War in Northern China
The Northeastern China region was first formally settled by Manchuria, with the Liao nation being a recent newcomer to the area. Liao members, either due to lack of experience or lack of familiarity with the server’s rules, had in the past left resources in unclaimed wilderness, which can be legally taken by outsiders. Liao appears to have perceived these actions as militant aggression towards their state, and now routinely verbally harasses and raids Manchurian citizens.
Controversy has also arisen regarding Manchuria's name and national symbols, with argument arising over the ambiguous interpretation of its name. Some Liao members have highlighted its connotations to the time of Japanese occupied Manchuria and the Manchukuo, although in western spheres, the term 'Manchuria' is more often used to denote the geographical region, rather than the political entity.
Certain Liao members have also exhibited rampant toxicity and open racism towards non-Chinese players in the China area and towards the server as a whole. This has prompted strong global anti-Liao sentiment, continuing escalation of violence in the area, such as skirmishes in early May, and finally, to open war. Large scale engagements began on May 19, 2019 with the two battles of Songyuan and in Mudanjiang.
The Battle of Mudanjiang Gate
On 18.5. 2019, A Coalition-led raiding party went towards the Liao capital of Mudanjiang in hopes of finding enemy troops outside the walls, in an organized retaliation to provoking raids and verbal harassment of Manchurian citizens. The raiding party was met with a large concentration of Liao forces who attacked them through a gate that was located inside the moat of the city. Despite the Liao having nearly two or even three times the amount of soldiers, the Coalition's raiding party inflicted multiple casualties on the Liao without losing any themselves. After a skirmish outside the gates, the Liao retreated back inside the castle, after which the battle turned into a snipe-off between the two sides, as they exchanged archer fire. After a while, the coalition troops started to run out of potions and decided to retreat from the city, ending the battle.
Siege of Songyuan
Manchurian towns have been subject to intermittent raids by Liao players earlier in the days prior, with the most notable being a raid on the small Manchurian town of Songyuan by Bommbap, which lead to the death of its mayor and the killing of its livestock. At approximately 15:00 CEST, on 19.5.2019, Liao forces again
Besieged Manchurian troops and foreign volunteers observing the road towards Mudangjiang after driving back Liao raiders. Note the extensive griefing damage caused by Liao outside the town's walls
attacked Songyuan. The afternoon attack was widely publicized and condemned by the international community, with many Manchurian foreign allies and independent foreign volunteers arriving to defend the town. The outside area of Songyuan was devastated with multiple Liao troops using Giga Drill Breaker and Super Breaker to create a trench to trap the besieged Manchurian troops. Multiple fortifications were propped up by both sides, most notably the creation of an industrial potion brewer to make badly needed potions. This was built by KingSolomon1118 while fighting off attacks. After a few minutes the walls were overrun and Liao troops flooded into the city where a battle begun which lead to the death of one Manchurian soldier. Within the hour, Liao forces were driven back. Liao raiders threatened to return in force, and resorted to flaming the chat with anti- Manchurian and anti- western messages, though no further attacks materialised.
Retaliation attack on Mudanjiang
Coalition forces take up positions on Mudanjiang's walls, observing the interior of the city shortly before Liao forces begin to counterattack
Following the attacks on Songyuan, Manchuria organised a counter strike on the Liao capital of Mudanjiang. Volunteers from at least 8 nations participated in the attack. After mustering in Hyesan, coalition forces marched northeast meeting no opposition. After securing the walls around Mudangjiang, Liao forces began to materialise in number, led by Chinese youtuber Zi__Min.
Before the battle begun, the server began to lag heavily causing multiple soldiers in the coalition to disconnect and not participate directly in the fight but the coalition fought on. Fighting was heavy, with significant numerical superiority on Liao's side, as well as the presence of nearby Liao claims. Though despite this, coalition forces would eventually inflict two casualties to one loss. Liao troops resorted to killing Japanese observers, proclaiming 3 coalition members killed, which were in fact Japanese citizens observing the battle.
Zi__Min sighted leading a formation of Liao troops outside the city's walls
Towards the end of the engagement, fighters from Niger joined the fray and brought about more Liao casualties, though Liao refused to sortie out to meet them.