Sun Tzu for Gamers - Part 3 - Attack by Stratagem

The next chapter from Sun Zsu's Art of War is "Attack by Stratagem".

In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them. Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.

Intimidation is a powerful tool to defeating the enemy. If you play against someone with models that are top tier painted does it not take the wind out of your sails a little?

Same as when they set up their army in a better position than yours. Even before the first turn you feel defeated and realize that you have to work harder.

Thus the highest form of generalship is to balk the enemy's plans; the next best is to prevent the junction of the enemy's forces; the next in order is to attack the enemy's army in the field; and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities.

Balking here is implied as attacking before the enemy does. Anticipating what the enemy will do and foiling that plan is an excellent way of fustrating your foe, such that they will make more mistakes.

Preventing junction means to isolate an enemy from allies or reinforcments. By doing so you can undermine the morale of those isolated and those who are trying to help them. Having fast moving forces also helps to prevent the enemy from executing thier perfect plan.

Facing one's enemy on the field is the normal for generalship. Aim higher in your strategies.

By laying seige, you are static and cannot respond to attack. You also are expending energy, equipment and personnel on an unknown variable.

The rule is, not to besiege walled cities if it can possibly be avoided. The preparation of mantlets, movable shelters, and various implements of war, will take up three whole months; and the piling up of mounds over against the walls will take three months more. The general, unable to control his irritation, will launch his men to the assault like swarming ants, with the result that one-third of his men are slain, while the town still remains untaken. Such are the disastrous effects of a siege.

Seiges take a long time. If you know your foe is going to build or utilize a strong defence, react quickly and with force to prevent the enemy taking this action. When faced with a failing strategy, they may give up on those forces, allowing you to defeat them with little energy.

Therefore the skillful leader subdues the enemy's troops without any fighting; he captures their cities without laying siege to them; he overthrows their kingdom without lengthy operations in the field. With his forces intact he will dispute the mastery of the Empire, and thus, without losing a man, his triumph will be complete.

Subduing your enemies forces is nigh-impossible in miniature games but often a strong element in wargames. Remember to change how you play when changing between the two. Utilize the potential of conflict to your advantage.

This is the method of attacking by stratagem. It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him;

By surrounding them, you intimidate the foe and whatever decision they make will be countered by your forces in their rear and flank.

if five to one, to attack him;

Never hesitate as your casulties will be minor compared to the rush of your assault if they have no time to establish defences.

if twice as numerous, to divide our army into two.

Divinding into two forces enables one to be used for distraction or flanking.

If equally matched, we can offer battle;

Equal numbers with equal skill means equal casulties.

if slightly inferior in numbers, we can avoid the enemy;

Never confrount the enemy when at a disadvantage. Avoid until you get equal or superior forces. This also gives the advantage of scouting thier intent.

if quite unequal in every way, we can flee from him.

A general who keeps thier forces alive to win a future battle is better than those who throw away the strength of those under them. Unless they are a distraction from your other forces.

Hence, though an obstinate fight may be made by a small force, in the end it must be captured by the larger force.

You do not have control of the area until you have presence in the area. That way you make the conquored people understand that they are defeated and can resist a counter attack.

Now the general is the bulwark of the State; if the bulwark is complete at all points; the State will be strong; if the bulwark is defective, the State will be weak.

Generals must be strong in all aspects to be the perfect general. Be that perfect general by practicing your strengths and strengthening your weaknesses.

There are three ways in which a ruler can bring misfortune upon his army: (1) By commanding the army to advance or to retreat, being ignorant of the fact that it cannot obey. This is called hobbling the army.

Not only will your troops lose confidence in thier leaders but you can cause more casulties than the enemy will.

(2) By attempting to govern an army in the same way as he administers a kingdom, being ignorant of the conditions which obtain in an army. This causes restlessness in the soldier's minds.

Soldiers like action followed by rest. Actual soldiering duties. To do otherwise will make them wonder why they are here and not at home tilling the fields and gathering crops or earning a trade.

(3) By employing the officers of his army without discrimination, through ignorance of the military principle of adaptation to circumstances. This shakes the confidence of the soldiers.

Adjust to the enemy instead of following through with a plan means the army will trust your skill as a General.

But when the army is restless and distrustful, trouble is sure to come from the other feudal princes. This is simply bringing anarchy into the army, and flinging victory away.

Thus we may know that there are five essentials for victory: (1) He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.

Do not fight for fighting sake. Know when to strike with an advantage.

(2) He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces.

Never be overconfident or despondant. Everyone can be beaten and suffer defeat.

(3) He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks.

Neither officers or men should be given special treatment. All must be encouraged by thier leader's abilities to win.

(4) He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared.

Knowing when to either take the fight to the enemy when they are unprepared or to upset thier balance is key to this point.

(5) He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered with by the sovereign.

The soverign is in charge of the kingdom and should be given reports on the state of the army after given its mandate. Anything more depletes resources and distracts the General's true goal of victory in the field and victory in the campaign.

Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.

This statement is one of the ones I always remember about Sun Tzu. It works for conflict of military and personal battles.

Sun Tzu For Gamers - Part 2 - Waging War

This next chapter from Sun Tzu's "Art of War" is on Waging War. Here we will talk about the cost of war. (chapter one here)

In the operations of war, where there are in the field a thousand swift chariots, as many heavy chariots, and a hundred thousand mail-clad soldiers, with provisions enough to carry them a thousand LI, the expenditure at home and at the front, including entertainment of guests, small items such as glue and paint, and sums spent on chariots and armor, will reach the total of a thousand ounces of silver per day. Such is the cost of raising an army of 100,000 men.

From a model builders standpoint, building your forces is a greater price than the sum of the models. Paints, glues, files, brushes and time all conspire to elevate the cost. Buying lots of models and trying to paint them all is a large psychological barrier. Starting small and adding to your forces is almost always better.

From a gameplay standpoint, balance the use of expensive models (point wise) with hordes of low point models. Balanced approaches to army building means a greater ability to respond and less chance the enemy can devise a strategy against it.

When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming, then men's weapons will grow dull and their ardor will be damped. If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength. Again, if the campaign is protracted, the resources of the State will not be equal to the strain.

From a model builder's standpoint, models get damaged as time goes on. They must be repaired. Plus the longer you play a game, the greater chance of newer and better looking models being produced is greater. Expect this temptation.

From a gameplay standpoint, only games with endurance has this worry. If it does , you can either play fast for a quick end or slow to wear the opponent out. Use the strategy that complements your strength: excellent assault with quick play, excellent defence with slow play.

Now, when your weapons are dulled, your ardor damped, your strength exhausted and your treasure spent, other chieftains will spring up to take advantage of your extremity. Then no man, however wise, will be able to avert the consequences that must ensue. Thus, though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.

From a model builder's standpoint, the newer players have the newest models. They will win against old veterns until the vetern understands the strengths and weaknesses of the new models. Then they will consistantly win because they have understood thier own models for longer. The faster a vetern understands these new models the faster they can start winning.

From a gameplay standpoint, allies cease being so if they smell weakness. You can either use this fact to draw them into a trap for thier own resources to be vunerable or consolidate before this point occurs.

There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare. It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.

It is only through mistakes that an errors will not happen again. Don't be afraid of them. If you create a badly painted unit, you will know to use a different way. If you make a bad play, remember it.

The skillful soldier does not raise a second levy, neither are his supply-wagons loaded more than twice.

Don't hesitate. If you have a gut feeling and need to react, react. Delay gives your opponent more time to counter the action. If it is a wrong choice then you will know for next time and will naturally react accordingly.

Bring war material with you from home, but forage on the enemy. Thus the army will have food enough for its needs.

For modellers, having that fancy paint might work great for you but if you are somewhere other than home the local brand might not cut it. Plan accordingly.

For gameplay, use the enemies resources against them while denying thier own. Even though fighting in the enemies country is hazardous, this foraging will benifit you if it becomes a protracted battle or if you must retreat.

Poverty of the State exchequer causes an army to be maintained by contributions from a distance. Contributing to maintain an army at a distance causes the people to be impoverished. On the other hand, the proximity of an army causes prices to go up; and high prices cause the people's substance to be drained away. When their substance is drained away, the peasantry will be afflicted by heavy exactions. With this loss of substance and exhaustion of strength, the homes of the people will be stripped bare, and three-tenths of their income will be dissipated; while government expenses for broken chariots, worn-out horses, breast-plates and helmets, bows and arrows, spears and shields, protective mantles, draught-oxen and heavy wagons, will amount to four-tenths of its total revenue. Hence a wise general makes a point of foraging on the enemy. One cartload of the enemy's provisions is equivalent to twenty of one's own, and likewise a single PICUL of his provender is equivalent to twenty from one's own store.

A lean army does not need to be supported from afar. This means more energy can be used to make attacks rather than worry about arms and equipment. It also leads to a happier homeland and unhappier enemy populace. This also means a happier homelife if your family/spouse/cat is not starving or going without because of your hobby and you are using better alternatives of playing your hobby. Selling off old unplayed armies/games is a good way of doing this.

Now in order to kill the enemy, our men must be roused to anger; that there may be advantage from defeating the enemy, they must have their rewards. Therefore in chariot fighting, when ten or more chariots have been taken, those should be rewarded who took the first. Our own flags should be substituted for those of the enemy, and the chariots mingled and used in conjunction with ours. The captured soldiers should be kindly treated and kept. This is called, using the conquered foe to augment one's own strength.

For modellers, reward yourself for goals set. If you finished painting a unit ahead of schedule, take some time doing something else or working on that terrain piece. For gameplay, there are few mechanics for rewarding your forces for good gameplay, but you can model it. I had a squad of Necron Scarabs go against Space Wolf Terminators and only wanted to delay thier advance. After three long turns I won. That battle can be modelled on the bases with Space Wolf Terminator helmets to mark the occassion and generate fun conversation amongst fellow gamers.

