Newlands War II (2015–2016)

War Details#

Background and Political Context#

The conclusion of Newlands War I in October 2015 left the Broken Lands in turmoil. SHARK’s sweeping victory over Trivium (TVM), Roman Empire (RE), and The Southern Cross (T-SC) made it the dominant power on the peninsula, and the first Elgean alliance to effectively project power into the Broken Lands. For the Hashashin [SIN], this sudden consolidation posed an existential threat to Broken Lands autonomy, as well as a military challenge that Stukahh and Malek were seeking: to match their smaller yet committed roster of PvP players against much larger legacy alliances.

On 5 November 2015, Jejune, acting as SIN’s chief spokesman, issued a formal declaration of war on SHARK, citing harassment of BL settlers and violations of sovereign territory. Within forty-eight hours, coordinated SIN sieges razed BayNights’ Campagnolo and Valdoras’ SIN Can Suck It! The strikes shocked observers: the previous war had ended barely a week earlier.

By 9 November, Invictus [VIC] had joined SHARK against SIN, transforming a bilateral dispute into a three-front conflict spanning Newlands, Vindorel, and Elgea’s Kul’Tar desert. In the following weeks, SHARK countered with its own sieges on He-Man and Fiona in Elgea, while SIN’s “Death Squad” detachments — tenacious military players brought over to SIN from the Deathmongers [Death] by leader and SIN member Duran (The Honey Badger), opened new operations in the Broken Lands. For the first time since the Great War, both continents of Illyria were engulfed in a single, continuous conflict.

By late 2015, momentum had shifted toward SIN. Repeated counter-siege successes, bolstered by Death’s intervention, weakened SHARK’s offensive reach. Internal instability soon followed: prominent members Pico, Agalloch, and Maloo departed. On 1 February 2016, eighteen defectors formed The Unbowed [Unbow], declaring war on SIN alongside SHARK and VIC. Rather than revitalizing the coalition, the split deepened its fragmentation.

Through February and March, SIN methodically dismantled its enemies in Newlands, Fellandire, and Pawanallpa. By spring, nearly all SHARK and Unbow holdings had been razed. The formal surrender on 12 May 2016 required the coalition to exodus from the Broken Lands entirely, sealing SIN’s supremacy and ending the long cycle of Newlands wars.

Chronological Campaign Table: Newlands War II (5 Nov 2015 – 12 May 2016)#

Narrative Chronology and Campaign Expansion#

I. The Declaration and Opening Blows (Nov 2015)#

The war began with SIN’s sudden declaration on 5 November 2015. Within days, Stukahh and OleBlacklord struck SHARK’s Newlands holdings, razing BayNights’ and Valdoras’ cities. Invictus [VIC] joined on 9 November, transforming the conflict into a three-way continental war. Early sieges in Newlands and the Elgean deserts set the tone for a campaign of unprecedented scale.

II. Kul-Tar and Newlands Converge (Dec 2015)#

As the frontlines multiplied, He-Man and Fiona endured heavy assaults in Kul’Tar — with Malek deploying his highly effective “troop sink” in the Elgean desert —  while SIN counter-sieged across Newlands and Vindorel. The so-called “Shark Week” phase produced high casualties on both sides but left SIN ascendant by year’s end. Tink XX and OleBlacklord reopened the Newlands front, razing Maloo’s Corallis and multiple VIC towns in rapid succession.

III. The Collapse of SHARK’s Front (Jan 2016)#

January brought SHARK’s undoing. Its renewed assaults in Fellandire and Gremont were smashed in a series of eight consecutive defeats. Leadership attrition followed: Pico, Agalloch, and Maloo departed the alliance, and Stukahh’s capture of King A’s WhyUNoComeBackYe confirmed the breakdown of organized resistance.

