Maneuvering

Sun Tzu said: According to the general principles of warfare, when a commander receives orders from the sovereign, assembles the people, organizes the army, and faces off against the enemy, there is nothing more difficult than contending for the conditions of victory between the two armies. The difficulty in such contention lies in achieving direct results through indirect means and in transforming adversity into advantage. By adopting indirect paths, enticing the enemy into inertia, initiating actions later but reaching the objective first, one demonstrates the mastery of transforming indirectness into directness.

Contending for advantages in warfare is beneficial but also perilous. When the entire army moves with all its baggage to compete for advantages, it will be slow and unable to keep up. If the army discards its heavy equipment to compete, it will lose its supplies. Rolling up armor and moving swiftly, day and night without rest, doubling speed and traveling long distances to seize advantages over a hundred li, the leaders of the three armies may all be captured. With vigorous soldiers in front and weaker ones behind, only one in ten will typically arrive. If rushing fifty li to compete for advantages, the leaders of the advancing force will surely suffer setbacks, and typically only half will arrive. When rushing thirty li to compete, only two-thirds will arrive. However, without baggage, the army perishes; without food, the army perishes; without provisions, the army perishes.

One cannot engage in alliances without understanding the intentions of the neighboring states; one cannot lead troops without understanding and making good use of mountainous forests, dangerous passes, marshes, and other terrain conditions; and one cannot secure advantageous positions without using guides. In warfare, one establishes prestige through deception, acts according to interests, and employs dispersion and concentration as means of change. When moving swiftly, the troops are like a gale; when moving leisurely, they are like a forest; when invading, they are like a blazing fire; when static, they are as immovable as a mountain; when unpredictable, they are like clouds obscuring the sun; when attacking, they are like lightning strikes. When plundering enemy territory, divide the troops; when expanding territory, distinguish between advantages and disadvantages. All these require comparing advantages and disadvantages, weighing pros and cons, before taking action. Only those who first understand the strategy of turning indirectness into directness will achieve victory. This is the principle of contending for military advantages.

The "Military Affairs" states, "When commands given by words are not clear, use gongs and drums; when commands given by gestures are not visible, use banners." Gongs, drums, and banners are tools for unifying the army's sight and hearing. When the army is unified in action, then the brave cannot advance alone, and the cowardly cannot retreat alone. This is the method for commanding large troops in battle. In night battles, use fire and drums more often; in daytime battles, use banners more often. This adapts to the soldiers' sight and hearing.

The enemy's troops can have their morale stripped away; the enemy's commanders can have their resolve shaken. At the beginning of a battle, morale is high; in subsequent engagements, it wanes; and by the end, it is exhausted. Therefore, those skilled in warfare always avoid the enemy's high morale and attack when their morale is lax or when they are returning. This is the way to psychologically subdue and defeat the enemy. Confronting a chaotic enemy with a disciplined force and a restless enemy with a calm one is the way to psychologically subdue and defeat them. Waiting with nearby troops for those traveling long distances, waiting with rested troops for those who are exhausted, and confronting hungry troops with well-fed ones are the ways to physically subdue and defeat the enemy. Do not intercept a well-formed enemy force or attack a grand formation; this is the way to adapt flexibly to the enemy.

The principles of warfare are: Do not attack enemies occupying high ground head-on; do not confront enemies backed by hills; do not pursue retreating enemies who feign defeat; do not assault elite enemy troops; do not consume bait troops; do not block retreating enemies; when enclosing enemies, leave an escape route; do not push cornered enemies too far. These are all the principles of warfare.