In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns. Thus it may be known that the leader of armies is the arbiter of the people's fate, the man on whom it depends whether the nation shall be in peace or in peril.

When modelling, set short term objectives for painting and you will always be satisfied. When gaming, go for the scenario and not for total victory. Then you will be a happy general.

Next is "Attack by Strategem".

Sun Tzu for Gamers - Part 1 - Laying Plans

I've read Sun Tzu's Art of War several times over my life. It is straightforward and simple. Like all wisdom, it is easy to forget in the heat of battle...even tabletop battle. This is why I will go over each of the thirteen parts of Sun Tzu's book with a Post for each part.

My reference is a marvellous website located here, made by John Watson. I will speak of the gaming angle of the points Sun Tzu makes.

Firstly, Sun Tzu was a General and master strategist for China around 500 BCE. Some credit the “Art of War” treatise with his descendant, Sun Bin, who lived in the early 300’s BCE. Regardless the Art of War has been an insightful and influential work in overcoming problems of all sorts, in particular warfare. Anyways, on with the article.

Five Constant Factors



The art of war is governed by five constant factors: Moral Law, Heaven, Earth, Commander, and Method and Discipline.

Moral Law signifies the accord with the rules of the game. The rules are constant until a new edition or revision. If you do not know the rules, would gamers will help teach them to you. If you continually don’t know the rules and misquote them, you will not be successful in finding people to play against.

Heaven signifies the environment you play in, or your gaming zone. How many players of the game you play are in your area? What is the gaming area available? Is it a chaotic schedule of events or a regular night. The larger your player base and better your gaming schedule and playing area is, the more games you can play and want to play.

Earth signifies the terrain you play with. Terrain does not have to be pretty but it has to make sense and be functional. A new player should look at a hill and tell what side is difficult terrain and what side is sloping normal terrain.

Commander signifies the virtues of wisdom, sincerity, benevolence, courage and strictness. Wisdom benefits strategy. Sincerity promotes trust. Benevolence eliminates arguments. Courage encourages boldness. Strictness adds experience. All these things lead to a commander you want to play against. To increase your virtues in a game are things to aspire to in order to make you the commander.

Method and Discipline signifies the army you play with, how they are supplied and how they are brought to the battlefield. If you have an army that is not proxied, in good repair, varied, in secure containers and have reliable means to get to your gaming events then you are most of the way there. If your army is nicely painted, custom built, custom carrying device, arrive to gaming events early and often, and have the newest additions, then your method and discipline are strong.

These constant factors individually make for a good gamer. Together they make for a great one. When many gamers have the constant factors then you have a fantastic gaming community.

Part 1 Basics

All warfare is based on deception. Further to this: if you can attack, make it seem like you cannot. When you are close, make it seem like you are far away. When far away, make it seem you are close. If you make your units seem where they are not by using terrain and maneuverability to your advantage, you can guide them to where you are stronger. For instance, in the game Warmachine, Constance Blaze has a spell Crusader’s call. It adds two inches of movement to units charging near Blaze. I used this spell the turn after placing my units close enough to where I believed my enemy would move their front lines. It surprised my enemy as his plans did not envision me getting that close with a charge attack. He did not think I could attack and my army seemed to be further from his front lines because of this. Opposite to this, I could have told him that I had this spell. This would make him hesitate to move closer if that was what I wanted to do.

Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder and crush him. Sometimes you have to sacrifice a weak force to destroy a larger force. That way a small force can draw him out and you can strike from strength and surprise. If your forces are scattered across a table but can strike at almost any point on that table, you have feigned disorder.

If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. A fortified foe is a tenacious foe. You must either strike at his defences or wait for him to exit them. If your foe has the upper hand, do not allow him to strike. Move away until you have the upper hand. As well, moving away does not mean running away. Move to a fortifyable position, difficult terrain or anything to put distance or a terrain peice between you both to block his attack.

If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If you have an annoying tactic, unit of model then use it if it will upset your opponents plans. Get him to focus on it while you attack from strength. If you lose small amounts of models over time, an opponent may feel invincible. The game is not over until there is a winner and a winnner may have the weaker force at the beginning of the game.

If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. Do not give your opponent time to breathe and think. If playing timed games, conduct your turn quickly while making bold attacks and your opponent may flounder. If they did not have a good plan it will be a bad plan when they cannot change it fast enough.

If his forces are united, separate them. If the enemy has units everywhere but where they are needed, you can strike where he cannot strike back.

Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected. If you divulge to your opponent your goals and plans, they can plan against it. Do not be predictable and you will always have suprise.

Now the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose. Eisenhower once said that plans are nothing but plans are indispensable. You have to be flexable and planning helps you attain that flexability by thinking of options and strategies.

Thats it for part 1. Next will be part 2, Waging War.