We did not expect this last cycle of the old Powerplay to count for much. But, to general surprise, the three expansions actually became fortified systems in the updated Powerplay 2.0. 

Emperor Arissa topped the final rankings, expanding Suddene. Big Ed Mahon regained Dhanhopi, which the Alliance had turmoiled away back in C399. Opposition was desultory. Granny Torval attracted more against her successful expansion to [some HIP system I recorded wrong in my notes, lol]. Some die-hard opponents of the Federation undermined Winters in Lei Kax. 

Aisling’s haulers got their last fix of old-style programme materials and fortified as far as Haroingori and Aurawala. The final vote returned 81% for consolidation. 

Sadly, we also bid farewell to Cmdr Bluee, lately of Aisling Wing Command, and since C351 lead Powerplay coordinator at ADC. They will instead represent the new Alliance power Nakato Kaine. Rest assured, Aisling Duval remains in safe hands as [PRI] Mystler steps up.

Highly prolific as both underminer and hauler, Bluee shook up what seemed a locked position. Highlights included three turmoils of Hudson, the famous Operation Hudgement Day (C360-5) cost the former President 41 spheres. Smaller “sons” of HD followed in C420-1 and 450-1. 

The “Spring Cleaning” self turmoil of C406-8 scrapped 8 AD loss-makers, opening the door to a glorious run of profitable expansions: Igores, Jotunheim, Punavatii (C410-5) and Zeta Trianguli Australis (C423), less than 40LY from Sol. 

Some said we couldn’t hope to win expansions to M-pad only systems. Itelmens (C453) and Caneph (C483) proved the nay-sayers wrong and were achieved by Python and Type-8. Maidubrigel followed in C477. 

With Ascendancy [™] looming, we relaxed our fiscal discipline to block Winters from Bero (C479), after much to-ing and fro-ing.  We pre-gamed an unprecedented four gains in C488: Bevan’s Hope, Cholul, Ch’eng and Potres.

Truly spectacular times, and we wish Bluee well in their future endeavours. But these wins would not have been possible without the commitment and skill of all Aisling Duval pledges, so we move forward with confidence. 

We are enjoying Powerplay 2.0 very much so far, as we work out what to do and new tactics and strategies. Already we’ve seen a rebalancing of trade merits, not a cool activity the celebrity streamers on the test server were wont to try. Join us! Have fun out there. 

Objectives for Cycle 492 (until November 7th)

• Join the Discord for insight, mentoring, BGS, and PVP. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us. It is not practicable to keep all public objectives up to date nor is it necessarily in our interest to reveal them all.
• Reinforcement targets: our northern borders need support in Simyr, Zeta Trianguli Australis and Perktomen.
• Undermining targets: remove Felicia Winters from Imperial space in Hikenk and Chun Tstar. 
• Acquisition targets: current focus is Siddion but these targets may change often. 
• Aisling Duval powerplay is committed to the ZYADA alliance: Zemina Torval, Yuri Grom, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Denton Patreus, Aisling Duval. We ask all Aisling Duval Agents to respect this alliance by not attempting to undermine our allies’ systems. 

As FDev assure us that Ascendancy (™) will launch on October 29th, C490 seems likely to have been the final full cycle of Powerplay 1.0. Headlines: three more glorious Empire expansions (which may or may not carry through into next week) as ZYADA thwarted Winters once more in her latest bid for HIP 52828.

Emperor Arissa gained Itzam Crua, Granny Torval LHS 142, and Aisling Tangkan. Our own expansion was very largely won by Cmdrs outside our ADC discord, which seems to augur well for a less centralised revamped Powerplay. 

Our haulers were harrassed in Cubeo by gankers of Kumo Crew, competing for some internal award to kill Imperials. The brave pirates had been chased out of Emperor Arissa’s capital Kamadhenu by proper PVP pilots, we have been reluctant to make our HQ a PVP honeypot by mounting any active defence. 

Despite this, heroic late efforts by a select cadre saw the deep forting targets of Maidubrigel, Kauruku, Conii, Kwelegus and Runo completed, in addition to all higher priority fortifications. Grab your last chance this week to buy our very popular programme materials, and easy prismatic shields.

In the southern area of Aisling’s space we have seen growing cooperation between our squads and PMFs in recent months, Seraphim are pleased to announce full membership of the Signum Initiative.

Our thanks, as always, for everything. Useful pre-gaming options for PP2.0 include gathering cartographic data and stockpiling mined commodities and rare goods. Have fun out there. 

Objectives for Cycle 491 (until October 29th?)

• Vote for Consolidation! Voting is the most important thing you can do for AD, so make sure to maintain rank 2! It only takes 100 merits and four weeks of pledge time. Here's where to vote in the UI. Early votes are the best kind of votes!
• Check the Trello for dynamic fortification targets! This is updated more frequently than the in-game menu. Please, ONLY fortify systems listed on the Trello. Fortification is our first priority this week.
• Combat merits: undermine any Archon Delaine control system**.**
• Please do not prepare any systems this week. Spare media materials can be safely delivered to HIP 35209 or Na Chac Og.
• Join the Discord for guides, mentoring, BGS, PVP and insight. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us.
• Aisling Duval powerplay is committed to the ZYADA alliance: Zemina Torval, Yuri Grom, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Denton Patreus, Aisling Duval.

We were all set for The Final Countdown (™) to Ascendancy (™), interest piqued by Frontier Partners (™) streaming new Powerplay 2.0 gameplay. But just as this update was gestating into more than the concept of a plan (™), a delay was announced until 28th October. We’d rather it all worked, really. If anyone is sweating on this, it is the manatees’ Interstellar Bookmakers (™). 

Various powers kept on grabbing at new domains. We were rooting for Pranav Antal to regain Maia. Fiercely disadvantageous triggers made this a straightforward opposition, but none came after an early feint and Utopia once again extends out to old-time Thargoid space. 

Most other expansions won through. Big Ed Mahon was unopposed in HR 5451, though some yokel group again undermined Lugh. For ZYADA, Emperor Arissa brought new basking opportunities to Eta-1 Pictoris. Ever dynamic, Granny Torval acquired Keltim. Uncle Yuri Grom left it late to bomb Epsilon Scorpii into submission.

Only Burger King Archon Delaine’s expansion to 63 G Capricorni failed, consider this payback for Kumo Crew messing with us last week in Cholul. Aisling’s amazing haulers yet again completed all fortification objectives, extending a fantastic run. We retained enough juice to beat the 5C prep of HIP 1572 in a speculative preparation of Tangkan. 

It seems unlikely this will count for anything, unless the latest delay also leads to a new starting position for PP2.0. Emperor Arissa also punted on a prep of Itzam Crua, as did Federal President-in-waiting Felicia Winters in HIP 52828. 

Meanwhile, we wonder how many Hudsonites fancy the change from red to pink and their new guy Jerome Archer, dressed like “the janitor in a Coriolis starport” according to one wit. We’d better keep forting, just in case. Have fun out there. 

Objectives for Cycle 490 (until October 24th)

• Vote for Consolidation! Voting is the most important thing you can do for AD, so make sure to maintain rank 2! It only takes 100 merits and four weeks of pledge time. Here's where to vote in the UI. Early votes are the best kind of votes!
• Check the Trello for dynamic fortification targets! This is updated more frequently than the in-game menu. Please, ONLY fortify systems listed on the Trello.
• Combat merits: oppose Felicia Winters’ expansion to HIP 52828.
• Expand to Tangkan. Collect sealed contracts from the power contact and deliver them to any AD control system. The nearest is Bevan’s Hope.
• Please do not prepare any systems this week. Spare media materials can be safely delivered to HIP 35209 or Na Chac Og.
• Join the Discord for guides, mentoring, BGS, PVP and insight. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us.
• Aisling Duval powerplay is committed to the ZYADA alliance: Zemina Torval, Yuri Grom, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Denton Patreus, Aisling Duval.

