What Are Ashes of Creation Apocalypse Castle Sieges

Ashes of Creation Apocalypse castle sieges are a testing-focused game mode designed to try out large-scale siege mechanics before they appear in the main MMORPG. In general, this mode exists to answer a simple question: how does a full castle siege actually play when hundreds of players are involved?

Unlike marketing demos or scripted showcases, Apocalypse castle sieges are meant to be played repeatedly, adjusted, and broken by real players. Most players who joined these tests treated them as competitive matches rather than roleplay events, which helped the developers see how systems behave under pressure.

The mode takes place in and around large castles that can be damaged and partially destroyed during combat. This setup allows players to test attacking, defending, and controlling objectives in a more controlled environment than the full MMO world.

How Does a Castle Siege Match Work?

A typical Ashes of Creation Apocalypse castle siege match usually lasts between 30 and 35 minutes. In practice, the actual length can change depending on how well teams capture and hold control points. When one side controls certain objectives, the match timer can be extended or shortened.

Matches are set up as 100 versus 100 battles, for a total of 200 players in a single instance. This scale is large enough to simulate real siege chaos but still small enough to be stable for testing. Most players experience constant combat rather than long downtime.

Players can queue with friends and invite up to 20 guildmates into the same match. In general, organized groups perform better, especially on defense, where coordination matters more than raw damage.

The main goal is simple: attackers try to take the castle, while defenders try to hold it until time runs out. How you achieve that depends on teamwork, class roles, and how objectives are prioritized.

What Role Do Classes and Kits Play?

Instead of full MMORPG character builds, Apocalypse castle sieges use class kits. These kits provide predefined abilities, gear, and roles, allowing testers to focus on siege flow rather than character progression.

In practice, most players quickly fall into familiar roles. Tanks usually push choke points and soak damage at gates. Ranged DPS tend to control walls and open areas. Support players focus on keeping frontline groups alive during long pushes.

Because kits are standardized, balance issues become very obvious. If one class consistently dominates a certain area of the siege, it shows up quickly in player behavior. This is one of the main reasons the mode exists as a test environment.

What Makes These Sieges Different From Normal PvP?

The biggest difference is structure. Unlike open-world PvP, Apocalypse castle sieges are objective-driven from start to finish. There is always something to fight over, whether it’s a gate, a control point, or a key interior location.

Another difference is the environment. Castles are designed to be destructible, which means attackers are not limited to a single path. In general, most players look for the fastest breach rather than the most dramatic one. If a wall section is weaker, it usually becomes the main focus.

There is also less long-term consequence. You do not lose gear or territory permanently, so players are more willing to take risks. This leads to aggressive strategies and frequent large-scale fights.

How Do Castle Sieges Reflect the Future MMORPG?

According to the developers, Apocalypse castle sieges are a smaller but accurate slice of what the full MMORPG will offer. The overall flow of attacking and defending a castle is expected to remain similar.

However, some systems are intentionally missing. In the MMORPG, settlements will influence which defensive structures are available. Siege weapons will be crafted and deployed by players instead of being preset. Siege monsters will also play a role, adding another layer of strategy.

In general, the Apocalypse mode shows the foundation, while the MMORPG will build more complexity on top of it. Most players should expect the live version to be slower, more political, and more resource-driven.

How Do Players Usually Approach These Sieges?

Most players approach Apocalypse castle sieges with a competitive mindset. Because matches are short and repeatable, players tend to focus on efficiency rather than experimentation.

Attackers usually zerg early objectives to create momentum. Defenders, on the other hand, often stack choke points and force attackers into narrow spaces. Over time, players learn which strategies work and repeat them across matches.

Communication matters, but not everyone uses voice chat. In general, smaller organized groups inside the larger 100-player team often decide the outcome of key fights.

Some players treat the mode as pure PvP practice. Others use it to understand siege layouts and mechanics before they appear in the MMORPG. Both approaches are common.

Is There Any Progression or Rewards?

Apocalypse castle sieges are not designed around long-term progression. The focus is on testing and feedback rather than grinding rewards.

That said, players still care about performance. Winning feels better than losing, and strong individual play is noticeable. In practice, players chase good fights and clean victories more than loot.

Because there is no economy pressure in this mode, discussions about things like gearing or currency usually happen outside of it. Some players who later plan to engage deeply with the MMORPG economy sometimes talk about topics like buy Ashes of Creation gold cheap, but that kind of concern does not affect Apocalypse siege gameplay itself.

Can Guilds Challenge Each Other Directly?

There has been discussion about allowing players or guilds to host siege sessions and directly challenge other groups after the mode launches. While this feature was not fully implemented during early testing, the idea is to support more organized competitive play.

If implemented, this would allow guilds to practice siege coordination without relying on matchmaking. In general, most competitive players support this idea because it helps refine strategies before larger events.

Why Are These Sieges Important for Testing?

Castle sieges are one of the most complex systems in Ashes of Creation. They involve large player counts, destructible environments, class balance, server performance, and objective design all at once.

By isolating these elements in Apocalypse, developers can observe how real players behave. For example, if most players ignore a certain objective, that objective probably needs redesigning.

From a player perspective, this mode helps set expectations. It shows that sieges are not just about numbers, but about timing, positioning, and coordination.

Final Thoughts on Apocalypse Castle Sieges

Ashes of Creation Apocalypse castle sieges are not meant to replace the MMORPG experience. They exist to test ideas, expose problems, and refine systems before launch.

In general, most players who tried the mode gained a clearer understanding of how large-scale sieges might feel in the future. While some features are missing, the core loop of attacking, defending, and adapting under pressure is already there.

If you are interested in siege gameplay, this mode offers a practical look at what to expect, without long-term commitments or progression barriers.