The Fortress/Dark Watch

Dark Watch

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The Team - About Us - History - Awards - Operations - Gallery - Leadership Team Dark Watch Commander: Anne Tardew (HL) Lieutenant: Morrigana (CW) Havoc Knight: PrepH Campaign Master: Bob Boberton, ziptrickhead Chief Assault Officer: John Alcar, bored01 Assault Officer: Jacob VonNaasz, Michael Markus, arnie small Conflict Trooper: Codeist3, Georgus Filafonte Deployment Soldier: SuperSteef Engagement Squaddie: Zeke Nafien Freedom Fighter: Carroot General Enforcement: pokeblink, alvaromesa19 Walk of Fame - Former Dark Watch Members Lieutenant Dedun(CW) SmokeyDawn (DS) Charles Thommas (CAO) Perrin the Wolf (HK) Tycoonbosh (AO) Chakurakid (AO) Daniel181 (HK) Commander Warlord (AKA FireWarlord) (HL) Lieutenant Brian Flynn (AO) Larinthian (AO) Sgt Lenimen (CW) Oryx Clarke (ES) Dark Watch - About The Team Dark Watch is comprised mostly of battle-hardened warriors with a few relatively recent graduates. As such, it is an ideal learning environment in which tactical details and strategies are actively reviewed and discussed. Led by Commander Anne Tardew (former DW Lieutenant) since December 2008, this team is known for their good humor, deadly efficiency on the battle field and impressive individual careers. The leadership is fun, tactically sophisticated, and supportive. Identifying individual member's strengths and learning styles and helping them to build a career they can enjoy and be proud of is a priority. Dark Watch - A Complete History Dark Watch was originally opened in January 2007. Dark Watch's first Commander, NuAgeTechno, was a recruit that Jensonson had originally signed up from the streets. After sifting through a host of squad name options created by Fortress members NuAge settled on the mysterious and bone-chilling name of Dark Watch. Unfortunately the first few months of Dark Watch were rocky. They lost commander after commander, and without the dedicated leadership they required Dark Watch was dissolved in July 2007. Following this, Dark Watch members were reassigned to other units within The Fortress, and many in The Fortress assumed the team would never rise the glory envisioned by those first loyal members. Unexepectedly, less than six months later, Dark Watch rose again like a Phoenix. With the passion of its former members burning bright, and the substantial talent of several new recruits, Dark Watch was re-opened under the command of FireWarlord. Soon after a talented young soldier by the name of Dedun was named as Lieutenant and helped Commander Warlord organize and get the team back on their feet. Regrettably, after a messy and unfortunate zombie accident in April of 2008, Dedun was forced to retire and a recently transferred member, Anne Tardew, was named as the next Lieutenant. Commander Warlord and Lieutenant Tardew led the team to their established greatness over the next 8 months. Together, with their outstanding team they completed some fantastic feats, such as fighting back The Dead and a two month siege at Caiger Mall. In December 2008, Warlord stepped down after an epic 325 days as commander. Soon after, Anne Tardew was named Commander of Dark Watch and Morrigana was named as her Lieutenant. The team has continued to thrive under their leadership. Is this end of the history of Dark Watch? Not at all. Check back as the story continues... The Dark Watch Awards What are The Dark Watch Awards? The Dark Watch Awards are a series of awards given at the conclusion of special operations to reward the fantastic and hardworking people we have on the team. Each award has a different set of criteria to qualify an individual for the award. The awards are varied to reward those who choose different careers, whether it be infantry, healing, engineering or any other. The one exception is The Team Choice Award which is voted on at the conclusion of the operation by the entire team. Below are the recent recipients of The Dark Watch Awards for Operation: Hidden Gem. File:Angel Award.jpg ziptrickhead Zip headed towards Operation: Hidden Gem with the purpose of reviving everyone in site! Ok, well maybe not everyone, but pretty damn close. He was the clear choice for this award, and to boot he gained the Heaven's Touch ABA. Congratulations! File:Handyman.jpg Bob Boberton No one is really sure why Bob likes to jump head first into ruined buildings, but he does so without a second thought, and as such he has been responsible for the single handed repair of many decayed buildings. It might be the promise of malt whiskey at the end of the day, or maybe just the love of helping out his fellow survivors, I'm not sure. Just keep an eye out for his unconscious body in the corner of newly restored building! File:William Award.jpg John Alcar This was a close one! Our pistols were at the ready, our axes impatiently quivering in the other hand, but in the midst of this zombie apocalypse there was one shadow of hope - the shadow of John Alcar! His unrelenting slaughter of zombies could be heard across Crooketon. Well done! Sgt Lenimen No Guts, No Glory was in full swing when the cades fell and the zombies rushed in. I looked at Anne and she started to cade the NT, but passed out before she was finished. Codeist quickly rushed in, but didn't make it very far before he also passed out with exhaustion. I, very low on ammo was desperately trying to rid the NT of the threat of the zombies when low and behold Sgt Lenimen shows up out of the blue! A one man killing machine, he quickly dispatched the threat, dusting off his pistols now covered in zombie guts. All were