Lunar Empire



The Lunar Empire is a formable nation of Equestria, led by Princess Luna's malevolent alter ego Nightmare Moon. It can be formed as a result of the Luna led reforms event chain if the attempts to bring equal rights to thestrals fail.

Luna and The Thestrals
Over a millennium ago, Luna and Celestia ruled Equestria together. Every morning, Celestia would raise the sun and hold court, addressing the concerns of the Kingdom and representing the royal sisters. Every evening, Luna would raise the moon and shape the dreams of Equestria's subjects, battling nightmares and imparting wisdom and counsel. Together, Harmony reigned.

Luna loved her ponies, but it was the unofficial fourth tribe - the thestrals (batponies), the night-time counterparts of the pegasi, that she enjoyed the company of the most. Featuring leathery wings, fluffy ears, good night vision and batlike fangs, these ponies preferred to work and play at night. Luna fondly employed batponies as her Royal Guard and closest servants, though most preferred the distant mountains and caves of Equestria to the growing urban centres of the new kingdom, where they faced discrimination, mistrust, and inconvenient business hours.

Growing Disharmony
Luna gradually became envious and resentful of her older sister, as ponies were awake to enjoy the day and to admire Celestia's work, whilst sleeping through Luna's night. Luna worked in the shadows, her subjects unaware of her protection both psychic and physical. Always the younger, weaker, and slower of the two, Luna had been continually overshadowed and now her childhood insecurities became real once again. She longed to be a true Goddess of the Night.

More and more, Luna sought comfort with bat ponies and their loyal appreciation. But instead of comfort, she saw her own pain reflected in them - every day they were unappreciated, mistreated and misunderstood by others.

The Origin of Nightmare Moon
Luna's bitterness is well known. But what happened next is less understood. Some ponies insist that the dark powers that infest the moon, waiting for a chance to strike, overpowered Luna in a moment of vulnerability, taking her mind. Others say that the corruption was hers and hers alone. Yet more say that all alicorns must struggle with corruption inherent in their power.

Whatever the case, as a rare solar eclipse overshadowed the sun, so too did Luna overshadow her sister, a towering warrior of the night writhing with magic energy and hatred - Nightmare Moon.

To depose Celestia and usher in a reign of Eternal Night, she attacked. Celestia was driven back, unable to match the newfound power of her sister. In desperation, she called upon the Elements of Harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon, banishing her to the moon.

The struggle of the two sisters was not the only battle that night. The thestrals, sensing that Luna was in danger, rushed to her aid, overpowering the Royal Guard, only to arrive too late. Ponies, terrified of the eternal night and Nightmare Moon's rise, formed angry mobs, killing and driving bat ponies out of the fledgling Equestrian society and into the mountains and caves. Ponies and thestrals were split that day, and the bat ponies cursed Celestia's sun and those who supported it, mourning their Princess.

Celestia sat on her throne, resolute but uneasy, as prophecies whispered that in a thousand years, on the Summer Solstice, the peak of Celestia's power, Nightmare Moon would make her return to seek revenge.

Return and Redemption
Years turned into decades, decades turned into centuries. Celestia, whether out of pain, guilt, or self-interest, never spoke of the past. Luna, once a Princess of the realm, became an old mare's tale relegated to dusty tomes and stories to frighten children. Only the bat ponies truly remembered.

Soon, the thousandth year of return drew close. Celestia entrusted her hopes to her star magical protege, the young unicorn Twilight Sparkle, whom she dispatched to Ponyville to learn about Friendship and Harmony.

As feared, Nightmare Moon escaped her bonds. She moved swiftly, defeating Celestia and destroying the Elements of Harmony. But Celestia's gamble paid off, and Twilight Sparkle and her friends were able to incarnate as the avatars of the Elements of Harmony, restoring the old Princess Luna.

Present day
Today Luna reigns again, raising the moon and patrolling the dreams of the night. Celestia has worked hard to gain Luna acceptance and recognition amongst Equestria. The suspicion of dark poorly remembered tales has been replaced by trust in Celestia's word and the powerful symbolism of unity between Sun and Moon. Luna has accepted the solitude related to her role, lives in the love and encouragement of her elder sister and has sworn to never let her shadow take over once more.

However 7 years later, a darkness is returning to Luna, indeed to all of Equestria. Thestrals continue to live apart from the 3 Tribes, mistrusted and exploited as cheap labor within Equestria. Luna, returning as their beloved Princess from the ancient stories, seethes at the continued oppression of the thestrals, and quietly prepares a bold proposal to remake Equestria.

