Dragon Training Lesson #2: Three Starring a Tough Town Hall 8

This is the first tutorial video we have done. This one is part of our first series called 'Dragon Training.' A special thanks to frankie for his execution of the 'plan' and a shout out to myself for providing said 'plan.' This base had given a few attackers fits before frankie burned it to the ground. Well done--as in the base was well done/3 starred.

Stayed tuned for more videos and subscribe to the channel. 

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Happy Thanksgiving from Battle Fresh

Turkeys, as the native Americans knew, are beguiling creatures filled with malice and deceit. The old saying goes, "Never trust a turkey." I think that's how it goes. IF it doesn't go like that--it should.

Turkeys, to me, have always represented more than a wish bone fight among youngsters around an aroma rich sanctuary. Turkeys, their resulting stuffing, mega drum sticks and moist white meat meant that another terrible beast met its justifiable fate and it was my duty to devour it--with cranberry sauce, gravy and two helpings of mashed potatoes.

Right about now you should be asking yourself, "Why in God's green kingdom is big joe talking so much about the evil turkeys?"

Good question! Turkeys to me are the clash of clans equivalent of dragons (that might make minions cornish hens, but I digress). We need to be ever vigilant against the dragons, and, as a clan, we are using the Thanksgiving (U.S. holiday) to take a break from war and focus on air defenses. This is especially important for our town hall 8 friends. Max those air defenses! Let's stop the turkeys...um dragons!!

So, Happy Thanksgiving to all and to all max your air defenses!! We war search on Monday, December 1st at 9:00 EST.

~ the management

Happy Holidays from Battle Fresh: Gift Card Give Away!

It's not easy being the most awesome clan in the known universe. We constantly try to find novel ways to be even more awesome (as if that was possible). We tried the rule of thirds (see New Coke), and, even though that went over like a Baby Ruth candy bar in a public pool, we stilled listen to the clan base and tried something in an attempt to be the most awesome clan possible.

Since we started this site, we have been trying to secure donations. Those donations we have been squirreling away for a special occasion--and guess what? We are feeling special about right now! For the remainder of the holiday season we will be giving out $10 gift cards to clanmates based on their seasonal, statistical output. Our leaders will be discussing those who are deserving. We will check our list twice.

With our main man Donovan keeping the stats together, we can now enact operation 'Holiday Giveaway!' Ho! Ho! Ho!

If you want to win a gift card, become a statistical monster. Raid a ton. Grab that gold and elixir. Donate. Win attacks. Be awesome! Check our stats page now for what we are looking for.

Check back here often to see who has won gift card winners.

Holiday Season 1 Winner: Ragess
Holiday Season 2 Winner: Alkalinex
Holiday Season 3 Winner: ethan_person24
Holiday Season 4 Winner: TBD

TBA = To Be Announced
TBD = To Be Decided

Dragon Training Lesson #1: Attacking a Spread out Defense

This is the first tutorial video we have done. This one is part of our first series called 'Dragon Training.' A special thanks to frankie for his execution of the 'plan' and a shout out to myself for providing said 'plan.' This base had given a few attackers fits before frankie burned it to the ground. Well done--as in the base was well done/3 starred. 

Stayed tuned for more videos and subscribe to the channel. 

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An Interview with big joe: Talking Clash, Clan Wars and More

After many phone calls, emails, snail mail letters, texts and some rather abrupt door knocking, we were able to track down big joe, leader of the ridiculously awesome Battle Fresh clan, and ask him some pointed questions regarding, the game, life and about clan wars. What follows is an exact transcript of the interview.

Q: We have been told you are quite the tactician, is this true? And, if yes, where were you schooled? West Point?

big joe: I have no formal training. I learned Clash of Clans on the streets. I ran with a rough crowd. Mostly level 2 and 3 town halls in a backwards clan. Aimless, unmotivated, vulgar. Most times though it was just me and the goblin campaign. The goblins took me in and made me one of their own. Through their mentoring, I was able to learn how to deploy troops in an almost organized fashion; a precursor to what you are accustomed to seeing today.

Q: Since your legendary and almost meteoric rise to town hall 9, what has been your greatest take away?

big joe: In my two years of complete domination of this game, I have learned one infallible truth; do not rush your town hall.

Q: Why do you say not to rush a town hall? Do you speak from experience?

big joe: If you can name it...I rushed it. I rushed town hall 2. I didn't have dragons until town hall 9. I think I had level 3 cannons at town hall 7. All the rushing started taking a toll on my regular day to day life too. I started rushing everything. Red lights. Ice cubes. Rotisserie chicken. My life was a wreck. I went clanless for months roaming aimlessly in the abyss of global. People would make comments about my rushed town hall 9--it hurt.

Q: What happened that turned you around?

big joe: After giving the game up for while, my daughters showed spirited interest in Clash. I took that motivator to allow me to do the math and nerd up on the game. I began frequenting wikis, forums, websites, self-help groups--anything to give me Clash info. In short, my daughters made me the man I am today. I wanted to be their hero--their barb king.

