Pieces, Strategy, Possible Outcome
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The Pieces
Azula is a Knot Wheel. She knows it… Ozai knows it. She is stable, deadly, versatile and deceptive. She can become any piece on the board and that makes her dangerous. But in the end she is merely a reflection of some one else's desire, a blank tablet for someone else's impression. As powerful as she is she remains a wooden puppet, empty, hollow, heavy on substance but shallow in the soul.
Zuko is a White Lotus. He doesn't know that, but Iroh does. Even though it can remove any tile from play the lotus is slow (advancing only two spaces a turn) one can see it coming a mile away. And since it is disarmingly vulnerable (being dispatched by any piece within range) people ignore it. But that is a foolish thing to do. In the end the lotus shows its hidden strength and blossoms bringing together four tiles as one, making them more powerful than before.
The Strategy
Ozai prefers to sacrifice his white lotus. He uses his knot wheel to deaden the pieces around it in preparation for the end. Ozai sees the game as he sees the board: the square against the circle each fighting for dominance… yin and yang in opposition.
Iroh sacrifices as well. As Ozai removes his pieces from play Iroh inches his white lotus across the board in anticipation of the end. Iroh sees the game as he sees the board: the square within the circle existing in balance… yin and yang in harmony.
The Possible Out Come
The Knot Wheel
perpetuates discord leaving vast, empty, unprotected spaces in its
wake.
The Lotus promotes accord weaving bonds that can not be
easily broken.
Ozai always
leans towards the Knot Wheel
Iroh always favors the White Lotus.
This is why Iroh almost always wins.