Which Sun Do Tzu Orbit?

[seabolt]

1) Recon
2) Intel
3) information management
[...]It's all about knowing what's out there facing you before the other guy has you figured out and then knowing what to do about it. This remains valid throughout the entire game. Even when you already know the scope of the enemy force, it then becomes important to find out who is where exactly and where/how they're moving. [...]

This strikes me as a substantially different operational principle than this:

[...] Recon and intelligence gathering isn't a goal, it's a means. [...] Timing is essential. You have to know when to pop your head up for a quick look around and when not to. [...] Recon isn't about knowing everything all of the time, it's about knowing the right thing at the right time. And that wins games.

I find myself in near complete accord with your (unabridged) second description. (Except for the part where you describe yourself as in disagreement with my position, given that this is an excellent alternate description of it.) This philosophy, which perhaps can be summed up as "only bother bringing your eyes up when there's a gun barrel right behind them," streamlines the usage of recon to where its absence can only be a detriment. It's only when you transition from stance 2 back to stance 1 that you begin trading off initiative or flexibility for intelligence, IMO.

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