History Main / TheStrategist

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'':
** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade'' has the ''player'' him/herself taking on this role, with the other characters directly addressing and asking him/her for advice. Of course, the player refrains from battle and only directs others.
** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones'' has [[CrutchCharacter Seth]] act as one when you've finally got an army at your disposal, and his role actually changes depending on which of the two main siblings your're with. With Erika, who is much less militarily savvy, he's ''the'' strategist. With Ephriam, who is quite the tactician himself, he's more of an assistant, and the two even debate the proper course of action in the cutscenes.

** [[CrutchCharacter Jagen]] in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemMysteryOfTheEmblem'', August in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThracia776'', and Soren in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'' and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn'' also serve as the primary strategists for their respective armies.

*** The customizable Avatar serves as the Shepherds' primary tactician, to the point that his/her initial class (which can use [[MagicKnight both swords and magic tomes]]) is even ''named'' "Tactician".

** The Avatar of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'' quickly proves themselves to be one of Fódlan's finest tacticians, and it's ultimately their involvement that decides which faction comes out on top. Additionally, Hubert is the tactician of the Black Eagles house (second only to the Avatar should they join them), [[spoiler:and becomes the chief strategist for the Adrestian Empire after the TimeSkip]].

* Zack Taylor from ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' is typically the team's tactician, and splits secondary SmartGuy duties with Trini Kwan.

* Commander Shepard of ''Franchise/MassEffect'' is considered this by reputation; [[MultipleChoicePast depending on the background]], s/he could have single-handedly lead an impromptu defense against an army of SpacePirates, single-handedly survived a [[SandWorm Thresher Maw]] on foot, or have lead an army of soldiers into a successful suicide ZergRush victory. In-game, s/he is praised by his/her squadmates and superiors for being [[TheLeader an excellent leader]], though that comes down to the player's skill, especially in the [[VideoGame/MassEffect2 second game]] when you take on the suicide mission. In the ''Omega'' [=DLC=] for ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', notorious and egotistical criminal warlord Aria T'Loak justifies [[YouAreInCommandNow putting herself under Shepard's command]] by saying his/her tactical skill is the reason she brought them along.

** Yuan Shao had several notable advisors. Perhaps the best was Tian Feng. His ignored advise is said to have been astonishingly accurate, though this may be an exaggeration after the fact. Chen Gong was Lu Bu's chief strategist, though not highly skilled. He had achieved only a middling position in Cao Cao's army and was generally regarded as being too slow in formulating his plans.

* All of the Prussian entries above owe a debt to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_the_Great Frederick the Great]], who single-handedly elevated the kingdom to a major military power in Europe. Frederick was a kind of martial OmnidisciplinaryScientist: in addition to studying every single facet of war (from mobility to tactics) and reading every book imaginable on historic conflicts, he personally fought in many battles and was able to devise strategies based not only on his vast knowledge, but lived experience. His reputation echoed across European history (German, French, and Russian military strategies were modeled after Frederick's own army), and indeed with some of the entries on this list: Napoleon Bonaparte viewed Frederick as [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter superior to even his own genius]], once remarking at the king's grave: "Gentlemen, if this man were still alive, I would not be here."

** Speaking of Prussia, UsefulNotes/FrederickTheGreat probably is this as well.

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[[caption-width-right:299:"Some battles are won with swords and spears, others with quills and ravens."]]

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* Sanji in ''Manga/OnePiece'' is this for the Straw Hats, having proven time and time again to be an expert case of TheChessmaster and XanatosSpeedChess player. The Little Garden, Alabasta, Skypeia, Water 7, Enies Lobby, and Zou arcs all have solid examples of him displaying this skill.
* The Daikenja (aka Murata) in ''LightNovel/KyoKaraMaoh'' was the Shinou's strategist during his first life who helped him win the war against [[BigBad Shoushu]].
%%* Naturally, ''Manga/IkkiTousen'' has:
%%** [[EmotionlessGirl Shoukatsuryou Koumei]], the quasi-{{reincarnation}} of Zhuge Liang.
%%** [[{{Meganekko}} Rikuson]] (Lu Xun) fills this role for Nanyou.
%%** [[TheVamp Kaku Bunwa]] (Jia Xu) for Rakuyou.
%%** Wheelchair-bound [[ManipulativeBastard Shibai Chuutatsu]] (Sima Yi) for Kyoushou.
%%* ''Manga/KoutetsuSangokushi'', albeit with just Zhuge Liang (Shoukatsuryou Koumei).
%%** Lu Xun (Rikuson Hakugen).
%%** Zhou Yu (Shuuyu Koukin).
* Although her job isn't advisory, Tsunade of ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' was sought by Jiraiya and Naruto for similar reasons and in the same manner. Not surprisingly, Shikamaru seems to have taken this role and has become Tsunade's strategist.
** Shikaku, Shikamaru's dad, is Jounin Commander of Konoha, and is acting as Tsunade's right-hand man, helping to coordinate the movements of various divisions. Not only that, he even creates a perfect strategy that manages to drive the Juubi into a corner.

%%* ''Manga/ThePrinceOfTennis'' has several strategists of the sports variety: Sadaharu Inui (Seigaku), Hajime Mizuki (Saint Rudolph), Renji Yanagi (Rikaidai), Koharu Konjiki (Shitenhouji), Taichi Dan (Yamabuki).
%%* ''Manga/SlamDunk'' has Kenji Fujima, captain ''and'' strategist for Shoyo.
%%* ''Manga/CaptainTsubasa'' predates them all with Jun Misugi from the Musashi team, who later plays this role for the Japanese team as well.
* Niijima of ''Manga/KenichiTheMightiestDisciple''. He's the only member of the Shinpaku Alliance (other than the flag-bearer) with no fighting ability. Despite this, his ability to come up with (usually ridiculous) plans to save everyone else from even the direst situations is admirable (even though he's usually the one responsible for the crisis at hand), to the point that even Kenichi's masters are impressed with his strategic ability.
%%* Kiku Takane from Masami Kurumada's ''Manga/RingNiKakero'', who is this and the CoolBigSis for her little brother Ryuuji.

