Difference between revisions of "Beta:The Unorthodox Thirty-Six Strategies of Erepublik/Offensive Strategies"
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Revision as of 11:26, 9 May 2009
| The Unorthodox Thirty-Six Strategies of Erepublik |
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Opportunistic Strategies · Offensive Strategies · Desperate Strategies · Deception Strategies · Confusion Strategies · Advantageous Strategies |
Like the Advantageous Strategies, the "Offensive Strategies" are used in situations when time and resources are not constraining factors. However, these strategies seek to gain victory through direct attack.
Contents
Hitting the Grass to Startle the Snake
| “ One day, in the country of Jianzhou during the Song Dynasty, there was a man who lost a precious object. The local magistrate, Chen Shuku, was called in to investigate. He questioned several people, but no one could tell him who was the thief. So, Magistrate Chen laid a trap for those he suspected. "I know of a temple", he told them, "whose bell has great spiritual power that can tell a thief from a honest man. Since my investigation is at a standstill we must employ the supernatural powers of the bell to solve the matter." The magistrate had the bell brought to the courthouse and displayed in the rear chamber. Then he had the suspects brought in to testify to their guilt or innocence. He explained to them that if an innocent man touched the bell it would remain silent, but if a guilty man touched the bell it would ring out. After lighting incense and chanting prayers, the magistrate had curtains erected around the bell. Previously he had instructed one of his assistants to secretly smear ink on the bell after the curtains were closed. Each suspect was then told to place his hand through the curtain and touch the bell. As they withdrew their hands Chen would examine them. Everyone's hands were stained except those of one man, who finally confessed the theft. He did not touch the bell for fear it would ring. ” |
When you cannot detect the opponent's plans launch a direct, but brief, attack and observe your opponent's reactions. His behavior will reveal his strategy. A seasoned warrior will know this strategy well and will not reveal his true intentions, but the inexperienced, nervous of making a mistake in such a high stakes game, will overreact to feints and will thus reveal their weakness.
Each enemy has his own plans for the battle and the war. If you know this plan, the victory will be easy to achieve. While you are preparing a war, create a false menace to see how the country and its govern reacts. Observe their deficiencies and weak points, observe the cunning and the silly leaders, observe what countries come to help them and their numbers.
While you are fighting in the war, you can use the first battle to test their global strategy. Observe if they are organized and disciplined, observe if they fill the battle fields waiting an enemy or wait until the last minute to attack, observe if they use their public newspaper to transmit orders or a private medium, observe if their soldiers obey the orders of their officers or fight at their own will.
With all this information, you will know how to fight and win against your enemy. You'll have the upper hand.
Borrowing a Corpse to Raise a Spirit
| “ At the end of the Han Dynasty, a peasant rebellion against the emperor, known as the Yellow Turbans, break out. Some years of famine and floods were seen as an indication that the emperor had lost the Mandate of Heaven, the support of the heavens to rule the earth. This believe that natural disasters were linked with a bad govern, permitted Zhang Jiao, the leader of the sect of the Yellow Turbans, to rise a national rebellion throughout the empire. Zhang Jiao and the other leaders used their knowledge of medicine and Taoism to cure the sick by confession of sins and by faith healing. The religion and the politics of the Zhang brothers were based on belief in an apocalyptic change in the order of the world and the fall of the Han. They used the religious beliefs of the people and some magic tricks to raise an army, the army of the followers of the "Way of Supreme Peace". The rebels thought that a deity had given a sacred book called the "Crucial Keys of the Way of Peace" to Zhan Jiao, so his men and enemies fear the unknown magic powers of the sorcerer. The rebellion was crushed but they needed the power of all the local warlords of the empire and the mobilization of almost all their armies. All the power of the Yellow Turbans who threaten a whole empire was based in the believes of the people, and the cunning use of secrets know by the common people as magic. ” |
Take an institution, a technology, or a method that has been forgotten or discarded and appropriate it for your own purposes. Revive something from the past by giving it a new purpose or to reinterpret and bring to life old ideas, customs and traditions. Symbols, myths, institutions and philosophies have an inherent moral and emotional power. This power can be appropriated and used to serve the goals of a higher strategy.
