The Art of War: The Inferno Strategy

You stand atop a ridge overlooking the valley where the Ch'u army has encamped. The season is exceedingly dry; the grass is brittle, and the surrounding bamboo forests are parched yellow.

Your subordinate, Lieutenant Bao, paces restlessly behind you. "General, they insulted our sovereign! My blood boils. We should charge down the slope now and slaughter them while they sleep!"

You recall the teachings: No ruler should put troops into the field merely to gratify his own spleen. The conditions are ripe for a different kind of warfare—an Attack by Fire.

But first, you must assess the environment.