ECM and the Art of War

There's a lot of people that seem to think that using ECM ships is cheating, which is quite odd when you take into account that CCP developed these ships to be used. If using them was 'cheating', then they would be removed by CCP, Eve Online's developers.

But no, using ECM ships is not cheating.  Instead, it's taking advantage of ship resources (when available) in order to gain an advantage.

"All warfare is based on deception.

1. Therefore, when you can attack, it must seem as if you can’t.
2. When moving your fleet, you must seem idle.
3. When you are near the enemy, you must make them believe you are far away.
4. When you are far away, you must make them believe you are near."

- Black Claw's Art of War

The real issue is not with ECM, but with the people that are too lazy or too stupid to learn how to deal with it. Instead of thinking about the situation and coming up with strategies on how to mitigate the effectiveness of ECM ships, they cry.  Boy, do they cry.

Every time someone complains about something in the game rather than thinking of a strategy to deal with it, I see a child who just hasn't matured enough to cope with a changing environment. Maybe they will, one day.  But for now, they throw tantrums, cry, and complain that their opponents are cheating.  Or they're gay. People that use ECM are gay, they say.

Stupid.  Really stupid.

And it's really sad when people that you once respected as being your adult equals, when confronted by ECM ships and ECM tactics, break down and cry and scream and do their absolute best to show you that they're really small children with no ability to cope or think outside the box.

I have no time for them.

The Art of War Alliance is for smart people who want to use their brain and understand how to fly smart.  Most people fly stupid, and after some recent crying and gnashing of teeth by some ex-alliance members, I've decided that we just don't want those kinds of people in our alliance. 

I've had reports that some corporations and alliances that pass through our operational areas of nullsec do their very best to avoid us, apparently because we use ECM and we cheat.  I laugh a lot when I hear these stories.

"Therefore, to fight and conquer in all battles is not supreme excellence. Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without actually fighting."
- Black Claw's Art of War

You have to remember that OUCH is the primary member of the Art of War Alliance, and OUCH is filled with noobs and carebears.  it's a great feeling to know that elite PVP corps and alliances are wary of us.

Of course, sometimes they want to fight us, and sometimes we fight them back. Sometimes we avoid them.

"It is the rule in war:

1. If our fleet is ten to the enemy’s one, surround him.
2. If five to one, attack him.
3. If twice as numerous, divide the fleet into two.
4. If equally matched, we can offer battle.
5. If slightly inferior in numbers, we can avoid the enemy.
6. If unequal in every way, we can flee from them."

- Black Claw's Art of War

It amazes me how many people think that 'real PVP' is all about fighting losing battles against overwhelming odds.  You're not a real PVPer unless you repeatedly engage ships you can't win, and you avoid using ships or tactics that will help you win because you believe that doing so is 'gay'.  They're the ones that call you 'gay' or 'faggot' because your single frigate runs away from their fleet of battlecruisers.

It's amazing how much stupidity there is in Eve Online.  If we could smell in space, we would know it is filled with the aroma of stupidity, left in the wake of all those that travel the systems, imagining how 'elite' they are because they lose their ships against overwhelming odds.

The fleets of OUCH and the Art of War Alliance are commanded by people who understand the Art of War.  It's an essential element to our success, especially when our fleets are populated by pilots who are inexperienced at nullsec PVP or even to the game itself.  Most of our successes against the 'elite' are from noobs and carebears who are taught how to modify and use the environment to their advantage,

"There are five essentials for victory:

1. He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.
2. He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior fleets.
3. He will win whose fleet is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks.
4. He will win who, prepared, waits to take the enemy unprepared.
5. He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered with by the civilian leadership.

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, you will gain as many defeats as victories. If you know neither yourself nor the enemy, you will always fail."
- Black Claw's Art of War

No matter what people say about our tactics, they work. And at the end of the day, if you're going to engage in battle with someone, you should be choosing to engage to win.  If you don't think you can win, why fight?  We're often engaging in guerilla warfare tactics, knowing when to fight and when not to fight.  It means we win much more than we lose.

After some recent experiences within the alliance that have been great for helping me learn new things, I've decided that any potential new members to the alliance must agree to certain expectations based on the Art of War.  If they're going to fight within the Art of War Alliance, they need to commit to learning and practicing the Art of War. And flying ECM ships to gain an advantage over your opponents is allowed and encouraged - with appropriate support and leadership, of course.   :)

I don't want any more stupid in the alliance, it leaves a bad taste.

Teaching the Art of War

I had an idea a little while ago. OUCH teaches nullsec survival... what do people think of the Art of War Alliance teaching noob/carebear/industrial corps how to engage in operations during war?

Let me know your thoughts on such a thing, as I'm seeking 'market feedback'.

