I'm not much of an FPS player, but Sun Tzu's advice has already been sucessfully adapted to a wide variety of subjects. It seems only fitting to apply his wisdom to Call of Duty.
I took the lessons of the oldest warfare book known to man (Sun Tzu's The Art of War), ventured forth into Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer, and overcame my enemies. Below are simple tips from Sun Tzu with my comments that apply his knowledge practically to the warfare of Black Ops. Read on and march forth.
Laying Plans
Sun Tzu says: Earth comprises distances, great and small;danger and security; open ground and narrow passes; the chances of life and death.
Juan Letona says: Learn the maps. In any game mode, knowledge of the map layouts is a prerequisite. Stop acting like a low level noob running around like crazy and learn the map.
ST: All warfare is based on deception.
JL: Learn the camping spots. Not only can you exploit them for your benefit, but you will learn to outflank and outmaneuver campers on the opposing team. Many campers never change. Even with a death-cam, they seem to be habitual players. Use it against them.
ST: Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.
JL: In Domination, Headquarters, and other team based games, feel free to capture a point just to lure in and kill your enemy.
ST: Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.
JL: Spawn Camp. Enough said.
Waging War
ST: It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.
JL: In addition to spawn camping, continued use of kill-streak rewards can break your opponents’ will. Never let up.
Attack by Stratagem
ST: Hence, though an obstinate fight may be made by a small force, in the end it must be captured by the larger force.
JL: As much we want to be the hero, capturing and defending domination points should be done by two or more. A lone wolf will never accomplish much without the aid of his pack.
Tactical Dispositions
ST: Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.
JL: Prepare yourself. Make you sure you have the best weapon available to you and your play style. If you do better with assault rifles, play with an assault class and tailor your weapon with the appropriate attachments. Also employ your best kill-streak rewards and available perks to make yourself an unstoppable force.
Energy
ST: Energy may be likened to the bending of a crossbow; decision, to the releasing of a trigger.
JL: Knowing when and where to deploy a Huey or a carpet bombing may swing a losing match to a victorious one.
Weak Points and Strong
ST: Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances
JL: Be adaptive. Change up your play style from time to time. The same camp ground will be raided, so stay diverse.
Maneuvering
ST: We cannot enter into alliances until we are acquainted with the designs of our neighbors.
JL: If you do join a group (Xbox Live) familiarize yourself with their play style. You don't need three sniper classes or a group of 6 that lacks a rocket launcher to combat a Huey or a spy plane.
ST: It is a military axiom not to advance uphill against the enemy, nor to oppose him when he comes downhill
JL: A few maps offer better vantage points than others. Avoid a sniper perched up top. Flank him, and approach him from behind or from his side.
The Nine Situations
ST: If the enemy leaves a door open, you must rush in.
JL: This holds true for all team based matches. A ninja capture of a flag, headquarters, or domination point will add to your score with little effort. Feel free to exploit this whenever possible.
There you have it. Do not be afraid to employ these simple tips in Modern Warfare, World at War, Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops multiplayer matches. By reading the Art of War, I went from a lowly .4 kill-death ratio to a .93 in a matter of days.
