Hello, Water Vikings! Today we have another Vikings Through The Ages post. This one is the ACTUAL final post, and it’s a special one too. I interviewed Cabin, a WV Legend who you might know from his recruiting/welcoming guide, or from his time on the HCOV member before his recent retirement. Cabin led WV from 2023-2024 through the Sluttpådawn and Forlosning wars, with the latter being a brutal 12-1-1 win for WV. His recruiting and welcoming efforts were also one of his most notable achievements, recruiting thousands of people into WV. Check out his interview below!
When did you enlist in Water Vikings? What was your previous army history, and how did you end up joining WV?
Cabin:
I enlisted in the Water Vikings on October 11, 2023, after being a frequent visitor or “local” in the Discord following my previous army stints.
I had begun my Club Penguin army journey in 2014, first enlisting in the Golden Troops. I attended a few events in this army, but received no promotions. After my short time in the Golden Troops, I had a similar experience in the Pirates. Despite this, there is no recollection or evidence that I attended any events with them. Nevertheless, I saw myself join the Light Troops shortly thereafter. In this army, I was given my first chance at serving among an army’s moderation team. I attended several events in the Light Troops and was able to receive Lieutenant General—the army’s 4th-in-Command rank—before moving with several prominent high command members to the newly-revived Blue Miners Army. I was very active in this army, especially during the period around its reopening event. By the end of my tenure, I became a Blue Lord (2ic) and noted as a Notable Troop on the army’s Hall of Fame. Near the end of my time in the Blue Miners Army, I was contacted by a friend who had served with me in the Light Troops and the Blue Miners Army. She was creating her own army called the “Dauntless Army” and appeared interested in my enlistment. I agreed, and climbed up the ranks to Supreme Commander (1ic)—my first ever leadership position—before the army merged into the Light Troops. As leader of the Dauntless Army, I oversaw internal and external conflicts with the army and helped the army maintain weekly placements on S/M top tens. Following my service in the Dauntless Army, I joined the Night Rebels and served among their high command before rejoining the Light Troops as moderator in Spring 2016. It was near this time that I officially retired from Club Penguin armies for the first time. There is no indication that I reemerged in the community prior to Club Penguin being shut down in March 2017.
I officially rejoined Club Penguin armies—in their new “Club Penguin Private Server” form—in June 2019. After some time, I ended up leaving the army I was in and created my first army called the “Club Penguin Guard.” Due to my lack of recruitment experience at the time, the army was dissolved. After this, I ended up in the Light Troops as Light Lord (2ic). My time in this army was unmemorable, and I ended up in the Army of Club Penguin as Major (7ic) after a short break. Similarly, while I attended some events, I did not find interest in the army. Dino—who I would later lead with in the Water Vikings—encouraged me to move with him to the Club Penguin Romans. Despite internal conflict, my final rank in the army was Tribune (2ic). I was most active during the army’s Premier League tournament, leading a battle against the Rebel Penguin Federation. Following the army’s disbandment in Spring 2020, I went into retirement once more.
I joined the People’s Imperial Confederation in March 2021 as Admiral (5ic at the time). It was at this time that I became familiar with Discord recruiting. Due to my extensive recruitment efforts, I was eventually designated as Recruitment Manager of the army and ranked as one of the army’s top recruiters. Near the end of 2021, I was promoted to Commander-in-Chief (1ic) and played an instrumental role in internal affairs. Following my retirement from the army in early 2022, I created and grew my own Discord gaming server, refining my recruitment skills. Soon, I enlisted in the Templars of Club Penguin as third-in-command. With warfare being a prominent feature of the army at the time, I became more knowledgeable of the characteristics surrounding war and conflicts with other armies. Once I entered the army’s leadership, I adopted a rigorous leadership style, holding myself and others to work as hard as possible. I eventually ranked at the top of the army’s invite leaderboard. After ensuring a Legends Cup XII victory and receiving legendary status, I retired from armies once again.
On January 29, 2023, I created a new army called the Napalm Corps. From the start, I applied the lessons that I had previously learned to ensure the army’s stability and growth. Though the army maxed 2 during its first CPA Battleground event, that only encouraged me to work harder. While the Napalm Corps was destroyed in the AUSIA Arena: Summer Edition tournament, I pushed the army to rank #5 on the weekly CPA Top Ten and helped form several reputable allyships. Similarly, I led the army to see maxes of 10+ and, sometimes, 15+. Regrettably, I retired from the army in the midst of external warfare and, eventually, the army was confronted with several situations which led to its stagnation. At this point, I authorized the Napalm Corps to merge with the People’s Imperial Confederation. In light of the latter’s effort to achieve its first tournament victory, I came out of retirement to serve as Commander-in-Chief once more. I made it my mission to recruit, register, and remind as much as possible in the time leading up to the battle. Upon winning the Beach Brawl III tournament, I was inducted as Revolutionary in the People’s Imperial Confederation Hall of Fame.