* Tanaka Yoshiki seems to like these -- in addition to the Arslan example above, he has Yang Wenli, Reinhard von Lohengramm and Paul von Oberstein from ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes''. Yang is a drunk slob who would much rather laze around and study history than go into battle but he is the smartest strategist in the series, Reinhard is a Napoleon-like conqueror and a genius at military and politics, and Oberstein is a brilliant Machiavellian schemer in Reinhard's service.
* Gendo Ikari of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' is one. Aside from the examples on his [[MindScrew screwing with]] [[CosmicHorrorStory the plotline]] and [[OmniscientCouncilofVagueness SEELE]], he doesn't just [[TheChessmaster see things coming]], but [[MagnificentBastard he provides the super-subtle pushes that puts people where he wants them]]. He even has the [[ElaborateUndergroundBase layout of NERV nearly randomized]] to discourage intruders. [[spoiler:However, this doesn't work out very well if you're up against people with intimate knowledge of the base or 13 years of planning, or in failing to notice that the one person his plans hinged on was on the verge of rebelling against him and in favor of his son]].
* Shiroe in ''LightNovel/LogHorizon'' did not earn the nickname "Shiroe the Strategist" for nothing. His in-game class is an enchanter-type wizard, but his spells are largely supportive and are usually the key to bring his plans to fruition and his allies to victory.
* Kakuri in ''Manga/{{Bokko}}''. When the small border city of Ryo is threatened by a large invading army, they send a request for help to their ancient allies, the clan of Bokk. They send a single man to save the city. Which he proceeds to do, in spite of seemingly insurmountable problems.
%%* Tenpou in ''Manga/{{Saiyuki}} Gaiden''.
* In ''LightNovel/{{Corsair}}'', Canale is the chief strategist for Preveza, a pirate clan. It's probably the only thing that offers him any protection, as his refusal to actually fight (despite the fact that he's [[HandicappedBadass blind]]) is highly contentious for the other pirates.

* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'':
** Heymans Breda is this on [[ColonelBadass Roy Mustang's]] team. Mustang himself is a badass strategist, but recognized that Breda's abilities in this field were well above average, and recruited him for the group.
** Ling Yao is also an excellent strategist and quickly figures out the best way to fight his enemy. His strategy allows him to keep up with even [[OldSoldier Fuhrer Bradley]].
* ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex '': Give Daisuke Aramakitwo street punks and he can make a SWAT team look like such fools that the "Special" in "Special Weapons And Tactics" seems to mean they ride to the crime scene in a short bus. Give him his handpicked team of specialists and it won't matter if you're [[EagleLand the world's last super power]] -- YouAreAlreadyDead.
* Matsu in ''Manga/{{Sekirei}}'' is extremely intelligent but not a fighter like most other Sekireis.
* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'' has Captain William Sutherland, who devises most of the Earth Forces' battle plans and serves as Muruta Azrael's [[TheDragon right-hand man]].
* The original ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' has another evil Strategist in the form of M'quve who created most of Kycillia Zabi's plans, and led the ''[[CoolShip White Base]]'' crew around by the nose during most of their encounters. The end result of M'quve getting annoyed at the ''White Base'' advancing toward his rear positions while he's preparing for the impending Federation offensive on another front? The ''White Base'' crippled by time bombs they had absolutely no idea where they came from. Luckily for them, the only time M'quve actually got serious in dealing with them was when he decided to fight the Gundam, with his tactical skills ultimately proving no match for Amuro's sheer piloting abilities and the encounter costing him his life.
* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00'' has two: Sumeragi Lee Noriega is Celestial Being's tactical forecaster, and her ability to predict the enemy's moves serves the Gundam Meisters ''very'' well during the first season. In the second season the A-LAWS recruit Colonel Kati Mannequin, a former classmate of Sumeragi's, to serve as their own forecaster; Kati recognizes Celestial Being's tactics almost immediately.
%%* The ''Gundam'' series seems to like making these characters villains: ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam'' features one as well. As the secret final boss, no less. And who is he? None other than [[spoiler:Major Urube Ishikawa]].
* Most teams in ''Manga/{{Eyeshield 21}}'' have a player who serves in this role. Usually they're the quarterback and the captain, but not always. Notable examples include [[MagnificentBastard Hiruma]] of the Deimon Devil-Bats, [[TheChessmaster Takami]] of the Ojou White Knights, [[ManipulativeBastard Marco]] of the Hakushuu Dinosaurs, and [[EvilGenius Clifford]] of the Pentagram.

