Total War: Shogun 2

"It is said that the inferior seek to emulate the superior. Thus, if a general slackens only a little, those beneath him will be greatly negligent."

"The colour of the mountains is Buddha's body; the sound of running water is his great speech."

"Confront them with annihilation, and they will then survive; plunge them into a deadly situation, and they will then live. When people fall into danger, they are then able to strive for victory."

"The clever hawk hides its claws."

"A general of great merit should be said to be a man who has met with at least one great defeat."

"Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting."

"A flower falls, even though we love it; and a weed grows, even though we do not love it."

"The enlightened ruler is heedful, and the good general full of caution."

"Even if one has learned all the sayings of the sages and saints, he should not insist on them obstinately."

"A little piece of gold may be highly valued, but if it gets in one's eye, the result will be darkness."

"Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat."

"All warfare is based on deception."

"Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death."

"The stake that sticks out gets hammered down."

"If you do not enter the tiger's cave, you will not catch its cub."

"Dishonour is like a scar on a tree, which time, instead of effacing, only helps to enlarge."

"The foot feels the foot when it feels the ground."

"Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else."

"The expert in battle seeks his victory from strategic advantage and does not demand it from his men."

"If you know your enemy and know yourself, you will not be imperilled by a hundred battles. If you do not know the others but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one. If you do not know the enemy and do not know yourselves you will be in danger in every battle."

"The way of the warrior is death. This means choosing death whenever there is a choice between life and death. It means nothing else."

"To perceive victory when it is known to all is not really skilful… It does not take much strength to lift a hair, it does not take sharp eyes to see the sun and moon, it does not take sharp ears to hear the thunderclap."

"A man must not live under the same sky as one who has injured his lord or father."

"One kind word can warm three winter months."

"The skilful employer of men will employ the wise man, the brave man, the covetous man, and the stupid man."

"When envoys are sent with compliments in their mouths, it is a sign that the enemy wishes for a truce."

"Beginning is easy - Continuing is hard."

"Opportunities multiply as they are seized."

"One should not be envious of someone who has prospered by unjust deeds. Nor should he disdain someone who has fallen while adhering to the path of righteousness."

"You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger."

"It is essential to seek out enemy agents who have come to conduct espionage against you and to bribe them to serve you. Give them instructions and care for them. Thus double agents are recruited and used."

"Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win."

"It is only the enlightened ruler and the wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army for the purposes of spying, and thereby they achieve great results."

"Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely."

"To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting."

"Death refuses to wait for the space of a breath; life is more evanescent than a mayfly or a lightning flash."

"One should have insight into this world of dreams that passes in the twinkling of an eye."

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

"If our soldiers are not overburdened with money, it is not because they have a distaste for riches; if their lives are not unduly long, it is not because they are disinclined to longevity."

"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned."

"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting."

"If a man does not investigate into the matter of bushido daily, it will be difficult for him to die a brave and manly death."

"žHence that general is skilful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skilful in defence whose opponent does not know what to attack."

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment."

"He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks."

"The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself."

"When torrential water tosses boulders, it is because of its momentum. When the strike of a hawk breaks the body of its prey, it is because of timing."

"As for the decorum at the time of a campaign, one must be mindful that he is a samurai. A person who loves beautification where it is unnecessary is fit for punishment."

"To a surrounded enemy, you must leave a way of escape."

"Do not think you will necessarily be aware of your own enlightenment."