The Art of War Alliance

As of last night, I created the Art of War Alliance (AWA).

This is an exciting new step in the travels of Black Claw, as well as an evolution of what Black Claw is all about.

I first started converting Sun Tzu's Art of War for Eve Online back in 2006, when I was a member of a corporation called Purify. They were anti-pirates, and I got excited about helping them with the art of war, so I created a document called Black Claw's Art of War for Eve Online.

Unfortunately, Purify and I split up and I followed a different path. I didn't revisit the Art of War until 2008, when I first started publishing it on my blog: The Art of War - Laying Plans.

I gained a small amount of 'fame' when Massively featured me later in 2008: Eve and Sun Tzu's Art of War. I also started submitting the series to eve-mag.com but got caught up in too many other things, so the series was forgotten about. I've always been meaning to revisit and continue it, but just never got around to it.

For the past week I was trying to work out a name for the alliance I was about to start, but nothing was inspiring me. I put it up on the corp forums for everyone to add their suggestions, but still nothing grabbed me by the balls and said "THIS IS IT!"

So there I was, sitting in front of my computer after Empire Control V finished, and still no closer to thinking up a name. It was time though, so I decided to sit there until a name came to me.

I thought about Black Claw's past, about OUCH and my goals, and where I wanted to go as Black Claw and as a corp and an alliance. Then I remembered Black Claw's Art of War... That's when I immediately got the feeling, "THIS IS IT!"

OUCH is all about nullsec survival training. A lot of that has been about lowsec and nullsec PVP training, with the focus on surviving. The purpose of an alliance was to bring together a bunch of corporations that supported OUCH and its goals with industrial support, combat support, or just wanting to be part of it all.

We've been at war with Dark Grendal for about 6 weeks now . It's been quite an interesting ride, and we've had to adapt our training and operations to deal with the war. This has included moving most of our operations into lowsec and nullsec, and including war as part of our ongoing operational background.

There have been some mistakes along the way, but we've learnt and grown from them. When people make mistakes, it just points out where we focus our training, so that we can minimise those mistakes in future. We've been building an excellent group of core personnel, and they've become quite a solid team.

I'd been in the process over the past week of working out how to restructure training to take into account how we're evolving and our unique challenges. Once I remembered the Art of War and created the new alliance around it, I also started re-thinking how the training and structure of OUCH is going to change accordingly.

There'll be more on training and alliance memberships in upcoming posts.

Eve just gets more and more exciting every year. :D

The Art of War - Tactical Dispositions

Chapter 1: Laying Plans
Chapter 2: Waging War
Chapter 3: Attack by Strategem

To prevent our own defeat is up to us, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy themselves.

What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease.

He wins his battles by making no mistakes. Making no mistakes is what establishes the
certainty for victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated.

The skilful fighter puts himself into a position which makes defeat impossible, and does not miss the moment for defeating the enemy.

The victorious strategist only seeks battle after he knows the victory has been won, while he who is destined for defeat first fights and then looks for victory.

The greatest leader cultivates the moral law, and strictly adheres to method and discipline.

Thus it is in his power to control success.

The Art of War - Attack by Stratagem

Chapter 1: Laying Plans
Chapter 2: Waging War


Welcome to the third chapter (below) in my Art of War series. This chapter looks at the strategies of attacking your enemy...

Chapter 3: Attack by Strategem

In the art of war, the best thing to do is take the enemy’s resources whole and intact. To shatter and destroy it is not so good.

Therefore, to fight and conquer in all battles is not supreme excellence. Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without actually fighting.

The highest form of leadership is to prevent the enemy’s plans. The next best is to prevent the gathering of the enemy’s fleets. The next in order is to attack the enemy’s fleet in space, and the worst policy of all is to besiege stations.

The rule is not to besiege stations if it can possibly be avoided. The preparations will cost too much, and the losses will be too great.

The skilful leader subdues the enemy’s fleet without fighting. He captures their stations without laying siege to them. He overthrows their leadership without lengthy operations in the field.

With his fleets intact, he will dispute the mastery of the Empire, and thus, without losing a single pilot, his victory will be complete. This is the method of attacking by stratagem.

It is the rule in war:

1. If your fleet is ten to the enemy’s one, surround him.
2. If five to one, attack him.
3. If twice as numerous, divide the fleet into two.
4. If equally matched, we can offer battle.
5. If slightly inferior in numbers, we can avoid the enemy.
6. If unequal in every way, you can flee from them.

Though a stubborn fight may be made by a small force, in the end it must be captured by the larger force.

There are three ways a leader can bring misfortune upon the fleet:

1. By commanding the army to advance or to retreat, being ignorant of the fact it can’t obey.
2. By attempting to lead a fleet in the same way as he leads a corporation, being ignorant of the conditions which affect a fleet. This causes restlessness in the pilot’s minds.
3. By employing the officers of his fleet without discrimination, through ignorance of the military principle of 'adaptation to circumstances'. This shakes the confidence of the pilots.