surprised, as Lenimen had been gone on a long journey, and returned early, and just in the nick of time! For saving the day, and the lives of many, I am honoured to name you our Hero of the Day! File:VIP.jpg Anne Tardew, Bob Boberton and Morrigana The team looked around, undecided on who would receive such an honour! As such, a three way tie for first emerged. Congrats to Anne Tardew, Bob Boberton and Morrigana for being the team's VIP! File:VIP CO.jpg Morrigana This was a very tough call as so many Dark Watchers shined during this operation. The reality is that DW is comprised of many highly skilled, dedicated players and I am honored to fight alongside each and every one of you. The descriptions following note some, but certainly not all of everyone's individual contributions. Michael Markus, our medic, quietly but without fail kept us all breathing; ziptrickhead also revived many and secured his Heaven's Touch ABA during Operation: Hidden Gem as well as displaying the stellar survivor skills we've grown accustomed to from him; Bob Boberton, winner of our Handyman award for frequent major repairs also provided many heals, scouts and good intel throughout the operation; and Codest1 who was so often at the ready to drop a zed, revive a comrade or cade a building. Then there is the player I ultimately selected - our lovely Lieutenant Morrigana. Lt. Morrigana did all of the above; healing, killing, repairing, cading, and she led real time strikes, collected intelligence and mission data and made the operation more fun and more successful with her good humor and vigilance. Well done, Morri! Dark Watch - Operations Famous Dark Watch Operations Coming Soon! 10 Most Recent Dark Watch Operations Operation: Amazing Race - Malton Edition Summary of glorious victory coming soon Operation: Pole Dance Summary of glorious victory coming soon Operation: Macbeth Summary of glorious victory coming soon File:Ghost-heights.jpg Operation: Ghost Heights Dark Watch travels to Lerwill Heights to help repair the buildings, and bring survivors into the area again. Expecting a ghost town, Dark Watch finds a well invaded suburb. Hardcore zombies plaguing the team at every turn, it was a rough battle that ends with River Tactics after Dark Watch holds the burb for three weeks. File:Gemini.jpg Operation: Gemini Dark Watch enters the twin suburbs - South and North Blythville to help the DEM, Malton College of Medicine and Team Battlehawk in what proves to be an uphill battle for the zeds to advance on Marven Mall. After replenishing badly depleted resources in Marven and Thompson malls and exchanging control of Preston NT on several occassions, Dark Watch had helped keep the MoB at bay as additional survivor support arrived. One week after arriving, the twin 'burbs were well lit and humming with survivor activity. Dark Watch moved on to address a greater need in the north. File:Gem.png Operation: Hidden Gem Dark Watch enters the most neglected 'burb in Malton -- Crooketon. Expecting to find a ghost town, they instead find a horde ready to fight. Working with other survivor groups and allies such as The Randoms, Breach of Peace, 404: Barrah Not Found and the DEM, Dark Watch restored the 'burb to survivor hands. Planned and coordinated by Commander Tardew, the operation ended with a massive assault on the Merson NT and surrounding TRBs in the NO GUTS, NO GLORY party which held the NT for 48 hours against aggressive, coordinated zombie assaults. Read the whole story here: [link coming soon!] File:Santaville.png Operation: Santaville As zombies threatened the Christmas present supply in Santlerville, Team Dark Watch responded with (jingle) bells on. We swept in, powered the local hospital and NT then retook Dowdney Mall when it fell to the feral horde. We did some last minute Christmas shopping and maintained the mall for 4 days before moving onto Christmas celebrations elsewhere. Commander Tardew even roasted a zed over an open flame for that old-fashioned, Christmasy feeling. Good times! File:Blackfriday.png Operation: Black Friday Led by Commander Warlord, Dark Watch moves into Roftwood and retakes Hildebrand Mall from a small contingent of zombies. Soon, more zombies move in and Hildebrand falls to a growing horde of feral undead. Working with Quartly Study group and the Kilt Store, Dark Watch reclaims the mall but is unable to hold it against constant zombie assaults. With no viable resource points functioning and the mall in zombie hands, Dark Watch struggled with supply shortages and increasing casulaties while making efforts to secure the surrounding infrastructure. By November 18th, Commander Warlord ordered a tactical fall back to Giddings Mall to restock supplies. While there a call from one of our own Fortresses came and the Watch joined what would develop into a huge Fortress wide operation to reclaim Malton from the zombie presence that had come to dominate city. Roftwood was among several 'burbs ultimately recaptured by The Fortress. File:Judge.png Operation: Here Comes The Judge 12-day reclamation effort of Judgewood File:C3op.png Operation: C3 Salvation Caiger Mall was in zombie hands for nigh a year when the DHPD came in and forcibly removed the rotting undead from the mall. Dark Watch was called in to secure the suburb of Dunnell Hills before participating in the epic siege of Caiger that lasted from early September to late October of 2008. Despite constant breaches in the barricades, Dark Watch stood strong. With the dedication of the team, allies were called in, including The Fortress combat teams, Battlehawk and Cold Cell. With this extra help, it made it possible to hold the local NT and surrounding buildings in addition to the mall. This famous siege had survivors flocking from all corners of Malton to repopulate the suburbs of Chudleyton and Darvall Heights. Read the full story here: [link coming soon!] File:Crimsonmoon.jpg Operation: Crimson Moon When Dark Watch realizes it is time for a change of venue they head to the infamous NW malls. Helping the Crimson Clan at Ackland Mall, which was drawing some serious fire and brain-seeking zombies. The operation encompassed a bit of everything; diplomacy, reclamation, and sieges. 