Q: When did you become a leader?

big joe: Back at the end of May 2014, myself, a band of misfits from a previous clan, my daughters, and one extraordinary gentlemen going by the name of frankie sought out to make a difference in the Clash world. I started the clan 'Farm Fresh.' It was an immediate and unqualified success. We won wars, had fun, and the clan was growing. However, after some solid growth and an equally impressive win streak, we hit a road block when we ran into a stout Asian clan--we had our butts handed to us. It was clear things had to change, so we set out to create one clan solely for the serious war mongers--and from that fire Battle Fresh was born. I have been leader of that clan since July 2014.

Q: Has anyone inspired you or given you mentoring along the way?

big joe: No. Not at all. I am a self made man. Sweden? Who said anything about Sweden?! Q: Are you OK? Who are you talking to?  big joe: Ok, fine, there's this one person named Wuxia Tigerpaw. I learned like a tiny bit from her. It was only like this one thing. Wait? Website?? I know I didn't say anything about her website. Q: Seriously, are you OK? You are looking at the ceiling like it's talking to you. big joe: Alright, I did it! It's in the floorboards!! Her mentoring on global and her awesome website helped me lay the foundation for the organized clan Battle Fresh has become.

Q: I will act like none of that happened. What can you say about Clan Wars? What irks you the most?

big joe: Folks not attacking. It is like someone betrayed me. No wait, like someone was lazy and through their thoughtlessness they betrayed me. Wait, wait. It's like there was this bear and it went into hibernation, but usually this bear is pretty awesome, like most mammals, but then it suddenly just went dormant and everyone was like 'duh fuh?' That bear, usually awesome, but in hibernation is how I feel about non-attackers--wake up people, don't forget to be awesome!

Q: What do you like the most about clan wars?

big joe: Thrilling competition. I don't mind a two stars loss if it brings the clan closer together, but I really, really like a one star win on the last attack. It's theater. For those taking part from both clans, the clan war experience is just a gift when they are close. Sure, everyone loves a blowout to boast their ego, but a tough match is what makes us better.

Q: What else can you say about clan wars?

big joe: Looting is a frustrating thing. It's in many ways like a cancer or a very serious infectious disease. At first, theirs this one dude that's like, "Please, please, please Mr. big joe, let me attack #1 for loot." Then there are like four of those guys just begging for that chance. Soon, you have people holding off on making a solid attack with their second just so they can get the drop on some looting. After that, people no longer ask and anything goes. Pure anarchy isn't far off. Cats and dogs living together, fire and brimstone, real end of the world stuff. I would rather people use their second attacks to hone their skills and try to get three stars in a serious and useful fashion even if the war is no longer in question.

Q: Now for some easier questions. What's your favorite color?

big joe: Green. Wait, greenish blue green.

Q: Do you believe in big foot?

big joe: Yes! Wait, what? I don't think so. Does he bring the presents? Q: No. big joe: Than no.

Q: If you could mix two animals together to make a super animal what type of animal would it be?

big joe: A cat and a red panda because you know that would be non-stop cute. There would immediately be websites for LOLCRANDAS.

Q: Tell us one thing people don't know about you. 

big joe: I am not very smart, nor athletic, I am simply good at faking those sort of things. It's exhausting. When I am not putting on a show for others, I simply stare out at the wall.

Q: Thank you for your time and best of luck clashing.

big joe: Thank you, now go away!

What the Heck's a Co-Leader?

Co-Leaders are Elders on steroids.

Co-Leaders, the horse that makes the glue that keeps the clan together. Wait, that's a terrible analogy. Co-Leaders, the TV in the mini-van that keeps the kids happy. Closer. Co-Leaders, the Maginot Line that actually works. OK, let's go with that.

Co-Leaders are just as important as clan leaders and serve many purposes. They are the glue, the pacifiers and the last line of defense. Co-Leaders aren't clones of each other, in fact, I believe it's better to have different opinions and well thought discussions as long as they end up agreeing with my line of thought. I am very reasonable that way. Seriously though, Co-Leaders are Elders on steroids.

What's that you ask? How do I become a Co-Leader?? First, easy big fella! Slow down and familiarize yourself with our elder qualifications. Once you have caught up, it's time to find out what it takes to be a Co-Leader.

1. Active - When I say active, I mean embarrassingly, on more than one should be, having trouble holding down a job, failing at school, angry spouse active...minus all the bad stuff.
2. Donations - Yeah, it goes without saying that a Co-Leader will try to give away their house if a member asked for it in their donation request. 

3. 

   a Co-Leader will try to give away their house if a member asked for it in their donation request.

