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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #1

Pillage, then burn.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #2

A Sergeant in motion outranks a Lieutenant who doesn't know what's going on.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #3

An ordnance technician at a dead run outranks everybody.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #4

Close air support covereth a multitude of sins.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #5

Close air support and friendly fire should be easier to tell apart.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #6

If violence wasn't your last resort, you failed to resort to enough of it.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #7

If the food is good enough, the grunts will stop complaining about the incoming fire.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #8

Mockery and derision have their place. Usually, it's on the far side of the airlock.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #9

Never turn your back on an enemy.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #10

Sometimes the only way out is through. . . through the hull.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #11

Everything is air-droppable at least once.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #12

A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #13

Do unto others.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #14

"Mad Science" means never stopping to ask "what's the worst thing that could happen?"
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #15

Only you can prevent friendly fire.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #16

Your name is in the mouth of others: be sure it has teeth.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #17

The longer everything goes according to plan, the bigger the impending disaster.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #18

If the officers are leading from in front, watch out for an attack from the rear.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #19

The world is richer when you turn enemies into friends, but that's not the same as you being richer.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #20

If you're not willing to shell your own position, you're not willing to win.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #21

Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Take his fish away and tell him he's lucky just to be alive, and he'll figure out how to catch another one for you to take tomorrow.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #22

If you can see the whites of their eyes, somebody's done something wrong.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #23

The company mess and friendly fire should be easier to tell apart
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #24

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a big gun.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #25

If the damage you do is covered by a manufacturers warranty, you didn't do enough damage.
Amended: If a manufacturer's warranty covers the damage you did, you didn't do enough damage.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #26

"Fire and Forget" is fine, provided you never actually forget.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #27

Don't be afraid to be the first to resort to violence.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #28

If the price of collateral damage is high enough, you might be able to get paid for bringing ammunition home with you.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #29

The enemy of my enemy is my enemy's enemy. No more. No less.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #30

A little trust goes a long way. The less you use, the further you'll go.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #31

Only cheaters prosper.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #32

Anything is amphibious if you can get it back out of the water.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #33

If you're leaving tracks, you're being followed.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #34

If you're leaving scorch-marks, you need a bigger gun.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #35

That which does not kill you has made a tactical error.
Amended: That which does not kill me has made a tactical error.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #36

When the going gets tough, the tough call for close air support.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #37

There is no 'overkill.' There is only 'open fire' and 'I need to reload.'
Amended: There is no "overkill." There is only "open fire" and "reload."
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #38

Just because it's easy for you doesn't mean it can't be hard on your clients.
Amended: What's easy for you can still be hard on your clients.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #39

There is a difference between spare parts and extra [parts].
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #40

Not all good news is enemy action.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #41

"Do you have a backup?" means "I can't fix this."
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #42

"They'll never expect this" means "I want to try something stupid."
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #43

If it's stupid and it works, it's still stupid and you're lucky.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #44

If it will blow a hole in the ground, it will double as an entrenching tool.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #45

The size of the combat bonus is inversely proportional to the likelihood of surviving to collect it.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #46

Don't try to save money by conserving ammunition.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #47

Don't expect the enemy to cooperate in the creation of your dream engagement.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #48

If it ain't broke, it hasn't been issued to the infantry.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #49

Every client is one missed payment away from becoming a target and every target is one bribe away from becoming a client.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #50

If it only works in exactly the way the manufacturer intended, it is defective.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #51

Let them see you sharpen the sword before you fall on it.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #52

The army you've got is never the army you want.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #53

The intel you've got is never the intel you want.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #54

The best way to win a one-on-one fight is to be the third to arrive.
Amended: It's only too many troops if you can't pay them.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #55

It's only too many weapons if they're pointing in the wrong direction.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #56

Infantry exists to paint targets for people with real guns.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #57

Artillery exists to launch large chunks of budget at an enemy it cannot actually see.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #58

The pen is mightiest when it writes orders for more swords.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #59

"Two wrongs is probably not going to be enough."
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #60

Any weapon's rate of fire is inversely proportional to the number of available targets.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #61

Don't bring big grenades into small rooms.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #62

Anything labeled "This end toward enemy" is dangerous at both ends.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #63

The brass knows how to do it by knowing who can do it.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #64

An ounce of sniper is worth a pound of suppressing fire.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #65

After the toss, be the one with the pin, not the one with the grenade.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #66

Necessity is the mother of deception.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #67

If you can't carry cash, carry a weapon.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #68

Negotiating from a position of strength does not mean you shouldnt also negotiate from a position near the exits.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #69

Sometimes rank is a function of firepower.
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The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries #70

Failure is not an option - it is mandatory. The option is whether or not to let failure be the last thing you do.
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