Nobody can remember the last time we tried four simultaneous expansions. But as Powerplay 1.0 enters the last scheduled full cycle, what else could we do with our carefully accumulated CC? We are delighted to report total success, in addition to continuing our months-long run of complete fortification.

Bevan’s Hope saw the largest effort, more than 400k sealed contracts, and the most Federal opposition. We shifted 370k merits from Cholul where we were greeted by Kumo Crew's stars of YouTube piracy videos. We saw no opposition in Ch’eng, regained after being scrapped in last year’s Spring Cleaning, nor Potres.

Other ZYADA powers also got some high pop pre-gaming PP2.0 action. Torval won three expansions in Kokowar, LTT 9472 and LHS 184, only the last opposed with 200k merits despite horrible 3.7:1 triggers in Granny’s favour. Emperor Arissa took CD-61 1439, and Uncle Yuri Grom Yavapai. For the Alliance, Big Ed Mahon now has LTT 13904.

President Winters’ response was inhibited by a barely disguised thoroughgoing undermining assault in many spheres compelling her to blanket fort. Counter attacks in Aisling’s Bero, Grom’s Kislika, Torval’s Tau-1 Hydrae, and Mahon’s Lugh had no impact beyond winning some merits. Winter’s own expansion, Chang O again, was comfortably defeated.

Respect to Pranav Antal for preparing the distant and spiritually significant Maia. Delaine considered a prep race but pulled out in favour of preparing 63G Capricorni. Aisling opted against eating HIP 1572 as the botters deserve no comfort. Torval prepped Keltim, the Emperor Eta-1 Pictoris, and Mahon HR 5451. Federal powers consolidated, meekly.

We do not go gently into that good night, and instead hope to keep the energy up as we face new challenges and a new landscape. Thanks for everything, awesome devotees of the Princess. Have fun out there. 

Objectives for Cycle 489 (until October 17th)

• Vote for Consolidation! Voting is the most important thing you can do for AD, so make sure to maintain rank 2! It only takes 100 merits and four weeks of pledge time. Here's where to vote in the UI. Early votes are the best kind of votes!
• Check the Trello for dynamic fortification targets! This is updated more frequently than the in-game menu. Please, ONLY fortify systems listed on the Trello. Fortification is our first priority this week.
• Combat merits: oppose Archon Delaine’s expansion to 63G Capricorni.
• Please do not prepare any systems this week. Spare media materials can be safely delivered to HIP 35209 or Na Chac Og.
• Join the Discord for guides, mentoring, BGS, PVP and insight. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us.
• Aisling Duval powerplay is committed to the ZYADA alliance: Zemina Torval, Yuri Grom, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Denton Patreus, Aisling Duval.

For years we have been inhibited by the largest sabotage effort in Powerplay, the HIP 1572 bot attack. Every expansion brought a risk of eating a poor system we would never be able to lose. But assured now of a 99% chance of retaining territory in PP2.0, metrics have changed and we pushed no less than four systems into expansion. 

Preps of Cholul, Ch’eng, Potres and Bevan’s Hope represented more than 600k merits in addition to once again completing all fortification objectives. The 5C was left trailing. Nobody hauls like Aisling Duval. What an awesome effort!

Some powers followed suit. Big Ed Mahon prepared LTT 13904, Emperor Arissa pushed CD-61 1439 ahead of her initial target (or 5C’s?) Itzam Crua. Uncle Yuri Grom prepped Yavapai, and with a late bomb expanded Cashibo, worth +3.9CC. Granny was busy, showing her hand very late with preps of LTT 9472, Kokowar, and LHS 184. 

What of the Feds? Hudson continued quietly into security-conscious retirement. It has been clear for some time that Felicia Winters earns more merits in the dead legacy galaxy, their happy place where they can dismantle the Empire because we aren’t there. Winters prepped only the familiar Chang O.

Winters was attacked again by a group outside the “official unofficial” Powerplay communities. Chun Tstar, Lei Kax, Lulua, HIP 50489, and Atat all undermined or cancelled. Maybe this is no time to be taking advantage to attempt a scrap. Federals earned some combat merits in Aisling’s Bero again.

Perhaps this is all a Federal master stroke, and FDev’s PP1.0 snapshot and starting position for PP2.0 is already fixed? Regardless, we had a lot of fun and that’s the biggest win of all. A week of expansion chaos ahead, have fun out there. 

Objectives for Cycle 488 (until October 10th)

• Vote for Consolidation! Voting is the most important thing you can do for AD, so make sure to maintain rank 2! It only takes 100 merits and four weeks of pledge time. Here's where to vote in the UI. Early votes are the best kind of votes!
• Check the Trello for dynamic fortification targets! This is updated more frequently than the in-game menu. Please, ONLY fortify systems listed on the Trello. Fortification is our first priority this week.
• Expand to Cholul, Ch’eng, Potres and Bevan’s Hope by taking sealed contracts from the Power Contact in any starport in these systems to the Power Contact at any starport in any Aisling Duval control system. 
• Combat merits: oppose Felicia Winters’ expansion to Chang O.
• Please do not prepare any systems this week. Spare media materials can be safely delivered to HIP 35209 or Na Chac Og.
• Join the Discord for guides, mentoring, BGS, PVP and insight. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us.
• Aisling Duval powerplay is committed to the ZYADA alliance: Zemina Torval, Yuri Grom, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Denton Patreus, Aisling Duval.

The old world is dying, and the new is yet to be born. But FDev did allow some morsels to fall from the high table for the relief of famished Powerplay 1.0 devotees. No preferred government types, what could be interpreted as the intention to integrate BGS and PP2.0 activity, all powers to have all modules available as rewards, and 99% of systems to remain with the same power that has them now. 

Consequently some new incentives could be introduced by the final weeks of PP1.0, but C486 was a generally quiet one with the player base mostly focused on the successful repulsion of Thargoids from Shinrarta Dezhra. Winters failed to take control of HIP 52828 in the face of stern ZYADA opposition. Li Yong Rui did not eat his prep blocker LTT 2513 with a little Federal assistance. No CC changed hands.

There was significantly less undermining activity. Big Ed Mahon had Lugh cancelled, Grom was poked in LHS 3677 and Pethes. Uncle Yuri dropped his vote late in the cycle to allow his preparation of Cashibo to mature to a full expansion bid in the week ahead. Otherwise, consolidation all round.

Another smashing week for Aisling Duval’s haulers, who completed all fortification objectives yet again. Our shy BGS manatees report that their maintenance objectives were also cleared, though they just blush these days when asked to share the details with the Press Office. We remain, as ever, in debt to you, our marvellous pledged and proven Cmdrs. Have fun out there. 

Objectives for Cycle 487 (until October 3rd)

• Vote for Consolidation! Voting is the most important thing you can do for AD, so make sure to maintain rank 2! It only takes 100 merits and four weeks of pledge time. Here's where to vote in the UI. Early votes are the best kind of votes!
• Check the Trello for dynamic fortification targets! This is updated more frequently than the in-game menu. Please, ONLY fortify systems listed on the Trello.
• Please do not prepare any systems this week. Spare media materials can be safely delivered to HIP 35209.
• Join the Discord for guides, mentoring, BGS, PVP and insight. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us.
• Aisling Duval powerplay is committed to the ZYADA alliance: Zemina Torval, Yuri Grom, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Denton Patreus, Aisling Duval.

I have collected 750 Aisling Media Materials (merits), where to sell ? them? Cant find station, ty

Thargoids have attacked Shinrarta Dezhra and who can blame them, really? The headquarters of The Pilots’ Federation contains the home base for a substantial proportion of the players. This reliable hotbed of PVP free-for-all action is THE place to be seen and to get noticed. Even more alarming were widespread reports of a new bug of another sort that caused swapped ship modules to disappear while outfitting, since resolved.