   War Leader - This is probably the biggest part of the Co-Leaders's job, they need to be able to help orchestrate the clan wars. This means posting claims on groupme, helping find targets for members, helping enforce clan war rules, being there to assist with war strategies and always remaining positive. An effective war leader doesn't act negative. Imagine General Patton throwing his hands up in the air and screaming like a baby at the first sound of a gunshot. It's courage that defines leaders--not negativity. 
4. Elder + - It should go without saying that a Co-Leader is everything an elder is and then some. 
5. Don't Ask - If you are begging for Co-Leader, you won't get it. Go out there and earn your wings. Man/Woman up and do what you need to do.

If you feel that Co-Leader is right for you, put on your elder hat first and then prove yourself to be Co-Material. 

If you aren't a Co-Leader or an Elder, no worries, being a member is an honor in itself. If you are looking for an easy Co or Elder, Battle Fresh isn't that clan. We accept the best and promote those looking to lead.

The Definitive Guide on How to Become an Elder

Lately, there has been much discussion regarding the question of 'How do I become an elder with the illustrious Battle Fresh clan?' First, let me say, you're welcome for being a part of your daily dose of awesomeness we call Battle Fresh. Second, good question. To be honest the reason there has been some disorder was due to the fact that we really haven't formally created a new system of qualifications since we did away with the 500 donation rule. In other words--poor management. I blame Farm Fresh--the player.

So, here's the list of qualifications we, the management of Battle Fresh, are looking for from our elders.

1. 1,000 donations a season
2. An enforcer of the clan rules (day to day rules and new recruit qualifications)
3. An active war participant (helping others make their war attacks, talking about yours and your strategy before making your attacks)
4. Being friendly, welcoming and helpful with new recruits--ensuring that they are well versed with clan rules--if you identify a new recruit who hasn't visited our site to read our rules, or someone who hasn't communicated in chat--it's your job to report that to the folks in charge via groupme or on Battle Fresh chat and let the leaders address it from there.

What we are looking for here is someone who represents the clan in the best way possible. The title of elder is a responsibility. If you simply want elder because you donate a lot, this is not the clan for you. If you are simply interested in elder because you have a really neat-o base, this is not the clan for you. If you want to help the clan grow and if you are willing to help by setting the right example and by being active than this is the clan for you--and elder is coming.

Coming soon...What the Heck's a Co-Leader?

The End of the Grand Experiment: Back to the Claims System

So, the 99-96 loss the Chinese clan showed us a couple things. First and foremost, we should have easily destroyed them. Second, we all hate inactives! Third, the Rule of Thirds system requires too much timing that can adequately be expected to work in any reasonable circumstance. In other words--it was terrible.

My comparison goes a bit further. I suggest that our original system of claims and cleaning is analogous to capitalism whereas the rule of thirds was more aptly compared to communism--it looks great on paper, but in practice it is far from anything but chaos. I am no Stalin or Lenin, so I can't pull off communism. I am more of a Bill Gates type or maybe a Coach K.

I wouldn't like to put the blame of that loss on anyone but myself. It was my decision to implement that system and thusly all the blame should rest on my broad and capable shoulders. So, if you have any issues from last war--come at me bro. All I can say is, "my bad."

So, effective immediately we will return to our system of claims. I am looking forward to whooping some fools in our upcoming war as I hope you all are. Remember to join our groupme group and stay frosty.

Rule of Thirds: A Clan War Strategy

First, let me begin by apologizing for not keeping up with the blog the last week and a half. I was a bit domestically overwhelmed and was having trouble finding time to do more than keep my builders busy and grab us a few stars during the past wars. However, I can say that we did very well each war in which I didn't blog. There were a few exceptions when inactives cost us wins in the two narrow margin losses. I am super pleased with where we are going as a clan and I expect big things in the coming months as our core group of players continue to improve and strong new players are added to the fold.

The Rule of Thirds -- Let's Give it a Shot!

Since the inception of Battle Fresh we have been in pursuit of perfection--clan war perfection. We have done very well with the 'claim system' and we have King Jeffrey to thank for that. It is a very solid system no doubt, but there is always room for improvement. That leads me to my point--we are going to be implementing a new clan war system starting this war.  I would like to unveil the latest and greatest system of war. A system that will ruin all other systems for you. A way of waging war that will be exacting. Brutal but beautiful. I am calling this system: The Rule of Thirds.

The Rule of Thirds

Any photographer worth his salt will tell you what the rule of thirds means regarding the ocular framing of an object in the lens: framing a subject to give it stronger presence by positioning. What in the blue blazes does this have to do with Clash of Clans? Good question. For the next war and those forthcoming, until further notice, we will be dividing the clan in groups of thirds.

Divisions

Each war will be comprised of three divisions. The bottom third, the middle third and the top third. We can create nick names for these divisions later. Suffice to say, each will be purposeful. The division for these groups will be determined by the size of the war. Below is a handy-dandy chart that will shed some light on who, from our clan, will be in these groups:

War Size	Bottom Third	Middle Third	Top Third
25 vs 25	Players                 17-25	Players                    9-16	Players                1-8
30 vs 30	Players                 21-30	Players                  11-20	Players              1-10
35 vs 35	Players                 23-35	Players                  11-22	Players              1-11
40 vs 40	Players                 27-40	Players                  14-26	Players              1-13
45 vs 45	Players                 31-45	Players                  16-30	Players              1-15
50 vs 50	Players                 34-50	Players                  17-33	Players              1-16

Who should I Attack?