%%* Prussia and Canada from ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers''.
* ''Eikou no Napoleon: Eroica'', the sequel to ''Manga/TheRoseOfVersailles'', has its fair share:
** The first to appear is, surprisingly, Alain, who has a knack for anticipating the strategies of ''UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte'' of all people; another is Napoleon (of course), who not only did all of historical deeds but also offered a job to Alain upon discovering they had the same idea to dispose of a counter-revolutionary insurgence (with the difference that Napoleon actually had the authority to do the job and Alain was trying a BavarianFireDrill); [[WoodenShipsAndIronMen Horatio Nelson]] took care of frustrating Napoleon's efforts at sea; the French generals Massena and Murat, who acted as Napoleon's [[TheLancer Lancers]] after [[spoiler:Alain's death attempting to kill Napoleon]]; Michael Von Melas, who gave Napoleon a desperate run for his money at Marengo and would have won if Alain didn't anticipate Napoleon's need for more troops and returned at the right moment; Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov, the great Russian general, anticipated Napoleon's tactic at Austerlitz (too bad [[IgnoredExpert the czar ignored him]]), but when Napoleon invaded Russia he outsmarted him every time and, while unable to defeat him in battle, his scorched earth strategy left the invaders helpless when the Russian winter came, ultimately resulting in victory; after Kutuzov's death (and Napoleon's HopeSpot), Carl von Clausewitz in person took care of organizing the Coalition's strategy that led to the victory at Leipzig, the first defeat inflicted to Napoleon on the battlefield; and, finally, the Duke of Wellington, who inflicted Napoleon his final defeat.
** Of all this guys, the ones who fully classifies as this trope (as they are not only very good at war but are also searched and brought out of retirement in the moment of need) are Napoleon, Kutuzov and Clauzewitz: Napoleon had been kicked out of the army for political reasons, only to be recalled in service and given command of the Reserve Army to defeat a royalist insurrection (the insurrection spontaneously imploded when Napoleon started firing artillery inside Paris); general Kutuzov was an accomplished soldier who had fallen out of favor with the czar, Alexander I, and got [[ReassignedToAntarctica reassigned to the war against the Turks]] purely due old age and because combat wounds had disfigured him, but when Napoleon invaded and commander in chief De Tolly screwed up the scorched earth strategy (the lack of engagements was killing the morale of the army) the czar had to call Kutuzov, who restored the morale of the army with a major but inconclusive battle and organizing a guerrilla campaign to further harass Napoleon; Clausewitz was a mere major who had left the Prussian Army and joined Russia to fight Napoleon, but when Napoleon won the early battles of the Sixth Coalition War the Prussians searched him specifically because they knew he had put into theory what Napoleon had done by improvisation, and thus was able to dissect the abilities of Napoleon's army and establish a surefire way to defeat him (four battles later Napoleon was on the run, and had not been captured or killed only because he [[KnowWhenToFoldEm saw he was losing hard and decided to retreat]]).
* ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' gives us Miria for the Claymores and Isley for the Abyssal Ones. However, since this is ''[[WorldOfBadass Claymore]]'', even the strategists are {{Genius Bruiser}}s that can [[CurbStompBattle curbstomp]] you into jam if they feel so inclined.
* Armin in ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' is one of the physically weakest characters in the Survey Corps, but eventually finds himself in this role to make up for it.
* ''Manga/FairyTail'':
** First Master Mavis's nickname was "Fairy Strategist". At the Grand Magic Games, she showed it off on the final day.
** In combat, Gray always defeats his major opponents with his wits. He quickly makes a plan how to defeat and executes it.
** Erza often analyzes her opponents's abilities during a battle to find out their weaknesses before choosing the right armor to take advantage of their weak spots.

* In the early releases, ''Manga/CMonDigimon'' and ''Manga/DigimonVTamer01'', this was how humans earned their keep in a world full of monsters. Later entries into the franchise would [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness change this]] to monsters "{{evol|utionarylevels}}ving" due to human emotions and [[BondCreatures thus partnering to humans to get stronger]]. The protagonists of ''Anime/DigimonTamers'' would ''try'' to come up with tactics, but fail more often than they succeeded, the supporting adult characters later becoming strategists instead. Teru Raku and Masuken Kana of ''Manhua/DigimonDCyber'', Yuu of ''Manga/DigimonNext'' and Toma of ''Anime/DigimonDataSquad'' were strategists but were overshadowed by emotional {{idiot hero}}es who simply relied on evolution. ''Anime/DigimonFusion'' seemed to go back to humans earning their keep by being tacticians angle but then reintroduced evolution and a {{spotlight stealing|squad}} idiot hero named Taigiru.
* In ''Manga/Brave10'', Yukimura is always considering the long-term future of Ueda and trying to [[TheChessmaster manipulate things]] to ensure its peace and safety. However, once he meets [[KidSamurai Benmaru]], he realizes the kid might be even a better strategist then him.

* In one issue of Creator/AlanMoore's ''Comicbook/SwampThing'', the antagonists want to permanently get Swampy out of their hair. So what do they do? They [[CutLexLuthorACheck pay]] EvilGenius extraordinaire Lex Luthor an obscene amount of cash to merely ''describe'' a machine that will sever the elemental's connection to Earth -- and it works like a charm.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Knightfall}}'', ComicBook/{{Bane}} masterminds a breakout of Arkham Asylum and allows Batman's RoguesGallery to wear the hero down, before attacking. He ''effortlessly'' defeats him, ending with him breaking his back and forever becoming known as "The Man Who Broke the Bat". Unfortunately, adaptations usually reduce him to DumbMuscle.

%%* Mickey Marcus in ''Film/CastAGiantShadow'' follows the sample plot given almost exactly.
* Elaine, the policewoman, in ''Film/AngelsRevenge'', who irons out the details of the raid on the compound as soon as she arrives.

* One of the oldest examples is Zhuge Liang, the ancient Chinese adviser from ''Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms''. He was known as a brilliant statesman and adviser both strategically/tactically and politically, and had a habit of carrying around an elaborate white feather fan--an accessory which has become a popular symbol of TheStrategist in many other media. One of his most well-known stunts was BluffingTheAdvanceScout--his forces were in a city that was outnumbered 60 to 1 by Sima Yi's incoming army, so Liang ordered the gates thrown open, sitting on top and playing a lute. Because [[ItOnlyWorksOnce Liang had never bluffed during his military career]], the opposing general said ScrewThisImOuttaHere, smelling a (non-existent) ambush.

