The upcoming 51st Ancient Citadel battle in Raven 2 promises to be a significantly different affair than previous iterations. With the server transfer window open from July 15th to July 21st, a staggering number of guilds have packed their bags and moved base. Today, we break down the expected participants, focusing on the recent bracket shifts and the fallout from the mass migration.

Groups 1 and 2 are the stage for the Lux and Kerum worlds. Following the transfers, the power balance has shifted dramatically. The Mushin Alliance has departed Lux, allowing the Royal Alliance to flex its muscles. Meanwhile, Kerum has seen the exit of both Romantic and Noppakku. This plays right into the hands of the top-tier Raven 2 guild, RoyalDaNaeKkeo, as the competition thins out. The group configuration looks favourable too; Lux is bundled with Metus, Fides, and Salus, and since the Royal Alliance also maintains a presence on the Fides server, the tactical outlook is looking quite bright.

Group 2 is set for a tighter contest. Lux shows a higher number of guilds participating compared to the 50th Ancient Citadel, particularly within the Lux-Honor server, while the Hi guild has newly arrived in Dolor. As for Kerum, the 50th battle winners, Neutral and SKzone, are holding the fort.

Groups 3 and 4 feature the Nox and Mare worlds. Nox has seen a mass exodus of multi-time winners like Gzone and Valentine, along with Hi and NEO. Consequently, very few participants from the 50th Raven 2 Ancient Citadel remain. Valentine and NEO have both moved to Mare, where we have now seen the emergence of the ValentineG and ValentineA guilds.

The crux of the matter lies in these guilds' alliance affiliations. Valentine is part of Raon, while ValentineG and ValentineA operate under the Gonggam Alliance. Given that the Raon Alliance includes stalwarts like RaonA and RaonB, it is safe to assume that Raon and Gonggam are now effectively working in lockstep.Mare-Honor serves as a shared home for the Raon Alliance and the 'Office Workers are Always Tired' alliance. The latter includes guilds such as Early Exit, Early Arrival, and Ottogi. It will be fascinating to see if these two heavyweights clash.

The impact of server transfers on the Vita and Solar worlds is more pronounced than anywhere else in Raven 2. Old powerhouses have fled, leaving a power vacuum for others to fill. In Vita, the focus is on Salus, Honor, and Metus. Salus saw its previous participants depart, only for the Yarrrrr alliance—sharing the 'VeteranYarr~' moniker—to seize control of the upper echelons. Interestingly, VeteranYarrClubrr is part of the Rokkugeo alliance; before the transfers, the Rantebeºº guild was also under the Rokkugeo banner. It appears the Rokkugeo and VCº alliances have been busy reshuffling their ranks.

Solar World was once a hub for Rantebeº, Rantebeºº, Teberangº, and other heavy-hitting alliances like Raon. However, these groups seized the opportunity of the server transfers to move elsewhere. Despite this, stalwarts like Noppakku and various winners from the 50th Ancient Citadel remain. We shall be watching closely to see which guilds emerge as the new kings of these vastly altered worlds.