Federation President-in-waiting Felicia Winters came under obvious and fairly widespread attack too, and not this time by us. We were concerned indeed that undermining Matipu, Atat and Hikenk might do Winters a favour by allowing her to scrap loss-making systems. Lei Kax, Lulua and Chun Tstar were over-undermined, Elycoch and Lundji were cancelled.

Winters ended her expansion attempt drought by prepping HIP 52828, providing a legitimate combat target for this coming week. Following an unusual spike in fortification activity, the usually sleepy Li Yong Rui prepared LTT 2513. With unfavourable triggers and threatening some CC damage against Emperor Arissa, we presume this is a prep blocker occasioned by a failed consolidation vote.

Elsewhere, Aisling saw Bero undermined again, along with Areklici, systems we’d be content to shed under current Powerplay rules. Uncle Yuri endured attacks against Maramovoy and Pethes. Pranav Antal’s Allowa, Big Ed Mahon’s Lugh, and Kumo Burger King Archon Delaine’s Col 285 Sector CY-N B21-0 were also cancelled. Plenty going on, then, as PP2.0 approaches. 

Aisling’s consolidation vote took a while to click into gear but finished at a steady 79%. There was further dramatic BGS success in Wirdisci. Last word goes in acknowledgement to the continuing awesomeness of our hauling contingent. Thumbing through the available records, you guys have completed all fortification objectives every week since C468: four months. You rock, have fun out there. 

Objectives for Cycle 486 (until September 26th)

• Vote for Consolidation! Voting is the most important thing you can do for AD, so make sure to maintain rank 2! It only takes 100 merits and four weeks of pledge time. Here's where to vote in the UI. Early votes are the best kind of votes!
• Check the Trello for dynamic fortification targets! This is updated more frequently than the in-game menu. Please, ONLY fortify systems listed on the Trello.
• Please do not prepare any systems this week. Spare media materials can be safely delivered to HIP 35209.
• Combat merits: oppose Felicia Winters’ expansion to HIP 52828.
• Join the Discord for guides, mentoring, BGS, PVP and insight. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us.
• Aisling Duval powerplay is committed to the ZYADA alliance: Zemina Torval, Yuri Grom, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Denton Patreus, Aisling Duval.

Our heartfelt congratulations to Aisling’s Angels on their achievement of a gold Powerplay trophy. Though we still await details - and important ones - from FDev (who have not deigned to consult with established Powerplay communities such as ourselves) we presume this may be the last PP1.0 season? As an important personage from [ANGL] has remarked, “we are wondering if this means we can claim victory.”

[insert crying/laughing emoji]

Aisling’s haulers remained indefatigable, yet again completing the entire Trello of fortification objectives. The only response from our beloved opponents was the undermining of the recently acquired Bero control system, perhaps provoked by confusion last week about whether we had captured it or not. Grom was attacked, as usual, in Pethes, Muncheim, Dhanchu and LTT 8280, so was Winters in Lei Kax.

We saw some strange goings on going on in Big Ed Mahon’s space.  Alliance control systems Cartoq and Lugh were cancelled, but a very large number of other systems, too many to list, were undermined by 90 to 210 merits (3 to 7 ship kills). Some speculation has resulted. Was someone testing Mahon’s defences, feigning a grand snipe, looking to force UI updates, or attempting some new procedural magic?

Though Winters delivered 50k merits to Bacagua, the only expansion attempt of the cycle was soundly buried by the combat pilots of ZYADA. If this was 5C as Winters claims, they are getting off lightly in comparison to ourselves. But our vote held up at 80% for consolidation, so again the perennial dastardly robot plot to force us to expand HIP 1572 was foiled.

With a resounding cry of “meh” ringing across the Milky Way, no power is attempting to expand anywhere in the coming week. Time to batten down the hatches against the renewed Thargoid attack Galnet warns of, or to attend to BGS matters, perhaps? We are pleased to report a victory at war in Wirdisci up in Simyr sphere. The reward? An election in the same system. 

The Princess salutes you. Have fun out there.

Objectives for Cycle 485 (until September 19th)

• Vote for Consolidation! Voting is the most important thing you can do for AD, so make sure to maintain rank 2! It only takes 100 merits and four weeks of pledge time. Here's where to vote in the UI. Early votes are the best kind of votes!
• Check the Trello for dynamic fortification targets! This is updated more frequently than the in-game menu. Please, ONLY fortify systems listed on the Trello.
• Please do not prepare any systems this week. Spare media materials can be safely delivered to HIP 35209.
• Join the Discord for guides, mentoring, BGS, combat targets, PVP and insight. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us.
• Aisling Duval powerplay is committed to the ZYADA alliance: Zemina Torval, Yuri Grom, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Denton Patreus, Aisling Duval.

Aisling Duval has claimed a 77th control system, in Caneph. A procession of new Type-8s and older Pythons delivered 145k sealed contracts mostly to Duro and Duryampas in what is likely to be the last medium-pad expansion of PP1.0.The glorious operation was notable for a lack of opposition, a mere 4500 merits posted in response and no reports of PVP interference on the Imperial relays. 

Why so? A first draft from the Winters press office said we had been preparing Bero instead; but no, that expansion was weeks ago. What sounded like a bloody discord PVP incident over in the cantina caused the fake news to be taken down. Do keep up. We have a screenshot to cheer us through the long winter nights ahead.

In addition to winning this new sphere, Aisling’s awesome haulers again completed all fortification objectives. The only response was the cancellation of Simyr by hostile underminers. Winters failed to raise much of an effort for her own expansion to Chang O, opposed again. It sounds rather like they have been tied down by Emperor Arissa’s redoubtable BGS department.

Elsewhere, in addition to the usual undermining against Uncle Yuri Grom (Dhanchu, Kwakwakwal, Muncheim, Yemotepa) unknown pilots launched a mini offensive against Big Ed Mahon (Leesti, Lugh, Manbatz, Pongo, and Ao Kano). Imperial beefcake Denton Patreus got a taste of the action in his V374 Pegasi sphere too.

All powers consolidated, bar Felicia Winters, who has found a novel prep in Bacagua. A blocker they say, but they expect our opposition, and we would not want to let them down. Emperor Arissa put 92k merits into her new blocker Bevan’s Hope, possibly with an eye on squad league tables, but did not commit. 

We end the cycle +1CC wealthier and a little bit larger. Many thanks, Cmdrs, and congratulations. Have fun out there. 

Objectives for Cycle 484 (until September 12th)

• Vote for Consolidation! Voting is the most important thing you can do for AD, so make sure to maintain rank 2! It only takes 100 merits and four weeks of pledge time. Here's where to vote in the UI. Early votes are the best kind of votes!
• Check the Trello for dynamic fortification targets! This is updated more frequently than the in-game menu. Please, ONLY fortify systems listed on the Trello.
• Please do not prepare any systems this week. Spare media materials can be safely delivered to HIP 35209.
• Combat merits: oppose Felicia Winters’ expansion to Bacagua.
• Join the Discord for guides, mentoring, BGS, PVP and insight. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us.
• Aisling Duval powerplay is committed to the ZYADA alliance: Zemina Torval, Yuri Grom, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Denton Patreus, Aisling Duval.

Magnificent haulers smashed our fortification objectives yet again. We took advantage of the Federal expansion lull to prepare a little something for ourselves. Caneph could well prove the last medium pad expansion in this incarnation of Powerplay; an ideal opportunity to test-drive those newly-minted Lakon Type 8s.

Sweaty palms in the final hours of the cycle as the 5C ghosts that prep HIP 1572 upped their frequency. A race, but a decisive outcome; Caneph ahead by 177k to 136k. Such a smooth operation indeed that a Federation representative asked if it had really been intended. We can expect closer attention next week.

Elsewhere, Torval’s bid for Yaroi fell to Federal opposition, Winters prepared Chang O again. Merit seekers undermined Grom in Dhanchu, Muncheim and Yemotepa. Antal’s Sukree was cancelled. Winters was attacked in Belgitan, Elycoch, and Lundji. Delaine’s Huichi was undermined almost twice over. 