* ''Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy'': Grand Admiral Thrawn from Creator/TimothyZahn's ''Franchise/StarWars'' [[Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse Expanded Universe]] books. He later evolves into a MagnificentBastard when the Empire crumbles after Endor, when he returns from the Unknown Regions and nearly crushes the New Republic single-handedly. The same trilogy also has the very good strategist Garm Bel Iblis, who left the official Rebellion to fight the Empire with his own group after Bail Organa died and Mon Mothma seemed like she was gathering too much power. Eventually, thanks to Han and Leia's efforts, he joined the New Republic.
* ''Literature/WarAndPeace'':
** {{Deconstructed|Trope}} in Pfuel, who believes that there is a mathematics to war, a theory that guarantees success if only its postulates are followed. He has no tolerance for any deviations from this mathematics he's envisioned, despite the fact that plenty of other characters with actual war experience know that war isn't that clean. The Austrian general Weyrother thinks he's this, [[ModernMajorGeneral but comically isn't]].
** Tolstoy had a bit of an ax to grind against officers of German extraction, which also becomes evident in his treatment of Barclay de Tolly (the general and minister of war who had basically created the Russian army that fought in 1812; he came from the German community of the Baltic provinces of Russia, although, as the name shows, he also had Scottish forbears) and Clausewitz. Also, it is not as if Pfuel (aka Phull) did not have actual war experience, he had served with the Prussian army in wars since the late 1770s.
* The ZombieApocalypse novel ''Literature/WorldWarZ'' features a South African character named Paul Redeker, whose cold-blooded logic got him kicked out the government. When the zombie threat begins to rise, he is (literally) dragged back in, and comes up with an effective but brutal method for preserving a nucleus of government.
* The first ''Literature/WarWorld'' book has a story called ''The Deserter'', about a legendary strategist who is being sought by the protagonist because TheEmpire is losing their desperate war with the Sauron SuperSoldiers. But the titular deserter would rather stay and keep his home planet (where his family lives) from fragmenting and balkanizing in the wake of the Empire withdrawing all their troops, so [[spoiler:he fakes his own death, with the protagonist's reluctant complicity]].
* Subutai in the ''Literature/{{Conqueror}}'' books; he initially draws attention by helping Khasar and Temuge in a brawl. This draws the attention of Genghis Khan, who decides to reward Subutai helping his brothers by putting him in command of an arban. He comes up with several clever plans during the Mongol attacks on Xi Xia and Chin, and by the time Khwarezm has been taken, he is the second most respected man in the nation. Apparently, Subutai was this in real life, too. By the time the Mongols invaded Europe he was 65 years old and so fat he could no longer ride a horse -- so the Mongols loaded him into a cart and carried him to the battlefield because they knew he was worth more than any number of horsemen.
* While its never said outright, this is Gandalf's chief job in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. Faced with a world-ending enemy and flanked by allies more eager to do nothing or fight each other. He has to bully, cajole and charm the remaining free people into forming an effective bulwark against Sauron, and simultaneously give Frodo a chance to get into Mordor and destroy the ring, and thus Sauron, for good.

* ''Literature/{{The Art of War|SunTzu}}'' is basically a manual of how to be this trope.

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
** Rincewind. It is attributed to cowardice, but he often shows more sensible tactical thinking than people who actually want to be in a fight and approach it without delicacy.
** General Tacticus is described as a great military tactician (in fact, on the Disc, the word "tactic" comes from his name). Later military thinkers from the same region consider this ''cheating''.
* Annabeth in ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'' and ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus''. The girl's motto is "always, always have a plan". Kind of a given, since she's the daughter of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and battle strategy, y'know.
* In ''Literature/ThePrincessBride'' when Inigo and Fezzik are reunited, Inigo wants to find Vizzini and have him plan a way to break into the castle, so that he (Inigo) can kill Count Rugen. However, Vizzini is dead. Then Inigo realizes the Man in Black must have out-thought Vizzini, and "a man who can do that can plan my castle onslaught any day!"
* August from ''Literature/OfFearAndFaith'' plays this role when the party defends a fortress from a massive army of [[LegionsOfHell Nichts]]. Between his strategy and [[ThePaladin North]] and [[BewareTheNiceOnes Phenix]]'s fighting ability, they manage to drive the horde back without any casualties. [[FromBadToWorse At least until]] [[TheDreaded Fear]] [[OhCrap shows up]].
** When August is unavailable during the next arc, Aiden fills this role instead and does a good job of it as well. Considering his limited resources compared to what August had available, he might even be better at it.
* Peeta Mellark from ''Literature/TheHungerGames''.
* In ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'' the [[RedBaron Golden General]] Laurana is the brains behind almost all of the [[TheAlliance Whitestone Council's]] victories during the War of the Lance. She devises the plans which win the battles at [[SupervillainLair Icewall Castle]], and the [[DecisiveBattle High Clerist's Tower]], after which she is given command of the entire Whitestone Army and leads it to repeated victories over the numerically superior [[TheEmpire Dragonarmies]], destroying five separate enemy armies and liberating all of northern [[TheGoodKingdom Solamnia.]]
* While Literature/HonorHarrington initially gains renown as a tactical genius with other Manticoran officers primarily concerned with strategy, when the war against Haven finally ends and Manticore and its allies find themselves facing the massively larger Solarian League, the allied political and military leadership is surprised when Harrington reveals that she had been thinking of the possibility for years and has developed the grand strategy they immediately adopt to survive and win a war with the largest and most powerful entity in human history.
* Celeste from Literature/RaiseSomeHell takes on this role for her group, standing in the back of battles and using her ability to paralyze the demons to make a bunch of small changes that inevitably snowball in her favor.
* In ''Literature/TheArtsOfDarkAndLight'', Sextus Valerius Corvus has become a successful general because he realizes that proper planning, intelligence and deployment are the keys to winning a campaign, and is good at the same. He isn't useless or a coward in a more direct fight, but his true talent lies in directing larger wars. Corvus also thinks this is true of the younger protagonist Marcus as an officer: though he will never be the greatest warrior in single combat, he is already an excellent tactician, and appears to have the potential to be a great strategist.
* ''Literature/TheRiftwarCycle'': Chumaka lacks the disguise and combat skills of his counterpart Arakasi, being strictly a planner and not a do-er. Nonetheless, he is undeniably brilliant, almost succeeding in [[spoiler:setting his master Jiro on the imperial throne]], anticipating and thwarting counter-strategies, disrupting large portions of Arakasi's spy network, and only failing in the end because [[spoiler:Hokanu of the Shinzawai had learned the truth of his father's assassination, and brought in a force of literal [[TheCavalry cavalry]] to avenge it and kill Jiro]].

