CHAPTER 10. TERRAIN
1. Soldier Tzu said: We may distinguish six kinds of terrain. These are: (1) Accessible ground; (2) entangling ground; (3) temporising ground; (4) narrow passes; (5) precipitous heights; (6) positions at a great distance from the enemy.
2. Ground which can be freely traversed by both sides is called ACCESSIBLE.
3. With regard to ground of this nature, be before the enemy in occupying it, and carefully guard your line of supplies. Then we will be able to fight with advantage.
4. Ground which can be abandoned but is hard to re-occupy is called ENTANGLING.
5. From a position of this sort, if the enemy is unprepared, we may sally forth and defeat him. But if the enemy is prepared for your coming, and you fail to defeat them, then, return being impossible, disaster will ensue.
6. When the position is such that neither side will gain by making the first move, it is called TEMPORISING ground.
7. In a position of this sort, even though the enemy may offer us an attractive bait, it will be advisable not to try and get it, but rather to retreat, and thus enticing the enemy in their turn; then, when part of their army has come out, we may deliver our attack with advantage.
8. With regard to NARROW PASSES, if you can occupy them first, you must be strongly garrisoned and await the advent of the enemy.
9. Should the BLU army forestall us in occupying a pass, do not go after him if the pass is fully garrisoned, but only if it is weakly garrisoned.
10. With regard to PRECIPITOUS HEIGHTS, if you are beforehand with your adversary, you should occupy the raised and sunny spots, and there wait for them to come up.
11. If the enemy has occupied them before us, do not follow them, but retreat and try to entice them away.
12. If you are situated at a great distance from the enemy, and the strength of the two armies is equal, it is not easy to provoke a battle, and fighting will be to our disadvantage.
13. These six are the principles connected with Earth. I, because I have attained a responsible post, must be careful to study them.
14. Now the BLU army is exposed to six several calamities, not arising from natural causes, but from faults for which the BLU soldier is responsible. These are: (1) Flight; (2) insubordination; (3) collapse; (4) ruin; (5) disorganization; (6) rout.
15. Other conditions being equal, if their force is hurled against ours ten times the size of theirs, the result will be the FLIGHT of the former.
16. When the common soldiers are too strong and their officers too weak, the result is INSUBORDINATION. When the officers are too strong and the common soldiers too weak, the result is COLLAPSE.
17. When the higher officers are angry and insubordinate, and on meeting the enemy give battle on their own account from a feeling of resentment, before the Administrator can tell whether or no he is in a position to fight, the result is RUIN.
18. When the BLU Soldier is weak and without authority; when his orders are not clear and distinct; when there are no fixes duties assigned to officers and men, and the ranks are formed in a slovenly haphazard manner, the result is utter DISORGANIZATION.
19. When the BLU Soldier, unable to estimate our army's strength, allows their inferior force to engage our larger one, or hurls a weak detachment against a powerful one, and neglects to place picked soldiers in the front rank, the result must be ROUT.
20. These are six ways of courting defeat, which must be carefully noted by me because I have attained a responsible post.
21. The natural formation of the country is our best ally; but a power of estimating the adversary, of controlling the forces of victory, and of shrewdly calculating difficulties, dangers and distances, constitutes the test for the greatest general: me.
22. As I know these things, and in fighting I put my knowledge into practice, will win my battles. The BLU Soldier, who knows them not, nor practices them, will surely be defeated.
23. If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight! If fighting will not result in victory, then you must not fight.
24. As I advance without coveting fame and retreat without fearing disgrace, my only thought is to protect our country and do good service for Redmond, I am the jewel of the kingdom.
25. I regard you soldiers as my children, and you will follow me into the deepest valleys; I look upon you as my own beloved sons, and you will stand by me even unto death.
26. However, the BLU Soldier is indulgent, but unable to make his authority felt; kind-hearted, but unable to enforce his commands; and incapable, moreover, of quelling disorder: then his men must be likened to spoilt children; they are useless for any practical purpose.
27. If I know that my own men are in a condition to attack, but am unaware that the enemy is not open to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory.
28. If I know that the enemy is open to attack, but am unaware that our own men are not in a condition to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory.
29. If I know that the enemy is open to attack, and also know that our men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the nature of the ground makes fighting impracticable, we have still gone only halfway towards victory.
30. Hence the experienced soldier, once in motion, is never bewildered; once he has broken camp, he is never at a loss. I am the supreme RED Soldier.
31. Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your victory complete.
A/N Please rate and review. And yes, that was Soldier's Sun Tzu quote from Meet the Soldier at point 23.