The first to attack in our wars will be the Bottom Third. They will attacks and three star everyone they can from the bottom up. What this means is that they will coordinate with the elders and co-leaders who from the Bottom Third will attack who from the enemy clan. They will continue using their first and second attacks with input and direction from the leaders three-starring from the bottom up. This means they should start by three-starring the lowest base of the enemy (in a 40 vs 40 for instance that would be base #40) and move their way up the ladder. The Bottom Third can go as high up the ladder of bases as they possibly can go. In a 40 vs 40, the hopes would be that they could 3 star up to around base #30 and perhaps a bit higher. Outperforming is a good thing and will make the Middle and Top Third's job easier.

The Bottom Third will get their attacks in and, with leadership from the elders and co-leaders, the Middle Third will be sent in to battle. The Middle Third's job will be similar to the Bottom Third--they are to mop up stars and get three stars on all bases starting from where the Bottom Third left off. Once again, with direction from clan leaders--the Middle Third will lay waste to the enemy clan in their range. In a 40 vs 40 war, the Middle Third should three-star everything up to base #20 and should have a few in the teens two-starred. Once again, outperforming is to be considered awesome sauce and applauded by the entire clan.

The Top Third's job is a bit more nebulous in some ways, but it will stay the course in a similar fashion to that of the Bottom and Middle Third. The Top Third should leave no stone unturned. They should begin, with the help and direction of the clan leaders, with where the Bottom Third left off. They should three star their way up the ladder. This does have some notable exceptions. In the Top Third, there will be some bases that are very difficult to three star. Once that point has been reached, (in a 40 vs 40 it is typically around base #10) the Top Third's will begin working their way down two-starring the remaining bases. The Top Third will always be the last to attack in the war and should be prepared to get two attacks in during the last 4 to 6 hours of the clan war.

A Note About Enemy Bases #1 & #2

These bases are invariably the toughest bases and often times are reachable for our top two players, but those attacks should be reserved for the end of the war, and only if directed by the clan leaders to do so. Let's do the math. In a 40 vs 40, the most stars possible to be won are 120. The most we have won in a war are 107. That's 13 stars from 120. Let's assume our #1 and #2 can get two stars on enemy bases #3 and #4 and then they get three stars from bases #5 and #6. Let's also assume we have three-starred all bases up to #10 and two starred the bases from #7 through #9. That would give us a grand total of 111 stars in a 40 vs 40. However, using the same logic, if we three-starred everything up to #10 and two-starred all remaining bases, that would also give us 111 stars. Basically, what I am attempting to illuminate, is that in each war these top two bases are a wait-and-see-proposition.

Conflicts of Schedule

If you have a scheduling conflict and need to make attacks earlier, or later, than would be best utilized in this system--please let the leadership know and we will figure it out. Do not allow a scheduling conflict to become a burden on the clan by not communicating it ahead of time.

Communication

Clanmates attacking without following this system will be reprimanded. Repeat offenders will be kicked. The most important component of this system of war is communication. Talk up who you think you should attack, what your strategy is. Get feed back and input from your clan. We are a very active clan and help is always there for those who ask. Also, if you are finished your attacks or waiting to attack, you need to be Johnny-on-the-spot with the donations. If you have any questions regarding this system feel free to ask the leaders, and it's OK to disagree with a system, but we would prefer those conversations to happen post-war (also, here in comments is a great place for those discussions) Help spread the word and get ready for war!

~ big joe

Battle Fresh vs Reiksguard

Reiksguard /rīks-gärd/:  are knights entrusted with the sacred duty protecting a king or emperor from foes within and without. Worthy foes in Clash of Clans /klaSH əv klans/ clan wars (see the clan that just beat Battle Fresh /batl freSH/).

This past war was the second epic struggle for Battle Fresh in as many wars. The war started off well as we secured a 40 point lead. We knew that it was far from over though. We rushed many of our second attacks and didn't do well with clean up from the 10 - 20 range which ultimately was are undoing. We had a couple of war hoppers, a few new folks who were just straight up bad at attacking and a few new folks that were claim jumpers. These factors made the war exceedingly difficult to manage in the late stages.

The margin inevitably shrank as did our opportunities to get stars. However, once again we learned from the war and will be stronger for suffering the loss. We must temper our enthusiasm to recruit and remember slow growth is sustainable, but quick growth is risky at best. I also have come to the conclusion that even with very strong players at our one and two, we should always leave the enemy's #1 & #2 bases as a late option and never as a first attack. Reiksguard didn't worry about attacking our 1 and 2, they used their 'big guy's' first and second attacks to get stars where they were easiest and best gained. Smart.

