The Decades End Tournament: 5 Year Commemorative

Contained within these lines is a never-before-seen glimpse into the legendary Decades End Tournament, one of the greatest battles in the history of Club Penguin Armies. Let us go back, 5 years to the day, as we celebrate the anniversary of the historic climax of the 2009 Golden Ages.

The Backstory

The year 2009 was a pivotal one for Club Penguin Armies. It marked the end of traditional warfare, ushering in a new, more dynamic period that some pinpoint as the beginning of the Modern Era. This year saw some armies rise to greater sizes than ever before, while other legendary armies kicked off their very first events. It saw the birth of Club Penguin Army Central, the most influential non-army entity ever created in our community. Most importantly, it was a Golden Age that recruited many of the great soldiers and leaders of future generations.

Throughout the year, two armies had taken the community by storm, reaching unprecedented sizes with consistency not seen in the (then-shorter) history of Club Penguin Armies. The Army of Club Penguin, led by Boomer 20, and the Nachos, led by Person1233, were in regular competition for dominance.

At the time, ACP was frequently hitting 60 on a bad day, with a number of battles breaking 100, including a then-record 140 at an invasion of RPF’s capital server Tuxedo.

ACP at the Clash of the Unforgiven in February 2009

The Nachos were not far behind, hitting 50 with relative ease and at times achieving as many as 90 on Club Penguin.

The Nachos during the Winter Fiesta in January 2009

The rivalry reached a boiling point in April 2009 when the Nachos, tired of the lack of viable opponents that could challenge their size, declared war on their only real competition – ACP. While the war was a relative dead-heat between the two superpowers too large to effectively fight each other, it set the tone for what would be a showdown of epic proportions to close out the year. That showdown was The Decades End Tournament.

The Tournament

The Decades End tournament was the first major tournament hosted by CPAC, created just 5 months earlier by Woton. It was a relatively closed field, by invite only. The tournament would feature only the best of the best, and was designed in an attempt to match the success of 2008’s tremendous Christmas Tournament hosted by CPWN. The 8 armies chosen for the tournament were the Army of Club Penguin, Nachos, Ice Warriors, Watex Warriors, Hot Sauce Army, Club Penguin Crew, Golden Warriors, and Impossible Mission Army Force.

Day 1

On Day 1, despite their valiant effort, HSA was pulverized by ACP, who hit 75 on Club Penguin. HSA’s 25 soldier showing would have been good enough to beat most of the other armies in the tournament, but luck of the draw had them watching the rest from the sidelines.

A wave of ACP troops crashes into the Snow Forts

A rare video of the battle, filmed by Boie5:

The Nachos’ battle against CPC was rather uneventful as CPC failed to show. The Nachos cruised into the Semi-Finals despite an atypically small showing of about 15 soldiers.

Nachos practice tactics due to CPC’s no-show

The battle between the Ice Warriors and Golden Warriors was one of the most exciting of Day 1, with IW hitting 30 and narrowly defeating GW who managed 20.

IW prepares a joke bomb against GW

The final battle featured two smaller armies, the Watex Warriors and Impossible Mission Army Force. IMAF managed to topple WW with 15 soldiers to WW’s 10.

IMAF charges with a bomb at WW’s line

The Semi-Finals

The Semi-Finals turned up the head on what would soon become a fierce competition between the four remaining armies. Major events such as these can never fully escape controversy, and CPAC’s first major tournament was no exception.

The first of the two battles had ACP facing off against the Nachos for a showdown between the two biggest armies of the year. A ticket to the Finals lay on the line, and only one army could take it (or so we thought). Despite not having their leader Boomer 20 for the battle, ACP put up a massive showing under the leadership of Saint1119, holding the Snow Forts for the duration of the battle.

ACP’s huge sizes prevent the Nachos from entering the Snow Forts

While the main force occupied the Snow Forts, ACP’s roughly 25 lockouts faced off against the Nachos in the Town. Due to the scattered nature of the battle, neither army’s full forces met head-to-head, but the ACP’s sizes reached 90 and overwhelmed the Nachos who had roughly 45.