Squad news: Knights of the Light Table report success in the Kuki An sphere, Ewahu is in friendly communist hands. Elite United Worlds are holding a weekend celebration in commemoration of the epic Battle of Wangai. We wish them every success in this.

FDev have agreed to take questions about PP 2.0 in the Forums, the roll out is delayed until October. Zachary Hudson is to finally quit the Federal Presidency. Some sages believe Galnet hints at a new Alliance power, and a map reset. The latter would be a disappointment in the view of this correspondent, upturning the player-driven narrative of the past several years. 

Overdue engagement is still welcome, however imperfect. We recognise the potential for toxicity in Powerplay-related discourse. We also hope our questions - as a community that has devoted countless hours doing this seriously for years - may receive a response. Many squadrons running player-managed factions in the BGS ecosystem that supports the powers - another labour of love involving countless hours - are anxious about what PP2.0 will entail for them.

Also welcome is news of the new Zorgon Peterson Mandalay. Leading edge exploration design or a “pregnant bat”, depending on who you talk to. So. We fortify, we stop Winters, we push Caneph. Aisling smiles in gratitude. Have fun out there. 

Objectives for Cycle 483 (until September 5th)

• Vote for Consolidation! Voting is the most important thing you can do for AD, so make sure to maintain rank 2! It only takes 100 merits and four weeks of pledge time. Here's where to vote in the UI. Early votes are the best kind of votes!
• Check the Trello for dynamic fortification targets! This is updated more frequently than the in-game menu. Please, ONLY fortify systems listed on the Trello.
• Following the completion of fortification, expand to Caneph (M pad only). Buy sealed contracts from the power contact at any Caneph starport, deliver them to a power contact in any Aisling Duval control system. The closest are Duryampas and Duro.
• Join the Discord for guides, mentoring, BGS, PVP, insight and combat targets for this week. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us.
• Aisling Duval powerplay is committed to the ZYADA alliance: Zemina Torval, Yuri Grom, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Denton Patreus, Aisling Duval

These last weeks - we assume - of Powerplay 1.0 are really a golden time for Aisling’s hauling contingent. Again the entire Trello list of fortification objectives was completed, and in good time. It has been excellent to see some well earned promotions in Aisling Duval Comms as a result of this avid support in recent weeks. The Princess thanks you. 

We’ve also welcomed back a manatee of some renown from her hiatus, who has set about clearing the Augean stables of our BGS maintenance objectives. A PVP specialist of our manor reportedly claimed a bounty placed in Nervi last week by Kumo Crew. We are determined to help our community continue to thrive whatever PP2.0 might bring. 

There were no CC changes as both expansion bids failed. It took a significant effort late in the cycle by ZYADA specialists to deny Felicia Winters with favourable triggers in HIP 52828. Granny Torval’s bid for Aornum was less seriously contested. Undermining attacks on Uncle Yuri Grom continued in Yemotepa and Muncheim.

The Grand Old Lady keeps making moves though. She prepped Yaroi and this is the only expansion in the new cycle. For the Federation Felicia Winters flirted with a move for Cerno. On our own side the Emperor Arissa thought seriously about Bevan’s Hope, but neither followed through. 

A personal thanks also to my esteemed dragon colleague for sitting in for me so effectively with the recaps in the last couple of weeks. All powers bar Torval consolidated, but this is not going to be an entirely quiet cycle. We are pleased to announce a special treat for all you new T-8 owners (and old Pythonists): we want to prepare the M-pad only system Caneph! Have fun out there. 

Objectives for Cycle 482 (until August 1st)

• Vote for Consolidation! Voting is the most important thing you can do for AD, so make sure to maintain rank 2! It only takes 100 merits and four weeks of pledge time. Here's where to vote in the UI. Early votes are the best kind of votes!
• Check the Trello for dynamic fortification targets! This is updated more frequently than the in-game menu. Please, ONLY fortify systems listed on the Trello.
• Prepare Caneph (M pad only). Take media materials from Duryampas, Runo or any other Aisling Duval control system to the power contact at Kludze Beacon or Lippisch Point. 
• Join the Discord for guides, mentoring, BGS, PVP, insight and combat targets for this week. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us.
• Aisling Duval powerplay is committed to the ZYADA alliance: Zemina Torval, Yuri Grom, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Denton Patreus, Aisling Duval

OwOhai again! OwO!

For another consecutive week, the entire Trello's been completed! It's starting to feel to me like this is the default state of things. I still remember when even getting to Medium priority was difficult, and now people are getting to see the asteroid base in Runo every week. Is very wiggle. -w-.

Our vote was shiny at 84%, but 5c is getting scary. Vote control, as such, is becoming more and more important. If you're able and it's not too inconvenient, please maintain at least 100 merits each week to be able to vote! OwO! If you haul 800 tons a month, that's enough to keep you going for four cycles, even if you do it all on the same day. That's basically two Cutter-loads once a month, or one every two weeks. It's very helpy. -w-.

There were a bunch of expansions in C479. We had Bero up, and somehow ended up with it at the end of the tick. It doesn't really help or hurt us, but more importantly, this means that we don't have to preprace FLC for it every fortnight, so at least that's done! OwO! Maybe the same situation'll simply start up again, maybe it won't. Personally, I'll just miss how easy the system was to spell. -w-.

For non-manatee-based-powers, only ALD had success with their expansion to Murare, as well as having fortified nearly every system that they control! Their most recent prior expansion was to HIP 17483 in March of 3308. A spokesperson from LL had this to say about the matter: "As home system of ALD squadron the 6th Interstellar Corps, we thought it was high time that Murare came under the direct control of our Emperor. While the expansion was not hotly contested, we had a high participation especially among our newer pilots. It's always enjoyable to add a system to our power!" Participating pilots can collect their reward from -- Oh, wait, sorry. I thought I was writing a Galnet article. <w<'

(Hey, Fdev, hire me. :D Also to be clear, there is no reward, I was just memeing. <w<')

All other expansions failed. Yay for us! OwO! These include Winters' expansions to Chang O, Koljak, and Malgariji. There is a new Winters expansion in HIP 52828 that we should oppose. Did you know that FLC refers to Winters' powerplay cargo as "lunchboxes"? Well, now you do! Did you also know that these "lunchboxes" contain MANATEE MEAT!? Well, they don't. Allegedly. But we should check. You know. By going to HIP 52828 and blowing their ships up, owo.

Outside of Winters, Hudson failed to prepare Aornum; Torval got it into expansion instead. They goin' so good! OwO! Torval's own expansion to Yaori failed. Thas'okay. -w-.

Various undermining happened across many powers; Kumo was hit in HIP 97704, and Antal was bothered in Hidar, both to about 74%. Winters' Lei Kax was fully undermined. Somehow, Yuri was attacked in Dhanchu, LTT 7548, LHS 1339, and BD-10 5238, while being fully undermined in LTT 15574, Yemotepa, and Muncheim! Clearly, /somebody/ is jealous of Yuri's glorious beard. -w-.

In less-power-y news, the T8 released and doesn't totally stink for hauling, so that's cool. -w-. This dragon likes how it has a sound for when it's normal boost /ends/, instead of only when it starts, and wishes that more ships did this. The cockpit's nice too. Vaguely T9-ish when you turn around. -w-. The thargoid titan Thor is getting attacked real good and I think it'll go critical around the time that this article's posted, owo. Galnet whoopsed and accidentally posted both the success and the failure messages for their community goal. They more-or-less said the same thing as far as the wider narrative is concerned, but at least this time, they contained different elaboration on characters' backstories depending on which side won. That's fancy. -w-.

And now for the moment that at least twenty of you were waiting for: Cats! OwO! I ran a poll to decide between two cats to include with this article, and of course, everyone had to try to perfectly balance the votes so they'd get both cats. They did it! OwO! And they did it without cheaping out and only giving one of each vote!

