Metagame Heating Up Over Pico’s Abandoned Cities

Controversial Illyriad player Pico has continued to stoke controversy even after abandoning, with his multitude of cities prompting players in Elgea and the Broken Lands to make strategic moves to ensure their capture or destruction.

Tension over sieging of the cities began immediately after Pico abandoned, with now ex-SHARK player Agalloch and SHARK veteran Silverblade both threatening a player named Takuilrue over his attempt on taking one of Pico’s cities. The Times later obtained an IGM from SHARK leader Baynights directed at this player — rumored to be Gul’Dan in disguise — threatening to break his siege on the abandoned city:

From: BayNights [SHARK]
Subject: RE: siege – recall
Received: 14 Jan 2016 00:14
Original Message:
Hi Takuilrue,
I noticed you have launched sieges against two of lepue’s cities. These cities are property of Shark/Vic. Please check players alliance alignment before sending sieges, and you can see that lepue was in our alliance as of this morning.
Please recall immediately, our troops are on the way to remove any sieges and we do not want to harm your troops.
BayNights

ABSA and T-O Declare War; Newlands War Sputters

A new war sparked in Elgea late this week between two well-known alliances Absaroke [ABSA] and DSD leaders The Order [T-O]. The war announcement further clouds the political climate in Illyriad that includes the Newlands War, which at present appears to have stalled.

The ABSA/T-O war posted in the Herald on Thursday:

Absaroke [Absa] and The Order [T-O] enter War

Thu 08 Oct 2015

At present, neither ABSA’s Biff or T-O’s Pellinell have made official public statements, but the Times has learned from several sources that the war appears to stem from personal differences between the two players over a “server war map” squabble in the official Illyriad forums — a joke by Biff (who posts in the forum as invictusa) that the T-O and DSD leader took exception to.

ABSA has purportedly received pledges of support from several alliances, including The Liberation [HEAT] and upstart mercenary military alliance The Unfettered [TUF], with several notices in the Herald’s diplomacy supporting the rumors:

The Unfettered [TUF] offers NAP to Absaroke [Absa]	Fri 09 Oct 2015
No Escrow has been offered.
Deathmongers [Death] and The Unfettered [TUF] enter NAP	Fri 09 Oct 2015
No Escrow was exchanged.
The Unfettered [TUF] withdraws Confederation offer to Absaroke [Absa]	Fri 09 Oct 2015
No Escrow was offered.
The House of Malt [THoM] NAP offer rejected by Insanity Inc [II]	Fri 09 Oct 2015
No Escrow was offered.
Alliance Founded – test! [test]	Fri 09 Oct 2015
Headquartered at [822|660] in Tamarin
The Liberation [HEAT] offers Confederation to Absaroke [Absa]	Thu 08 Oct 2015

However, the Times has learned that, in spite of the posturing, the ABSA/T-O may in fact be more pomp and circumstance than real warring, with both alliances allegedly agreeing to a “limited engagement.” It is still unclear what level of fighting such an engagement will include, however, the Times will withhold the start of a new War Score Card for the ABSA/T-O war until or unless sieges are involved and the conflict becomes a real war with real consequences.

Meanwhile, the Newlands War, which touched off in the Broken Lands between DSD South and SHARK, has come to a standstill, with little siege activity in a week. Unsubstantiated rumors from an anonymous source suggest that Pellinell has been in talks with SHARK on a DSD surrender that would include forcing TVM to allow SHARK to exodus freely into their land claim as an exempted alliance. The Times, however, was unable to confirm that rumor with any supporting evidence.

If proven true, the short-lived Newlands War would have proven to be a resounding victory for the top-ranked alliance in the game, establishing them not only as a powerhouse in Elgea, but also a political and military force to be reckoned with in the Broken Lands.

SINmA Strikes Again;Another Triple Siege;Original Sieges No Longer There

Viking’s city Under Triple siege + blockade

SINmA has sent another three sieges, once again accompanied by a blockade to another B¦B player, Viking.

Player Under Siege	Town Under Siege	Location	Under Siege By	Siege Began

Viking [B¦B]	X Happy Skeletons Forest	[-235|38] in Meilla	Deimo [SINmA]	Tue 29 Sep 22:25
Viking [B¦B]	X Happy Skeletons Forest	[-237|36] in Meilla	Deimo [SINmA]	Tue 29 Sep 22:25
Viking [B¦B]	X Happy Skeletons Forest	[-236|36] in Meilla	Deimo [SINmA]	Tue 29 Sep 22:25

All are on Small hills, which do not favour Cavalry for siege-breaking. The towns current population is 11,728. We’ll see if it goes down any, as the previous triple siege has not appeared to have done anything to the town of Brown Pants, belonging to Nobby. This new attack is once again in Elgea, far from the support of other members in the Broken lands

NO statements have been forthcoming from either alliance, and the war declaration still stand on the Diplomacy pages of these two alliance.

SINma at War With B¦B

Recently renamed wing of the military alliance SIN, SINmA (SIN Military Academy) is at war with Broken Blades [B¦B]. A source noticed these developments in GC.

[11:10]<System> ** News Flash: Nobby’s [B¦B] small town of Brown pants is now under siege by Deimo’s [SINmA]legendary city of Nibbling on Nobs

[11:10]<System> ** News Flash: Nobby’s [B¦B] small town of Brown pants is now under siege by Deimo’s [SINmA]legendary city of Nibbling on Nobs

[11:10]<System> ** News Flash: Nobby’s [B¦B] small town of Brown pants is now under siege by Deimo’s [SINmA]legendary city of Nibbling on Nobs

And this on SINmA’s Diplomacy Page:

Relationship	With	Declared By	Began	Escrow
War	SIN Military Academy [SINmA]	Broken Blades [B¦B]	28 Sep 2015 03:45	0

Both alliances are based in the Broken Lands, yet this siege is happening in Elgea. It doesn’t appear to have violated a Land-Claim, so the reasons as to why this siege is underway remain unclear.

B¦B’s member Nobby’s Town of Brown Pants

There are three sieges and one blockade. The blockade is on a Large Hill, as are two of the sieges, and the third siege is in a Small Forest. This makes it hard for Siege-Breaking Cavalry to save the day, if such an attack were to be launched all the way from the Orken Coast.

(This reporter wishes that the involved parties come forward with more information, as to provide a fact basis for this story and for a more in depth report on the ongoing conflict.)