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Movies and games make the tactic of feigning a retreat only to turn around and then suddenly counterattack an enemy completely off-guard because they were so busy pursuing you seem so easy as 1-2-3.

However stuff I read state this is very difficult and only a unit of the highest calibre of Discipline can commit this tactic.

For example in Hastings the Normans are typically praised for using this tactic. But stuff I read state its an incredibly risky tactic that was terrifying for the Normans to perform and several times using this tactics, groups of Norman Knights were almost caught and could have been slaughtered.

Paul Cartledge in his book "The Spartans" states:

Paul Cartledge P.127-128 said:
The Spartans added to the Persian forces' discomfiture by deploying the sort of tactics that only the most highly trained and disciplined force would have been capable of even contemplating-a seriesof feigned retreats followed by a sudden about-turn and murderous onslaught on their over-confident pursuers.

So how difficult is it to do a simple hit-run strategy?Games and movies make it seem so simplistic!!!

I mean even hunters who are not trained for war can do this to animal, what makes it so hard to do this in war?
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