Here's cat A!: https://www.flickr.com/photos/31496313@N00/2826968159 And here's cat B!: https://www.flickr.com/photos/75885098@N05/51991346236 And here's a surprise third-cat for playing along!: https://www.flickr.com/photos/14235202@N00/4930315303 Long ago, I never imagined that somehow I'd end up as a writer for a hyper-niche newspaper that closes their posts with arbitrary pictures of cats while being backed by an aggregation of manatees while myself poses as the lone oddball that insists they're a dragon instead, but here we are! OwO! Thank y'all, is very wiggle. -w-...

Objectives for Cycle 480 (until August 22th)

• Vowote for Consolidation! Voting is the most important thing you can do for AD, so make sure to maintain rank 2! It only takes 100 merits and four weeks of pledge time. Here's where to vote in the UI. Early votes are the best kind of votes!

• Check the Trello for dynamic fortification targets! This is updated more frequently than the in-game menu. Please, ONLY fortify systems listed on the Trellowo.

• Please do not prepare any systems this week. Spare media materials can be safely delivered to HIP 35209.

• Combat merits: oppose Felicia Winters’ expansion to HIP 52828.

• Join the Discord for guides, mentoring, BGS, PVP, insight and combat targets for this week. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us.

• Aisling Duval powerplay is committed to the ZYADA alliance: Zemina Torval, Yuri Grom, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Denton Patreus, Aisling Duval.

It dragon time! OwO!

We did it again! 48 hours before EOC, haulers completed the whole TrellOwO! I think we're in at least a month-long streak now! We goin'! OwO! Pulling this off is a massive team effort, so thank you, everyone! You are keeping panic-dragon's headfin so calm. -w-...

Aisling's doin' that whole Bero thing again, so our vote was right where we wanted it to be! We got'sa prep it every other week so the feds don't do it themselves /every/ week. It helps avoid a bunch of merits for undermining that we'd otherwise need, but we don't actually want the system for-real-real. Don't push Bero now that it's in expansion. -w-. Likewise, we did all the same Bero-things with another system, named Yen Camus, in the previous week. The approach is the same: We don't actually want it, so don't push it this week, owo.

Speaking of UMs though, we almost had four this week! Torval helped block one by prepping Yaroi, so thanks and stuff! OwO! That leaves Malgariji, Koljak, and Chang O from Winters. Hudson almost had one up, but something seems to have goofed. -w-.

ALD is fancy this week! OwO! They are attempting to expand to Murare. This is the first time in a very long time that they've tried for an expansion, and we hope that it turns out good for them! Triggers are in ALD's favor, but feds have surprised us before, so we'll have to wait and see how it turns out. -w-.

FDev gave us so many engineering mats! OwO! It's so easy to maintain level 3 jumponium now, it's kind of crazy! Go look up where crystal spire sites or brain trees are if you want a bunch really really fast; is very helpy. -w-.

On a similar vein, we have a T8 now! With SCA and no shields, it can carry 404 tons of cargo, and it's still an m-pad ship. This wildly outpaces the Python, while also providing a 404 joke! Derg is amused. -w-.

Both of these combine to dramatically lessen how many Loading Screens players typically see, and shorten how long they're in solo transit. Personally, this dragon is super-duper-jazzed about the direction that things are going; the bubble is effectively being shrunk so that more player interaction is more likely to happen. With PP2.0 coming on top of all of this, maybe things'll actually shake up real good! OwO!

Happy 8/8! It's International Cat Day today! OwO! https://www.flickr.com/photos/140135282@N07/53800837363 Here's a very orange and really epic cat. Plus friends. -w-. Remember to drink your water and have fun and stuff! OwO!

Objectives for Cycle 479 (until August 15th)

• Vowote for Consolidation! Voting is the most important thing you can do for AD, so make sure to maintain rank 2! It only takes 100 merits and four weeks of pledge time. Here's where to vote in the UI. Early votes are the best kind of votes!

• Check the Trello for dynamic fortification targets! This is updated more frequently than the in-game menu. Please, ONLY fortify systems listed on the Trellowo.

• Please do not prepare any systems this week. Spare media materials can be safely delivered to HIP 35209.

• Combat merits: oppose Felicia Winters’ expansion to Chang O.

• Join the Discord for guides, mentoring, BGS, PVP, insight and combat targets for this week. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us.

• Aisling Duval powerplay is committed to the ZYADA alliance: Zemina Torval, Yuri Grom, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Denton Patreus, Aisling Duval.

Aisling’s haulers remain in fine fettle, again completing the entire list of fortification targets to allow us some options in the latter period of the cycle. Bravo! Winters found a new prep target, the snappily-named Col 285 Sector WO-E B13-1. Granny attempted to compete but could not match Felicia’s 53,407 merits. 

So Aisling flexed her greater hauling power to prepare the overlapping Yen Camus with 137,174 tons of media materials. This attracted some PVP attention in the final hours and the first sighting for many months of the notorious [BRNN] Borann Boys tag. 

The only expansion attempts were Imperial, both blocking moves allowed to fail. Our own Bero reached the threshold but was easily stopped with highly favourable triggers for the opposition. The Federation deployed greater forces to oppose Granny’s feint to Chang O.

This week we’ll have to dust off our own undermining ships. Sleepy Zack Hudson made his first move in some time to prepare Aornum, contesting Grom and Torval assets. Elsewhere, Hudson’s Gliese 868 and our own Simyr were cancelled. Winters saw completed undermining attacks against Lei Kax and Lulua. Imperial beefcake Denton Patreus was attacked in V374 Pegasi.

Our thanks to The Royal Colonial Guard who report success in their campaign to flip Aisling’s Itelmens sphere to favourable forting triggers. Elite United Worlds are planning a social event at the end of this month to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Wangai. More details will follow. 

Python-hauled expansion like Itelmens will slip into PP1.0 history as the Lakon T-8 is set to be released to ARX purchases on August 7th. Some salty gate-keeping old-timers aside, most also welcome the coming rebalancing of engineering mat drops. Aisling salutes you. Have fun out there.

Objectives for Cycle 479 (until August 8th)

• Vote for Consolidation! Voting is the most important thing you can do for AD, so make sure to maintain rank 2! It only takes 100 merits and four weeks of pledge time. Here's where to vote in the UI. Early votes are the best kind of votes!
• Check the Trello for dynamic fortification targets! This is updated more frequently than the in-game menu. Please, ONLY fortify systems listed on the Trello.
• Please do not prepare any systems this week. Spare media materials can be safely delivered to HIP 35209.
• Combat merits: oppose Zachary Hudson's expansion to Aornum.
• Join the Discord for guides, mentoring, BGS, PVP, insight and combat targets for this week. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us.
• Aisling Duval powerplay is committed to the ZYADA alliance: Zemina Torval, Yuri Grom, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Denton Patreus, Aisling Duval.

So I don't surf a lot of the discords and have been pledged to Aisling for several years I'd like to coordinate preemptively on Power Play 2.0 and discuss what I am currently doing.

I understand this is not the place to discuss it so i'm looking to to other options to coordinate

(With apologies to Neil Young.) Having checked with Emperor Arissa that she did not desire to capture the overlapping Cernobog, and with fortification objectives completed in double-quick time, we went for it and successfully expanded to Maidubrigel. Aisling celebrates her 75th control system, a profitable acquisition worth +11.9CC.

Federal opposition was tokenistic once our serious intent became clear, around 30k merits against 291k for the expansion. Winters pushed her own expansion to Malgariji to the tune of 129k merits, but this total was swamped by opposing ZYADA combat pilots. The Imperial Talon Order deserve a mention in dispatches for a PVP offensive that cleared the system on the final night of the cycle, claiming many scalps.

