hum, this thread was put here so we ask question.
My view of the FA, as it is, is very different from that of what you people seems to have. It also seems my view is shared by a good proportion of the server populace.
I comment as one who has nothing to do at all with kusari bretonian war (I mean, sure I have one indie GC, but its only at my advantage if AFA is actually busy somewhere else...)
So yeah.
Zelot says AFA are well funded - true. Samura fund them.
They are well trained, very probably too.
Does that make them an external conflict militia? not so sure.
To me, FA is a humble traditionalist faction bent on protecting its people from the foreigners; when their own goal has not been achieved, they are now bent on something incredibly ambitious somehow that is, the take over of foreign market.
They might be trained to military level, or at least professional contractor skills, but they certainly are not numerous (as Zelot himself mentionned the small size of the organisation) enough to be of any use against a militaristic force using heavier arsenal. It would be loss in material and life that should rather be used for kusari internal defence - which is somewhat neglected as of right now.