War presents dilemmas rather than tidy problems

A dilemma leaves an opponent choosing between unattractive options, while a problem can have a satisfactory solution. This distinction is presented as a principle of military doctrine and as a useful way to read the battles in Remnant Faction. War can produce dilemmas even without either side deliberately designing them. Military histories and biographies can obscure those tradeoffs when they turn command into a succession of problems neatly solved. An apparently straightforward route to victory deserves scrutiny because the enemy can exploit the same apparent advantage.