CHAPTER 7. MANOEUVRING
1. Soldier Tzu said: In war, I receives my commands from the sovereign, Redmond Mann.
2. Having collected an army and concentrated his forces, I must blend and harmonize the different classes in it before pitching a base.
3. After that, comes tactical manoeuvring, and is nothing more difficult this to maggots like you. The difficulty of tactical manoeuvring consists in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain.
4. To take a long route, after getting the enemy maggots out of the way, and though starting after him, to contrive to reach the goal before him, is called DEVIATION.
5. Manoeuvring you disiplined maggots is advantageous; with an undisciplined multitude, dangerous.
6. If I sent a fully equipped army to take an advantage, the chances are that you will be too late. On the other hand, to detach a Scout for the purpose involves the sacrifice of him.
7. If I order you to roll up your shirts, and force march you without halting day or night, covering double the usual distance at a stretch, doing a hundred miles in order to wrest an advantage, the leaders of all the three divisions will fall into the hands of BLU.
8. If the stronger men are in front, the weaker ones will fall behind, only one-tenth of my army will reach its destination.
9. If you march fifty miles in order to outmanoeuvre the enemy, you will lose the leader of the offensive classes, who is me, and only half my force will reach the goal.
10. If you march thirty miles with the same object, two-thirds of my army will arrive.
11. We may take it then that an army without dispensers is lost; without provisions it is lost; without bases of supply it is lost.
12. We cannot enter into alliances unless we are acquainted other companies and mercenaries.
13. You are not fit to lead this army on the march at any cost, even if you are familiar with the face of the country-its mountains and forests, its pitfalls and precipices, its marshes and swamps.
14. You will be unable to turn natural advantage to account unless we make use of local guides.
15. In war, practice hiding the truth, and we will succeed.
16. Whether to concentrate or to divide my troops, must be decided by circumstances.
17. You must let your rapidity be that of the wind, your compactness that of the forest.
18. In raiding and plundering be like the Pyro's fire, in immovability like the Heavy, a mountain.
19. My plans will be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.
20. When we plunder a countryside, let the spoil be divided amongst us; when you capture new territory, cut it up into allotments for the benefit us all. Even if I, a capitalist, sounds like a communist.
21. Ponder and deliberate before you make a move.
22. We will conquer if you have learnt the art of deviation. Such is the art of manoeuvring.
23. The Book of Army Management says: On the field of battle, the spoken word does not carry far enough: hence the institution of gongs and drums. Nor can ordinary objects be seen clearly enough: hence the institution of banners and flags.
24. Gongs and drums, banners and flags, are means whereby the ears and eyes of the host may be focused on one particular point.
25. The host therefore makes a single united body, is it impossible either for the brave to advance alone, or for the cowardly to retreat alone. This is the art of handling large masses of men, and scares each and every maggot the enemy has.
26. In night-fighting, we need to make much use of signal-fires and drums, and of flags and banner when fighting by day, as a means of influencing the ears and eyes of my army.
27. A whole army may be robbed of its spirit; a I may be robbed of my presence of mind.
28. Now the enemy's spirit is keenest in the morning; by noonday it has begun to flag; and in the evening, their mind is bent only on returning to camp.
29. I, therefore, avoid an army when its spirit is keen, but attacks it when it is sluggish and inclined to return. This is the art of studying moods.
30. Disciplined and calm, to await the appearance of disorder and hubbub amongst the enemy; this is the art of retaining self-possession.
31. To be near the goal while the enemy is still far from it, to wait at ease while the enemy is toiling and struggling, to be well-fed while the enemy is famished; this is the art of husbanding one's strength.
32. Not to intercept an enemy whose banners are in perfect order, not to attack an army drawn up in calm and confident array; this is the art of studying circumstances.
33. It is a military starting point of reason not to advance uphill against the enemy, nor to oppose him when he comes downhill.
34. Do not pursue an enemy who simulates flight; do not attack soldiers whose temper is keen.
35. Do not swallow bait offered by the enemy. Do not interfere with an army that is returning home.
36. When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard.
37. Such is the Art of Fortress.
A/N Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, please keep on doing it.