Here we go:
5. SMOKE
So we're talking about the same players that for months and months have not raised a finger against EGO as shown by this:
[spoil]
Side 1: Players: Mieszko., Frezy, velvetcrabman, iLithium, kierang44, Livo1981, tekkenazo, astephen68, sub555, aurelian74, -wigs-, Rangeley773, Wild Jesus, Mousse, Jamesthearab
Side 2:
Tribes: EGO
Timeframe: 01/02/2013 00:00:00 to 15/07/2013 23:12:10
Total conquers against opposite side:
Side 1: 2
Side 2: 30
Difference: 28
Points value of total conquers against opposite side:
Side 1: 20,594
Side 2: 268,541
Difference: 247,947
[/spoil]
There are many reasons for such a thing, mainly I would attribute it to distance and to general disinterest in tribe involvement. I have seen some support to villages I have taken from their tribemates but I haven't seen so much as a fake from any of these players in months.
These same players have a burst of activity now that there are some local villages for them to snatch up, without looking at a map I would say there's at most 100 that are clusters thoroughly surrounded by them. Once these are either: a) taken; or b) stacked, I have a hard time believing this smattering of players that had almost no signs of a pulse in the last 5 months will be able to coordinate anything close to an op or defense.
None of these players stepped up to fill leadership roles in suitup when it was in desperate need of one, so to me this takes more the form of a last gasp.
Sure, it will make a lovely show to begin with but when it sputters and dies it will be just the same as suitup.
I will, however, play the what-if game for their sake.
So let's say they have a phenomenal success against EGO and get all of the EGIslands in the middle of the Smoky sea. Their main problem will be maintaining momentum. Their players along the northern end of their tribe have had longstanding stacks and so, too, have EGO members bordering them. The burden on them will be too either find a weakpoint in the same old line as the one that stood before, or to find another tribe that would like to split our stacks along another front, namely GH and/or TheR. Arguably, still long range launches from the two of them but a cluster could be attainable anywhere from long range; just a matter of sustaining it. Then if everything rolls their way and they eat up and recruit what remains of DoDo then I think they stand a decent chance of staying on the world for longer than march of next year.
If things do not go their way, their likely means of escape will be to GH.