China's Top Ten Greatest Military Strategists

This list is to express our opinion of who we think is China's Greatest Strategist Ever. While you are voting and posting new names keep in mind that we are not talking about:
1. ONLY Commanders like Guan Yu, Bai Qi, Yue Fei, Wang Jian, Sun Ce and etc.

2. Warriors like Lu Bu, Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei, Xian Ji, Wang Dayang, Ma Chao and etc.

3. Rulers and Emperors like Liu Bang, Liu Bei, Sima Zhao, Liu Yuan, Murong Jun, Touba Gui, Qin Shihuang and etc.

4. Or Religious characters like Confucius
We are talking about Military Strategist and Commanders combined if possible. If not then only military strategists.
The Top Ten
1 Zhuge Liang

You took his fictional counterpart and claimed he's great when historically he's far less successful with no major victory that he could claim. Its laughable that people get brainwashed into thinking he's some kind of military genius because they've been exposed to a fictional piece of work without bothering to check the source material. They call it Romance of the Three Kingdoms for a reason. Keyword: romance as in romanticized.

During the Battle of Red Cliffs, he was sent as a diplomat and then was collecting taxes for the war fund while the fire strategy is credited Zhou Yu and Huang Gai. Shu played a much more prominent role in the novel rather than in history. Cao Cao boasted 800,000 though by then China was already devastated to the point that grain itself was used as currency frequently and held more weight than gold at certain times which continued well into Cao Pi's reign painting a picture of just how much of the infrastructure was destroyed after decades of war.

The conquering of Yi Province from Liu Zhang is largely the work of Pang Tong and Fa Zheng. Zhuge Liang held no military command or wielded any sort of influence on the military from a position of power. Only around the time after Shu was formed did he actually contribute and couldn't lay claim to any significant military achievement.

I would suggest reading up on Sanguozhi (Records of the Three Kingdom) to get a better understanding of the historical rather than claiming a fictional account as real history to someone who knows their history. It would be quite an embarrassing moment for you.

Jia Xu was historically the military strategist who never really saw a defeat in his long career and there were plenty who had achievements far surpassing Kongming.

2 Sun Tzu Sun Tzu was born June 16, 545 BC and died on January 6, 454 BC was a Chinese general, military strategist, writer, and philosopher who lived in the Eastern Zhou period of ancient China. Sun Tzu is traditionally credited as the author of The Art of War, an influential work of military strategy that has... read more

One of the greatest commanders in military history. He was the first to write a book on the conduct of war, not just a recording.

3 Lu Shang (Taigong Wang)
4 Sima Yi

Cao Cao was the best in everything period. Sima Yi single-handedly faced Zhuge Lang Pang Tong Fa Zheng and many more Shu strategists. Also, he faced Wu's best strategists such as Zhou Yu or Lu Su or the 2 Zhangs. Sima Yi ended up outsmarting everybody in Wei after Cao Cao and Cao Pi died, thus claiming the throne establishing the Jing dynasty. Under HIS dynasty, China was unified by his lineage. If by age Sima Yi was younger. Very brilliant defensive strategist. Won every single Northern campaign that Zhuge Liang proposed against him. This truly is no contest. Sima To > Zhuge Liang.

5 Zhang Liang

Zhang Liang was crucial to Liu Bang's victory over Xiang Yu and he was the major strategist for Liu Bang along with Chen Ping. Without Zhang Liang Liu Bang would have died at The Feast at Hongmeng Gate.

6 Han Xin

Han Xin was the greatest general and strategist in the Early Western Han Dynasty and one of the greatest strategists in China's History. He won major battles such as the 'Ambush on Ten Sides' and the 'Chu Song from Four Sides' and took over major states such as Qi, Zhao and Yan. He suggested to Liu Bang to use the stratagem 'Appearing to repair the gallery roads while making secret advances through Chencang' to escape out of Hanzhong. He was made one of the 'Three Heroes of Early Han Dynasty' and was promoted to become the King Of Chu.

7 Guan Zhong (Guan Yiwu)
8 Sun Bin

Sun Bin was one of the great strategists in the history of China. He served King Wei of Qi to defeat King Hui of Wei twice and also his arch-enemy Pang Juan.

Sun Bin was originally born in Qi was crucial in the success of their successful campaigns against the State of Wei both times. He use a stratagem 'Besiege Wei to Rescue Zhao' to rescue Zhao from Wei and halfway at Guiling Pang Juan was severely defeated by an ambush there prepared by Sun Bin. The second time he feigned retreats and also reduced the number of cooking pots to make an impression that his troops were decreasing in size. Pang Juan was overjoyed and quickly went forth to attack Sun Bin. As a result, at Maling he was ambushed by Sun Bin again and the Wei forces suffered a heavy defeat and Pang Juan committed suicide.

9 Zhou Yu

Zhou Yu eclipses Zhuge Liang in reality. Luo Guangzhong (writer of Romance of the Three Kingdoms) only hyped him up and downplayed Zhou Yu in the story. Zhou Yu was the real genius behind Cao Cao's crushing defeat at Chibi and was able to beat Wei most of the time when he was in control of Wu's army.

Zhou Yu is historically superior to Zhuge Liang. He needs more respect as they praise Zhuge Liang because of his achievements were only seen in the novel and he accomplished less than what he did in the actual history.

10 Guo Jia

Guo jia was how cao cao became big... Cao cao lamented that he would have never lost the battle of red cliffs if guo jia was still alive.

The Contenders
11 Pang Tong
12 Fa Zheng

This guys tactics and ability to predict future outcome and importance of these outcomes made him shine more than any other strategist in his era.

13 Lu Xun
14 Xun Yu
15 Chen Gong
16 Wu Qi
17 Lin Biao
18 Xu Shu
19 Bai Qi
20 He Yan
21 Man Chong
22 Liu Bowen
23 Jia Xu
24 Li Mu
25 Wang Jian
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