The "Thirty-Six Stratagems" consists of 6 chapters, each chapter consists of 6 stratagems. In rhetoric and dialectic they are viewed as sophisms, ruses, and eristic stratagems. In military stratagems it was sometimes necessary to conceal the standards. He also managed to offer hints and advice on various stratagems and excuses. Using some stratagems, he thoroughly frustrates his foe before they even start playing. Other stratagems could also take the Swiss pikemen at a disadvantage. The Bulgars were well versed in the use of stratagems. Their policies laid great stress upon stratagems and shifts of power. When all of these stratagems fail, Baltar asks for a fair trial. The army was well versed in the use of stratagems. The Empty Fort Strategy is the 32nd of the Chinese Thirty-Six Stratagems. It involved two of the Thirty-Six Stratagems&colon; and . In 2007, he presented a lecture series on CCTV about the Thirty-Six Stratagems. Some stratagems reference occurrences in the time of Sun Bin, approx.