from the field is advisable, but Paul has no intentions of doing so.


A field recovery operation comes. The engineers man the air dropped vickers and anti-tank gun. By squad numbers, PauLaD has recovered, but not so in map control. It will be a long and hard climb back.

Another vickers go down. And then an anti-tank gun is destroyed. The map turns red, Luvnest is in charge, until a Cromwell arrives. It wrecks the Puma. There was not a single mine on the field. Sloppy play! He must be tired.

The victory is a small one for the British. Luvnest still holds most of the map, and Paul has a lot of work to do. Even more so since his opponent has laid mines. But he may never recover at this rate. A recovery squad is belled and gone; a second Cromwell called, but the victory points chime.

Thirty-one is their verdict. And they count down, as desperation takes Paul, and his men die. All hopes of victory lost, he says GG and gives up.

Winner: Luvnest!



None found. ;-; Please send help!



Luvnest took both Monthly Cups, for the first and last time. Ever after, none would be able to perform the same deed. The borders of Europe was closed for Americans and vice versa. ESL sat their foot down after complaints from the competitors.