However, to point fingers at ourselves as to the reason why we lost would only cheapen the victory that was Reiksguard's. They earned the victory by running a very smart war. So, I would like to offer the ladies and gents at Reiksguard my sincerest congratulations on a war well fought and well won. Cynic lead his team into battle and overcame a foreboding lead. With steady fingers they deployed their troops into the field of battle and came out on top. A special shout out goes to all the kind folks I met on my trip to their clan: A Money (aka doubleOdude); jen_austria_q; MurseJB; Burfee; and even xller (please kick him :p). I found them to be high character people, thankful for the excitement of the war and happy to discuss the day we shared together trying to burn each other's town halls to the ground. I apologize if I left someone out.

Incidentally, they praised our time trap bases and spoke highly of them during my time in their clan--so we are definitely doing something right with those.

The Good

We used 75 of 80 attacks and built a strong lead early on. We did very well cleaning up from 25-40.

The Bad

Attacking out of range. Remember, if you claim a base you must get 2 stars from it. Don't claim a base you cannot get 2 stars from. There were too many folks attacking bases and not getting stars their first attacks. It's better to not claim if that's the case.

Those new to our clan, Ragess aside, were not sufficiently scrutinized before being trusted with the responsibility of going to war. They jumped claims, didn't communicate and made some really bad attacks.

In-fighting among clan members, while not terrible, was a distraction this war and that's the first time that has happened in quite some time. There were some arm chair quarterbacks that, instead of being helpful, added negative commentary to each decision. Which made the war more of a chore than something enjoyable. Those players are now no longer with us.

The MVP

It's getting harder to pick people. Alkalinex waged an extremely effective war once again getting two turkeys (Wes's name for three star attacks--similar to three strikes in bowling in a row) for us on two very difficult bases. Frankie brought us home a six pack by unleashing his seemingly indestructible dragons on some poor unsuspecting villagers. However, this war I am saddling the MVP trophy onto a guy who is crazy good at this game. Although his reasons, or shall I say motives, are never suspect his opponents were found to be lacking. All puns aside, loco motives is this war's MVP. He brought us home two turkeys and a six pack. He burned down two tough bases, helped out with donations and even though he made Wesley drive the first part of work, he helped out driving on the way home. Let this go to show you that even busy, working men on night shift get MVP's. Congratulations to loco and all those at Battle Fresh on solid war, and I look forward to ending this two game losing streak with a big win next war!

Current Qualifications for Battle Fresh

If you are trying to ride the roller coaster that is Battle Fresh, you need to be at least this tall. Here are the musts:

You Must Be This Tall To Ride the Roller Coaster

Town Hall: Level 8
Army Camp: 200 Space
Defenses: Maxed out TH8 Level at least
War Stars: 150 Minimum or a solid track record at Battle Fresh Jr

Things we do not accept from here on out:

Rushed Town Hall 8's
Rushed Town Hall 9's
Rushed Town Hall 10's
People who do not speak English
Players who do not communicate
Players who join but do not read our web rules

To be considered rushed, these town halls would have defenses either one or two town halls below their level and other inconsistencies. Army camps are a good indicator that the base is rushed. A town hall 9 with 180 army camp space makes me sad inside for instance--borderline nauseated.

If a new recruit doesn't speak up within the first minute of being recruited, kick them to Farm Fresh--no exceptions.

If a recruit has communication issues but a great base, move them to Farm Fresh to see how they do there.

A Note About Slow Growth and Kicking Cats:

After each war we shouldn't be looking to bring on more than 2-3 people. Don't worry so much about having 25, 30, 35 or whatever that number maybe. Be more concerned about having solid, well informed, new recruits. We have lost wars by growing too fast. Fast growth leads to war hoppers, or players that simply don't communicate during wars and have terrible war bases and aren't available to fix their bases.

Don't Kick Cats

We need to carefully consider, initiate (make sure they are fully aware of the all the clan rules--expectations), and qualify (base and profile stats) each Battle Fresh candidate. If we fail to do so, we will assuredly lose wars. When we lose wars we get frustrated. When we are frustrated we have in-fighting. In-fighting leads to having bad days. Having bad days leads to feeling gloomy. Being gloomy leads to emo music and wearing skinny jeans. Listening to emo music and wearing skinny jeans leads to be ostracized. Being ostracized leads to anti-social and unbecoming behavior. Unbecoming behavior leads to kicking cats. Don't kick a cat--lets grow slowly.

Battle Fresh vs Pandemic Fury

Joe DiMaggio didn't hit in 57 consecutive games. Cal Ripken stopped his consecutive game streak at 2,632 games played in a row. Mighty Rocky Marciano only won 49 bouts in a row. Like all these other magnificent streaks, Battle Fresh's streak of nine consecutive clan war wins in a row has ended. In what many are calling, "The Best Clan War Ever", Battle Fresh lost a closely contested, neck and neck, barn-burner to the worthy folks at Pandemic Fury.

