The Black Hawks | Still Winning

[Sancta Romana Ecclesia]

That was a really fun raid, I'm glad I could make it.

[Nouguinkelospianland]

What’s a corps and why do you have more than one? How are they different?

[Ever-Wandering Souls]

What’s a corps and why do you have more than one? How are they different?

Corps are a structure used to organize our more senior members into working groups, each with a primary focus on a specific area of responsibility. Here's a subset of the original announcement (I haven't updated any details, so there may be one or two bullet points that are either less than accurate now, or missing/have been added since):

Corps Framework

Objectives: Shuffle Council Roles, organize War Room into task areas

Abstract: SGT+ Hawks can choose a "Corps" and focus their regional management work in a specific area, overseen by a Council member. Each Corps has a channel on our discord for managing their tasks. Each Council member is responsible for making sure the work of their division gets done, whether they do it themselves or delegate the task to those in their corps. Corps are about overseeing areas of responsibility, but not necessarily about monopolizing a task -- folks outside of Blade can (and should) still lead tags, but they’ll go to Blade and they will put them on the schedule, etc.

---

Talon Corps

Description: The Talon Corps are the "Eyes in the Sky" of The Black Hawks. Focusing on all matters stealth, this group specializes in infiltration, intelligence, effective sleeping, and general subterfuge. Talon Corps circles unseen above, seeing all, and waiting for the best moment to swoop down and perform the deadliest of strikes.

Areas of Responsibility:

• Sleepers and infiltration, whether for PW, endos, influence, or regional positions.
• Intelligence collection
• Educating members in sleeper work/good clean puppets, as well as influence management and other Raid RO skills
• Working on the creation and testing of sneaky alternative/experimental raid tactics, for both tags and operations

---

Terra Corps

Description: Terra Corps is the backbone that keeps The Black Hawks standing. To keep TBH functioning as a powerful and influential region on NS, Terra Corps consists of confident jacks of all trades that manage all the tasks beyond raiding itself that are essential to our continuing operation.

Areas of Responsibility:

• Foreign Affairs (Sending diplomats out and keeping the region informed of diplomatic postings to us)
• Recruitment and integration
• Management of TBH's arsenal of tools
• Upkeep of general training guides and other dispatches
• Recording and keeping track of history
• Encouraging themed raid reports, roleplay, spam, games, and other fun regional events
• Working on RaiderCon/RaiderVision planning and other special events

---

Blade Corps

Description: Blade Corps is the brazenly striking arm of The Black Hawks. In order to maintain the premier raiding force on NationStates, Blade Corps lives on the front lines of every update and the cutting edge of speed and skill.

Areas of Responsibility:

• Managing Updating. Running updates. Tags, operation execution, allied operations, everything. Overseeing these.
• Raid scheduling
• Tag runs, Spelling runs, Delegate runs, Streak breaks, etc
• Field training new updaters
• Training new triggers

---

These three areas of responsibility in within The Black Hawks are each unique in their own respects, but ultimately, they are reliant on each other to form a single, functional whole. Without Talon, Blade would be limited to only the targets they can hit on a fresh jump. Without Blade, Talon would have no one to jump on their sleepers. Without Terra, neither would have recruits, allied support, or much of a region to call home. Without Blade and Talon, Terra would have nothing to publicize or recruit for, and so on, and so forth. Each facet has it’s own individual strengths and specialties, but only together are we one, are we strong, are we…
The Black Hawks.

This announcement was made in tandem with a new flag, using the new corp emblems.

[Miss Bad Life Choices]

Hai Gameplay. I’m Dakota Vytherov, aka Basic Bench, and I wanted to talk about my Queen Taylor Swift for a bit. Taylor Swift is wonderful, and life is too short to pretend you don't like Taylor Swift. She recently put out a new album, Folklore, and personally I wanted to make sure that anyone who reads TBHs gameplay thread knows that. Should totes listen to it, Exile is wonderful. Tg me your favorite Taylor song plz

Here's some fun facts about Taylor Swift tho:

• Taylor grew up on a Christmas tree farm
  
• Her lucky number is 13
  
• Her first album was released in October 2006.

