The Army of The Orient Seas once boasted a formidable AUSIA division with the potential to rival the top three armies. Unfortunately, this remarkable army collapsed on itself within months of its birth. But, if we dare dream we could envision a present where the oriental army stands tall, the paradigm of an AUSIA-only major army.
Designed by Master DS
The Army of the Orient Seas was created by Daya, Ken, and Intrinsic on June 16th, 2020. The army began as a server for friends from the AUSIA time zones looking to have fun. However, they registered themselves as an official army on June 21st, 2020. In their first event, the army maxed a total of 13. However, this humble beginning hardly served as a harbinger of what they would go on to achieve.
In just a month, the army was maxing 20+ at their events. This can be considered a good jump in numbers for a recently created army. Their success could be attributed to the presence of many experienced troops and leaders in the army. On July 9th, the army moved up from 16th to 10th place in the weekly Top Ten Armies.
An Army Of The Orient Seas event
On July 13th, the Doritos revived the New Dawn Alliance to counter the threat of the Black Ice Alliance (Rebel Penguin Federation, Ice Warriors, and Dark Warriors). AOS became one of the many armies involved in this alliance. However, things changed after the attack launched by the Black Ice Alliance revealed immoral behavior within the ranks of the Doritos. On July 16th, the AOS and a few other armies withdrew from the alliance. Despite their brief involvement, their participation in the alliance drew more attention to the army. These events went on to have an impact on their future.
In July, the Club Penguin Army Hub launched the Beach Brawl, a tournament specifically for Small/Medium armies. The Army of the Orient Seas received an invitation to participate, and won in the first and second rounds. However, tragedy soon struck the oriental-themed army. Following the discovery of dual-enlisted soldiers in their second round battle, CPAH launched an investigation into the army. Four attendees were found to be dual enlisted members, which violated the rules of the tournament.
However, the investigation also revealed a series of multilogging incidents involving their leader Intrinsic. He was found to have multilogged 2-3 penguins in not just the tournament battles, but several past events as well. Moreover, the investigation also produced evidence of them falsifying events. The blatant rule-breaking led to their disqualification from the tournament and a Top Ten point deduction. Soon afterward, Intrinsic released a post on the army’s website apologizing for the army’s disqualification. However, he maintained his defense, claiming the allegations against him to be false.
Intrinsic’s announcement about the multilogging situation in Summer 2020’s Beach Brawl
Following this, the Army of the Orient Seas started enforcing strict moderation in their Discord server. A war with the Fighter Pilots erupted during this time. On September 1st, 2020, Intrinsic and TechN9ne announced their retirement from their leadership. Following in their footsteps, Aphrodite and Figgenz replaced them as the leaders of the army.
Intrinsic announced the introduction of new leaders via an announcement in their Discord server
Following the rise of Aphrodite and Figgenz, the army experienced yet another growth phase. They managed to beat major titans like the Water Vikings and the Dark Warriors in practice battles. In October, the Army of the Orient Seas sailed forward to major status. Within a short period of time, the new leadership proved their mettle as one of the strongest AUSIA armies around. Despite their past controversies, they were reaching sizes of 30+ penguins.
Army of Orient Seas in their battle against the Dark Warriors
However, the tide soon turned against them. Despite experiencing a small decline in size in October, they managed to stay afloat with the help of their AUSIA division. In November 2020, the Black Ice Alliance struck yet again and declared war upon the Water Vikings. The Vikings quickly found themselves under heavy fire. However, the alliance released a warning to other armies discouraging them from aiding the Vikings.
Surprisingly, Intrinsic attempted to transfer AOS’s only server, Parka, to the Vikings despite this warning. The transfer violated one of the war terms imposed by the alliance, and as a result, it was unsuccessful. Soon, the Ice Warriors launched an invasion against the Army of the Orient Seas. They cited AOS’ attempt to transfer the server despite the warning of non-involvement as the reason for their invasion. AOS failed to show up to the invasion held in the EU time zone, and the Warriors imposed a force treaty upon them.
Eventually, the army shut down in late November 2020. Myth and Darci briefly attempted to stage a revival of the army in May 2021. However, the army once again shut down within seven days of the revival. Thus, the voyage of the oriental troops finally came to an end.
Despite being marred with controversy, the army’s leaders proved their skills and managed to leave their unpleasant past behind. They displayed their power in various practice battles and wars in 2020. Thus, it will always be a wonder what heights they could have reached if they had not shut down. There is a high probability that by now, the army could have become a dominant AUSIA army. The community always felt the lack of an AUSIA-only major army, and AOS is the closest anyone has ever come to fitting that criteria.
One could say that the Help Force already achieved this feat, as they are renowned for their AUSIA strength. However, the Helpers maintain decent power in the other time zones as well. The Help Force community includes people from around the world. The Army of the Orient Seas contrasted starkly from this, with their community that was proudly AUSIA. The two armies clashed in a practice battle in September 2020, and Help Force defeated AOS due to their larger sizes. Regardless, AOS’ constant growth spurts are evidence that they would have ascended to the top by now.
Club Penguin Armies reached out to former leaders Aphrodite and Intrinsic for an interview.
What were the reasons behind the Army of the Orient Seas’ shutdown following the Ice Warriors’ force treaty?
Aphrodite: I think our main reason for shutting down was because we (members and staff) were all too busy with IRL commitments (school and/or work) that we didn’t have time for army stuff anymore. We were all burnt out especially after all those wars/battles.
Do you think the Army of the Orient Seas should ever return to the community?
Intrinsic: They can if they want.
Aphrodite: If anyone wants to revive the army and they can prove that they have what it takes to bring it back to it’s “former glory” or just that they’re serious about it, then they have my full support.
What is the main lesson you took away from your AOS journey?
Intrinsic: Even ur closest friend can betray you (sheeesh hahahaha)
Aphrodite: That leading an army or just being staff is not as easy as it looks lol
Can you provide some insight into running an AUSIA-only army? What are the things that go on behind the scenes, what are the challenges faced?
Intrinsic: A lot of things go behind the scenes. Fun things happen at “night”
Aphrodite: Building a strong and inclusive community is paramount for any army, including AOS. We recognized the significance of fostering a safe and welcoming environment for both our members and visitors. To address toxicity, we implemented effective measures such as promptly removing individuals who exhibited negative behavior. Additionally, we established a verification channel, conducting thorough background checks for anyone entering the server. As a leader or staff member, actively engaging with your troops on a regular basis is crucial. It not only boosts morale but also ensures they feel valued, seen, and heard. Moreover, our accomplishments would not have been possible without the invaluable support and guidance of our exceptional advisors and allies. Together, we forged a thriving community within the AOS.
If AOS had never shut down, where do you think the army would be today? Would it be among the top 3, winning tournaments, or somewhere along the middle ranks?
Intrinsic: Somewhere over the rainbow
Aphrodite: It’s difficult to say for certain. However, if we were able to consistently meet our size goals and effectively execute US and EU events, it is likely that we would have positioned ourselves at least among the middle ranks. Achieving and maintaining a strong presence requires a dedicated and cohesive community, combined with strategic planning and execution. By consistently growing our numbers and demonstrating our prowess in events across different time zones, we would have solidified our standing within the broader army landscape. It’s important to recognize the value of persistence and collective effort in achieving our goals.
In 2023, the Army of the Orient Seas is no longer a topic of conversation. However, they remain cemented in history as an actively growing AUSIA army of 2020. Sadly, fate never favored the Oriental army. Will we ever see the likes of the Army of the Orient Seas again? Could the army have been an AUSIA powerhouse today if it didn’t shut down?