For our own security we prepared Bero again, lest Winters did. We saw stiff opposition for that as the 5C bots who prepare HIP 1572 stepped up the pace remarkably in the final hours of the cycle. 118k vs 99k was sufficient. This dishonourable automated Powerplay is something we definitely won’t miss when PP2.0 gets implemented.

Uncle Yuri Grom’s Cashibo expansion effort wasn’t pushed beyond 100% but soaked up 65k of legitimate human opposition effort. Aisling’s HIP 97186 control system was cancelled (so was Hudson’s Allowini) to no effect. Granny Torval adjusted her vote and hauling very late to prep Chang O.

Both Federal powers consolidated, leaving us the luxury of no expansions to oppose in C478. In BGS, we assisted Celestial Light Brigade in Gwyddi as they defeated traitors to the Empire Likedeeler of Michel and Colonia in an election. Really an awesome week of success, our thanks to all contributors. Have fun out there, and bask!

​

Objectives for Cycle 478 (until August 1st)

• Vote for Consolidation! Voting is the most important thing you can do for AD, so make sure to maintain rank 2! It only takes 100 merits and four weeks of pledge time. Here's where to vote in the UI. Early votes are the best kind of votes!
• Check the Trello for dynamic fortification targets! This is updated more frequently than the in-game menu. Please, ONLY fortify systems listed on the Trello.
• Please do not prepare any systems this week. Spare media materials can be safely delivered to HIP 35209.
• Join the Discord for guides, mentoring, BGS, PVP, insight and combat targets for this week. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us.
• Aisling Duval powerplay is committed to the ZYADA alliance: Zemina Torval, Yuri Grom, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Denton Patreus, Aisling Duval.

Ohai OwO! It derg again! Hi! Hiiiiiiiiiiiiii! OwO!!!!

Hex wanted a vacation this cycle, and the only instructions that I was given are, and I quote: "Report the facts.".

Hex did not say /which/ facts to report, and frankly Cycle 473 was way more interesting, so I'll report on that one! Torval won Dongkum and WAIT! O.=.O! This just in! Nine minutes before the end of Cycle 476, a small portion of AD:zap:CD felt the irresistible urge to try and finish the entire Trello! They got all the way through the high-priority forts before EOC! All the haulers did so good OwO! We (I was morale support) were only able to do this by standing on the shoulders of everyone else who also forted this cycle, so thanks everyone! OwO!

Speaking of hauling, Rhea had a community goal, and we had to haul 70,000,000 tons of STUFF to Ito Orbital. The goal reached 100% completion, so fwee! Maybe now Winters can finally become president and we can move forward with the lore please!

The AX community has slain Titan Indra. There seems to have been some sort of balancing, at least by my eyes; this titan lasted a lot longer, even with Ram Tah allowing any Guardian module to work at full capacity. The weird bug where two people doing a torp run together seems to have finally been fixed, too! Despite the titan's defeat, there are no AX-related changes to CC.

There's a lot of random undermining, though! Almost none succeeded, except for one against Archon Delane in Djabijabus. This has no observable effect. AD's vote was 69%, which put Maidubrigel into expansion. The others are as follows:

Undermining (for previous cycle):

Edmund Mahon: Dahambwe, Ross 860, Gendalla, Insubii.

Yuri Grom: LFT 926, BD-10 5238.

Pranav Antal: Makula, Ba Xian.

Felicia Winters: Lei Kax, Hikenk.

Zachary Hudson: Ptah.

Li Yong-rui: Betel, Balante.

Denton Patreus: V374 Pegasi.

Archon Delane: Djabijabus (Fully canceled!).

Zemina Torval: Tau-1 Hydrae, CPC 22 212.

Expansions (for this cycle):

Aisling Duval: Maidubrigel.

Yuri Grom: Cashibo.

Felecia Winters: Malgariji.

There may or may not be plans for Maidubrigel. The faster we finish the Trellowo, the faster we can decide! OwO! Bero was defeated by Winters, but that's okay; the more important thing was to stop Winters' expansion to Chang O from the previous cycle, which we did, so fwee! OwO!

Normally there'd be more of an unhinged dragon-rant, but things are so reasonably smooth right now that I can't come up with anything. So, here's a picture of a cat again! OwO! https://www.flickr.com/photos/8827284@N06/29023151410

EDIT: Almost literally at the last second, I was informed that Aisling's Angels won a bronze powerplay award! Congratulations! I am literally falling asleep as I write this though so please accept this BONUS CAT! OWO! https://www.flickr.com/photos/10259776@N00/20083646535

Objectives for Cycle 477 (until July 25th)

• Vowote for Consolidation! Voting is the most important thing you can do for AD, so make sure to maintain rank 2! It only takes 100 merits and four weeks of pledge time. Here's where to vote in the UI. Early votes are the best kind of votes!

• Check the Trello for dynamic fortification targets! This is updated more frequently than the in-game menu. Please, ONLY fortify systems listed on the Trellowo.

• Please do not prepare any systems this week. Spare media materials can be safely delivered to HIP 35209.

• Combat merits: oppose Felicia Winters’ expansion to Malgariji.

• Join the Discord for guides, mentoring, BGS, PVP, insight and combat targets for this week. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us.

• Aisling Duval powerplay is committed to the ZYADA alliance: Zemina Torval, Yuri Grom, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Denton Patreus, Aisling Duval.

With no expansions last week the Powerplay was mostly about manoeuvring for C476. Aisling’s pilots again prepared Bero, largely to prevent Winters doing the same. 111,545 media materials buried the ever-present 5C threat in HIP 1572, which at 67,144 was not pushing too hard.

Winters did not fancy racing us. But Granny Torval did race to prepare Chang O, Winters’ secondary objective. Winters was successful with 48,054 against Torval’s 21,452. We are not aiming to take Bero, not that it is a disaster if we do, but we are keen to stop Chang O.

"Your Uncle" Yuri Grom suffered undermining attacks, as he so often does, in LTT 15574, Kwakwakwal and Ymanbin. Grom’s economy is easily strong enough to withstand this. More unexpected was Big Ed Mahon’s Gendalla getting cancelled by unknown forces.

In addition to the Bero prep, it was an awesome hauling effort, with Aisling’s entire list of fortification objectives completed. Aside from Winters and ourselves, all powers consolidated. Li Yong Rui might be on his holidays, with only 4/51 control systems fortified.

Titan Indra bit the dust. Winters has another disaster-relief CG in Rhea that could interfere with her fortification. Apologies for the late recap, your correspondent has had a busy time of it planet-side. Our sincere thanks for all contributions, have fun out there.

Objectives for Cycle 476 (until July 18th)

• Vote for Consolidation! Voting is the most important thing you can do for AD, so make sure to maintain rank 2! It only takes 100 merits and four weeks of pledge time. Here's where to vote in the UI. Early votes are the best kind of votes!
• Check the Trello for dynamic fortification targets! This is updated more frequently than the in-game menu. Please, ONLY fortify systems listed on the Trello.
• Please do not prepare any systems this week. Spare media materials can be safely delivered to HIP 35209.
• Combat merits: oppose Felicia Winters’ expansion to Chang O.
• Join the Discord for guides, mentoring, BGS, PVP, insight and combat targets for this week. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us.
• Aisling Duval powerplay is committed to the ZYADA alliance: Zemina Torval, Yuri Grom, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Denton Patreus, Aisling Duval.

Aisling is ideologically the only Imperial character I dont want to orbital nuke, i want to aid her cause and get the shields without ranking up with the empire. Is this possible?

My crew (rp) deals mostly with fed and alliance, we're not fans of the clone shock troops and slaves having both a clone and a escaped slave as valued members. And thus ive legit never ranked up with the empire.

Five expansions on either side of the Fed/Imp divide, yet none successful. From our point of view, good news. Bero would not be profitable for Aisling, and had been a blocking move to prevent another draining clash with Felicia Winters. Our 29k sealed contracts from there were mostly the work of off-grid randoms. Unfavourable triggers of 3:1 assisted a successful Federal opposition.