There are five essentials for victory:

1. He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.
2. He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior fleets.
3. He will win whose fleet is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks.
4. He will win who, prepared, waits to take the enemy unprepared.
5. He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered with by civilian leadership.

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, you will gain as many defeats as victories. If you know neither yourself nor the enemy, you will always fail.

The Art of War - Waging War

Chapter 1: Laying Plans

Welcome to the second chapter (below) in my Art of War series. This chapter looks at the strategies of actually waging war...


Chapter 2: Waging War

In order to commit forces to battle, the corporation or alliance must have the money and resources to replace losses. You should commit only what you can afford to lose.

When you engage in fighting, if victory is long in coming, weapons will run out of ammunition or charges, and enthusiasm will disappear. If you lay siege to a station, you will exhaust your strength.

If the campaign is long-lasting, the resources of the corporation will not be equal to the strain. When your weapons are exhausted, and your willingness to fight is gone, you will be at the mercy of those who have waited, and they will strike when you are at your weakest.

Cleverness has never been associated with long delays.

It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable ways of engaging in war.

Bring war materials from your base, but forage on the enemy. Thus the fleet will be able to compensate for any losses.

In order to kill the enemy, your men must be roused to anger; there must be rewards to defeating the enemy, and that’s where the foraging on the enemy’s wrecks and cargo containers helps.

Where possible, force the ejecting of enemy pilots in order to take their ships whole. Enemy pilots who eject should be allowed to live, to provide incentive to eject again in future.

In war, let the object be victory, not lengthy campaigns.

Next chapter coming soon: Attack by Strategem

I'm mentioned on Massively!

One of my favourite websites has just posted about my article on the Art of War. I'm very excited! And honoured. Very honoured. And humble. I don't deserve this.

Oh, what the heck, of course I do!

You can read it here: EVE and Sun Tzu's "The Art of War"

Thanks Massively, you guys are awesome. :)

The Art of War - Laying Plans

Some time ago, I created a 'handbook of war' for my corporation, which guided them and advised them on how to operate in times of war. It was called The Art of War (with thanks to Sun Tsu). I have decided to add this handbook to my blog, to share with everyone how to engage in war in the Eve galaxy. Follow these guidelines, and you can only succeed in your endeavours.

Chapter 1: Laying Plans

The art of war is governed by five constant factors: 1) moral law, 2) heaven, 3) earth, 4) the Commander, and 5) method and discipline.

1. The moral law causes people to be in complete accord with their CEO, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger.
2. Heaven signifies being available at any time of the day, any season, and any time zone.
3. Earth comprises distances, near and far; danger and security; open space and asteroid belts; the chances of life and death.
4. The Commander stands for the virtues of wisdom, benevolence, courage and strictness.
5. Method and discipline is the marshalling of the fleet in its proper subdivisions, the graduation of rank among the officers, the maintenance of resources, and the control of the finances.

These five factors should be familiar to every leader; he who knows them will be victorious. He who doesn’t will fail.

Therefore, in your planning of the military conditions, let the following comparisons be made:

1. Which of the two corporations (or alliances) follows the moral law?
2. Which of the two leaders has the most ability?
3. With whom lie the advantages derived from heaven and earth?
4. On which side is discipline most rigorously enforced?
5. Which fleet is stronger?
6. On which side are officers and pilots more highly trained?
7. In which fleet is there the greater constancy of reward and punishment?

By going through these considerations, you can forecast victory or defeat.

The leader who understands this and acts upon it will win. The leader who doesn’t understand
it, and doesn’t act upon it, will lose.

The 5th factor of ‘method and discipline’ will ensure that lack of understanding and success will
be met with appropriate disciplining, usually removal from positions of leadership.

Bonus Tips on planning

1. Modify plans according to circumstances.
2. All warfare is based on deception.
   a) Therefore, when you can attack, it must seem as if you can’t.
   b) When moving your fleet, you must seem idle.
   c) When you are near the enemy, you must make them believe you are far away.
   d) When you are far away, you must make them believe you are near.
3. Hold out bait to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and destroy him.
4. If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is superior in strength, evade him.
5. If your opponent angers easily, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, so that he may become arrogant and overconfident.
6. If he is resting, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them.
7. Attack him where he is unprepared, and appear where you are not expected.
8. Planning strategies must not be divulged to anyone outside of the leadership structure.
9. The leader who wins a battle makes many calculations before the battle is fought. The leader who loses makes few calculations. The leader who makes no calculations will face annihilation! Victory or defeat is in the planning.

Next chapter coming soon: Waging War