* Charlie Eppes's mathematical anticipations of the deeds of evildoers in ''Series/{{Numb3rs}}'' might count. He's not the one who comes up with the team's plans, but he is the one who figures out the plans of the Bad Guy of the Week.

* In a deleted scene in the second season of ''Series/{{Heroes}}'', [[spoiler:Kaito Nakamura]] is revealed to be capable of instantly seeing all the variables in a given situation and predicting the outcome.
* ''Series/BabylonFive'':
** Lord Refa is a murderous villain, but he is admittedly brilliant at strategy, correctly interpreting intelligence on the Narn's fleet's major strike and planning a trap of his own. However, he is later manipulated into opening a dozen other fronts at once when they have no chance of winning them all.
** Captain John Sheridan is regarded in universe as arguably the greatest tactical mind of his generation, and also shows a keen mind for both military and political strategy, that allows him to play both ambassadors and his enemies like puppets.
* ''Series/{{The 100}}'' sees Clarke quickly establish herself in this role, first among the 100, then among the Grounders and the other Ark survivors.
* ''Series/KamenRiderExAid'': [[TheSocialExpert Emu]] [[GoodIsNotDumb Hojo]] balances out the disadvantage of having to work with [[DysfunctionJunction motley]] group of unreliable individuals by shuffling them around using BatmanGambit. He is not called ''Genius Gamer M'' for nothing. Things only got better when they started to acknowledge him, allowing him to plot without having to arrange them into places needed by trickery.
* As the nickname implies, this was "Hannibal" Smith's role in ''Series/TheATeam''. When the man makes a plan, it always comes together.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' introduced the Battle Master fighter archetype in Fifth edition, which functions as this through the use of Superiority Dice as a means to control the tide of battle.

* [[BigBad Lord Recluse]] of ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' can turn any band of thugs into EliteMooks with some anally precise tactical movments - which is what lead him to take-over an entire country with what was originally less than half-a-dozen assassins. In battle this means giving his allies/minions about 10 different buffs passivly, in the narrative this means said epic battle you are engaging in with him... [[InfractionDistraction is just a distraction]].

* Similarly, ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors'' has several:
** Ieyasu Tokugawa grows into one as he becomes a more skilled general, masterminding his eventual rise to power, culminating in his planning of the Siege of Osaka, ending the last Toyotomi threat to his rule.
** Father and son team Motonari Mori and Takakage Kobayakawa are shown to be so prodigiously talented that they can hold their own against Hideyoshi Toyotomi Hideyoshi himself.
** Hanbei Takenaka and Kanbei Kuroda both count and act as another strategist team.
** Sakon Shima for Shingen Takeda, and then for Mitsunari Ishida.
** Shingen Takeda was feared for his cunning in battle.
** Kojuro Katakura is this for the Date clan. His strategies keep Masamune from getting killed due to his recklessness.
** Masayuki Sanada is said to be one of the great strategists in the Sengoku era. His strategies during the Battle of Ueda Castle gave Hidetada Tokugawa a crushing defeat and prevented him from aiding his father in Sekigahara.
* The ''VideoGame/{{Suikoden}}'' series of games has at least one strategist per game, whose help the KidHero must seek out. The Silverbergs are a notable family of strategists who have helped shape the history of the games. Lucretia Merces, the advisor for ''VideoGame/SuikodenV'', dresses in robes and often carries a feather fan (perhaps as a ShoutOut to her spiritual predecessor, Zhuge Liang). She's also the only strategist in the entire series with no known connection to the Silverberg family at all.

* The first ''VideoGame/AdvanceWars'' casts the player as a "special advisor". Nell, Commander-in-Chief of [[{{Eagleland}} Orange Star]] has this reputation in the first three games, but it's implied that her abilities have about as much to do with her [[BornLucky absurd luck]] as her tactical skill. The bad guys have [[TheDragon Hawke]], who does virtually all of Black Hole's tactical heavily lifting. He's so good that, while his subordinates are getting their asses handed to them by the nations they're trying to take over, he's ''single-handedly'' crushing Green Earth, and it takes a coalition of all three of the other nations to stop him.

