User blog comment:Zane T 69/Wiki Improvements/@comment-778071-20160626023744/@comment-34326521-20160627130645

True, not all wikis have an active admin force, but the solution for that is simple: get one. It may not be easy, but there are alternatives to making a user a full-fledged admin. You could have other positions that give users the tools they'll need to fight vandalism (protecting articles, rollback) without actually making them admins.

If the scenario you described happened (it has before on my wiki, if memory serves, as even an active admin force can't be around 24/7, and sometimes randomness creates gaps in admin presence), I'd lock the article in question and tell the users to come to an agreement. Blocking should be a last resort; not a first response.