TTT
TTT, was written by Terranelm and stands for Terranelm's Technique of Tussle, Volume 1.
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Terranelm's Technique of Tussle
Volume. 1
1. Many people have said that war is an art form, but I prefer to be more pragmatic. I believe that war is simply a tool, that, if used correctly, can force our will upon our opponents and achieve great results.
2. During war, the victorious will be the one with not just the most physical presence, but also the one with the stronger emotional and political motivations. The nation-state with the most zeal (and a good amount of resources to spare) will most likely be the victor.
3. War is closely tied with politics. One leader cannot fight a war on his own, he needs an army to assist him. To become at least somewhat decent in war, the individual must have a fire lit in their hearts, an eagerness to fight for their country. The leader of the state must ignite this fire
for their people. With that said, this patriotic zest can only be ignited if the people let their leader do so. An apathetic, or even a defiant army, can not win wars, and never will. Their leader must make their country something worth fighting for before their people can defend it.
4. Honor is important in the wars of today. No longer must we blow up builds, burn homes, kill cattle, and raze cities. This is barbaric and dishonorable and takes little to no strategic planning. The best way to fight a war is to capture important territories by draining faction power. An army that can shatter the enemy's resistance without needlessly shattering their lands, builds, and infrastructure, is an excellent army.
5. Leaders who are masters of the deception must sow distrust within the ranks of the foe and maintain a sense of kinship in the ranks of the friend. Fighting for an honorable cause may turn out in your favor, as you may garner international support, and make your foe feel as if the forces of the world are against them, lowering their morale. Information is a powerful tool, and can be used to make our foes weak, and our friends strong.
6. The best army is one that obeys their leader's commands without question. However, the leader must not demand that their army do something they are not capable of. A leader must know the limits of their army, without commanding them to advance or retreat when they cannot obey, while the army carries out the orders of the leader within those limits. When this is achieved, the leader and army can reach a level of cooperation that leads to military success.
7. A leader must train an army, not an undisciplined multitude. With an undisciplined multitude, one have many parts of a whole, fractions that can be easily defeated. With an army, one has a single united body that will be immovable and steadfast.
8. Relentlessness and being annoying to your opponents are key to winning the game of war.
9. When you are stronger than the enemy, you attack them. If your forces are slightly inferior, you can avoid them until a better time. If you are weaker than the enemy, you can escape them.
10. Only move if there is an advantage to be gained, do not let your efforts be in vain.
11. Be based, and your army will win. I don't know, I'm running out of ideas.
12. Cavalry is awesome from getting from place to place quickly without folding the universe but must never be used in combat unless you are forced to.
13. Your army must stay together, creating a web of defense. That way, if one soldier is attacked, the army can counterattack as a whole.
14. Never separate your army into groups of less than 2 soldiers. Make this critical mistake, and your army will vanish before you can say "The Industrial Revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race."
15. Do not take the enemy's bait. When they run to water, do not follow them.
16. Big organized army attack puny disorganized army. Monkey win.
17. Be first in the battlefield and wait for the enemy to come to you, for your army will be fresh for the tussle, while your opponents will be less prepared.
18. Be unpredictable. Pretty straight forward.
19. The best place to fight an army when you do not need to occupy territory is in a flat open space far from cities. That way, you can use explosives without razing builds.
20. Only fight when you are sure that the gain will be greater than the loss.
These 20 principles is what the budding military leader is to follow if they wish to fight a war with honor and dignity (and common sense).