wow…..that was something else, huh? The last pVp is probably the closest i will ever get to experiencing something like Russian roulette. (yes, my Life is that exciting lol)
Had i known in the beginning i would be competing with members of S.H.I.E.L.D., X-Men, 5Deadlies and other powerful albeit less prominent alliances i probably would not have aimed for T5 (or would i?? hehe) But since i knew i would be working during the last hour of the pVp i decided to enter the event a little earlier than usual to try and build a nice big lead (maybe that was my biggest mistake?)
When i first joined my bracket, the only big names i recognized were WolfmanX25 (who strangely enough, either by prudence or circumstance, disappeared, reappeared and disappeared again from the mad, mad T10) and franckynight. i figured there were probably a couple more big guns lurking in the shadows (boy oh boy was i wrong!) and thought i had a decent shot at T5. Knowing the popularity of Deadpool i figured from the get go i would need about 1400 to guarantee T5 (wrong again). Ha! i even had dreams of hitting #1 (a dude can dream, can’t he?)
The first 30 hours went smoothly enough. i slowly but surely made my way to the top. it was the last 18 hours when the fun had really begun. After climbing past 1100, i was playing hopscotch with letsgetsweaty, max230 and biomarvel trying to chase franckynight who was sitting at 1 with points somewhere in the mid 1200s. i reached number 2 and was within arms reach of franckynight when i needed to shield for the next 3 hours and recharge. i told a friend that it looked like i would need over 1300 points to make it into the T5. Enter: KGN and Terr who decided to join in on the dance and send our bracket into hyperdrive!
i returned to battle after my shield expired to find franckynight now in the 1500s and myself in 6th place! it was then that i realized this bracket was probably going to take it to the limit and within a few nicely timed shield hops i was already past 1400, battling biomarvel and max230 for a spot in the T5. (letsgetsweaty dropped out of the race). imanaged to reach 3rd and once again was one hop away from Franckynight when i decided to get some sweet, sweet shuteye. During that time max230, Franckynight, Terr and KGN made a dash for the finish line.
i awoke to find myself luckily still in 5th place, Terr and franckynight battling it out for the number one spot and max230 and KGN sitting in the 1600s; there was also a new face in the T10: LstHwn with something like 1410 points. At this late stage of the game i knew i had to be careful (one hop for one shield ) and pretty damn lucky (find a beatable target, hope the cascade gods fall in my favor, hope no one hits me at an inopportune time). Me and biomarvel were the only ones in the T10 of my bracket to have only one 166 maxed character, everyone one else had 4+ (as much as i am indebted to my maxed Punisher for getting me into 3* land, i knew there was only one team that could get the job done: my semi-uber Daken/Sentry team).
[i felt like a ninja bunny hopping to and fro in a tank filled with sharks and there was only my mighty magic shield to protect me from their merciless jaws.]､., ⌒ ､., ⌒ ､., ⌒ ､., ⌒ ､., ⌒ ､., ⌒￣(=∵=)￣ don’t eat me! ah! don’t eat me!
After breaking into the 1500s, i noticed LstHwn was closing in on me. i had a feeling before going to bed i would need 1600 so i was mentally prepared but still i spent half my time mentally yelling “Go away” and “Fail!” but to no avail. With 5 hours left on the clock, i managed to overtake KGN who was 1620 and secure 1640 points while LstHwn was somewhere in the mid 1500s. i lined up a nice 39 point fight (my just in case fight) and went to work.
i get my break with a little under 2 hours left to find that persistent little devil Lst Hwn behind me unshielded at 1627. Not only that, the mighty Jozier had also entered the T10 and was in the 1300s. I wouldn’t put it past him to do something really amazing and break into the T5 with 2 hours left. Those S.H.I.E.L.D agents can do some really incredible stuff when they want to. “This is no good” i think to myself and realizing that both KGN and LstHwn were both just a hop away from knocking me out of T5 (and the mighty Jozier was swimming in these waters) i knew i would have to use my last ace and pray that Lady Luck would not abandon me this day.
i waited for LstHwn to shield up and after seeing her/him shielded proceeded to make my move. Lady Luck once again allowed me to continue my victorious streak and as soon as my match was finished i shielded and headed to the leaderboard screen to make sure the server registered my shield. But lo and behold, what do i find but LastHwn unshielded again! Then BAM! i get a notice that i was hit for 26 points (no points lost) by the pesky devil! However, it was all part of my master plan (not really, i wish i was an evil mad genius that can predict this kind of stuff) as LastHwn forgot to consider that he/she would be hit from the last unshielded push and dropped down to 1601. With my foe vanquished and KGN sitting at 1620, i felt could breathe a little easier and sit out the last hour.
