Welcome to Castle Rush Recap! We are here to bring you the latest updates for major events every week - just in case you missed the action! Week 1 of the T90 Titans League is officially underway, and the competition is already heating up.

Highlight of the week: Nicov's quickwalls won him the game!

In the shortest game of the series, Game 1 between Nicov and Running, Nicov managed to counter Running’s aggressive playstyle with incredible quickwalls. By trapping the enemy Man-at-Arms, he secured an instant map win in just 11:20!

https://www.twitch.tv/t90official/clip/FinePunchyPelicanTheTarFu-CXxjc2Fxj8XuVKT9

The week started off one-sided on Friday!

The opening match of the new league on Friday was none other than Yo vs. Ciskhan. It was Ciskhan's first match in the Platinum League, having recently fought his way up from the Gold League. He tried his best to hold off Yo's constant Hussar spam with CAs in Game 1, but after a close-fought battle, Yo took the map and eventually swept the series 3-0.

They were followed by MbL vs. repard. Repard is another newcomer, recently joining the Platinum ranks after a successful run in Gold. In his first match against MbL - a long-time cornerstone of the community - Repard suffered a 0-3 defeat. Repard showcased an extremely aggressive playstyle in Game 1, barely walling and opting for all-in aggression that nearly paid off. Game 2 seemed lost from the start: MbL decided to drop a castle directly in front of Repard's base, leaving him behind for the remainder of the game.

Liereyy vs. lyx finished the day. This was another amazing set, even though it ended in a 3-0 victory for Liereyy. On African River, Lyx tried to outplay his opponent by placing a barracks and archery range right behind Liereyy's base to pressure the woodline. Liereyy managed to recover quickly and won the game by beating his opponent to the Castle Age.

Day 2 started with a BANG

We began with one of the best sets for viewers: ACCM vs. Lewis. Lewis is one of the four players who managed to climb to Platinum in TTL Season 4. Game 1 on High Tides was a treat: Trebuchets left and right, forward and defensive castles, and a Georgians vs. Italians showdown. Their first game took a whopping 1:15h of in-game time, resulting in a win for ACCM. Lewis managed to bounce back on Mudflow with a unique tactic: since the Town Center is built on shallow water, it allows for docks to be placed right beneath it. Combined with the Japanese fishing ship bonus, it was a tactical masterpiece. However, ACCM didn't let Lewis maintain the momentum; a clean sweep in Game 3 brought the set to a close at 2-1 for ACCM.

The second set was Hera vs. Lucho. As expected given Hera's recent dominance, it ended 3-0. The total in-game time for all three games was only about 52:00. Lucho knew he was the underdog and tried his best to throw Hera off with an extremely aggressive style. His Militia/Man-at-Arms opening, especially in Game 3, was a valiant effort, but Hera adjusted extremely quickly and neutralized the pressure.

The final set of the day was Dark vs. Mihai06. Mihai displayed a highly offensive strategy starting in Game 1. Immediately upon hitting the Feudal Age, he utilized a transport ship to drop three Man-at-Arms and villagers directly into his opponent's base. Dark did not expect such aggression and was completely overrun, allowing Mihai to gain the upper hand and close the game with a forward castle. Throughout the series, Mihai showed great tactical versatility - from early aggression to an Imperial Age rush - resulting in a 3-0 victory.

Sunday was strategic

The first match, TheViper vs. Vivi, was postponed due to TheViper being ill. It will likely be played this Friday.

The opening match between Sitaux and Dragonstar was a treat for tacticians. After a small dispute regarding the match starting without spectators enabled (which revealed Dragonstar’s opening), Dragonstar pulled off some unconventional tactics involving early aggression and laming. Sitaux was clearly thrown off, giving Dragonstar his first win. However, Sitaux managed to bounce back in Maps 2 and 3, stripping the momentum away and finishing the series 2-1.

The final match for Sunday featured Hearttt vs. Vinchester, both of whom have qualified for Red Bull Wololo: Londinium in a few weeks. It was a true nail-biter. While the early game on Slopes looked great for Vinchester, Hearttt managed to stall, eventually winning with a powerful Portuguese late-game composition. Map 2 was unique: Vinchester expanded early and secured the gold and high ground with a strategic castle. Following that, three bombard cannons racked up over 20 kills, forcing a GG from Hearttt. The set concluded on Monocle, where a close game turned into a slaughter for Hearttt. He finished the series with an aggressive castle in the middle of Vinchester's base for a 2-1 victory.

Final day of Group Stage Round 1

The first match of the day was TaToH vs. Barles. Both players opened with a Man-at-Arms rush in Map 1, leading to a base race and an even game until Barles eventually gained the upper hand. On Valley, TaToH used a similar opening while Barles transitioned into archers. While both players attempted to boom, TaToH's extreme aggression with Longswords and Rams secured him the win. TaToH maintained this pressure, never allowing Barles to regain momentum, and finished the series 2-1 after a 45-minute finale.

The second set, Sebastian vs. FreakinAndy opened with an early water push by Sebastian. This forced Andy onto the land while he was being harassed, leading to a quick first map for Sebastian. On Tulou, it was a back-and-forth battle with Andy pushing into Sebastian's base and meeting a great defense. However, Bengalis are clearly favorable against Cumans in the late game; after a drawn-out Imperial Age fight, Andy took Map 2. On Slopes, Sebastian was in full control. An early push killed six villagers, and he followed up with a castle in front of Andy's main base and expanded Town Center, taking Map 3 with ease for a 2-1 series win.

The last set of the week, Nicov vs. Running, produced this week’s highlight. With his amazing quickwalling skills, Nicov overran his opponent in Game 1 within minutes. Map 2 featured pure water aggression without a single land unit produced, as Nicov won the water micro in a massive Galley vs. Galley fight. In the final match, Running tried a more aggressive approach with early Man-at-Arms, but unfortunately lost all his mangonels in a major mid-game clash, resulting in a clean 3-0 sweep for Nicov.

For more information, check out our T90 Titans League (TTL) Coverage!