Despite her anger, Luna takes solace in one fact. She sleeps more soundly than she can ever recall.

Meanwhile marginal religious cults dedicated to the eternal night and Nightmare Moon have emerged from the shadows, growing in number. Many new recruits report dreams in which they are called by Nightmare Moon to serve, given directions, orders and secret instructions.

Can Luna resist the call of darkness? Or will Nightmare Moon rise again?

Starting position
Raising the fires of civil war against what is theoretically the most powerful country in the world, the Lunar Empire begins in a delicate situation and will require some skill to eclipse Celestia's Sun.

Starting the civil war will do a few things.
 * Nightmare Moon will receive 40k ponypower
 * Existing military units will be split, with Nightmare Moon between 20-80% of the Equestrian army, depending on choices made in the lead-up to the civil war.
 * Both Equestria and the Luna Empire will receive many new spawned units, all fully equipped.


 * Lunar Empire - The Empire starts with the eastern half of Equestria, from the Griffish Isles to Comet Province. The Lunar Empire does not have cores on the rest of Equestria - pushing west will not increase your manpower and may in fact be a drain on it due to garrisons.
 * Equestria - Military-Industrial potential is slightly lower or higher depending on whether you have completed the industrial focus with Equestria. However, its civil and maritime industrial potential is superior. If the civil war were to immediately happen upon game start, Equestria will have 43 divisions of 230k ponies deployed, a superior navy of 30 ships and a population of 22.0 million. That being said, Equestria will still have a large part of its potential locked behind The Magic of Friendship and Stagnation of Harmony which will take time until they can be removed
 * Crystal Empire - will receive a choice whether to remain neutral, support Celestia, or support Nightmare Moon in this conflict. The AI will rarely support Nightmare Moon and is more likely to support Celestia, if subordination focuses have been taken. Crystal Empire has a population of 13.7M, usually less than 10 divisions.
 * Commonwealth of New Mareland - will receive a choice whether to remain neutral, support Celestia, or support Nightmare Moon in this conflict. If New Mareland takes Patriation, it will always elect to stay neutral.
 * Stalliongrad - Stalliongrad will start neutral but will gain a decision to creep south and retake their cores. The AI will always take this decision early on.

Territory Changes and Secessions

 * Stalliongrad will automatically reclaim its cores in the North
 * Baltimare Republic (Communist) will secede in the southeast
 * Celestial State (Harmony) will secede in the southeast
 * Disciples of the Night (Supremacy) will secede in the southeast
 * Aztlan Free State (Non-Aligned) will secede in the southeast
 * Vanhoover Commune (Communist) will secede in the northwest
 * Las Pegasus (Non-Aligned) will secede in the southwest
 * Confederation of Southern States (Non-Aligned) will secede in the southwest

The War in the South
Four secessionist states will start a mini civil war in South-Eastern Equestria, each fighting against the other three: Disciples of the Night,  Aztlan Free State,  Celestial State, and  Baltimare Republic. Neither Equestria nor the Lunar Empire can intervene in this war until after they have won the 'main' Civil War.

If the Disciples win the War in the South, they will join the Lunar Empire and declare war on Equestria after they take the focus Our Fate. If the Celestial State wins the War in the South, they will join Equestria and declare war on the Lunar Empire after they take the focus Prepare the Offence.

Equestria can launch a limited intervention in the War in the South through an event that only triggers under some circumstances.


 * If the Disciples of the Night and the Celestial State both have not yet capitulated, Equestria will get an event after the civil war to join the war on Celestial State's side against the Disciples.
 * However, Equestria strangely only declares war on the Disciples, not the Baltimare Republic nor the Aztlan Free State (and there is no corresponding intervention event for these two factions). If one of these two factions have not yet capitulated, then Equestria has to wait for the War in the South to finish properly before they can approach the victor to negotiate for reintegration (through the focus United Equestria).
 * If the Disciples of the Night have not yet capitulated, yet the Celestial State has capitulated, the same intervention event will appear, but it will have no effects. Equestria again has to wait for the War in the South to finish and approach the victor to negotiate for reintegration.
 * Additional note, if the Disciples have won the War in the South after Equestria has defeated the Lunar Empire, Equestria will immediately declare war on the Disciples, even if they went down the Reject The Nightmare path.

The Lunar Empire can launch a full intervention in the War in the South through the focus War Plan: Green, which will unlock a decision on dealing with the South-East.