IV. The Unbowed Schism (Feb 2016)#

Eighteen former SHARK members established The Unbowed [Unbow] on 1 February 2016. Though intended to reinvigorate the war effort, the split appeared to fragment central command, making an otherwise larger fighting coalition less able to compete with SIN’s smaller, leaner agility on the battlefield. Between 5 and 26 February, SIN razed over a dozen Unbow and VIC cities, including Gondor, A3 Aerie, and Kanga’s Pouch. Concurrently, Ron Fay’s upstart CrAp alliance entered the fray with independent sieges on SHARK positions, further destabilizing the coalition.

V. Attrition and Annihilation (Mar – Apr 2016)#

From March through April, SIN played both offense and defense in Fellandire and Pawanallpa. Plathus, OleBlacklord, and Silent Sword oversaw relentless siege rotations that eradicated cities such as Justice Hall, Yavin 4, and Durcton. Unbow’s attempts to retaliate ended in disaster as Ron Fay and his Odoacer  alt broke their final sieges. By mid-April, the coalition appeared to not have the troops to effectively defend their cities.

VI. Surrender and Aftermath (May 2016)#

With more than eighty confirmed razes and no active defenses remaining, Spektor (VIC) issued the formal surrender on 12 May 2016. Jejune accepted on behalf of SIN. All coalition members were ordered to exodus from the Broken Lands, ending six months of continuous warfare and establishing SIN’s uncontested dominance across Illyria.

Key Military Actions#

• Opening Razes: Stukahh and OleBlacklord’s initial strikes destroyed two SHARK cities within twenty-four hours, showcasing coordinated precision tactics.
• Kul’Tar Desert Campaign: SHARK and VIC eventually razed some of He-Man’s and Fiona’s towns, but suffered crippling attrition in the process, rendering their victories unsustainable and confirming the effectiveness of Malek’s Elgean “desert trap.”
• Newlands Counter-Offensive: Tink XX, OleBlacklord, and Goldy1 re-opened the southern front, perfecting overlapping siege cycles that defined SIN’s later doctrine.
• Collapse of SHARK Command: Leadership losses and Stukahh’s capture of WhyUNoComeBackYe ended SHARK’s capacity to coordinate offensives.
• Formation of The Unbowed: The February 2016 split divided coalition logistics; SIN exploited the chaos with a dozen swift razes.
• Fellandire-Pawanallpa Push: Cross-continent supply lines enabled continuous SIN sieges, an innovation in Broken Lands warfare.
• Final Operations: April–May mop-up strikes eliminated remaining Unbow and VIC cities, culminating in the 12 May surrender.

Analysis and Aftermath#

Strategic Significance: Newlands II demonstrated the first truly inter-continental war in Illyriad’s history, topping even the STOMPS/Claimers war. SIN’s logistical sophistication and disciplined coordination proved decisive against a fragmented enemy. SHARK’s downfall illustrated the risks of over-extension and leadership attrition in long-duration campaigns.

Political Repercussions: The surrender dissolved SHARK, Unbow, and VIC as Broken Lands powers. The enforced exodus of all coalition members left SIN the uncontested regional hegemon and closed a cycle of Newlands conflicts. Jejune’s subsequent amnesty offers set the precedent for post-war normalization in the BL, albeit for a time.

Cultural Impact: For players, the Second Newlands War was regarded as a “Server War” that pulled in hundreds of accounts and multiple alliances on both sides. Daily Illyriad Times coverage and real-time score updates kept the community engaged for six months. The war’s conclusion marked the end of the first Broken Lands era and ushered in a period of relative peace under SIN’s informal oversight.

Sources#

• SHOCK: SIN Declares War on SHARK – 5 Nov 2015
• Two SIN Sieges Touch Down in Newlands, Igniting War With SHARK (Updated) – 7 Nov 2015
• SIN’s Stukahh Razes Both SHARK Cities in Less Than 24 Hours in Opening Round of War
• Forum: SIN War Declaration Against SHARK – Jejune, 5 Nov 2015
• Forum: Amnesty Offer to SHARK Players – Jejune, 29 Jan 2016
• Forum: SHARK/VIC/Unbow Surrender to SIN – Spektor & Jejune, 12 May 2016
• Illyriad Times War Score Card: SIN/SHARK/VIC War
• Master War Chronology (2025 Edition)