Placement

The most difficult thing in formulating war strategy formation is placing. Sometimes, the right placement won’t give instant benefit, but it will give you log term benefit. A wise leader should know what his long term objective to gain the final victory is.
In war state, place yourself, firstly, in a safe position and wait the chance to strike. Your defense is the function of your own effort, while defeating enemy, you have to wait the right chance that is given by your enemy because of their own fault.
Moreover, the conditions to defend yourself and beating enemy are different. You may have more than enough to challenge your enemy. Then, the priority is to defend army and weapon, since they are the key of your success. Therefore, even a good general can’t ensure to beat the enemy, but he can ensure that he is invincible.
A good general don’t win the war just because he stress the victory solely. A good general will create prosperity for his men, not asking ridiculous thing from his men. If you have a good strategy, remember that you can create an external condition help your preparation. Order or disorder, bravery or fear, power or weakness is the result of placing.
If you get to the battlefield first, you will have time to rest and wait for your enemy. If your are late to get to the battlefield and your enemy is waiting for you, when you get to the battlefield hastily. At that way, you are not in a good condition. A good general would force his enemy to enter his territory not forced to fight.
By the same principle, don’t give your enemy a chance to take rest. Don’t give them to recover themselves. Keep forcing to beat them.

Source:The Art of War

Sun Tzu