K.C. Gator, King Ravi, tylerA2326, mokka 18, ragnar, Kevin, sklorno and the boys all starred out and ensured that the buck would stop with them. They expertly and relentlessly attacked us. They burned our bases to the ground. However, they were more than just destroyers--they were connoisseurs of a-well-fought-battle.  After the battle had concluded, K.C. came to our clan, bearing ice-packs and olive branches to congratulate us on one heck-of-a-war. After spending some time in their clan to offer them our sincerest congrats, I quickly saw that Pandemic Fury was Battle Fresh--just a few months more grown up in our bases.

The war was truly epic. We came out swinging. They absorbed our first shot and landed a few body blows. Doubled over, we landed a round house. Staggering back, Pandemic carefully measured a few jabs and a right cross. Eventually, there were just two heavy weights in the middle of the ring laboring to raise their fists at one another. At that moment, as we looked each other in the eye--waiting to see who would blink first, was when Pandemic had just a bit more in their reserves and finished us off.

The Good

Honestly, in my opinion, this was perhaps our best effort yet as a clan. We rallied and gave a very strong clan a run for their money. We knew we had our work cut out for us and we did our best to be a pain-in-the-butt. We scrapped and clawed to get every star we could. We communicated, worked together and ultimately, we came out on the other side stronger for the experience. We know that it will take someone's very best to beat us--unfortunately, that's what happened.

The Bad

We had a war hopper. We had a claim stealer/poor attacker. Most of all though, we got a bit carried away in the moment of the war when things were at their tightest. We need to put things into perspective sometimes and just relax and have fun. Enjoy the moment for what it is. Those tight battles are such a gift, let's not spoil them by letting the end result dictate who we are as a clan. Win or lose, feel blessed for the opportunity.

The MVP

First, I need to give a huge shout out to everyone from Pandemic Fury. Huzzah! They have made us a stronger clan and for that we are indebted to you. As for a proper MVP, it's so hard to not pick the man with the natural six. Although RoxeeFamof4 and loco motives had starred out attacks, and Wesley and brnwrng both had super impressive wars--I need to give this war's MVP to one of our new guys--Sir Sparda. Sir Sparda was easily up to task in the war. He wrecked two very difficult bases with style. I don't know what Sparda does at the mill where he works, but I can only imagine he is awesome at that too. Help me congratulate Sir Sparda and congratulate yourselves for a truly epic war.

Battle Fresh vs Surge

This past war was quite the roller coaster. We were up big--very big. Then Surge made a run at us and showed us that we need to be at our very best every time and never take a clan for granted. Surge was down by over thirty stars at one point and we all stuck our collective forks in them and started putting napkins in our lap preparing for our war loot dinners. This was only four or five hours into the war. However, unlike many of our recent opponents, Surge didn't go gently into that good night--they surged against the dying of the light...and of course died 74-59.

Ultimately, it was too much Battle Fresh. We executed 58 attacks and won 53 of them. We used every attack except for two. One of the players claim hopped and was kicked, the other left after a bad attack. Outstanding stuff.

The Good

Use of attacks. We used our attacks--all of them essentially. We left nothing on the battle field. We talked about our attacks before using them and did well with our chosen claims for the most part. I can't remember a time we were that close to 100% attacks used!

The Bad

We left seven very attainable stars out on the battlefield. The bases between 10-19 continue to plague us. Sir Sparda, newcomer to Battle Fresh, was the only base from Surge that we didn't two star (which speeks to his inherent Battle Freshness). Overreaching once again hurt us. We had a few of us bite off more than we could chew, but that's part of learning and we will iron that out.

The MVP

So, a lot of great performances once again! It's really difficult to pick one MVP of a war when everyone is out there communicating, donating, attacking and winning. However, I would like to recognize one player in particular. It could have easily been frankie or Dark_Bill who both 3-starred each of their attacks. I could have easily put myself in the conversation with impressive attacks netting us four stars against some tough bases, but no--this war's MVP goes Wesley.

Wesley changed the entire dynamic of clan with his presence. He pulled in four stars against the top two bases of the opposing clan. We typically don't even entertain the idea of attacking the top two bases of the enemy--then in walked Wesley. Wesley pulled out some amazing attacks against their top two in a ho-hum fashion that makes us believe that we will be seeing a lot more of that. Join me in congratulating Wesley for his MVP performance as well as congratulating yourselves for another outstanding performance!

Battle Fresh vs 小香贵生

So, confession time--every time I see an Asian clan as the opponent I get this sinking feeling of doom. I guess it all goes back to my days of playing Starcraft II where the Koreans in particular just dominated the game. I was kind of thinking along those lines when we were matched up against this opponent. They seemingly had decent bases. They had 45 clan war wins. Their clan name and description were in some exotic Asian language. All the ingredients were there. Like all opponents, we prepared for the worst and gave them our best.

We opened the war and attacked with our typical blitzkrieg style. Many of our players used their first attack within the first few hours of the war and before the other clan knew what had happened they were losing by 30. All of us kept waiting for them to make a series of attacks, but nothing ever happened. They wound up only using 14 attacks and only winning 10 of those. Compare that to our usage of 56 attacks! We did lose 10 of those battles, but besides one inactive we only missed two attacks--that is braggable.