* ''VideoGame/{{Myth}} 2: Soulblighter'' has you find The Deceiver, an enemy from the first game. He is responsible for a number of seemingly insane plans which both radically improve your side's power and cripple the enemy.
* The original ''VideoGame/ValkyriaChronicles'' has Welkin Gunther. Who knew a guy who prefers to spend hours watching and drawing animals and plants could make use of his vast knowledge of nature to transform a RagtagBunchOfMisfits in a BadassArmy?
* Commander Shepard of ''Franchise/MassEffect'' is considered this by reputation; [[MultipleChoicePast depending on the background]], s/he could have single-handedly lead an impromptu defense against an army of SpacePirates, single-handedly survived a [[SandWorm Thresher Maw]] on foot, or have lead an army of soldiers into a successful suicide ZergRush victory. In-game, s/he is praised by his/her squadmates and superiors for being [[TheLeader an excellent leader]], though that comes down to the player's skill, especially in the [[VideoGame/MassEffect2 second game]] when you take on the suicide mission. In the ''Omega'' [=DLC=] for ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', notorious and egotistical criminal warlord Aria T'Loak justifies [[YouAreInCommandNow putting herself under Shepard's command]] by saying his/her tactical skill is the reason she brought them along.

* In ''VideoGame/MitsumeteKnight'', [[HandicappedBadass Meehilbis]] [[RedBaron of the Ghosts]] is the strategist of the enemy mercenary brigade, Valpha-Valaharian ; he's so skilled, even when he loses the battle he personnally fights in (even eventually losing his life by your character's hands), he manages to pull off a master BatmanGambit that decimates one third of Dolphan's army, making this battle a PyrrhicVictory for Dolphan.
* In ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'', we have Hanbe and Kanbe, strategists of the Toyotomi army (since their boss is better at punching than thinking). Kanbe also has the dubious honor of being titled "The [[SmugSnake Inadequate]] [[GeneralFailure Tactician]]". Otherwise, Kojuro comes up with most of the Date army's strategies, and Motonari is more known for his genius than for his fighting skills.
* In ''VideoGame/StarCraftI'' and its expansion pack ''Brood War'', this is what the player character is. During mission briefings you will routinely be spoken to directly, with Raynor, the Overmind, Fenix, and [[spoiler:Kerrigan]] being particularly fond of doing so. While most of these 'characters' are never referenced outside of your role as them, if you look deep enough into the lore, it becomes clear that your character in the original Protoss campaign is Artanis (a hero unit in ''BW'' and ''VideoGame/StarCraftII'') and that in ''Brood War'' you play as Selendis (another ''[=SC2=]'' hero).
* In-universe, Listrata from ''VideoGame/WarOfOmens'' is this. As of this update, she has faced a dozen or more enemies, and has beaten them all.
* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'':
** [[TheDreaded Thel 'Vadam(ee)]] was considered one of the most dangerous members of the [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Covenant]] for this very reason. One of the few advantages Humanity had against the Covenant during the war was how the latter stubbornly refused to use innovative tactics against the former, relying on the sheer technological edge and overpowering legions. Thel 'Vadam was among the few leaders in the Covenant who ignored this handicap by matching/often surpassing the human strategists with unpredictability, leading to multiple victories against them, and he likely would have been one of the driving forces behind humanity's extinction if he hadn't pulled a HeelFaceTurn. This is even more impressive when one realizes the [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Sangheili race]] he's a part of usually ostracizes traits like innovation and creativity, yet he managed to develop them on his own.
** On the human side, Admiral Preston Cole is considered one of the main reasons why humanity lasted as long as it did against the vastly superior Covenant; he never lost a major battle, and his battle record is considered even more impressive than those of the [[OneManArmy Spartan-IIs]].
* As leader of the Inquisition's military, this is Cullen's job in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition''. In particular, he advises the [[PlayerCharacter Inquisitor]] about how to successfully breach the defenses of Adamant Fortress, and personally oversees the effort to bring the battle to the Venatori in the Arbor Wilds.
* The demon Azmodan from the ''Videogame/{{Diablo}}'' franchise is described as one of the finest battlefield commanders in Hell, possibly all of Creation, who has honed his knowledge of warfare through millennia of battles between demons and angels. [[InformedAttribute The key words there being "described as"]]. When you actually get to face his army in ''Videogame/{{Diablo III}}'' most of his forces will simply throw themselves at you and hope to crush you with [[WeHaveReserves sheer numbers]], and while he has a few moments of tactical genius (such as burrowing his forces into a keep and sneak attacking it from below), his habit of [[IShallTauntYou telepathically sending you arrogant taunts]] often results in him giving away his plans before he puts them into action.
** Makes more sense when you consider he is the Aspect of Sin, namely, ''Pride''. He assumes he has already won once he invades Sanctuary, and all that's happening is the mop-up of Sanctuary's remaining defenders, when in fact he's actually battling [[OneManArmy their real army]].
* ''Videogame/DwarfFortress:'' Ever since the Tactics skill got actual use in Worldgen battles, and the player became capable of sending raids off-site, having a dwarf with high level in it to act as this trope is a valuable thing for both NPC empires and your fortress. While the actual process is heavily abstracted, the game tells how far one side outsmarts the other, and the combat rolls are skewed appropriately; a thorough [[OutGambitted out-gambitting]] can lead to even trashy conscripts carving a sizeable dent in an actual army. And skilled, well-equipped warriors at a good Tactician's command can slowly whittle an entire city to a lifeless ruin with a little insistence.

* [[spoiler:Tarvek]] in ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' is [[spoiler:temporarily placed in command of the Wulfenbach forces]] after identifying a treacherous unit just by looking at the military map while on the way to the cells. Because they aren't complete fools, his decisions are assessed by other strategists and 23 weapons are trained on him at all times.

