I think an attempt to gain resources absolutely. The hit was so late tho that it would have prevented max tech for his destock, while knowing full well a retal would have disallowed oil destock because I'd have to hold the land for 72 hrs. In other words, it was done to ruin my set with no benefit to his set. I think theres decidedly a difference between landgrabbing for production if you think you can win the retal game mid set, and hitting someone during destock with no production benefit to fluff up their set. Theres a bit more at play than just landgrabbing being landgrabbing.

The midset equivalent and something I've seen from other imp members is topfeeding the biggest netter and then spending quite literally every dollar the country has to avoid a retal essentially ruining your own set to piss off a netter. I think theres solidly a big difference between that and landgrabbing with intention.