New Raw Materials Refocus International Conflicts, Day 1107

Day 1,107, 07:24 • Published in USA USA • by Lieutenant Scheisskopf

New World warfare took a twist with the Admin announcement of new raw materials discovered, and EDEN and Phoenix nations are in the early stages of plotting a course of action to benefit their individual members as well as their respective alliances. No new fronts have emerged as a result, although the fighting in the eUK now holds geopolitical significance, and an eSerbian victory from Day 1107 nets a new resource for the Phoenix power.

The influx of iron (circled) and oil to the eUK gives battles in Great Britain more game mechanics significance to the eUSA and eCanada than the mere in-game rivalry

UK Battles Hold Greater Importance
Although sovereignty of eUK regions has not changed since the previous article, the implementation of new raw materials now allots greater gaming mechanics importance to the eUK battlefront for both alliances. The eUK was blessed with three iron regions (North West of England, Wales, and West Midlands), while the eUSA has none and eCanada holds only one of their own (Quebec); consequently, it comes as no surprise that the eUSA gave high priority to the battle for West Midlands which began on Day 1106 at 13:31. For the same reason, and because the eUK has been reduced to two regions, the eUK has fiercely defended the West Midlands and has repelled the eUSA. A counterattack by the eUK against the eUSA-occupied South West of England (SWoE) at 03:13 on Day 1107 could drive the eUSA out of Great Britain, and in so doing, eliminate the easiest opportunity available for the eUSA to acquire iron. Alternatively, the eUSA could contest for North West of England or Wales if eCanada were to lose control of either region in battles the eUK started for the former on Day 1107 at 09:49, or the latter, beginning two minutes prior. For their part, eCanada fills a need for oil they cannot meet with their own regions by occupying East Midlands and East of England, though the eUK is dominating battles for both regions in the early going. Geopolitics is alive and well in Great Britain, a theater formerly considered insignificant in a pure gaming mechanics sense.

Taking back Andalucia (circled) gave eSpain scarce saltpeter resources, while
moving on Algarve could give eSpain a grain region it otherwise lacks

Spain Regains Andalucia, Seeks Grain
The eSpanish continue to resurge and have once again taken control of all its mainland regions after a resistance war (RW) for Andalucia fell in its favor at 02:06 on Day 1107. The reacquisition of Andalucia gives eSpain a saltpeter region which will be crucial for weapons production when the new materials are implemented in weapons companies; a look at the global map shows that saltpeter is a resource in high demand and likely portends continued conflict between eBrazil and eSpain for the saltpeter held in Andalucia-- although eBrazil may try to barter for control of an eIndonesian-occupied saltpeter source and coax their ally to eventually move on other salpteter areas; time will tell. Meanwhile, eSpain has moved to gain a high grain by attacking the eBrazilian-occupied Portuguese region of Algarve at 10:10 on Day 1106. The new materials allotments gives more value to this region, which eSpain held for a time, than had originally been merited; other sources of grain are available in neighboring Portugal and France, but eSpain’s likely victory in Auvergne will remove eBrazil from the Iberian Peninsula, an additional bonus for the EDEN power.

eSerbia took grain from eRomania by conquering Oltenia, though eRomania’s immediate borders present opportunities to gain resources it does not have (circled)

Serbia Grabs Grain from Romania
The very volatile Southeastern Europe theater now has more intriguing resource conflicts and maneuvers available to the states involved, as demonstrated by eSerbia’s conquest of eRomanian Oltenia. A border region that has changed hands before, Oltenia is now eSerbia’s sole grain region and may prompt the Phoenix power to put more efforts towards defending the region from eRomanian attack or RW attempts-- eRomania holds several grain regions, so its loss is not as damaging to the EDEN side as knowing that Phoenix’s largest power now has a material of which it is traditionally deprived. An eRomanian effort against Eastern Serbia was not seriously contested but could have provided eRomania a fruit region. We may see additional efforts by eRomania here, or against any of the eHungarian-occupied portions of Ukraine (such as Bukovina, Subcarpathia, Podolia, or Galicia and Lodomeria) which give eSerbia’s Phoenix ally a glut of iron and present eRomania with several targets of opportunity in the coming days.

Forced Materialism
The new raw materials will create a game mechanics-driven conquest campaign on an even wider scale than seen before. These materials will imply a strategic shift in battles of importance (as can be seen already in the eUK) and have left some traditional powers, such as ePoland, eRussia, and eChina, in comparatively worse positions than before. Resources such as rubber, deer, aluminum, and saltpeter are in fairly low supply, scattered geographically, and may entail some interesting region swapping opportunities in the coming weeks. Whether or not we see alliance shifts to reflect the new material priorities would be an interesting twist that could change the EDEN-Phoenix balance of power in an even more profound way. As we are all experiencing the new changes together, we all have much to see and learn about how the New World state of war develops. This newspaper hopes that all are ready for the ride 🙂

God Bless America,

Lt. Scheisskopf
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