* Bad guy example: Thrust from ''Anime/TransformersArmada'' was summoned to Earth about midway through the series to lend his tactical skills to the Decepticons. Unfortunately, it didn't help much. Although a few of his plans would have worked, if not for a bit of DeusExMachina in the Autobots' favor.
** Before him, there were Obsidian and Strika in ''WesternAnimation/BeastMachines'', described by Rattrap as the two greatest generals in Cybertronian history.
* Gorilla Grodd "watches lots and lots of TV" in order to enact his DivideAndConquer plot on the WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague. It nearly works but his strategy [[BondVillainStupidity doesn't include immediately finishing them off]]. This is actually pointed out by Clayface [[spoiler:Martian Manhunter]] that this would always happen in some of the movies he would do. Grodd of course waves him away saying how there's no way it could happen...
* In seasons three and four of ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'' Grand Admiral Thrawn is called in to deal with the Rebels and quickly proves himself to be one of these.
* Kenny is this in the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "Best Friends Forever"; he proves so adept at [[IKnowMortalKombat a PSP real-time strategy game]] that Heaven recruits him to lead angelic armies against the hosts of Hell.

The Strategist may also take center stage. As a hero, The Strategist's clever tactical tricks drive the story. A main character Strategist will face overwhelming odds, again and again. The enemy may have difficulty believing The Strategist can possibly win -- after all, [[Webcomic/ErfWorld they're outnumbered 25 to 1 and have a moron for a boss]]! But by bending the rules a little, dusting off their knowledge of military history, and maybe pulling a few dirty tricks, The Strategist comes out on top, or at least alive. They can become the '''MaryTzu''' if done poorly.

Compare MaryTzu, when the character is unrealistically good at strategy. In games, players who want to be Strategists are a widely recognised {{Player Archetype|s}}, making this a sister trope to other such archetypes; naturally, some are better planners than others.

* ''Webcomic/{{Erfworld}}'' centers around Parson Gotti, who was teleported to a [[RPGMechanicsVerse world based on turn-based strategy games]] to serve as "the perfect warlord" to a EvilOverlord who is badly losing a war. This was most greatly illustrated in a strip where Parson essentially paraphrases Sun Tzu's ''The Art Of War''. The scene is also an outright deconstruction of the MaryTzu trope; he has to patiently explain that even perfect strategy doesn't mean you never lose.

* In the early releases, ''Manga/CMonDigimon'' and ''Manga/DigimonVTamer01'', this was how humans earned their keep in a world full of monsters. Later entries into the franchise would [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness change this]] to monsters "{{evol|utionarylevels}}ving" due to human emotions and [[BondCreatures thus partnering to humans to get stronger]]. The protagonists of ''Anime/DigimonTamers'' would ''try'' to come up with tactics, but fail more often than they succeeded, the supporting adult characters later becoming strategists instead. Teru Raku and Masuken Kana of ''Manhua/DigimonDCyber'', Yuu of ''Manga/DigimonNext'' and Toma of ''Anime/DigimonSavers'' were strategists but were overshadowed by emotional {{idiot hero}}es who simply relied on evolution. ''Anime/DigimonFusion'' seemed to go back to humans earning their keep by being tacticians angle but then reintroduced evolution and a {{spotlight stealing|squad}} idiot hero named Taigiru.

* In the early releases, ''Manga/CMonDigimon'' and ''Manga/DigimonVTamer01'', this was how humans earned their keep in a world full of monsters. Later entries into the franchise would [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness change this]] to monsters "{{evol|utionarylevels}}ving" due to human emotions and [[BondCreatures thus partnering to humans to get stronger]]. The protagonists of ''Anime/DigimonTamers'' would ''try'' to come up with tactics, but fail more often than they succeeded, the supporting adult characters later becoming strategists instead. Teru Raku and Masuken Kana of ''Manhua/DigimonDCyber'', Yuu of ''Manga/DigimonNext'' and Toma of ''Anime/DigimonSavers'' were strategists but were overshadowed by emotional {{idiot hero}}es who simply relied on evolution. ''Anime/DigimonXrosWars'' seemed to go back to humans earning their keep by being tacticians angle but then reintroduced evolution and a {{spotlight stealing|squad}} idiot hero named Taigiru.

* ''Literature/TheHeroicLegendOfArislan'' has Narsus, once a chief adviser and tactician under Andragoras, who was removed from office because he was opposed to the kingdom's practice of slavery.
* ''Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy'': Grand Admiral Thrawn from Creator/TimothyZahn's ''StarWars'' [[Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse Expanded Universe]] books. He later evolves into a MagnificentBastard when the Empire crumbles after Endor, when he returns from the Unknown Regions and nearly crushes the New Republic single-handedly. The same trilogy also has the very good strategist Garm Bel Iblis, who left the official Rebellion to fight the Empire with his own group after Bail Organa died and Mon Mothma seemed like she was gathering too much power. Eventually, thanks to Han and Leia's efforts, he joined the New Republic.

** Tywin Lannister is a very cautious man who builds his power by means of a CultOfPersonality and as a master of diplomacy and subterfuge. He is a JackOfAllStats in most respects, a military general who never won a battle outnumbered, was humiliated by Euron Greyjoy's raid on Lannisport in the past, and is utterly outfoxed by Robb Stark on the field, managing to triumph by means of a lucky break thanks to Edmure Tully going rogue on Robb's orders and his son Tyrion Lannister defending King's Landing. He is a brilliant OpportunisticBastard who is capable of capitalizing and maximizing his and his House's advantage despite not doing as much as other houses (such as when he sat out of Robert's Rebellion but came at the end to sack King's Landing under a FalseFlagOperation). He's quite good at holding the AdvantageBall and ruthless in his refusal to offer quarter and margin for error. However his brutality is deconstructed as in the long-term it means his family has trouble maintaining control and are despised for their cruelty.

* In ''Literature/ThePrincessBride'' when Inigo and Fezzik are reunited, Inigo wants to find Vizzini and have him plan a way to break into the castle, so that he (Inigo) can kill Count Rugen. However, Vizzini is dead. Then Inigo realizes the Man in Black must have out-thought Vizinni, and "a man who can do that can plan my castle onslaught any day!"

