The recent Invasion and Griefing of the region Anatolia by the stormtroopers of the Founderless Regions Allaince (FRA) has shed more than a little light on the practices of the new defenders.

What are new defenders? The consensus in NationStates is that Influence Rules killed the traditional Raider/Defender game. For the past couple of years, there have been numerous attempts to create a new game dynamic from the ashes of the old. For most, this has been a vain attempt … until now. Claiming to have omniscient powers for reading the intent of why a nation moves into a founderless region, the new defenders of the FRA have declared that any nation moving into a founderless region must be an invader. Using this logic, the FRA operatives gather “intel” -- mostly rumors and suspicion -- about a nation and a region and the FRA leadership decides to take pre-emptive action against the new native. This pre-emptive action comes in the form of invading the region before the suspected invader can invade the region. Once in control of the region, the new defenders of the FRA begin amassing tens of stormtroopers in to the region to build their lead invader’s Influence with the express purpose of banjecting the resident suspected of invading. While in control of the region, the FRA leader banjects any nation coming into the region, even those without WA-status, unless it is someone known to support the FRA. While this type of action is called griefing by the FRA if anyone else does it, it is called defending by the FRA.

A siege of this magnitude by the FRA doesn’t take long to achieve the desired effect. And why would it? The tactics employed by the FRA are time tested and true. By Invading and Griefing a region before anyone else can, the FRA are able to prove their defender intent. It is no wonder that the FRA have become the Face of the new defenders.

Sedge and Invader pals mug for the camera in Anatolia