Pyrrhic Victories

Day 1,970, 13:41 • Published in Canada Canada • by Shoi12


Bad puns ftw! Anyway, day off, so might as well, right?

TWO is certainly a very powerful alliance. They're part of the reason that EDEN has weakened over the last few months, certainly. And with the new nations that have trickled into ACT, their trial alliance, over the last few months, they've finally started adding some numbers into their group. And to be sure, they have the highest concentration of powerful nations. At least in the main alliance, all six nations are quite potent.

EDEN has surely been struggling, in comparison. Mighty Greece has run out of four-leaf clovers and horseshoes, losing a series of campaigns both in the colonies and in its homeland to Bulgaria and FYROM. The last major push for EDEN in the Balkans had potential, but it was for naught. Serbia once again ate up Bosnia and Albania, and Croatia was shown the way back to India. But to be frank, while the initial strike was of quality, the strength was not sustained. It was obvious in the first minutes of Serbia’s counterattack that EDEN would lose the war.

But that time, only Serbia was targeted. Spain was doing nothing, Poland was doing nothing, UK was doing nothing, no one in TWO was doing anything. So when the Serbs called for some backup, their alliance mates came in spades. EDEN also has to deal with CoT, right? All too easy.

But this time is a bit different. EDEN has planned this very well, and the initial strike has been much more efficient, even more so than the first one. For the first time in months, Aquitaine has been liberated. Certainly, the French were not the main instigators, as their war with the Belgians rages on, but it was quite an impressive feat considering Serbia’s priority to the region. Of course, the usual suspects Albania, Bosnia, and Croatia all won their RWs, as well as Saudi Arabia, France and Israel. Only Italy, who has long given up on its Serbian regions, failed to conquer a region, Rome barely clinging on. Of course, it would be no big deal for TWO to simply give Serbia priority for a few days, clean up the petty revolutionaries, and enjoy 100/100 bonuses once more right?

Expansion is a blessing and a curse. TWO knows this very well. Expansion gives resources, new possibilities, and the joy of stomping on a pathetic enemy’s face. But it also comes at a price. The RW module has made it impossible to conquer the world alone, as the rebellions would become too much of a problem if a nation was to overexpand. And for some TWO nations, they are nearing that point.

Look at it. TWO is in the weakest position it’s been in months. Don’t believe me? Look. Argentina’s airstrike has set the dominoes in motion. Now, UK is in no position to do anything. Soon to be fully occupied by the tremendous Argentina, UK either has to sacrifice its own well-being, possibly risking Congress, or focus on its own occupation, in which case they will be in no position to help the Serbs. Hungary certainly is powerful, but they are also occupying Ukraine already. If they look away for a mere moment, Ukraine can come back and Hungary will have to deal with their own affairs. While Poland has a slightly less problem with revolts, seeing as France and Germark have both ceded regions (somewhat) peacefully, they still own many regions that aren’t originally theirs. While the occupied governments might not support the revolts, they will still happen. And the Turks and Dutch will gladly be a thorn in Poland’s side. With Netherlands already taking back their southern region, Poland also has to clean up its business. They have by far the most support to give to their Serbian ally, but they have revolts in their own right, though slightly less. Spain also owns regions in four other nations. Though Portugal has signed away a few regions, many of its people still loathe the Spaniards for their extended period of war and antagonization. Venezuela is an ACT nation, but they still rent regions to the Spaniards, vital for weapon manufacturers. They will be under attack as well. And, of course, Canada and Argentina also have many regions occupied by the Spaniards, and they are dying to give the Spaniards hell.

The point is, TWO is powerful. But the resistance, led by EDEN and also supported by other allies, has struck harder than last time, making Serbia’s theoretical road to recovery much more difficult. The followup rounds have also been very strong, Serbia struggling to hold off all the RWs and essentially surrendering at a few areas. If Israel can fully liberate itself from Serbian control, it will be very difficult for the Serbs to reoccupy them. Serbia has also already lost its Turkish regions. While the last war ended in status quo, there may be long-term benefits for EDEN this time around. After all, Bosnia, essentially permawiped by Serbia, has amassed the funds for an airstrike. If Bosnia can hold out long enough to successfully airstrike away from the Balkans, even a defeat and wipe in Europe would be considered a victory. How long has it been since Bosnia has consistently had Congress? If anything, liberating Israel and providing a relatively secure Congress for Bosnia would be considered a great victory for EDEN.

And of course, there is the unthinkable. What if Albania actually holds back Serbia, and even possibly touches Kosovo again? Remember, any liberation for the occupied Serbian nations would be a godsend, even if it means moving to another continent. But what if EDEN could actually occupy Serbia, even if just for awhile? It’s unthinkable, but hey, weirder things have happened.

So yes, Serbia is powerful, as is TWO in general. And EDEN clearly has to play defensively and cautiously. But for all the hemorrhaging elsewhere, this latest assault may give support for the nations long occupied and conquered by Serbia. Even if Serbia rebuilds the blob, wouldn’t it be worth it?

Until next time, take care!

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