The Nachos create a formidable wall against ACP lockouts in the Dance Club

ACP was initially declared the winner of the battle, which was met with heavy criticism from the Nachos who said ACP executed very few tactics aside from holding the Snow Forts. Amidst mounting pressure, Woton decided to call the battle a tie and sent both armies to the Finals. This decision was then criticized by ACP, who said Woton was biased in favor of the Nachos as a former leader of them. Woton issued the following response:

Just to clarify – I am no longer in the Nachos and the ACP vs Nachos battle WAS a tie. ACP might have done a little better, but not by much. I was going to just say the ACP won, but there were literally at least 30 people yesterday on the CPA Central Chat telling me that the Nachos won and I wanted to make this battle huge. I have been able to run this site for the last 5 months without being the least bit biased and I think I can continue to do that in the Tourney, especially since I’m not even in an army anymore. Trust me, along with everyone else, I have been think “ACP’s most likely going to win this” from the beginning of the Tourney, not “Oh how can I rig the Tourney so that the Nachos can win.” Also, I have probably spent at least 20 hours of my life the last couple of days making, running and judging this Tourney, so I really don’t need people to start giving me crap about it.

In the second battle of the day, the Ice Warriors faced off against the Impossible Mission Army Force. This battle was less of a contest than the first, with IW hitting around 35 and IMAF getting just over 10.

IW starts off at the Dock with an impressive wall to prepare for the IMAF attack

It was clear from IW’s strong showing that the Finals would be a battle for the ages.

IW holds off the IMAF attack

With the Finals now set, ACP, Nachos, and IW had less than a day to notify soldiers of the battle that would end the decade. They hurried to make preparations for what would for many soldiers be the greatest battle they would ever fight in.

The Finals

Tomorrow’s battle will most likely be the last battle of the year. I thought, that instead of having one out of the two armies be sent out that pretty much completely deserved to be in the final round because they did a tiny bit less well than another army, I would have ALL 3 of the largest armies in Club Penguin fight it out in one last final battle of 2009!

~Woton

Due to the added complications of planning an event for not just two World Powers, but three, Woton mapped out the locations each army would start in, assigning IW to the Dock and Town, ACP to the Ice Rink, Snow Forts, and Plaza, and the Nachos to the Forest and Cove. This presented ACP with the difficult task of defending three rooms, as well as being sandwiched between both IW and the Nachos. Meanwhile, IW and the Nachos had to come up with some way to force ACP out of the Snow Forts.

The map created by Woton outlining territory for the Finals

The following photos from the battle are NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN (because I never got around to posting them 5 years ago and all others seem to have been lost to history). I found them earlier this year and decided to wait for this very day to post them in remembrance of what a legendary battle it was. Unfortunately I have very few pictures of IW and the Nachos due to trying to keep track of my own troops for most of the battle. Enjoy!

As 3:00 pm EST on December 30th, 2009 drew ever-nearer, the armies prepared themselves in their respective locations for the battle of the decade. IW established their stronghold in the Town. ACP secured the Snow Forts. The Nachos locked down the Cove. The signal came from Woton, and the battle began.

Right from the start, ACP had locked down the Snow Forts with roughly 65 soldiers in the room

Quickly realizing they had too many troops to adequately manage, Boomer delegated soldiers to different rooms with leaders for each. The main force secured the Snow Forts, the main battle room, while one of its three divisions was sent to the Plaza to assemble a second blockade.

ACP’s circle effectively prevented attack from bands of Nachos who entered in bursts before retreating back to their base

The troops stationed in the Plaza rallied to huge sizes by themselves, as shown in the follow two pictures taken seconds after each other approximately 30 minutes into the battle.

ACP maintains sizes of 60-65 in the Snow Forts while an additional 45 troops nearly fill the Plaza

While ACP expanded into the Plaza, the Nachos took the opportunity to take the Ice Rink. Meanwhile, IW still solidly controlled the Town.

This picture is included solely for the legendary banter by Spypenguin25

About an hour into the battle, ACP had managed to max out both the Snow Forts and the Plaza, causing troops to begin spilling into the Ice Rink where the Nachos attempted to rally.

The Nachos attempt to secure the Ice Rink with a little over 30, as 15 ACP lockouts begin to group

Suddenly, ACP makes it’s first big power grab, as the 50 troops stationed at the Plaza crash the Nachos’ Forest base, overwhelming their force. The Nachos pull their troops from the Ice Rink in order to defend it.

ACP’s sizes hit 115 between the Forest and Snow Forts alone

Meanwhile, the Town, Snow Forts, and Forest are now completely full. The server is swelling with rogues looking to participate, as ACP rallies a third force in the vacated Plaza numbering 20-25 soldiers.