 * If the Disciples have not yet capitulated, and the war is still ongoing, the decision will let them join the war on the Disciples' side and go to war with all other factions in the South-East.
 * If the Disciples have capitulated, then the decision will allow the Lunar Empire to declare war on whoever wins the war in the South-East.
 * If the Disciples have united the South-East but went down the Reject The Nightmare path, resulting in them seceding from the Lunar Empire and renaming themselves Tzinacatlia, the decision will declare war on Tzinacatlia.

National Focuses
The focus tree of Lunar Empire is divided into three main sections. From left to right:


 * Military Tree
 * Political and Conquest Tree
 * Industrial and Research Tree

Political Tree - Post-Civil War
Once the civil war has concluded, the political tree will finally be unlocked and you will gain cores on all the lands of former Equestria, along with gaining another negative national spirit, Fractured Society. While this spirit is present, it will tank your political power gain, stability and war support, as well as making you unable to declare wars. You can remove it with the focus Law And Order Restored.

As you go down the first segment of the political tree, various events and mutually exclusive focuses will determine what alignment Nightmare Moon leans towards, and will grant different bonuses depending on which option you choose. There are three possible alignments: Benevolent, Neutral and Vengeful. The alignments will change the events and effects that occur later during the conquest and re-integration tree.

When the domestic situation within the Empire is finally settled, the tree shifts into conquest through the War Plans. The first four focus on reclaiming Equestrian territories which include the breakaways, the Crystal Empire and Stalliongrad. Once all those territories have been conquered, secured and cored, the next war plan is against the Changeling Lands. This will be a much more difficult fight then any of the breakaways and should be prepared in advance. Once the Changelings are dealt with, the remaining war plans allow you to conquer the rest of Equus, and New Mareland if they did not side with you during the civil war or rejoin you after it by then. The very last focus, The Empress of Equus gives Nightmare Moon another trait which gives more recruitable population and reduced justify war goal time, giving a good springboard for a potential invasion of Griffonia should you so choose.

Military Tree
The opening part of the military tree provides bonuses geared for the civil war, including equipment, leader skills and free divisions. These focuses will bypass if not completed once the civil war is over. The Warmaster of Equus will give two research bonuses to a doctrine of your choice, and is required to start the rest of the military tree.

The left branch is about expanding the air force, granting free planes and research bonuses for aircraft, as well as a national spirit and free paratroopers. The central branch is focused on the army and has free equipment, factories, national spirits and research bonuses. The right branch has dockyards, ports, a free marine division and naval national focuses. The Imperial Fleet Reborn, the last focus requires many naval techs researched beforehand, but gives a free navy in 210 days. The templates will be made beforehand, so you have that amount of time to edit them and replace them with modules of your own if you have the Man the Guns DLC if you wish.

Economic Tree
The economic tree's initial focuses are geared towards the civil war, much like the military tree, and will bypass once the conflict with Equestria is over. Focuses past that can be taken at any time, granting factories, national spirits and a research slot. The right branch can only be taken once the civil war is over, and gives various bonuses to research speed among other things.

Strategy
This strategy guide uses "gamey" techniques in order to make the civil war easier for the player. More roleplay / fairness orientated players may take this as a guideline.

General Considerations
The Lunar Empire player has to consider several elements.


 * Industry - Should be build in advantageous locations in the east. Civilian industry will be mostly irrelevant due to harsh construction speed penalties and equipment shortages. The focuses Manehattan Steel Factories and Fillydelphia Automobile Factories will grant them in starting Lunar territory, so those particular focuses are very beneficial.
 * Stockpiles -The Lunar player will receive no stockpiles. Equestria will keep its existing stockpiles. Guns should be in hooves, not in stockpiles. Although Lunar Empire receives only 20-40% of the Equestrian army, this is preferable to giving 100% of stockpiled equipment to Equestria.
 * Political Power - The Lunar Empire will not receive any Equestrian staff or design companies. Therefore pre-war Equestria should waste PP on things that will not benefit Equestria instead of building an effective cabinet - special construction decisions, prospecting for resources, useless design companies and useless high command are good potential choices.
 * Political Focuses - The Lunar Empire's greatest advantage is it starts on a war footing unlike Equestria - do not assist Equestria by taking The Ministry of Defense. Parts of the industrial tree favours Luna so is the best choice. For wasting focuses the Buffalo Relations tree provides little of value early on. The outbreak of the civil war can be roughly timed, and if you need a bit more to finish a focus or research a technology you can always delay events if you need to.
 * Changeling Lands - will invade towards the end of 1010 (this tends later if non-historical). Fighting Equestria and the Changelings at the same time will be disastrous. You should aim to win before early 1010, so you will have the time to prepare for war and use your militarised industry.

Starting the Civil War
See Equestria.

