If their forces are substantial, prepare for them; if their forces are strong, avoid them.
Those skilled at making the enemy move do so by creating a situation to which he must conform; they entice him with something he is certain to take, and with lures of ostensible profit they await him in strength.
Hence the saying: One may know how to conquer without being able to do it.
All war is deception.
An army may be likened to water, for just as flowing water avoids the heights and hastens to the lowlands, so an army avoids strength and strikes weakness.
The control of a large force is the same principle as the control of a few men: it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers.
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 commander-in-chief can tell whether or not he is in a position to fight, the result is ruin.
A kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being; nor can the dead ever be brought back to life.
Without subtle ingenuity of mind, one cannot make certain of the truth of their reports.
One who sets the entire army in motion to chase an advantage will not attain it.
Victory is the main object in war.
Whoever is the first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy will be fresh for the fight... Therefore the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy... By holding out advantages to him, he can cause the enemy to approach of his own accord; or by inflicting damage, he can make it impossible for the enemy to draw near.
The art of giving orders is not to try to rectify the minor blunders and not be swayed by petty doubts.
Ground which can be abandoned but is hard to re-occupy is called entangling.
So it is that good warriors take their stance on ground where they cannot lose, and do not overlook conditions that make an opponent prone to defeat.
When campaigning, be swift as the wind; in leisurely march, majestic as the forest; in raiding and plundering, like fire; in standing, firm as the mountains. As unfathomable as the clouds, move like a thunderbolt.
With regard to ground of this nature, be before the enemy in occupying the raised and sunny spots, and carefully guard your line of supplies. Then you will be able to fight with advantage.
If those who are sent to draw water begin by drinking themselves, the army is suffering from thirst.
It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.
Where the army is, prices are high; when prices rise the wealth of the people is exhausted.
According to my assessment, even if you have many more troops than others, how can that help you to victory?
One who has few must prepare against the enemy; one who has many makes the enemy prepare against him.
Those skilled in attack move as from above the nine-fold heavens. Thus they are capable both of protecting themselves and of gaining complete victory.
In the tumult and uproar, the battle seems chaotic, but there is no disorder, the troops appear to be milling about in circles but cannot be defeated.
For them to perceive the advantage of defeating the enemy, they must also have their rewards.
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