In a game like Erepublik can be very difficult (and dangerous) to use the believes of the people, specially the religious believes. In an empirical and scientific age like this, can be a challenge to manipulate a group of people in an internet game using the mysticism, but you can use philosophy and political believes to achieve the same goal. Extreme politics like communism or anarchism can be use to manipulate the acts of people. With a mixture of economy and capitalism you can persuade many people to do almost everything. Use modern symbols and heroes, from real world or fiction to inspire your people or to convince the enemy to not fight or to join your side.
Like gods, influence with admins can be used to influence, threaten and intimidate your enemies. Even if the leader of your enemies also talks with the admins, it'll be difficult to convince their soldiers/citizens of their neutrality. Fighters will interpret any random and accidental event as a direct action of the admins, and if the situations is against them they will lose all their morale.
Luring a Tiger Down the Mountain
| “ During the Three Kingdoms period, Sun Ce had consolidated his newly conquered territories in the south and his next goal was the prosperous area of Lujiang to the north. However, Lujiang had a professional army and was well defended. In addition it also had the advantage of terrain, being accessible only through a couple of easily defended passes. Sun Ce's advisers cautioned against moving directly against such a well entrenched and powerful state so they devised another scheme. Sun Ce sent an emissary laden with gifts and a letter to the king of Lujiang, Liu Xun. The letter praised the king's military skills and begged for his assistance. Sun Ce wrote, "For years the state of Shangliao has invaded my territory unhindered and carried away booty, yet we are too weak to launch a retaliatory raid. If your Majesty would attack Sangliao we would give assistance and you could annex the state for yourself." Flattered and covetous of increasing his domains, the king of Lujiang disregarded the advice of his counselors and attacked the state of Shangliao. Several weeks later, while the king of Lujian was busy laying siege to Shangliao's capital, Sun Ce attacked the almost undefended Lujiang and easily seized the capital. Without the expected support from Sun Ce, the king of Lujiang failed to take the capital of Shangliao and he returned only to find his own capital already in enemy hands. Sun Ce now had the advantage of the Lujiang terrain and the former king could do nothing but flee with his army. ” |
From the beginning of organized warfare, frontal attacks against prepared defenses have usually failed. You must never attack a well entrenched opponent. Instead you must lure him away from his stronghold and separate him from his source of strength. Through trickery and deception the enemy must be lured away from his advantageous position. Once out in the open he will expose weaknesses that can then be attacked.
There are three strategies in this text that describe a similar tactic. The others are "Tossing out a Brick to Get a Jade" and "Lure the Enemy onto the Roof, then Remove the Ladder". All three describe the basic strategy of setting an ambush, and then using something as bait to lure the enemy into the trap. This strategy uses bait to lure an enemy out from his defensive position. The second, "Tossing out a Brick to Get a Jade", refers to the use of a seemingly precious object, such as Gold, supplies or weapons, to lure the enemy into an ambush. The third, "Lure the Enemy onto the Roof, then Remove the Ladder", consist in luring the enemy into a swamp, up a mountain or across a river.
In game terms, you must use your tricks to weaken or destroy your enemy. The more important defenses of the enemy will be his hospitals and his MPPs. It's difficult to deceive the enemy to lose one of his hospitals, but it's really easy to lure your enemy to lose his MPPs. You only need to provoke the other country to begin the war, or convince them to cancel their MPPs (normally before they know of your attack).
To Catch Something, First Let it Go
| “ In the Spring and Autumn period, an alliance of states headed by Wu overran and defeated the army of Chu. The remaining Chu troops were in retreat. The king of Wu wanted to pursue and destroy the fleeing army but was held back by his younger brother Fu Gai who said, "A cornered beast will fight to the finish, how much more an army of warriors. If they know there's no escape they will fight to the death, they are bound to overpower us. However, if we allow them to reach and cross the river then, one in their home territory, they will think only of escaping the field." The king followed his brother's advice and allowed the Chu army to cross the river. Once on the other side, the Chu soldiers began preparing food since they had not eaten in a long time. When the Wu army finally arrived on the opposite shore, the Chu soldiers abandoned their cooking fires and scattered into the countryside. The Wu army followed after and easily conquered the Chu capital of Yingdu. ” |
Cornered preys will often mount a final desperate attack. To prevent this you let the enemy believe he still has a chance for freedom. His will to fight is thus dampened by his desire to escape. When in the end the freedom is proven a falsehood the enemy's morale will be defeated and he will surrender easily to his fate. If the advantage of power lies in your favor you must beware not to place the enemy's forces in a position where they will fight to the end against you.