Anyway because I apparently can't just post about Taylor Swift on TBHs GP thread without something related to raiding, here's some hits from a few days ago~

The Hawkiez Who Put Up With My Taylor Swift Rants:
Colonel Miss Bad Life Choices
Sergeant Devi
Sergeant Dyllonia
Sergeant Refuge-
Sergeant Sakana
Corporal Carathetopia
Corporal Jinkiez (Welcome back Vapid ^-^)
Private First Class TBH Jesus

Raid from 7/25 (26):
Imaginary World
Chicken Overlords Advertisement Space
Besizco Regioeneo
Hfy
The Legion Of Misa
Alone In Darkness
Terra Patriae
Peace And Love
Outre Space
The Test Pacific
Penny
Right Wing Libertarian Party
Liberationists
10000 Texas Islands
Alliance Of The Empires
Nakari (Hai Nak :3)
Can I Solo
The Tyrannian Empire
Hello I Founded A Region
Weebtopia
T1e Randomness
Nation Collectors Corner
Yanggang
Legacy Of The Great War
The Tea
Jungle

[Wymondham]

GG TBH!
Also, Taylor swift is gr8 and its great to see Vapid back on the field as well!!

[Jinkiez]

I would say I'm Back in Black, but really, I'm more feeling a blue color. Awesome raid, Dak <3

[Aquilanion]

The Black Hawks and their friends from the Europeian Republican Navy, the Autumnal Court of Caer Sidi, Balder, The Land of Kings and Emperors as well as some mercenary pals were in dire need of a holiday.

Not just any holiday either, for it was summer for many our raiding folk and what summer is complete without sand, waves and a cool beverage (of any variety in hand). The gorgeous islands of the South Pacific looked perfect. However, the raiders had a problem, they had already used a lot of their overtime this year!

Yes! The hard-working raiders had used up their overtime in SECFanatics and the Third Coalition, and their bosses weren’t too happy with the thought of paying out their vacation leave either. Fortunately, the wily raiders managed to convince their bosses to let them go, on one condition

They all had to send a postcard

So without further ado, the following holidaygoers...

LTN Aquilanion, Sleeper/Point/Trigger
SGT Refuge-, Back-Up Point
SGT Sakana, Back-Up Point
GEN Jakker, Trigger (shotgun)
COL Miss Bad Life Choices, Trigger (shotgun)
LTN Varax Zwei, Trigger
SGT Devi, Trigger (shotgun)
GEN Ever-Wandering Souls, Sleepy Person
GEN Sorenity2, Sleepy Person
LTN Bjourn, Sleepy Person
SGT twobagger, Sleepy Person

The Black Hawks
LTN Pterodaxtyl
SGT Dyllonia
CPL Carathetopia
CPL Jinkiez
PFC TBH Jesus

Europeian Republican Navy:
Grand Admiral The Nation of the People of the Nation
Midshipman Triseria

The Autumnal Court of Caer Sidi
Ollamh Sebero Sree
Fénnid Ultimate Q

Jomsvikings of Balder
Warrior Vamperiall

The Land of Kings and Emperors
Captain Astrid Weisberg

Mercs:
Luna State
RiderSyl

…were wishing you were here!

We'd also like to thank Social Technocratic Union, Karma, Lone Wolves United and the United Kingdom for joining our holidaygoers and making sure the party never ends!

Defenders Stopped at Customs: 58

[Wabbitslayah]

So without further ado, the following holidaygoers...

LTN Aquilanion, Sleeper/Point/Trigger
SGT Refuge-, Back-Up Point
SGT Sakana, Back-Up Point
GEN Jakker, Trigger (shotgun)
COL Miss Bad Life Choices, Trigger (shotgun)
LTN Varax Zwei, Trigger
SGT Devi, Trigger (shotgun)
GEN Ever-Wandering Souls, Sleepy Person
GEN Sorenity2, Sleepy Person
LTN Bjourn, Sleepy Person
SGT twobagger, Sleepy Person

The Black Hawks
LTN Pterodaxtyl
SGT Dyllonia
CPL Carathetopia
CPL Jinkiez
PFC TBH Jesus
[/b]

I swear I saw one of Tramiar's nations there, why is she unlisted???

[Twobagger]

I swear I saw one of Tramiar's nations there, why is she unlisted???

