Zhuge Liang, a genius strategist, created the Eight Formation Battle Array, which helped the Shu Han dynasty win numerous battles, gradually assisting Liu Bei in consolidating his power over the realm.
During the Three Kingdoms period, alongside strong armies and formidable generals, every ruler desired to possess a brilliant military advisor. The chaos of the times produced countless heroes and exceptional talents. Among them, several strategists rose to become some of the most renowned advisors of their era.
Zhuge Liang, the Chancellor of Shu Han, is considered one of those rare strategists. Serving under Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang devoted himself to assisting this ruler in establishing a strong foundation, founding the Shu Han dynasty, and creating the famous triangular power structure of the Three Kingdoms to contend for dominance with Cao Wei and Eastern Wu.
Not only did he propose high-level strategies, but Zhuge Liang also devised many unique formations that enabled Shu Han to repel enemy forces on the battlefield.
So, which formation of Zhuge Liang could withstand an army of 100,000?
That is the Eight Formation Battle Array. This formation showcases Zhuge Liang’s extraordinary military genius and his ability to adapt in the Three Kingdoms period.
What is special about the Eight Formation Battle Array?
The Eight Formation Battle Array showcases Zhuge Liang’s masterful military skills.
In fact, Zhuge Liang’s Eight Formation Battle Array was inspired by the Eight Trigrams Diagram in “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu. However, it was Zhuge Liang who elevated this formation to new heights, demonstrating his exceptional military talent.
According to the “Romance of the Three Kingdoms,” Zhuge Liang was not only creative in inventing novel strategies but also highly skilled in troop deployment. Although the records in “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” embellish this historically tumultuous period, the effectiveness of the Eight Formation Battle Array certainly lives up to its name.
Accordingly, the Eight Formation Battle Array combines the essence of Daoism with elements of astronomy and geography. This formation is based on the principle of “Eight Trigrams,” laid out in eight primary formations known as: Tianfu, Diti, Longfei, Xaban, Huyuk, Diaotang, Fengtan, and Yuntui, positioned around eight main gates where cavalry or infantry are deployed. Within these gates, some are advantageous while others are detrimental. If the enemy, unfamiliar with the formation, mistakenly enters a death gate, they will find it impossible to escape.
The Eight Formation Battle Array can flexibly adapt and transform according to specific situations, leading the enemy into confusion. With its unique operational principles, this formation is believed to withstand an assault from 100,000 troops.
The Eight Formation Battle Array plays a crucial role in combat tactics during real battles. Observers will be surprised by the uniquely arranged formation along with the large-scale troop deployment. Even if the enemy charges, they may not know how to break through this setup.
Because this formation was personally arranged and created by Zhuge Liang, only he knew how to utilize it. The power of the Eight Formation Battle Array lies in its strategic arrangement based on direction and its ability to transform unpredictably when separating or converging.
However, not every battlefield can apply the Eight Formation Battle Array. The most crucial aspect of the formation is that it must adapt to the local terrain conditions.
Zhuge Liang was a rare talent of the Three Kingdoms period.
So, who can understand the operational principles of the Eight Formation Battle Array?
In fact, there was one person who could break Zhuge Liang’s array: Huan Wen (312 – 373), a general of the Eastern Jin dynasty.
According to Huan Wen, the subtlety of the Eight Formation Battle Array lies in its continuous transformation, akin to the Changshan snake (a type of snake native to the Changshan mountains). Specifically, if the formation is divided into three distinct parts: the front, the middle, and the rear, then if any part is attacked, the others will rush to its aid. Although they are independent, they interact and influence each other, showcasing the elegance and miraculous adaptability of this formation.
It can be said that the Eight Formation Battle Array helped Zhuge Liang’s reputation echo throughout the Three Kingdoms, which is not an exaggeration. Unfortunately, due to the scarcity of historical documents and relics, there has yet to be in-depth research on this formation.