Winters had three expansions, none of which saw a serious push. 21k to HIP 58986 was the largest effort. Chang O and Gienah received less attention, and all three were comfortably opposed by ZYADA combat pilots. A random Cmdr undermined Winters in Hikenk, and announced this on Reddit. 

Uncle Yuri Grom was hit in Ymanbin, an unusual location. For Imperial beefcake Denton Patreus, Caph is of course a regular option when his consolidation vote fails, not a system he actually wants to take. No CC changed hands. All powers consolidated, a close run thing only for Patreus. So it looks like a sedate cycle ahead.

We welcome the buy-in by Cmdrs beyond our discord to help with our Trello list of fortification objectives, though tracking progress has become more challenging as a result. All top priority targets were completed, and others including Ts’ai Shai, Hotototo and Gally Bese. Our consolidation vote finished at a healthy 83%.

In BGS, some wars were won. These included Futhark in support of allied squad Celestial Light Brigade. However our maintenance objectives are mounting up alarmingly, and could use your support. The destruction of Titan Indra is likely to be the main event in the week ahead. Sincere thanks once again from the Princess and her manatee representatives. Have fun out there. 

Objectives for Cycle 475 (until July 11th)

• Vote for Consolidation! Voting is the most important thing you can do for AD, so make sure to maintain rank 2! It only takes 100 merits and four weeks of pledge time. Here's where to vote in the UI. Early votes are the best kind of votes!
• Check the Trello for dynamic fortification targets! This is updated more frequently than the in-game menu. Please, ONLY fortify systems listed on the Trello.
• Please do not prepare any systems this week. Spare media materials can be safely delivered to HIP 35209.
• Join the Discord for guides, mentoring, BGS, PVP, insight and combat targets for this week. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us.
• Aisling Duval powerplay is committed to the ZYADA alliance: Zemina Torval, Yuri Grom, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Denton Patreus, Aisling Duval.

As FDev pushed the launch of Powerplay 2.0 back to September, C473 showed life yet in good old PP1.0. On Tuesday Aisling’s brilliant haulers completed all fortification targets, so we pivoted towards prepping Bero once again, to head off another attempt by Felicia Winters. An exciting prep race ensued. We were able to outstrip both Winters and the 5C prep to HIP 1572.

Perhaps the distraction of our providing PVP targets caused Felicia to take her eye off the ball? In the final minutes of the cycle Granny Torval - who had also flirted with a prep of Bero earlier in the week - pushed hard to win her expansion to the long-standing Winters target of Dongkum.

Overheads limit Granny’s immediate gain to +7.3CC, but she also contests Zachary Hudson for -7CC. This has been a totemic objective for Winters for more than a year, the scene of many Powerplay battles. Her disappointment will be bitter. Our warm congratulations to our Torvalian allies.

We also saw a late push to win Savantzil for Pranav Antal, though how is mysterious. We doubt they welcome the -136.7CC loss to the Simguru’s economy. ZYADA pilots had contributed to the opposition effort. Antal’s control system Kenna was also undermined. Meanwhile, Uncle Yuri Grom could not take Cashibo.

We are highly unlikely to push for Bero as the triggers are so loaded against us. Winters prepped three systems to keep us busy in the cycle ahead: Chang O, HIP 58986, and Gienah. Imperial beefcake Denton Patreus’ vote struggled again, putting his prep-blocker Caph up for expansion once again. 

The Princess is grateful for your efforts, prep-hauling to Bero from various Aisling’s Angels was especially noteworthy in a week of epic hauling. Have fun out there. 

Objectives for Cycle 474 (until July 4th)

• Vote for Consolidation! Voting is the most important thing you can do for AD, so make sure to maintain rank 2! It only takes 100 merits and four weeks of pledge time. Here's where to vote in the UI. Early votes are the best kind of votes!
• Check the Trello for dynamic fortification targets! This is updated more frequently than the in-game menu. Please, ONLY fortify systems listed on the Trello.
• Please do not prepare any systems this week. Spare media materials can be safely delivered to HIP 35209.
• Combat merits: oppose Felicia Winters’ expansions to Chang O, Gienah, and HIP 58986.
• Join the Discord for guides, mentoring, BGS, PVP and insight. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us.
• Aisling Duval powerplay is committed to the ZYADA alliance: Zemina Torval, Yuri Grom, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Denton Patreus, Aisling Duval.

We weren’t aiming to actually take Bero, but we made enough deliveries to keep the Feds busy and require around 75k opposition merits. Our vote was steady at 84% for consolidation, and the main focus as ever was to fortify. Many thanks to the haulers who completed all top priority objectives and others including Ekono and Ts’ai Shai.

The key manoeuvre of the Powerplay week was a late one by Granny. The Torvalians showed exemplary vote control and timing to win a prep race in Dongkum - a system profitable for every power bar ourselves - against Felicia Winters. So for a second week, as Hudson slumbers on, there’s no Federal expansion to oppose.

However we can offer a combat target for those with restless trigger fingers. Pranav Antal lost control of his vote late in the cycle and has the unfamiliar location Savantzil up for expansion. Diplomats confirm this is not a system the Simguru wants. Feel free to help him out.

In other news, Li Yong Rui gained another +1CC back from Titan Indra. Winters’ sphere Lei Kax was undermined, and Imperial beefcake Denton Patreus’ Gwaelod. Emperor Arissa completed the most fortifications (56/90). Uncle Yuri has an expansion up, to Cashibo. The Princess salutes you, have fun out there.

Objectives for Cycle 473 (until June 27th)

• Vote for Consolidation! Voting is the most important thing you can do for AD, so make sure to maintain rank 2! It only takes 100 merits and four weeks of pledge time. Here's where to vote in the UI. Early votes are the best kind of votes!
• Check the Trello for dynamic fortification targets! This is updated more frequently than the in-game menu. Please, ONLY fortify systems listed on the Trello.
• Please do not prepare any systems this week. Spare media materials can be safely delivered to HIP 35209.
• Combat merits: oppose Pranav Antal’ expansion to Savantzil.
• Join the Discord for guides, mentoring, BGS, PVP and insight. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us.
• Aisling Duval powerplay is committed to the ZYADA alliance: Zemina Torval, Yuri Grom, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Denton Patreus, Aisling Duval.

Much as we enjoy a little undermining, the strenuous efforts we were driven to in C468 were too much of a good thing. With our forts looking good, on Tuesday we shifted to prep-race Winters for Bero. The aim: stop the Feds pushing a full slate of expansions again against us.

Winters soon switched to PVP interference, and claimed some scalps. But she abandoned her prep plans as we racked up 160k merits against her 47k. This was enough to also outrun our most dangerous opponents, the 5C bots who obsessively prepare HIP 1572 every week.

Felicia dropped any plans to expand and Hudson still squats, inert, in the White House. This leaves Aisling, unusually, as the only power with an expansion for the new cycle. Will we push it or not? Stay tuned. Thanks to all those who joined the prep race and also pilots who fortified our profitables as far as HIP 109203 and Ekono.

Neither expansion in C471 saw a serious effort. Winters fell short of the threshold in Dongkum. Imperial beefcake Denton Patreus doesn’t want Caph anyway. Undermining attacks against Uncle Yuri Grom resumed in Pethes and Yemotepa. Archon Delaine was hit in Djabijabus.

It was a comparatively quieter week in BGS, the highlight was a victory at war in HIP 109787 in the Syntheng sphere. Friends of discount retailer Li Yong Rui continued to push back the Thargoids camped on his lawn, he regained an impressive +14CC. Thanks as ever for all your efforts, and have fun out there. 

