Section IV: Tactical Dispositions

1. Sun Tzu said: The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.
2. To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
3. Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.
4. Hence the saying: One may know how to conquer without being able to do it.
5. Security against defeat implies defensive tactics; ability to defeat the enemy means taking the offensive.
6. Standing on the defensive indicates insufficient strength; attacking, a superabundance of strength.
7. The general who is skilled in defense hides in the most secret recesses of the earth; he who is skilled in attack flashes forth from the topmost heights of heaven. Thus on the one hand we have ability to protect ourselves; on the other, a victory that is complete.
8. To see victory only when it is within the ken of the common herd is not the acme of excellence.
9. Neither is it the acme of excellence if you fight and conquer and the whole Empire says, "Well done!"
10. To lift an autumn hair is no sign of great strength; to see the sun and moon is no sign of sharp sight; to hear the noise of thunder is no sign of a quick ear.
11. What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease.
12. Hence his victories bring him neither reputation for wisdom nor credit for courage.
13. He wins his battles by making no mistakes. Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated.
14. Hence the skillful fighter puts himself into a position which makes defeat impossible, and does not miss the moment for defeating the enemy.
15. Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.
16. The consummate leader cultivates the moral law, and strictly adheres to method and discipline; thus it is in his power to control success.
17. In respect of military method, we have, firstly, Measurement; secondly, Estimation of quantity; thirdly, Calculation; fourthly, Balancing of chances; fifthly, Victory.
18. Measurement owes its existence to Earth; Estimation of quantity to Measurement; Calculation to Estimation of quantity; Balancing of chances to Calculation; and Victory to Balancing of chances.
19. A victorious army opposed to a routed one, is as a pound's weight placed in the scale against a single grain.
20. The onrush of a conquering force is like the bursting of pent-up waters into a chasm a thousand fathoms deep.

MAG is not simply a first-person shooter. To an aspiring leader, it is something else entirely. It is one thing to know how to shoot someone in the face. It is another thing to know how to win strategically.

Sun Tzu said: The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.

To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.

Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.

The attacking platoon leader must not rely on brute force to break down an enemy's front line. He will allow himself windows of 90-120 seconds each attack; every cycle he will analyse the situation. He is firstly to command his platoon to eliminate basic strategic errors that his platoon is making. Only when this is eliminated will be scour the enemy to find their mistakes. A defence will only succeed if it makes NO mistakes. Against a competent attack, this is in fact impossible.

Hence the saying: One may know how to conquer without being able to do it.

Not knowing how is the greatest crime in the game.

It is the responsibility of senior players, when not in the position of command, to seek a demotion incompetent leaders.

Security against defeat implies defensive tactics; ability to defeat the enemy means taking the offensive.

Standing on the defensive indicates insufficient strength; attacking, a superabundance of strength.

The reality is, regardless whether you are the attacker or defender, your platoon must go through a cycling process of attack and defence. It is a neverending process of expansion and contraction. Understanding the timing of the transition is a combination of experience, intuition and leadership.

The general who is skilled in defense hides in the most secret recesses of the earth; he who is skilled in attack flashes forth from the topmost heights of heaven. Thus on the one hand we have ability to protect ourselves; on the other, a victory that is complete.

Defence requires solid soldier placement. Attack depends upon aggression.

To see victory only when it is within the ken of the common herd is not the acme of excellence.

Neither is it the acme of excellence if you fight and conquer and the whole Empire says, "Well done!"

To lift an autumn hair is no sign of great strength; to see the sun and moon is no sign of sharp sight; to hear the noise of thunder is no sign of a quick ear.

Remove your ego when it comes to victory or defeat. Warriors sprout from the springs of humility.

What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease.

Hence his victories bring him neither reputation for wisdom nor credit for courage.

The only way a leader wins a match is to inspire his soldiers to do the right things. This is simple. Coordinate them as a group and instruct them when they do stupid things. Nothing is ever achieved by one man doing it all. He only has two arms and two legs, doesn't he? An army's achievements is a combination of small acts of service.

He wins his battles by making no mistakes. Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated.

Hence the skillful fighter puts himself into a position which makes defeat impossible, and does not miss the moment for defeating the enemy.

A leader must know what common mistakes look like. If you instruct others of their mistakes, give them a reason. They will stop. If nobody makes mistakes, you win. It is your voice broadcasting on their speakers that is the key to victory.

Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.

The process of victory is to formulate a plan that is both simple and effective. If it is simple and effective, the plan is idiot-proof and mistake-proof.

The consummate leader cultivates the moral law, and strictly adheres to method and discipline; thus it is in his power to control success.

Remember:

Moral law means the passion to win, maturity, personal qualities: how willing the men are to follow a one man into combat.

Method means planning, perfect in simplicity and effectiveness.

Discipline means the degree of teamwork and elimination of common mistakes.

In respect of military method, we have, firstly, Measurement; secondly, Estimation of quantity; thirdly, Calculation; fourthly, Balancing of chances; fifthly, Victory.

Measurement owes its existence to Earth; Estimation of quantity to Measurement; Calculation to Estimation of quantity; Balancing of chances to Calculation; and Victory to Balancing of chances.

Planning requires the following steps:

(1) Know the map.

(2) Disperse troops.

(3) Define a. strategy and b. tactics

(4) Give leeway for randomness: randomness in events, randomness in discipline and randomness in skill. Luck.

(5) Press favourable outcomes, or else retreat and regroup.

Or, in attack:

(1) Understand which flank is best to approach

(2) Overcommit to that flank.

(3) a. commit the bulk of troops towards an isolated bunker with overwhelming force and b. commit skilled players to an alternative route to find a hidden flank

(4) Pray

(5) Press any advantage.

Or, in defence:

(1) Order flanks and roadblocks/gates to be overprotected until enemy's attack pattern is apparent.

(2) Position troops where confrontation is to your maximum advantage.

(3) a. commit troops and engage from cover, thereby stopping the advance in its tracks, followed by b. commit skilled players to find alternative routes and counterattack from a hidden flank

(4) Pray

(5) Press for a counterattack; but do not overcommit yourself.

A victorious army opposed to a routed one, is as a pound's weight placed in the scale against a single grain.

The onrush of a conquering force is like the bursting of pent-up waters into a chasm a thousand fathoms deep.