When i finally got my next break, i come back to find that i had indeed made into the T5 at 4th place and that pesky devil somehow managed to claw back from the jaws of oblivion and take 5th at 1648. I don’t know how she/he did it, but i will say i am impressed. that was nothing short of a miracle! so congratulations to you LstHwn, you definitely earned it! (Even if you did try to kneecap me 
haha!) And of course congratulations to all the other members of T5 and those in my bracket who helped make this a memorable ride!
With that being said, i never want to do that again! lol i love Marvel Puzzle Quest not Marvel HP Pee contest (no disrespect to those Alliances and individuals that like this mini-game. Just not my cup of tea!) i probably burned a little over 2000HP to make it into the T5 (although with better planning I could have made it 1500 HP, i kept using 8 hour shields to try to go to bed and then kept thinking “No, the time is now!” unshielding and wash rinse repeat 3 or 4 times) [and yes i know stronger, more experienced players can do it with half the HP. cest la vie!] Having gotten so far in pVp i finally have come to understand the Vets demands for a new mode, either non-competitive or better rewards/tier system. i’m not going to whine or complain but simply ask the devs: could you please design the next stage for 3* players? There is no one who loves or has given more to this game than them. They (plus me) want nothing more than to see this game grow and improve so please don’t exploit their love of the game, rather use it to continue to improve it.
Was this mad shield hopping with sharks event worth it? Yes, i got the three covers i wanted, an unforgettable memory and a complement from a cute girl at my job. Today she asked me why i looked so tired and i explained that i had competed in a globally competitive puzzle game and was ranked #4. She was very impressed and mistakenly thought i was ranked #4 in the world but i tried to explain the bracketing system (which in hindsight i probably shouldn’t have done! Foolish, foolish little man!) but i still feel she thinks the better of me for it! (+ 3 points for that!)
Aah! And before i forget i need to thank A.R.E.S. for being so generous with his/her points. i wouldn’t have been able to do with out you! i think i love tapped you three times! Hope you were shielded!
Which reminds me, notes for learners of the game:
-It’s true! All you need is a workable Sentry/Daken or Hood, and you too can play chicken with the champions! You don’t even need them maxed! My Sentry is at 132 and Daken 150
-Don’t be greedy. After a certain point, you will need to stick to the one hop one shield rule. You should consider the time (how much time left in the event) and your position (the closer you are to the top the crazier it gets). Also, do you feel lucky? [Well do you punk?] Don’t forget the boosts!
- One should never tango with Sentry/Hood unless one has a decent Hood to counter the other Hood(i.e. 5 blue cover, 5 black is a nice bonus but no big). I had to learn that lesson the hard way. Twice.
- If you have the HP and there is a character you really want, you should at least try shield hopping to oblivion and beyond once. It will really give you new sense of awe and respect for what the X-Men and other top players that like that kind of thing do. But just once! (unless of course, Gambit and Silver Surfer come along. NO! never again)
- If you happen to have the opportunity to tell a cute girl or boy about your gaming adventures try to be as vague as possible! It will make your feats seem all the more amazing! haha
Well ladies and gentlemen, that’s about it from me. If you will excuse me, i have 2 Deadpool covers, some HT covers and of course Spider-Man covers to win! <3 Spider-man, Spider-man does whatever~♪
For those who don’t want to take time to read this shpeel (i know i should put this at the top muahahaha)
tldr: The OP is crazy. pVp past 1100 points is just an HP Pee contest. Spider-man is still number one (just not in the MPQ Universe)! Boo yah!ﾞ☆⌒o(*^ｰﾟ)ｖ
