And therefore only the enlightened sovereign and the worthy general who are able to use the most intelligent people as agents are certain to achieve great things.

You can prevent your opponent from defeating you through defense, but you cannot defeat him without taking the offensive.

Set the troops to their tasks without imparting your designs.

Without subtle ingenuity of mind, one cannot make certain of the truth of their reports.

Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night.

Subtle and insubstantial, the expert leaves no trace; divinely mysterious, he is inaudible. Thus he is master of his enemy's fate.

In executing an Artful Strategy: When ten times greater, surround them; When five times greater, attack them; When two times greater, scatter them. If the opponent is ready to challenge: When fewer in number, be ready to evade them; When unequal to the match, be ready to avoid them. Even when the smaller opponents have a strong position, the larger opponent will capture them.