The Good

Usage of attacks and communication. We're becoming a well oiled machine. We haven't faced a test in sometime, but I think that when we do--we will be ready. We only missed 4 attacks and, while we lost 10 attacks, much of that was due to overreaching when no solid attacks opportunities remained because most everything was three starred. We talked about our attacks (for the most part) before using them, and worked as a team to finish up most of the remaining stars.

The Bad

Once again, we left some stars out there. An argument could be made that we left two easy stars out there, and perhaps two harder stars. Those four stars could be the razor thin margin between defeat and victory when we face a real tester of a clan. So, stay frosty and let's try to get all those stars next time.

There were also some folks who didn't talk about an attack before using it and executing poorly conceived attacks to boot. Remember, you have a clan of folks ready to help you. All of us have experience that you can use to help with your attack strategy. There are no excuses for not luring a clan castle and for launching a bad attack. Go strong or get out.

The MVP

There were some real outstanding performances this past war. Frankie, Donovan and Andy all posted stellar six-star performances. These guys just mowed down the competition. However, there was one performance that was even more exceptional in my opinion and that belongs to this war's MVP--Alkalinex. Alkalinex three starred a very tough base with his first attack (#12) and followed that up by a perfect attack on an even more difficult base (#9). What was so impressive to me was how technical his attack on #9 was. He methodically dismantled the opponent like he was dissembling an engine. Like many in the clan now, I look at Alkalinex as one of our core players that knows how to win and does his part each war to ensure that Battle Fresh keeps winning. Great work Alkalinex and congrats to all on another war well won!

Battle Fresh vs dark fighters

First, I need to begin by saying that we were out attacked. The opposing clan, regardless of the quality of their attempts, did record more attacks than we did. This is something that we should not allow to happen again. Granted we were involved in a 30 vs 30 and had some new folks that didn't use their attacks, but there were still some of us that didn't get in any attacks--some of us that only got in a single attack. Once again, this could come back to hurt us.

As per our tradition, after each war we purge those in-actives and those who do not understand how to work as a team, I am happy to report that some of the new folks we brought on are looking very solid. I am liking the teamwork and abilities of rdp216, Bigstan2369, Kracken and Rump (rdp's alter ego). I foresee big things from them in the future.

For the war, while dark fighters made a late surge, they were not able to close the gap by-in-large due to the fact that our bases are tough to three star. Granted, many of their attacks were nothing more than troops being deployed without any regard for strategy, timeliness, cohesion and forward thinking--still, I am also going to say that our clan castles and base designs had something to do with their overall lack of success.

Our Positives:

Communication! Yay for chatting it up! Folks, talking about attacks before making them goes a long way to succeeding in those attacks. Leverage the asset that is the combined knowledge of your clan-mates to your advantage and good things happen. I saw questions being asked and answer regarding war strategies. I witnessed people actively discussing attacks after they were completed with helpful bits of advice to pass along when needed. Of course, there were many congratulations as we had 24 three star attacks! That means only 6 of their bases were not 3 starred!! Wow!

Our Negatives:

Overreaching. Boo to overreaching. A few of us attacked bases that were just too hard and out of their personal reach. A few us attacked bases that were too difficult for anyone in the clan. These mistakes, no matter how many they are, cost us stars. In my estimation, we could have had 80 stars this past war if we got rid of those mistakes. This is a slight margin, and if that is truly how good we have becomes--that is very good, but it will not win against the clans out their that do not make mistakes.

Taking our time. Please be patient. Wait to use your second attack. See how we can get the most stars and win as a team. Get advice on where to attack and how to do it.

Most Valuable Player:

This is a really tough one. I could ramble off a few here that deserve the honor. Cruella.devil three starred her claim and clean up a very difficult base in her range. Dark_Bill did very much the same as well as loco motives, Jonathan704 and Randy Jevette. However, I am going to be picking a different MVP for this war. I made a request with clan mail on bases to attack and who should attack them. One of the suggestions went to our youngest clan-mate--RoxeeFamof4. While it might not seem like a tremendous accomplishment to casual observer, what makes Roxee's 3 star on his claim and subsequent clean up of a difficult base as requested by the clan worthy of the MVP is that there was no questioning or doubt. Our youngest was given a task and calmly walked up to the plate and hit a home run. That's what I hope we all can do when we are faced with similar challenges. Congrats to Roxee and congrats to all of us on another stellar performance and clan war win!

Battle Fresh vs EvaManning2

Wow! Just wow! I think we demoralize clans with how quickly we come out. We buried EvaManning2 before they even had a chance to know what hit them. 62-16 was the final tally, but that didn't speak to how gun-shy the opposition was. It was almost as if they knew they were beat. They only attacked 12 times. They lost 3 of those attacks. While we lost 3 attacks, we won 42!  We had more 3 star attacks then they had stars. I still think we left stars out there. Honestly we could have easily gotten to 65 and I strongly believe that the day is fast approaching when we are going to need every last star we can muster. So, while it was a great performance, I still see that there is work left to be done.

