Physical Confrontation

No matter how effectively one is able to manipulate supplies, this will rarely, if ever, be a substitute for physical confrontation. In fact, many of the supply manipulation tactics described until this point are capable of triggering the enemy into an attempt at a direct attack sometimes out of retaliation, often out of desperation. The actions that will be taken in response to these tactics, however, are predictable and can often be measured in terms of the amount of resources allocated to retaliation or recovery operations as well as the amount of time it will take for them to execute such a strategy. Anticipating the actions that the enemy will take through analysis of their behaviors and incentives will allow for preemptive preparations to either continue manipulating their supplies through additional layers of economic tactics or engage the enemy in combat when it is deemed that they are at a juncture critical to their defeat.