As a basic strategy, you must always let an exit for your enemies. This alternative can be talks about peace and the end of the war, or even the promise of a friendly country that they will move to help in the defense. Let the enemy know they still have hopes of survive and preserve their own country, their companies and their parties, and they will not fight to the death, spending all their Gold in a desperate battle. If you give them a hope, they will save their last resort for later, and your attack will be easy.
Tossing out a Brick to Get a Jade
| “ During the Han dynasty, General Li Mu was sent north to deal with the continuing problem of the Xiongnu. Every time General Li sought to fight a decisive battle with the nomads they would melt away into the endless expanse of the grasslands. Seeking to entice them into a position where they could be attacked, General Li devised the following strategy: He departed southwards with the main body as if returning home, but he ordered that his baggage train and accompanying heard of cattle lag behind. The Xiongnu, believing the general had given up, saw an opportunity to raid his trains and capture the prized herd. They followed behind the retreating army waiting for the right moment to seize the baggage train. Each day General Li allowed the baggage train to trail further behind until he came to a fork in the road that was surrounded by gently rising hills. Judging this terrain to be ideal for his plans, General Li positioned his best troops in ambush behind the hills. He then gave orders for the baggage train to rest in the fork while the remainder of the army continued along the road. The Xiongnu, seeing the main body off in the distance while the baggage train was resting unprotected, rushed into the valley to attack. There they were ambushed from three sides, and over one hundred thousand nomad cavalrymen were killed. ” |
To know where and when your enemy plans to move is to have the advantage of foreknowledge. This can be accomplished by offering your enemy something he greatly desires. Prepare a trap, then lure your enemy into the trap by using bait. In war the best bait is the illusion of an opportunity for gain. In life the bait is the illusion of wealth, power and sex.
If you deceive your enemy, then you'll be able to control when and where he will be. You can pretend to be weak and disorganized, with few international allies, and your enemy will attack without considering their own strategy and paying for the war.
In the war, you can leave a province with many states and an important hospital unprotected, and see how your enemy accumulate their troops in the zone, trying to conquer it. With this, you will be able to weaken their strength thanks to your defensive bonus, and increase the victories (and military rank) of your soldiers.
Disband the Bandits Capturing Their Leader
| “ In 756 B.C. the rebel commander Yin Ziqi led an army to lay siege against the strategic city of Suiyang. The defending commander, Zhang Xun, noticed that Yun Ziqi oversaw the siege from well outside the range of the city's archers. He believed that if he could take out the leader the rebel's borale would sink and he would be able to launch a counter attack. He devised a plan with his best archers. The next time the rebels assailed the wal they were to shoot back using the branches of trees. When Yin Ziqi heard that the defenders were reduce to shooting with branches he felt certain the city was ready to be taken. Before the next assault he moved in closer to better oversee the final victory. Riding atop his horse, he unknowingly came within range of the archers who had saved their arrows for just such a moment. One arrow hit Yin Ziqi in the left eye killing him instantly. The spectacle of their commander's death in front of almost the entire rebel army served to demoralize them to such an extent that they quickly dispersed from the field. ” |
If the enemy's army is strong but is allied to the commander only by money or threats then, take aim at the leader. If the commander falls the rest of the army will disperse or come over to your side. If, however, they are allied to the leader through loyalty or common objectives then beware, the army can continue to fight on after his death out of vengeance. In the game, you can't kill the enemy leader in such a way, but you can remove him with other methods: spread rumors about him to lower the loyalty and respect of his troops. You can also try to deceive him to commit an error and "disappear" from the game, but only as an extreme measure.
As a rule, mercenary forces only fight as long as there is someone to sign the paycheck, or if they are in danger to their lives. An enemy who uses mercenary forces is susceptible to lose their help, whereas in a national army, where the soldiers and commanders are related through strong links of unity and a common objective, killing the leader would not stop the rest of the army from attacking.
