THE 4TH

The Siege Collective That Redefined Discord Warfare

The Pioneers

The 4th (2016-2018) were Discord's first true siege specialists, developing prolonged server occupation tactics that would influence all subsequent raiding groups. Unlike hit-and-run raiders, they treated servers as digital territory to be conquered and held.

"We didn't just crash servers - we moved in. For weeks. Sometimes months. Our flag flew where theirs used to."

Active Era

2016 - 2018 (2 years)

Operatives

800+ at peak

Servers Sieged

1,200+ confirmed

Longest Occupation

87 days (DiscordHistory server)

The Iron Council

The 4th operated under a strict military hierarchy that became the model for later groups:

Commanders

  • Void: Supreme commander and strategic mastermind
  • Rapture: Head of digital infrastructure and bot development
  • Nexus: Field operations and troop deployment
  • Cipher: Security and counter-intelligence

This structure allowed The 4th to maintain unprecedented operational control during sieges, with each commander overseeing specialized divisions of 50-100 operatives.

Siege Doctrine

The 4th's campaigns followed a three-phase conquest protocol:

Phase 1

Softening

DDoS attacks to weaken server stability and morale, combined with targeted doxxing of moderators

Phase 2

Breach

Brute-force admin account takeovers using early token-logging techniques

Phase 3

Occupation

Systematic replacement of server culture with 4th propaganda and imagery

Their signature move was the "Eternal Banner" - replacing server icons with The 4th's emblem and making it impossible to change back.

Legendary Sieges

The 4th's most infamous operations became case studies in digital warfare:

Operation Iron Curtain

47-day occupation of a 10,000+ member gaming community (2017)

The Summer Offensive

Concurrent sieges of 12 RP servers lasting 30+ days each (2017)

Project Phoenix

Complete cultural takeover of DiscordHistory server (2018)

"Most groups wanted chaos. We wanted order - our order. We built monuments in conquered servers."

The Fracturing

By mid-2018, three factors led to The 4th's gradual dissolution:

Key Factors

  • Discord's Security Improvements: New rate limits and verification systems
  • Internal Power Struggles: Void and Rapture's conflicting visions
  • The Rise of Nuking: New groups preferring speed over endurance

The final communique from The 4th simply read: "All territories released. Stand down." - marking the end of Discord's first era of digital siege warfare.

The Enduring Blueprint

The 4th's influence persists in modern Discord conflicts:

Tactics

Psychological Warfare

Their propaganda techniques are still used in server takeovers

Organization

Military Structure

NNN and EDX adopted variants of their command hierarchy

Culture

The Siege Mentality

Proved servers could be permanent battlegrounds, not just targets

While their methods seem crude by today's standards, The 4th demonstrated that Discord communities could be conquered and reshaped - a lesson that would define the platform's underground for years to come.