Friday, January 2nd
The First Official Trial of 2026
The calendar flipped, the Firmament lit up, and Accord Wars Trial #18 officially kicked off the 2026 season with fireworks. Coming into the night, the Pathfinders still held the overall lead, but after a string of recent victories, the Cunning Champions were surging fast and entered this trial with something to prove.
Round 1: Champions Strike First
The opening matches were fierce, but once again, the Champions set the tone early.
In Pod A, OG Alpha legend Paintface07 reminded everyone why their name still echoes through the Firmament. A massive 44-shard Shardmaster performance, paired with 1,226 damage taken for Survivalist, locked up a dominant double win condition. Rookie teammate Brockayla matched the energy, landing 2 KOs to secure Brawlmaster, giving the Champions a triple win condition out the gate.
Pod C saw Champions fan favorites Beezneezy and Sarise apply relentless pressure, while MadJack flew the flag for the Warriors with 24 shards to earn Shardmaster.
Over in Pod D, the Champions continued their assault. Macky and JJDUB split all three win conditions between them, with JJDUB going nuclear by collecting 41 shards. By the end of Round 1, the Champions had racked up 90+ shard points alone.
The Pathfinders refused to fold, though. In Pod B, Grackle kept them alive with a clutch double win condition, grabbing Shardmaster with 30 shards and Survivalist with 1,245 damage taken.
Round 2: The Heat Turns Up
Round 2 brought pure chaos.
Pod A belonged once again to Paintface07, who somehow found another gear. 43 shards and 1,300+ damage taken secured yet another double win condition. Back like they never left.
In Pod B, MadJack ignited the Warriors’ hopes with a 40 shard Shardmaster win and a 1,400+ damage Survivalist performance. But momentum swung fast when Brockayla stormed in with 3 KOs, stealing Brawlmaster and pushing the Champions further ahead.
Pod C introduced a shakeup as Cephalon9999 hit their stride, earning a double win condition with 3 KOs for Brawlmaster and a Survivalist finish. Still, the Champions walked away with Shardmaster thanks to JJDUB, proving once again they were everywhere at once.
Then came the moment of the night in Pod D.
Grackle, seemingly finished after entering Round 22 on the ropes, capitalized on a rare communication error between Macky and Sarise, who KOd each other. Grackle seized the opening, KOd Sarise while they were on deathly low HP in Round 23, then spent the rest of the match doing what Pathfinders do best… sharding.
The final count was 32 shards, edging out Sarise’s 31 and earning both Survivalist and Shardmaster in a stunning comeback. Pure strategy. Pure execution.
Final Round: No Comeback Tonight
Entering the final round, the Champions held a commanding lead, but a perfect storm could still have sparked a Pathfinder comeback, and for a moment it looked possible.
In Pod A, Protonprime delivered a massive performance with 38 shards to earn Shardmaster and Survivalist, while Cephalon9999 added 3 KOs for Brawlmaster. A triple win condition put the Pathfinders back in striking distance.
The door slammed shut.
In Pod B, Beezneezy put on an exclamation-point performance, posting a TRIPLE win condition with 30 shards and 3 KOs. Untouchable. Championship-level dominance.
Pod C stayed explosive. Paintface07 secured another Shardmaster win with 32 shards, pushing their total to 100+ shards collected across the trial. Grackle grabbed Survivalist, while Plasmik earned Brawlmaster with 3 KOs.
In Pod D, Sarise closed strong with the final Survivalist win, while MadJack pulled in 31 shards for Shardmaster. Impressive, but not enough to lift the Warriors into contention.
Final
The Cunning Champions have done it. Back to back Accord Wars victories, and the momentum has officially shifted. The Pathfinders still lead the season, but the gap is closing fast as the back half heats up.
Join us this week for Accord Wars Trial #19, with a twist. Only Agents below Rank 10 in all three ranks will be allowed to compete. Are the Agents fighting this war, or are the Brokers truly skillful enough to get it done with weaker Agents?
The holidays are over. The Firmament is loud again.
It’s time to get back in the fight.