The 35th Ancient Citadel match in Raven 2 is looming. This is the second time we are running the event with the updated ruleset. While we saw some technical hiccups last time, we expect things to run much smoother now. As a gesture of apology, Raven 2 has promised to double the crystal rewards for all battlefields on December 13th. You will definitely want to secure a victory on whatever field you land on. Let us start by breaking down which guilds are likely to throw their hats into the ring.

Analysis of Expected Guilds for the 35th Ancient Citadel

Groups 1 and 2: A forecast of the challenge against Lux

Let us start with the Lux and Kerum worlds, which will be competing in groups 1 and 2. The biggest difference between these two worlds is how centralised their alliances are. Lux is largely split between the Royal Alliance and the Animal Crossing Alliance. The former appears to be a coalition featuring 'Royal Alliance 2 - Royal Alliance 3 - Wise - Munchkin'. Given that the member guilds all use 'ROYAL' or variations of the name, it is safe to assume they are allies, meaning a massive block of 11 or more guilds. No matter how the groups are split, they are likely to cooperate.

Then we have the Animal Crossing Alliance, who have been active in the Ancient Citadel for quite some time. They play across Honor and Dolor, and as luck would have it, those two servers have been matched in group 1. Keep a close eye on them, as they might just decide to jump into the fray together.

On the other hand, Kerum is home to a more fragmented collection of smaller alliances like No Show, Legend, and Geek Family. Looking at the setup, it feels like a classic case of Kerum’s various factions trying to storm the massive fortress that is the Lux world. We expect No Show Romance, Destruction 1 and 2, and LEGENO to represent the world. I am already quite eager to see the bracket and the final results.

The focal point of the 3 world groups is Mare

Following the 34th Ancient Citadel, we have grouped Nox, Mare, and Kerum into three brackets. The current situation can be summarised as the 'Mare World Spirit Bomb'. Previously, Myth and Veteran were active in Sol, while Royal My Own was in Lux. However, following the server migration, all these guilds and their allies have swarmed into the Mare world. It has turned into a proper PVP hotspot overnight. We are looking forward to the clash between H1, Veteran Club, Myth Red, and Royal My Own.

Looking at the Sol world chart, it is apparent that many strong guilds have moved on. The expected participants from the Honor and Metus servers are a testament to that. Others will surely fill the void, but we will have to wait for the next bracket to see exactly who they are. Conversely, a variety of ranker guilds and alliances have emerged, pointing toward a fierce power struggle. I am keen to watch this new competitive landscape unfold.

Vita and Terra: Both sides have built formidable alliances

Finally, groups 6 and 7 are the stage for the Vita and Terra worlds. The Vita world is essentially anchored by the TOP alliance. This includes Fides' Red Light, Mors' Dala Dala, and Honor's Codename. It is effectively a merger of top-tier ranker guilds from three different servers. Furthermore, there is a sub-alliance called TOP2, and we have spotted a potential second sub-alliance as well. It is a 'Suspicious Alliance' involving Fides server's Pink Light and Ash Grey, who share the same naming convention and guild icons as the others. It is safe to assume this is a mega-alliance of over 11 guilds, relying on sheer weight to dictate their strategy.

The Terra world alliances are just as fierce. We have the Our Alliance, which includes Kings and Valentine, and the Empathy Alliance featuring GZone and ZZone. I am also keeping a close eye on the Oz alliance, which stood out in the first week of December's PVP rankings. It is highly likely that Our Alliance and Oz will clash with the top rankers from the TOP alliance in group 6. It promises to be a difficult battle.

Thrilling! The upcoming brackets

The match I am most looking forward to in the next Raven 2 Ancient Citadel is group 2. We have Lux's 'Metus - Fides - Mors' meeting Kerum's 'Metus - Mors - Honor'. It is a showdown between Lux's Royal Alliance and Kerum's Legend and Geek Family. It is difficult to predict whether this will be a straightforward inter-world war or a chaotic three-way scrap. We must also consider the possibility that guilds might scatter to different battlefields just to secure those crystal tax rewards. It sounds like the bidding phase alone will be a masterclass in strategic mind games!

PVP Ranking Status

We have some genuinely exciting news regarding the Raven 2 PVP rankings. The charts have been rather quiet throughout the fourth quarter, but finally, a ranker has broken the 100-kill barrier. The star of the show is 'BT Unmu' from the Terra-Dolor Valentine guild. In this server, most of the top 20 rankers have over 10 kills and have racked up around 7 assists. The 'I am' guild from the same server has also made it onto the chart—anyone with 'IM' in their name is a member of that guild. It seems those two guilds have been competing, with StelLive's 'TangTangMyun' and 'Gajanne' sneaking in between them.

Beyond that, the Terra world boasts many PVP rankers, with Mare and Vita following closely behind. Something clearly kicked off in Terra after the server migration. Will Terra be the one to revitalise the PVP rankings? I look forward to this weekend's count.