Problem
A direct approach lets the enemy focus its strength against you.
Action
Move toward a position where the enemy cannot respond effectively.
Outcome
Your position creates an advantage before the main clash begins.
Chapter: Tactical Tenets - Maneuver
Problem
Strength spread evenly across the battlefield has little decisive effect.
Action
Concentrate enough force at the most important point to overpower the enemy.
Outcome
Local superiority greatly increases the chance of victory.
Chapter: Tactical Tenets - Mass
Problem
Enemy fire can stop movement before it gains an advantage.
Action
Use focused fire to suppress the enemy during decisive movement.
Outcome
Friendly forces gain more freedom to act.
Chapter: Tactical Tenets - Firepower
Problem
A slow rhythm gives the enemy time to understand and respond.
Action
Act faster than the enemy can make effective decisions.
Outcome
The enemy falls behind with each new action.
Chapter: Tactical Tenets - Tempo
Problem
An enemy with accurate information can prepare an effective response.
Action
Use visible actions that support a plausible false intention.
Outcome
The enemy commits attention and resources in the wrong direction.
Chapter: Tactical Tenets - Deception
Problem
Expected actions allow the enemy to prepare before contact.
Action
Strike at an unexpected time, place, or method.
Outcome
The enemy has less time to organize an effective response.
Chapter: Tactical Tenets - Surprise
Problem
Clear information helps the enemy choose an effective response.
Action
Present several changing threats that strain enemy judgment.
Outcome
The enemy makes slower and less reliable decisions.
Chapter: Tactical Tenets - Confusion
Problem
An enemy can continue fighting as long as its confidence remains intact.
Action
Combine sudden force with rapid movement at the decisive moment.
Outcome
The enemy loses the will or ability to resist.
Chapter: Tactical Tenets - Shock
Problem
Fear and uncertainty can break a force that lacks strong internal trust.
Action
Build shared confidence through disciplined training and dependable leadership.
Outcome
The force continues to act together under severe pressure.
Chapter: Tactical Tenets - Moral Cohesion
Problem
Continued advance can exhaust a successful force beyond its ability to hold gains.
Action
Pause or change posture before combat power reaches its limit.
Outcome
The force preserves enough strength to secure the victory.
Chapter: Tactical Concepts - The Culminating Point of Victory
Problem
A force that only reacts allows the enemy to control events.
Action
Use offensive action in any posture to force the enemy to respond.
Outcome
The enemy must act within conditions you create.
Chapter: Tactical Concepts - The Offense, the Defense, and the Initiative
Problem
Detailed control fails when events change faster than orders can travel.
Action
State the purpose clearly and allow subordinates to adjust execution.
Outcome
The force can respond quickly without losing direction.
Chapter: Tactical Concepts - Command and Control
Problem
Terrain and local conditions can defeat tactics that ignore them.
Action
Choose actions that exploit the specific ground, weather, and surroundings.
Outcome
The environment amplifies your advantages and constrains enemy options.
Chapter: Tactical Concepts - Environment and Geography
Problem
A battlefield success can waste resources without advancing the larger purpose.
Action
Test each tactical objective against the desired strategic result.
Outcome
Local victories contribute directly to the wider goal.
Chapter: Tactical Concepts - Crossing the Bridge: Linking Tactics with Strategy
Problem
No single tactical method works under every condition.
Action
Select and combine tenets according to the enemy and the setting.
Outcome
Tactical choices fit the real problem instead of a fixed formula.
Chapter: Tactical Concepts - Conclusion
Problem
A rigid plan becomes useless when its assumptions fail.
Action
Create a simple plan with a clear purpose and practical options.
Outcome
The force can adapt while continuing toward the objective.
Chapter: Appendices - The Principles of Planning
Problem
Separate tactical victories may not produce strategic success.
Action
Sequence major actions so each one prepares the next strategic gain.
Outcome
Battlefield results accumulate toward the desired end state.
Chapter: Appendices - The Operational Level of War
Problem
Attacking a visible force may leave the enemy's main source of power intact.
Action
Identify the source that enables the enemy to continue effective resistance.
Outcome
Focused action weakens the enemy more than scattered attacks.
Chapter: Appendices - The Center of Gravity
Problem
Methods built for conventional forces often fail against dispersed guerrillas.
Action
Match organization and tactics to how the enemy gains strength and survives.
Outcome
The force applies pressure where the enemy is most vulnerable.
Chapter: Appendices - Conventional vs. Guerrilla Warfare
Problem
Routine drills do not prepare people for uncertainty in battle.
Action
Use demanding practice that requires decisions with limited information.
Outcome
People make better choices when real conditions become unclear.
Chapter: Appendices - Training and Education
Problem
Isolated units cannot create the full effect of complementary capabilities.
Action
Organize specialized elements to support one another under unified direction.
Outcome
The force produces a greater tactical effect than its parts can produce alone.
Chapter: Appendices - Philip’s Gift: The Organization of Tactically Successful Militaries