I ended up joining the Water Vikings after spending a couple months chatting in the army’s Discord as a visitor. I was already well familiar with certain individuals who were associated with the army at the time, such as Aaron and Dino. Due to my growing loyalty for the army and my free availability, I made the decision to enlist.
How long did you lead WV?
Cabin: 196 days. I led the Water Vikings from December 2, 2023, to June 15, 2024.
What was the biggest achievement of yours during your leadership?
Cabin:
There were three that share equal importance.
Firstly, contributing toward the victories in Christmas Chaos XIII and March Madness IX. Through recruiting, welcoming, reminding, and maintaining a public presence in the Discord server, I made it a priority to work as hard as I could to help ensure that the Water Vikings had the strength to win these tournaments.
Secondly, destroying the Army of Club Penguin in the Forlosning War.
Thirdly, doing everything that I could to maintain the legacy of the Water Vikings. While I have been involved with several armies throughout my army experience, I have never felt so attached to an army’s legacy before.
What challenges did you face during this leadership?
Cabin:
There were two major challenges for me during my leadership.
Firstly, the lack of an active staff team. While there were some staff members who excelled in achieving staff tasks and performing chat activity, some staff members rarely participated in basic staff practices.
Secondly, letting power get to my head. When I became de facto First Minister of the army upon Dino’s inactivity, I was very controlling as to how tasks were levied amongst the leadership. More often than not, I did all of these tasks myself. This was evident during the Sluttpådawn and Forlosning Wars. When my fellow leaders came to me with disagreements as to how I led, I ignored them. Partly due to the stress that came from this internal conflict, I promoted Rye Bread to leader before stepping down for good.
One of the things you’re quite well known for is your skill and innovation in recruiting and welcoming. How did you learn to recruit and welcome so well?
Cabin: Discord recruiting was introduced to me upon my initial enlistment in the People’s Imperial Confederation. Shallissa, who led the army at the time, helped me become familiar with its basics. Similarly, this was where I was first introduced to welcoming. While the army community was primarily based on Club Penguin Rewritten at the time, the welcoming skills that I learned from the People’s Imperial Confederation became applicable upon the community’s reliance on Club Penguin Army Battleground. These skills were further refined through my involvement in the Templars, Napalm Corps, and the Water Vikings.
Where in Water Vikings do you think you left the most impact? Was it also through your army growth efforts, and if so, how did you leave that impact even after your retirement?
Cabin: I believe that I left the most impact on the Water Vikings through my emphasis on recruiting and welcoming. During my leadership, I made it a priority to motivate staff and myself to recruit and welcome as much as possible. I promoted the revitalization of WVRR through weekly postings of recruitment leaderboards and holding near-daily recruitment sessions. Furthermore, I recall holding a recruitment contest during the Sluttpådawn War in which I gave away a years-worth of full Discord Nitro to the army’s best recruiter.
After my retirement, my recruitment efforts lived on as an example of what staff should aspire to work toward—i.e. “The Cabin Award” for best recruiter or the “Recruit The Power” slogan. Similarly, my work lives on through my recruiting and welcoming guide, which appears to be popular among staff members and WVRR troops alike.
If there was something from the 2023-2024 era that you would bring to modern WV, what would it be?
Cabin: The sweet taste of serious warfare.
What advice would you give to Water Vikings now based on your experience leading Water Vikings along with other armies?
Cabin:
- Do not be complacent. Always strive to be the very best.
- If the main chat seems out of battery, recruit the power.
- Everything can be improved. Look for things that need improvement.
- If you have time to lurk, you have time to work.
- Never stop making other armies fear the wave.
Cabin’s leadership wasn’t only appreciated during when he was leading, but also after his retirement. His impacts in the army, especially in WVRR, have revolutionized recruiting and welcoming efforts. Overall, he will be remembered for a long time as a WV legend. Thank you to Cabin for doing this interview and thank you for reading!
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Interview and post by:
b2
Viking Lord
Filed under: Ocean Oracle
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