Hey there! That's the list we put together during/immediately after the update, so anyone who wasn't a sleeper and didn't jump on the update when we took that region won't be listed there.

We definitely appreciate everyone who's come out to raid/pile with us, though - all 100+.

[Wabbitslayah]

I swear I saw one of Tramiar's nations there, why is she unlisted???

Hey there! That's the list we put together during/immediately after the update, so anyone who wasn't a sleeper and didn't jump on the update when we took that region won't be listed there.

We definitely appreciate everyone who's come out to raid/pile with us, though - all 100+.

How can you ignore your Hawk Mother. She's a legend.

[Twobagger]

How can you ignore your Hawk Mother. She's a legend.

We would never ignore the Hawk Mother! She just wasn't jumping with us that night. She's more than welcome to jump with us - we love having her around and would love to put her on all the lists.

Also, a big thanks to the nations of the South Pacific region for their hospitality. I've greatly enjoyed my stay so far.

[Twobagger]

Innovation.

For most of our lives, most of us are content to follow. To walk the path that so many before us have walked. To do the same things, over and over again. To slip into old routines, and embrace regularity. But every now and then, a truly special idea comes along. Sometimes, these ideas are widely embraced. All too often, however, these new ideas - and the innovators behind them - are scorned. Ridiculed. Mocked. All too often, those who can't or won't try something that seems too far out there to work heap scorn upon the daring few who are willing to risk it all to push the boundaries a little bit further. Sometimes the risks don't pay off and the naysayers seem like they've won, but sometimes the result is truly astounding for those willing to reach for the stars.

_{Pictured: a brave soul going for the gold.}

The naysayers said that posting your raid plans in public is an idiotic idea, doomed to failure. The naysayers said that defenders would be ready, waiting to swarm. The naysayers said that the region in the OP didn't have an executive WA delegate. The naysayers may have been right about that last one.

But our intrepid hero was not discouraged. Our intrepid hero forged ahead, again on the NSGP forums:

_{Pictured: our hero adapting in the face of adversity.}

But the naysayers would not relent. Could not relent. They could only see things in terms of the old paradigm: the model where raiders plotted in secret, away from the prying eyes of defenders. They could not imagine a new way forward, where raiders posted their plans in public, for whoever wanted to read, and dared defenders to come and stop them.

They could not imagine raiders who dared to dream. But our intrepid hero would not be deterred by the relentless pessimism of the NationStates Gameplay forum. Our hero forged onwards, against all odds. For a moment, it seemed like the naysayers would prevail again. When update started, our hero had no endorsements. The plan, constructed with care, was falling apart.

But then... something special happened.

Our hero received an endorsement with mere minutes to spare. The vaunted defenders, who the naysayers assured our hero would leap to the rescue of this poor region, were elsewhere, distracted by a major invasion happening on the other end of the NS universe.

The conventional wisdom failed. The proverbial apple cart was overturned. The pundits were silenced.



Our hero became delegate. Our hero had won.

Non-Hawk:
grishahakkaverchynot (lead, organizer, innovator.)

Helpful Hawk:
SGT twobagger

Region Raided:
the_oceania

The Place Where It Happened and history was made. (click)

[Reploid Productions]

Well, I suppose I stand corrected. Also, WTF defenders, really?

[Zeritae]

Did this actually happen or is The Oceania situation a dream?

[Twobagger]

Did this actually happen or is The Oceania situation a dream?

Click the thread I linked at the bottom of my post, and see for yourself. After all, the raid plans were posted in public.

In summary,

[Ever-Wandering Souls]

Legen


wait for it


waiiiiit for it


dairy

[Zeritae]

^

[Aquilanion]

Twobagger once again going above and beyond in their service to raiderdom!

[RiderSyl]

[Jakker]

Welcome to the year 2020.

[Miss Bad Life Choices]

Bless you twobagger :>

[Drexlore]

tb you are amazing.

[Iris and Metis]

Well, I suppose I stand corrected. Also, WTF defenders, really?

wait, twobagger isn't a defender?

[Dyllonia]

You make me smile Twobagger

[Boda]

Well, I suppose I stand corrected. Also, WTF defenders, really?

Defenders were prob still busy trying to lib South Pacific