Excerpts from "The Yin-Yang and Yang-Yin of warfare for the republic"
Thus, we can find that traditional battle is often divided into too few parts, and should instead be understood as 4 phases. As discussed before, these phases are the battle-fight, all battles must be understood not as mere battle-battle, but as campaign-battles, and should understand the campaign-diplomacy, campaign-logistic, and campaign-spying. All of which are written about previously. In truth, if one has won the other campaign, then victory in battle is all but assured.
But one cannot always win the others, and even if victory is assured, the wise commander must make sure it is victory-victory, not victory-loss. Thus understanding the battle-fight, is of importance. There are 4 phases of the battle-battles, the first of which is the yin-yin phase. In this phase, armies seek to discover each other, and hide their movements from one another. Preserve yin within this stage, and avoid the impulse to charge-rush too early. If the wise commander knows their enemy and the enemy does not know them, they have victory.
Within this stage, those races gifted in Yin, such as Elves, Halflings, and Goblins are favored. The wise commander uses these races to scout, and, as important, deny the enemy scouts. It is in this that the danger can come, for the Yin-Yin stage can easily slip to the Yin-Yang stage, should one side's scouts fail to prevail decisively. In doing so the wise commander must prepare for both success and failure.
The Yin-Yang stage is the stage of maneuver and skirmish. Here armies seek to gain advantageous positions and terrain, and harass the enemy so that their formations-morale is broken. The weapons of this stage are not the lance or sword, but the bow and gun. Fighting from afar. It is not the goal of this stage to decisively destroy the enemy, but to put them in the position such that the Yang-Yang stage can destroy them. In this stage, the commander must balance their impulses, for a Yin-passive commander will allow their troops to be destroyed and surrounded, while a Yang-foolish commander will seek the decision blow early and have their fist shattered upon the enemy.
In this stage, races of mixed energies, such as Skaven, Dwarves, and Humans are favored. Those who can use weapons of range to effect, as well as those who craft magic of any type, for its adaptability is most needed in this stage.
The Yang-Yang stage is the height of the battle. In it, defeat and victory are confirmed, though the previous stages set the path which the Yang-Yang stages follow. Its transition is often sudden and violent, for it is when the bulk armies clash. In this stage the primary wisdom of the commander is when to transition to the stage, not within the stage itself, for that is a contest of will-power more than strategy. Here, heroism-valor is vital, and the wise commander knows when to let those who have such lead so as to encourage those behind them.
Yang races, such as Orcs, Ogres, and non-divine Dragons are favored here. The wise commander uses these to smash through the enemy forces, but makes sure to supplement with other, a spear alone, no matter how dangerous, can be flanked and destroyed from where it does not strike.
The final stage is the Yang-Yin stage. In this stage the battle's grand outcome is known, and what matters is its secondary outcome. The wise commander seeks to ensure that a victory is a victory-victory, and a defeat is a defeat-retreat. Those who have lost should seek to preserve as much forces as possible in the retreat, so that they may lose as little strength as possible, while those in victory should seek to destroy all forces, though surrender or death, via pursuit and encirclement. The dangers of this stage are complacency of those in victory, and despair in defeat. The wise commander does not allow those below to loot when battle is still ongoing, and the wise commander seeks to make sure retreating forces do not desert.
This final stage holds one hidden danger, for commanders can deceive the enemy. If a commander of a well disciplined force fakes a retreat, they can make the enemy believe that they have entered the Yang-Yin stage, and give reckless pursuit, when, in truth, they have not even left the Yin-Yang stage, and have been tricked into reckless pursuit. Should this be done, then a foolish commander will find that victory-victory has turned to defeat-devastation.
In pursuit, favor both Yang races and those with speed, riders of any race are favored. In defeat, favorer the mixed races that skirmish, to slow down pursuit and preserve men. Give not into foolish deaths, but if one is surrounded, and as great sages said, "in death ground" , fight without reservation to break out, all races must give all Yang-Yang in such a critical moment.
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Omake Idea I've had rattling around in my head.