ACP attempts to corral its additional lockouts in the Plaza

As the Nachos retreat from the Forest to the Cove, ACP pursues with its secondary force, sweeping both rooms in the process.

ACP clears the Forest and joke bombs the Nachos retreating into the Cove

Chaos ensues as ACP attempts to relocate two of its three divisions. ACP’s chat room is now pushing nearly 100 registered users and 3 separate rooms, while approaching record-breaking sizes on the server. All hell is breaking loose as divisions are not only dispersed on Club Penguin, but on the chat’s 3 rooms as well. Both Club Penguin and xat were not built for sizes like this. Somehow despite inability to hear orders, the troops stationed at the Snow Forts have now managed to lock out all opponents for 1 hour 15 minutes.

ACP’s circle begins to break down as troops in the Snow Forts lose contact with the leaders. Soldiers are now scattered across 4 rooms, yet remarkably ACP continues to lock out the Snow Forts. With roughly 60 at the Forts, 25 in the Plaza, 25 in the Forest, and 30 in the Cove, ACP is now pushing 140 soldiers across the server.

ACP chat has now broken 100 registered users. The lag is crippling, with messages appearing in huge batches. Boomer is forced to give commands in the main pool using solely hushes while his co-leaders relay to the other chat rooms.

Communication begins to break down as ACP chat exceeds 100 registered users

IW takes this opportunity to make its first major move of the battle by invading a depleted ACP force in the Plaza. Nearby troops quickly flood the room and manage to offset IW’s charge.

ACP troops defend the Plaza from the invading IW while still managing to hold the Snow Forts

Meanwhile, the Town has filled with ACP troops now locked out of both the Snow Forts and the Plaza as the Nachos prepare to defend the Dock. ACP’s total size at this point is anyone’s best guess. The battle has now maxed out three rooms – Town, Snow Forts, and Plaza.

ACP prepares to invade the Dock

The following 6 images were all taken less than a minute apart as I attempted to round up the troops scattered around the server for the final 10 minute push. Troops that had lost connection were now reporting that the entire server had become full for both non-members and members. To those still online, the rooms were awash with a sea of green, as ACP troops occupied nearly every room while the main forces simultaneously clamped down on the Nachos in the Dock, IW in the Plaza, and retained complete control of the Snow Forts.

With approximately 40 at the Dock, 20 in the Town, 35 in the Snow Forts, 35 in the Plaza, 20 in the Forest, 10 at the Ice Rink, and a few stragglers at the Cove, conservative estimates credited ACP with in excess soldiers of 150 soldiers at the climax of the battle (possibly as high as 170)

When the battle finally came to an end, ACP controlled every major battle room. Each regiment that had been separated from its commanders had spawned leaders of its own, with each piece of the collective whole claiming victory over its opponents.

ACP’s size in the 4 main battle rooms at the end of the tournament battle

Last but not least, a rare video of the battle’s closing minutes, filmed by Speeder109:

As the battle came to a close after a hard-fought 1 hour 30 minutes, everyone involved knew they had just witnessed history. With ACP’s monumental takeover of the server, coupled with tremendous efforts by IW and the Nachos, three Club Penguin armies had taken a relatively empty server and completely maxed it out. The combined sizes of the participants likely exceeded 225, with IW hitting 40 and the Nachos hitting 35. The server had nearly crashed under the force of the bombing. It was then time for Woton to announce the winner.

The Results

This has been a long, hard and grueling Tourney, but it has finally come to an end. Today the three largest armies in Club Penguin fought off, the ACP, IW and Nachos. It was insane.

~Woton

The battle was nothing short of exceptional, and better than anyone involved could have imagined. This was the moment that likely sealed CPAC’s fate as a crucial part of army warfare. Hundreds of kids behind computers turned and waited for Woton’s announcement.

ACP had won. For the second year in a row, the Army of Club Penguin had taken home a Christmas tournament victory, earning them the title of Army of the Decade and vaulting Boomer 20’s name into the epochs of time. Back on the ACP site, Boomer congratulated his troops on their tremendous effort, noting that pictures would be posted later (about that…).

Boomer sets an all-time personal best for procrastination by waiting 5 years to post the images from the Decades End Tournament

Meanwhile on Club Penguin, Boomer arranged his troops for a group picture to memorialize what would be one of his final battles as Leader of the Army of Club Penguin.