80+ zeds were outside besieging Ackland Mall so there was plenty to see... and do. Dark Watch Photo Gallery This picture was taken for the annual Fortress Anniversary Party in 2008. From left to right: Brian Flynn, Larinthian, Michael Markus, Morrigana, bored01, Bob Boberton, Anne Tardew, Warlord, PrepH, Sgt Lenimen, Jacob VonNaasz, Daniel181, ziptrickhead, chakurakid This photograph was taken during the epic battle that was Operation CS: Salvation in and around Caiger Mall. Dark Watch - So You Want To Join? TOP TEN REASONS YOU WILL LOVE THE DARK SIDE 10. Now with 30% more Vitamin C! 9. Pyrotechnics expert, Bob Boberton satisfies your daily recommended conflagration allowance. 8. Two Words: Jello Shots! 7. AMMO WEDNESDAY!!! 6. Sometimes Commander Tardew sleeps in the nude 5. Challenging, tactical operations 4. Frequent precision real-time strikes 3. Dark Watch Awards for achievements in the battlefield 2. Close camaraderie 1. Opportunities to develop tactical expertise, leadership and style The Identity, Style and Expectations of Dark Watch Members: Dark Watch has become known as a finely tuned, experienced combat squad with a proclivity towards jello shots and naked twister parties. We employ regular Real Time Strikes which certainly contribute to our efficiency and success but are not a requirement for individuals to excel. Superior organization and tactical leadership has created an outstanding record of success as Dark Watch has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to accomplish tasks previously thought possible only by much larger squads. The team is tight and communicates primarily via MSN Messenger, but daily forum posts are expected to maximize efficiency, coordination and vigilance. Testimonials Having been in Dark Watch for over a year, I can say that it has been and still is a great time. My first Combat Team, I really can't see myself anywhere else. With a great CO and Lt, operations go smoothly. There are almost daily real time strikes to keep the team together and make operations more efficient. It may be all business during the RTs, but there's always time for fun afterwards. Don't let the mini parties fool you; Dark Watch knows how to get some serious work done!-- ziptrickhead Dark Watch - The best Combat Team in all of the Fortress. I have learned so much. Especially the importance of knowing which suburb you're in, and to always to have an EP. The leadership in DW is exceptional, Commander Tardew is one of the best ever. It's also one of the most tight knit groups and is one of the most comic also. Our RT sessions are never dull. And as for whopage, we're the best. We're not the biggest CT, but we are the most efficient. Oh and were the best at lighting Malton. Being the head engineer, I can take some credit, but most of it goes to the other DW engineers and our scouts telling us what NT's or PDs need power. All in all, I can't say I have seen a better CT. --Jacob VonNaasz I've been in Dark Watch since only a month after it reopened at the start of 2008, and let me tell you, after a whole year of working with the squad, I'm already missing it after ten days on vacation (ABA holiday!). Anne's been more than just a Commander or Lieutenant for most of us; she's been the heart of our team, always present to say hello and always leading the charge in RTs. Over the course of '08 we grew to be the largest team in the Fortress (for however brief a time) and we still pack a solid punch wherever we choose to deliver it. Watch your back, zeds, the Watch might be in town... --Bob Boberton Dark Watch - Current Leadership File:FFinest.png Commander Anne Tardew: December 11, 2008 - Present Commander Anne Tardew (Havoc Lord) has had a brilliant career in The Fortress and has been honored with both the Fortress Finest Award in 2008 and a spectacular 5 stars on the Who's Who of The Fortress. In the beginning, Anne made an impression in Boot Camp with her dedication and wit and was double promoted into Team Anaconda where she served for many months before Commander Warlord recruited her for the Dark Side. Once there, she was quickly tapped to be the squad's Lieutenant and served exceptionally in that role for eleven months before being appointed Commander last December. Commander Tardew takes an active interest in developing the careers of members who wish to rise and keeps things fun. Anne’s expectations of Dark Watchers include active play and posting on operation threads, good communication, and loyalty to The Fortress and the interests of the group at large. In Anne’s limited spare time she may be found sipping on a Motherless Tuesday (coconut rum, pineapple juice with splash of lemon-lime seltzer on ice) and probably initiating a game of Strip Twister! Dark Watch - Past Leadership Commander NuAgeTechno - 8 Jan - 14 Feb 2007 (37 days) Commander Studz - 23 Feb - 9 Apr 2007 (45 days) Commander Charlie Mon - 19 Apr - 15 May 2007 (25 days) Commander Tommy Crowbar - 15 May 2007 - 29 Jul 2007 (75 days) Commander FireWarlord - 13 Jan 2008 - 3 Dec 2008 (325 days)