Our positives:

For the most part, our first attacks were very strong. We had strong communication, and besides a few new people with weaker attacks, our attacking was very solid. This war we only lost 3 battles in all.

Participation was very good. We used 45 of 50 attacks! One inactive cost us two unused attacks, so we were very close to that holy grail of clan wars--total participation. I know we can do it, let's make it our goal for each war and see how close we can get.

Our negatives:

There was one loot attack that wasn't approved by clan leadership and that individual has since been kicked.

Cleaning up stars remains an issue. There were some very easy stars that were left unwon. In my opinion, any opponents base lower than 10 should be three starred every war. This past war 5 bases in that range were not cleaned up for a total of six unwon stars. Those six stars will come back to haunt us in a war very soon. Let's aim to do better.

Most Valuable Player:

A quiet assassin. That's how I would describe the MVP of this past war. He comes in silently. Proceeds to request hogs and in a flash he has three stars. The player I am talking about is jsnake. He not only three starred his claimed base, but he also cleaned up another base in his range almost effortlessly. The best thing about jsnake was that he listened to what the clan needed and did his best to take care of business. Congrats jsnake and congrats to us all on a job well done!

Battle Fresh vs Hellacastle

I wouldn't say we humiliated 'Hellacastle', but we start out very, very strongly. Before the opposing clan even made their first attack, Battle Fresh was ahead by a count of 43-0. They only managed 47 stars the entire war, so after our blitzkrieg, we only needed to grab five more stars to win the war.

Our positives:

Our first attacks were outstanding, with many of which tallying 2 or 3 stars. We have been doing fantastic in that department lately. This war we only lost 4 battles in all.

Our attack strategies were very good. Out of our 46 attacks, there were only 6 or 7 that were not well thought out. This is a decent figure, but in a war against a very strong clan we will need to have those 6 or 7 attacks producing better results if we want to become an elite war clan.

Communication was also very strong. Many people were asking for advice on their attacks before using them. This is something we highly encourage. Do not just leap into something without a plan. Use the experience of your clan-mates to your advantage and leverage that knowledge to help you make very strong clan war attacks.

Our negatives:

There were some claims that were jumped. This can totally throw off the rhythm of the war. We need to make sure all new people are very aware that claim jumping is punishable by kick. We are attacking very well with our first attacks and if we mostly three star those that we claim, the remaining attacks can by-in-large be used for practice or attaining war loot. Claim jumping ruins this.

Cleaning up stars was a negative from this past war. I truly think we left five stars out there at least. If we add those stars to our total, we would be a very tough clan to beat.

Most Valuable Player:

This past war, if I had to choose one player who had the best performance--I would have to choose elron. Although he only got us 4 stars, he took down one base for three stars and cleaned up another base completely to get one more star. While all that is well and good, what made his performance all the more impressive was that he did all of that without spells! Congrats to elron and to all of us on a well won war!

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Claims vs

Please refer to our Rule or Claim page for more info on claiming bases and how it all works.

To claim a base to attack, please tell big joe, frankie, FrecklyTag, *The Gamer* or Dark_Bill in clan chat, or if we are not online you can post a message in our group on GroupMe at the following link: https://app.groupme.com/join_group/9245847/C8bjrm. You can download GroupMe app and search 'Battle Fresh' to find us too. Be aware when choosing a base that the base lay out may change between prep day and war day.

*Please take note that all bases claimed but not attacked within 12 hours of war day will become free for all to attack, so please make sure to attack your claimed base within the first 12 hours of war or you may lose it.*

For those not bothered about claiming a base, please read the list before attacking to see what bases are free to attack. Anyone attacking bases marked as #claimed# will risk being kicked at the end of the war. As mentioned already, claiming bases is only for the first 12 hours of war, after that time all bases become unclaimed.

When claiming a base try and choose a base you feel you can get a good result against that is within 10 ranking places of your own rank. If you don’t feel you can get at least 2 stars from a base (ideally 3 stars), then don’t attack it unless you have no better options, and if you don’t feel confident attacking within 10 places of your own rank then just speak to one of the leaders or co leaders in clan chat and we can always find you something lower if needed. We understand some people are not as good at attacking as others, but do not just jump in and attack someone way lower without asking us first, and as always we like people to talk in chat about who they plan to attack even if attacking an unclaimed base.

You can only claim a base with your first attack, this way everyone gets the chance to claim one base. If you use your first attack early and all the other bases you want are claimed then it is maybe best to wait with your second attack, there is a chance that one of your other preferred targets will be available to attack later on if the person claiming it fails to get stars or doesn’t attack it within the 12 hour limit. Please do not rush second attacks and end up losing stars by attacking something you don’t feel comfortable with when you may have much better options later on in war.

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