Objectives for Cycle 472 (until June 20th)

• Vote for Consolidation! Voting is the most important thing you can do for AD, so make sure to maintain rank 2! It only takes 100 merits and four weeks of pledge time. Here's where to vote in the UI. Early votes are the best kind of votes!
• Check the Trello for dynamic fortification targets! This is updated more frequently than the in-game menu. Please, ONLY fortify systems listed on the Trello.
• Please do not prepare any systems this week. Spare media materials can be safely delivered to HIP 35209.
• Join the Discord for guides, mentoring, BGS, PVP and insight. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us.
• Aisling Duval powerplay is committed to the ZYADA alliance: Zemina Torval, Yuri Grom, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Denton Patreus, Aisling Duval.

Another awesome cycle by Aisling’s haulers who completed the entire Trello of fortification objectives for a second consecutive week. Sixty five fortified control systems was more than any other power completed. Our consolidation vote was steady at 83% while 5C hauling attempts to induce us into an unfavourable expansion remained above 100k merits.

Some other Imperials struggled more with their vote. Empress Arissa’s squeaked through at 75%, her pilots delivered more than 180k merits to Cernobog as 5C pushed Murare. Imperial beefcake Denton Patreus managed to fortify a comparatively very high thirty eight control systems but could not push his vote beyond 74%. This brings his pre-blocker Caph into play for C471.

The Federation had a quiet week. Winters’ expansion to HIP 58986 saw only a tokenistic effort, buried easily by ZYADA combat pilots. In C471 she returns to the familiar expansion target Dongkum. Hudson continued to overstay his constitutional term in the White House and again consolidated. Uncle Yuri Grom was spared the customary undermining attacks.

Unknown forces hit two of the Kumo Burger King Archon Delaine’s control systems, Madyanmana and Huichi. Winters’ weapon deep in Imperial space Lei Kax was also fully undermined. Li Yong Rui gained another +4CC as AX forces continued to make progress against Titan Indra.

In BGS, we are grateful to Aisling’s Angels, Celestial Light Brigade and others for their work in Aisling’s Kaukhe sphere, where the fortification bonus is now achieved, reducing the hauling burden. A familiar array of wars was sparked in the Malgariji area, but not pursued with any vigour by our opponents. We still await further information from FDev about PP2.0. Have fun out there.

Objectives for Cycle 471 (until June 13th)

• Vote for Consolidation! Voting is the most important thing you can do for AD, so make sure to maintain rank 2! It only takes 100 merits and four weeks of pledge time. Here's where to vote in the UI. Early votes are the best kind of votes!
• Check the Trello for dynamic fortification targets! This is updated more frequently than the in-game menu. Please, ONLY fortify systems listed on the Trello.
• Please do not prepare any systems this week. Spare media materials can be safely delivered to HIP 35209.
• Combat merits: oppose Felicia Winters’ expansion to Dongkum.
• AX: Imperial Xeno Defence targets are to combat the alerts in Sukarbago and Chibis (Cocijo). You could also begin Thor spire work at Col 285 Sector OG-E b12-1 body 6.
• Join the Discord for guides, mentoring, BGS, PVP and insight. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us.
• Aisling Duval powerplay is committed to the ZYADA alliance: Zemina Torval, Yuri Grom, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Denton Patreus, Aisling Duval.

A quieter cycle saw Aisling’s magnificent haulers complete the entire Trello of fortification targets from Simyr all the way down to Kwelegus. Our vote was stronger, 85% for consolidation, while 5C prep to HIP 1572 was reduced though still above 100k. We felt the benefit of long-term BGS work by Knights of the Light Table to halve the fort triggers for Punavatii.

Aisling’s domains were untouched by the undermining attacks afflicting some others, though none of these had any deeper impact. Uncle Yuri remains the Feds go-to source of combat merits: LTT 15574, Kwakwakwal and San Guan were cancelled. Winters was hit in LPM 229, Emperor Arissa in Lopocares.

We half expected the Emperor to wake up from her long run of defensive Powerplay and make a move on Cernobog. But this proved a prep-block option as her consolidation vote faltered a little but recovered to 76%. Her BGS forces won a decisive 4-0 victory at war against the Federal Ice Storm Squadron in Docleachi. Aisling’s BGS contingent won a minor conflict in Bach.

The big story in Imperial space was of course the destruction of Titan Hadad, less than 48 hours into the cycle. The only economic change: +1CC for Li Yong Rui as AX forces turned their guns towards Titan Indra. The only expansion in the coming cycle is Winters taking another shot at HIP 58980.

FDev’s end of month live stream made no mention of PP2.0. So we still have questions about the future. M pad haulers and fans of Lakon Spaceways were excited by a peek at the new Type-8. Many thanks from the Princess for your ongoing support. Have fun out there.

Objectives for Cycle 470 (until June 6th)

• Vote for Consolidation! Voting is the most important thing you can do for AD, so make sure to maintain rank 2! It only takes 100 merits and four weeks of pledge time. Here's where to vote in the UI. Early votes are the best kind of votes!
• Check the Trello for dynamic fortification targets! This is updated more frequently than the in-game menu. Please, ONLY fortify systems listed on the Trello.
• Please do not prepare any systems this week. Spare media materials can be safely delivered to HIP 35209.
• Combat merits: oppose Felicia Winters’ expansion to HIP 58980.
• AX: Imperial Xeno Defence targets are to combat the alerts in HIP 18857 (Thor) and Col 285 Sector YT-F b12-3 (Cocijo). There are also invasions in Unktety (Thor), HIP 37520 and Wogaiawong (both Cocijo).
• Join the Discord for guides, mentoring, BGS, PVP and insight. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us.
• Aisling Duval powerplay is committed to the ZYADA alliance: Zemina Torval, Yuri Grom, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Denton Patreus, Aisling Duval.

We were kept very busy combatting four expansions from Felicia Winters. Aisling Duval pledges were instrumental in building up substantial leads in first Chang O, then HIP 58980. Neither these nor HIP 39528, right on the lawn of Mahon loyalists The Flat Galaxy Society, were pushed very hard. The main Federal effort focused on Bero, where triggers were 1:2.5 in Felicia’s favour.

The pursuit of a commanding lead of around 400k merits was relentless, and obsessive. One of the most astonishing snipes in Powerplay history was delivered in the closing minutes of the cycle by ZYADA special forces, more than a million merits. Aisling’s consolidation vote was steady at 80%. This was enough to see off, coincidentally, sharply increased 5C hauling to HIP 1572. These accounts never appear in Open mode.

Haulers completed top priority forting objectives and benefitted from BGS work by The Royal Colonial Guard and Signum Initiative that has halved the fortification trigger for Kurichime. BGS conflicts were won in Mangiliri and Bajoji. Other Imperial groups prevailed in Kivah at the second attempt.

Uncle Yuri weathered undermining attacks against Rho Capricorni, Kwakwakwal and Dhanchu. Winters’ sphere Asetsi was also cancelled. Groups loyal to Winters can take consolation at the end of this Powerplay season by having racked up 2.573m merits, more than any other. Groups pledged to Aisling came in second with 2.187m, pipping those pledged to Emperor Arissa with 1.629m.

The only expansion is Granny Torval's to Jinoharis. Emperor Arissa gained +1CC from preparations for the final assault on Titan Hadad. The Princess salutes you. Have fun out there.

Objectives for Cycle 469 (until May 30th)

• Vote for Consolidation! Voting is the most important thing you can do for AD, so make sure to maintain rank 2! It only takes 100 merits and four weeks of pledge time. Here's where to vote in the UI. Early votes are the best kind of votes!
• Check the Trello for dynamic fortification targets! This is updated more frequently than the in-game menu. Please, ONLY fortify systems listed on the Trello.
• Please do not prepare any systems this week. Spare media materials can be safely delivered to HIP 35209.
• AX: since the demise of Titan Hadad earlier today, the Imperial Xeno Defence primary target this cycle is to attack the spire site at HIP 30439. Other Titans have alerts at Unktety (Thor) and Laumas (Cocijo).
• Join the Discord for guides, mentoring, BGS, PVP and insight. Powerplay is a community game, so connect with us.
• We have questions about Powerplay 2.0.