ACP celebrates its Decades End Tournament victory

Nachos Leader Gamer57 conceded defeat on the Nachos website shortly afterwards.

Hola Nachos.

Well, as you have seen, our battle today was a good battle, but in the end we lost. Yes we did lose. Please don’t start leaving hate comments on the ACP site. It was our loss, so we take the blame. But I thought we should have a fight for 2nd against IW.

Fueled by their huge victory in the Decades End Tournament, ACP would go on to win Army of the Year and Most Active Army of the Year, while the Decades End Tournament was voted the Multiple Army Event of the Year.

As a result of ACP’s historic year, punctuated by the single largest turnout in army history, Boomer 20 was voted CPAC’s first-ever Person of the Year. He also won the award for Biggest Retirement of the Year.

The Aftermath

After the winner of the Decades End Tournament was announced, things turned very hostile very quickly. The Nachos, who along with UMA had been attempting to invade ACP’s nation in the week leading up to the tournament, rallied all of the major armies together, forming a huge alliance in the hopes of taking down ACP once and for all.

TO ACP: This war is a fair war. Why? ACP can get 150 troops. Nachos can get 40, IW gets 40, UMA gets 15, GW gets 20, HSA gets 25, WW gets 10.. It barely adds up to ACP as is.

ACP = 150

Alliance = 140

~Gamer57, Nachos Leader

The alliance was predicated on the belief that it was to bring ACP down to a more reasonable size. It quickly became apparent this was not the case.

Nachos 2nd in Command M3adow Sue concedes that the true intention of the war was to destroy ACP

Doubting their ability, even united, to take down ACP in a Club Penguin war, the Alliance sought some outside help. The Nachos turned to Maverick, a member of I Am The Walrus (IATW), the hacking group that had plagued armies that summer, to take down ACP himself.

Person1233 discusses his plans with UMA’s leaders

ACP Co-Leader Dryvit reports that Nachos legend Shadow2446 heard that ACP would “be gone” by January 1st

UMA Leader Harvin13 discusses the plan if ACP blames The Alliance for the hacking

When the true intentions of the war were revealed privately, Boomer’s most loyal ally Iceyfeet1234 rallied IW to ACP’s defense against tremendous odds. The pivotal battles were to occur on January 2, 2010, and would be the last of Boomer 20’s career. The Nachos, UMA, HSA, GW, and WW had all scheduled invasions of the DRACP in a series of coordinated battles to decide ACP’s fate. Boomer prepared his final words to his troops.

Boomer rallies his troops one final time

When the dust settled on the battles, ACP had forced the Orange Alliance off its capital server of Breeze, defended Ice Breaker against the Nachos, and then together with IW, managed to force The Alliance off of Klondike against extreme odds. Nachos Leader Gamer57 contacted Boomer 20 to request a ceasefire. The Alliance’s plans came to a screeching halt, and all armies involved pulled out later that day. The war had been won.

Nachos Leader Gamer57 requests a ceasefire with ACP

Dammit Boomer, not again! Another post maybe 😉

Boomer 20 retired the following day, January 3, 2010. In his retirement post, he delivered one final message to the soldiers who had served his army so loyally.

Boomer’s final words to his troops as ACP Leader

The Legacy

First person accounts of history in our community, as it is the real world, are hard to come by. No one will truly know what it was like to fight in a battle like this one unless you were there. That rare experience is shared by just a couple hundred kids all over the world. It is impossible to know just how much armies changed as a result of this historic battle and the events the transpired afterwards. For some, it was a last hurrah – a final moment of glory at the end of a long career. For others, it was the beginning of dreams of greatness – that they may one day stand atop the Club Penguin Army world as Champion. For me, it is a fond memory of a day I won’t soon forget.

But I think you’ve heard enough from me. It is time we heard from them.

CONGRATULATIONS ARMY OF CP AND ALL OUR SOLDIERS! GREAT JOB EVERYBODY TODAY,WE PROUDLY CLAIMED THE BEST ARMY SPOT.

~Matre10, Future ACP Leader

I was there and I must say that the Dock charge with the battle between ACP, Nachos and some IW was probably the most epic bit of the battle………WE OWNED!

~Ekpenguin9, Future ACP Leader

I made it, that was possibly the most massive thing I’ve ever attended.