General Tactics
Like most civil wars, sound micromanagement, encirclement, and a combination of smaller holding divisions and higher quality fighting divisions is the key to victory. Patience should reward you against the AI, though be careful as the AI is quite opportunistic and can catch you in encirclements as well - a dry loss of several core divisions is likely to sign the outright defeat of the Lunar Empire.

The Lunar Empire doesn't have core on the land it doesn't start with, only claims, so focusing on kills and encirclements instead of territory may be prudent until either their army is small enough or yours is massive enough to push forward. Major cities like Canterlot however, should the chance come, should always be taken due to their industry.

Positioning
Equestria will start the war with most of the army, and like the Lunar Empire, will receive many extra divisions automatically. Unlike the Lunar Empire, these extra forces are often poorly equipped. Let's hope you remembered to use up the stockpile!

Despite this, the front is far too big to be fully covered and focuses will provide reinforcements for the Lunar Empire. With the states that will secede and given the concentration of industry, it is best to concentrate most on the northern half of Equestria (above the narrow bit). Reinforcements will fill out the southern sections.

Depending on the choices made during the reforms event chain you may start with divisions in either Whinnyapolis or Ponderosa. While it is unlikely that they will be able to hold for long, they can serve as a distraction for Equestrian forces and are close enough to the starting frontline to be relieved should you be able to push fast.

It is advised to hold the general front on the north and central parts of the border, as the south is a narrow space of land that can be easily lost. Pushing to Las Pegasus can allow for an easy encirclement in the Rockville strip, allowing you to destroy any divisions that were left behind there.

New Mareland's Invasions
If the game is played on historical then New Mareland will fight for Equestria. They will likely attempt naval invasions and so make sure to keep a defensive fleet (of submarines if necessary) New Mareland's low population mean that any landings, if mopped up quickly with encirclements, will essentially knock them out of the war.

The Final Push
If the player is not distracted, loses no divisions and regularly encircles enemy divisions, the Lunar Empire should gradually have the numerical advantage. When this is the case, start your advance in enemy territory, and be careful of some of the low supply mountainous regions in the central west. Once you take Rockville, Whinnyapolis and the Crystal Empire should it have joined the war against you, victory is almost assured and all you need to do is usher the final blow.

Focus Selection
The Lunar Empire is most crippled by equipment. There is more than enough ponypower, but not enough rifles. With the Celestial Resistance it suffers -25% to production efficiency cap. Fortunately, decisions and the Military tree can help solve both problems. Suggested focus choices below.


 * All The Little Ponies creates 12 equipped divisions.


 * Guns, Grenades And Uniforms gives a major stockpile of needed weapons, which should help counteract any equipment deficit.
 * In the economic tree, The New Equestrian Economy will allow access to a war plan, which will also allow you to take Radio Nox for even more ponypower.

Once these 3 focuses have been completed the player has more freedom. Some potential routes:


 * The economic tree allows for more factories should you need them.
 * The Warmaster of Equus will give a doctrine bonus and unlock the rest of the military tree.
 * Standardization of Equipment and the focuses following it give even more free equipment as well as research bonuses.

Note that you will also start with a negative national spirit, Celestial Resistance, which can slowly be negated and removed via decisions.

Aftermath of the Civil War
The player must now prepare for the Changelings, as the maluses slough away and the full industrial might of Equestria comes to bear.


 * Stalliongrad - If it has not already been taken by your forces of Night, it is even more essential to remove it quickly, to remove a threat of a two front war and build up factories.
 * Crystal Empire - Controlling this former vassal will increase the frontline that the Changelings have to fight, further overextending their forces.
 * Breakaways - By now you will have cores on all their territory, so the more you can conquer the more ponypower and factories you gain.

Once these are finished, defensive strategies are like that of Equestria on the standard route - well equipped infantry, good air support, use of the unique pony magical tree and powerful magical infantry, fortifications on the border, and fallback lines, and heavy use of rivers. Remember that the Changelings tend to use numerous tank and motorised divisions - get the anti-tank supports, use Last Stand to hold the line, and if they break through let them overextend and then encircle.

Once the threat has been eliminated, all that remains is to reclaim any remaining secessionist states as well as the rest of Equus. Once New Mareland is puppeted, it will receive a unique Lunar Empire tree, and can eventually get a wargoal against Wingbardy under certain leaders. Only a unified Griffonian Empire can possibly stop you now.

Technology
The technologies available at the beginning of the civil war are the same as Equestria. See Equestria

National Spirits
Starting Spirits

Industry and Resources
Resources are inherited from held Equestrian Territory.