From the Art of War: “Thus the highest realization of warfare is to attack the enemy’s plans; next is to attack their alliances; next to attack their army; and the lowest is to attack their fortified cities."

As you all know or should know destruction is about causing as much damage to your opponent and the least damage to your own forces. It is attrition warfare through and through. Everyone worries so much about gaining and losing territory in this mode but at the end of the game it's not about who takes the most ground but who took the fewest casualties. So many times I'll see new players and even experienced players throw unit after unit against a heavily defended position to take a 2 point objective and in the end all they gained was giving the enemy another 300 points or more; or even worse they will needlessly hold a position taking casualties that aren't worth the loss.

At the beginning of the game the number one thing you should attempt to do is predict the enemies movements. What are the most likely positions they are going to go for first and can you beat them there. This is often the opening rush and though it is a great tactic if it fails because the enemy got there first or you both arrive at the same time it can be devastating to your entire team. In destruction remember to take a good position but not to the point of overextending yourself.

The next thing you should always keep in mind is how long it will take reinforcements and supplies to get to the front lines. When you decide on a position that you are going to hold the enemy at think about it's pros and it's cons. Is the position too far way for my supplies to reach there? Do my units have good sight lines? If all my AA were suddenly destroyed could I get more to the front before they rip me a new ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ from the air? These are questions you should always ask yourself.

Just because you have a good defensive position never be afraid to abandon it. Because territory is worth less if the enemy has thrown everything at you and failed but you've taken heavy casualties and/or are getting pounded by artillery consider falling back to prevent unnecessary losses. Units who are dieing without fighting back are doing nothing but feeding the enemy points. Falling back can be as simple as waiting for a lull in the combat and pulling back a few units at a time. NEVER pull back everything you have at once even if your position is being overrun. If you pull back everything you have at once the enemy will wipe through your like butter if they know what they are doing and can see you falling back.

If you must retreat under fire smoke directly behind your position not in front it will allow units falling back to make a safe and speedy retreat while your defending units can still hold the enemy at bay.

Your first line should never be your most expensive and rare units. It should be made up of your cheap long-range ATGM infantry and Man-Portable Air Defense units along with some of your cheaper AA and never radar-based AA. Your second line should be made up of your stronger units , your heaviest tanks, and your radar based AA. If the enemy washes away your weaker troops they will be unprepared to fight a second battle and if you read what I've said already your second line is supported by the troops you retreated. The reason AA is often set up this way when I play is because it forces SEAD aircraft to enter deeper into my AA network to find targets often costing the enemy their aircraft.

A defensive front like this will stall even the heaviest offensive and once they've lost moment if when your mortars in the rear begin opening fire on their bogged down troops lowering an already stricken moral and forcing the retreat of less hardened troops. Many unskilled players will throw everything at your in an all out attack losing everything and having nothing to defend their territory after the attack.

Because a defensive line such as this is so hard to break you should require far less troops to hold it than you otherwise would. This brings me into my next part. Keeping a reserve.

Keeping several small reserve forces near a road behind your second line can be one of the best winning tactics in both destruction and conquest. If an enemy attack on your second line has caused severe casualties and you fear another attack you can plug the gap with units from your reserves line. If enemy recon forces break through you can send forces from your reserves to hunt them down rather than taking units from the front. Finally if the enemy has thrown everything they possibly can into an attack against your lines and your recon tells you they have nothing left to defend either the position directly in front of your main defense or to either side then attack with the reserve force sending them to defeat a weakened opponent.

If you believe an enemy position is weak but are not sure then don't commit the reserve instead recon in force. This is a great way to use those recon vehicles that you hardly ever use. Send forward a few platoons of recon soldiers to scout ahead of your reserve force as they advance into enemy territory and if your opponent was wise they will encounter an intricate defensive line if your opponent was unwise they will encounter small pockets of resistance which you will easily mop up with mortars as your reserves roll past.

Attack where the enemy is weak. If you have succeeded in a strong defensive action push the front not where you know the enemy defenses are strong but where they are not. If you do not know if the enemy is weak or strong in the position of your chosen attack then perform recon in force. Never commit everything. If your opponent is unwise they will panic and if they still have aircraft they will perform what is known as a broken arrow. They will commit every bomber they have to defend a lost position and it should be now they your commit your air superiority fighters because couples with your any AA advancing with your reserves the enemy with lose everything in a final blow.

Do not strike too deep into enemy territory remember that you must never overextend yourself and you will go farther than you would have otherwise. Overly extending your reserve force in an attack may end with them being surrounded by an enemy force attacking from the flanks. Don't let this happen if possible call in more forces behind your reserves and advance them behind the reserves. This will keep them from being surrounded and give you the ability to retreat. Never forget this is about attrition and not about territory. Do not advance unless it is in the best interest of the team.

Often I'll see new players throw high price bombers against well dug in enemy defences only to be lit up by every Surface to Air Missile in the entire area on their way out. Be smart about where you send your fixed wing aircraft and NEVER send more than one or two as anymore is such a huge liability if the enemy has huge amounts of SAMs you didn't know about. Losing aircraft is the easiest way to get behind in points while playing destruction. FIRST if at all possible recon the area and know where the enemy SAM locations are and then call down artillery on any that are infalred NOT radar-based AA. Next if the enemy has radar based Anti-Air send in SEAD-missile equipped jets first. Next send in a jet with long ranged air-to-ground missiles right behind it to take out any missile defenses that your SEAD aircraft missed or couldn't target either because they were inflared or because they had their radar turned off. This is your first wave, the first two-plane group. At this point the enemy air defenses should be looking pretty grim so they may be tempted to throw aircraft at you when you send in the next wave so be prepared and stay zoomed out when using aircraft in this way so you can see and catch enemy aircraft before they come at you. Your second attack should consist of your bomber and an air superiority fighter as an escort. Pick the right bomber for the job and you will go far. Napalm for infantry, cluster for tanks, and area-affect bombs for soft targets such as infantry in the open and light armored vehicles.

So often I will see helicopters used to attack an enemy position up close and personal but the best helicopters are stand-off range missile-firing god-machines of war. Liken them to the glass hammer and you will go far. Though extremely fragile they can absolutely destroy armored advances. Take the longbow for instance. One of these helicopters can stop an entire assault but a single jet strike can kill your expensive hardware unless it is properly nestled within your AA net. A good place for this unit is in between your front and second lines. Keep a resupply base behind your second line so you can quickly retreat and resupply between waves. Flying back to base can cost you dearly in time.