~Klug1234, Future ACP 2nd in Command

Man what a fight. I felt so happy I was a part of such a great event in ACP history.

~Ganondorf787, Future ACP 3rd in Command

This was a honorable loss, the ACP is the biggest army

Ibarrche, that comment of your was extremely low and i would love to rip you to shreds but I am trying to be a nice boy for the rest of ’09

I’ll do in it 2010 😈

Again great victory

~Hockey 77, Future Nachos Leader

I was there. We did a great job fighting in this battle, I am proud to fight along side all of you. ACP Forever!

~Snowballpink, Future ACP Legend

Well first off I want to say I’m sorry but on Saturday I am getting surgery on my arm. I broke it pretty bad and may not be able to use it fully if this operation is not successful. I don’t hope for that but it could be worse. I just wanted to thank ACP for this wonderful year and I am sure that if I can type I will be back on. I may be able to type after 1 day but not fast or a ton. Trust me I will still be active but I need some time. But back to the good side. ACP IS THE BEST AND STRONGEST ARMY OF THE DECADE WOOOO. Thank you so much leaders, division leaders, mods, and members for making this year one of the best of my life. I will be thinking about you all when I am gone but will return shortly after my operation.

~Freddy257, Future ACP Legend

I am amazed with ACP. This was the greatest battle since the Fever War back on 2007 for me.

~Bc435

Thanks For The GREAT AWESOME FANTASTIC YEAR.
I have made nearly all your wars. You have been a GREAT Leader and I’d like to thank EVERYONE for support. WHOOOOO ACP

From Your Best and Future Senate (hopefully)

~Suyasa

Best battle I have ever seen!! We dominated the Nachos and eliminated the Ice Warriors!! I would just like to say thnx for being the greatest leader ever Boomer and I hope you will lead us to another victory on Saturday!! Happy New Years and GO COLTS GO!!

~123bryden123

Wow what a battle! I am proud to call myself a Captain of such an awesome army and proud of this army to have grown so big since Oagalthorp created it back in Feb ’07. Out of all the battles I have experienced I can proudly say this was the best.

~Charliem21

It is an honor! Serving in ACP as a 1st Lieutenant! I did my best fought hard, and it pays off! Standing there watching 150 soldiers all do there best! I was so proud to be one of 150! In the middle of things I realized I was standing next to you (Boomer)! My heart leaped! I was so nervous, hoping I wouldn’t mess up. But knowing what a great leader you are I knew it wouldn’t be hard. You already taught us so much! Lil Dude52, Noseycjr, and Boomer 20, Thank you all for teaching me great skills in ACP! Here is to another great year! ACP ACP ACP ACP ACP ACP ACP
LONG LIVE ACP

~Soundbooth

Last but not least, I have a little gift to those who by some chance may have attended this legendary battle, provided by a young recruit by the name of Bluesockwa2. He was thoughtful enough to document some of my favorite parts of the speech I gave to my troops after we heard we had won the Decades End Tournament. I am so glad to have this picture.

The end of Boomer’s Decades End Tournament victory speech

Still the greatest bunch of soldiers a leader could ever have

Reading through all the comments on posts leading up to and following this momentous event in Club Penguin Army history, all I could say was wow. The passion I saw from the troops on all sides was truly inspirational. In some cases, their experiences seemed life-changing. We all look back fondly on our early careers because it seemed so much more simple – so much more pure. This should be the goal of all armies as we face another trying time in our history. Recreate the passion, the excitement, the loyalty, and the love for what we did and still do, not just for our young troops, but for our veterans too. The best thing I can say about my time as ACP Leader was that I had the opportunity to be a role model for hundreds of kids from around the world and was able to give them a experience they’ll remember for years to come. No amount of accolades or titles can overshadow that feeling. This is the greatest that our community has to offer. Consider this, leaders, soldiers. You have the opportunity to make an impression on the lives of those around you. You can be someone they look up to, someone they admire, someone they hope to be just like someday. I will always have a special place in my heart for those who served my army all those years ago, kids who sacrificed their free time to work toward our common goal. To me, they will always be the ideal. When you leave, you can’t take your records, your championships, your legend statuses, or your first place titles with you. But the memories, the friendships, and the knowledge that, for a brief moment, you had an impact on the lives of those who served by your side – that, you will always have to cherish.

~Boomer