** Wei has Guo Jia, Jia Xu, and Xun Yu. In Wei's hypothetical route in 8, Xu Shu also defects to Wei.

In a supporting role, the Strategist is basically TheSmartGuy on turbo, although he or she will -- as a general rule -- be less likely to physically partake in any of the plans they think up. The heroes may come to rely on The Strategist for their ultimate success, and, as such, will have to protect and keep The Strategist as far away from the front lines as possible. The loss of The Strategist might come across as an unmitigated disaster, should the heroes come to rely on his or her advice too much. Also, there's no guarantee that The Strategist won't turn out to also be TheChessmaster, manipulating both the heroes and the villains towards some mysterious and personal goal. This will almost never be the case, however, as The Strategist very rarely wants power for him- or herself; the sheer joy of being given a venue where they can stretch their intellectual muscles and try out their plans is often reward enough for their loyalty and service.

** This is technically the role that Heymans Breda occupies on [[ColonelBadass Roy Mustang's]] team. Mustang himself is a Badass Strategist, but recognized that Breda's abilities in this field were well above average, and recruited him for the group.

** More recently, we found out who Shikamaru gets it from; Shikaku, his dad, is Jounin Commander of Konoha, and is acting as Tsunade's right-hand man, helping to coordinate the movements of various divisions. Not only that, he even creates a perfect strategy that manages to drive the Juubi into a corner.

* Sanji in ''Manga/OnePiece'' is this for the Straw Hats, having proven time and time again to be an expert {{Chessmaster}} and XanatosSpeedChess player. The Little Garden, Alabasta, Skypeia, Water 7, Enies Lobby, and Zou arcs all have solid examples of him displaying this skill.

* Liu Xiu, Emperor Guang Wu and founder of the Eastern Han dynasty. His victory at the Battle of Kunyang was one of the few examples in Chinese history whereby odds were so stacked against one army, and yet the underdog won. His side, with about 20,000 men, prevailed against approximately 420,000 troops of the Xin Dynasty. He was also known for formulating strategies back in court and sending said strategies to his generals out in the field, and the strategies still helped his troops win the day.
* Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, the man who earned his agnomen "Africanus" by beating Hannibal at his own game and turning his own strategy against him. Nuff said. One might call UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar this as well.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi_Sun-sin Admiral Yi Sun-sin]] of the Kingdom of Korea is in a 2-man contest with Horatio Nelson for the position of "greatest naval commander of all time". During the Japanese invasions of Korea, it was ''solely'' thanks to Sun-sin's mastery on the waters that the kingdom was saved, despite [[DeadlyDecadentCourt political]] [[WeAREStrugglingTogether infighting]] including a Japanese plot that saw him tortured and reduced to the ranks. After his replacement fell into the same trap [[IToldYouSo that Yi had been demoted for NOT falling into]], the Korean court hastily reinstated Yi Sun-sin and, despite his fleet being reduced to only 12-13 ships, he took on a Japanese fleet of 300 ships and ''[[CurbStompBattle/RealLife smashed]]'' it [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Myeongnyang by picking his battleground carefully]][[note]]The Strait of Myeongnyang was known ''locally'' for having a current that shifted every few hours, which negated the Japanese numbers advantage and sent them into disarray when the current shifted, causing their ships to splinter against each other[[/note]]. When the Japanese attempted to retreat from Korea, Yi met them in [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Noryang one final battle]], his fleet now around 150 ships (thanks to Chinese reinforcements) but now facing '''500''' Japanese ships. This time, he ''annihilated'' them. Ironically, much like Admiral Nelson later would at Trafalgar, he fell in the battle when he was mortally wounded by a stray bullet, dying in his finest hour. In his career fighting the Japanese over the course of the 7-year war, he fought 23 battles and lost '''none''' (comparably, Nelson only fought 13 recognised battles in his 35 years of service and only 8 were decisive victories). He is still regarded as Korea's greatest hero to this day. The reason it's only a two-man contest?

** In combat, Gray always defeats his major opponents with his wits. He quickly makes a plan how to defeat and executes it, contrasting Natsu who gets random {{Power Up}}s and Erza who overpowers her opponents often with no explanation

%%* ''KoutetsuSangokushi'', albeit with just Zhuge Liang (Shoukatsuryou Koumei).

* Kakuri in ''Bokko''. When the small border city of Ryo is threatened by a large invading army, they send a request for help to their ancient allies, the clan of Bokk. They send a single man to save the city. Which he proceeds to do, in spite of seemingly insurmountable problems.

%%* Prussia and Canada from ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia''.

* Squirtle from Fanfic/PokemonMysteryDungeonPowerTrip, who is the hero version of this trope. Because he is a human naturally, and not a Pokémon, he is able to think out strategies when he and his teammates fight together.

* ''FanFic/MastermindStrategistForHire'': As the title suggests, Izuku makes a living selling strategies and plans to villains, mostly for murders and thefts. While Izuku has some combat ability, it's his ability to both strategize in advance and create plans on the fly that allow him to succeed.

* While many have dismissed another [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar American Civil War]] general, Ulysses Grant, as being limited to only WeHaveReserves, he was in reality a handy strategist. His battles in the Eastern Theater of the war and during the Vicksburg Campaign would not have been won just by using raw numbers of troops, no matter what his critics like to say. Furthermore, while Robert E. Lee was a battlefield general skilled in winning individual battles, Grant was a big-picture strategist who could take all his nation's forces in his plans and have the skill and will to use them through a series of battles to most effectively win the war.

In a supporting role, the Strategist is basically TheSmartGuy on turbo, although he or she will--as a general rule--be less likely to physically partake in any of the plans they think up. The heroes may come to rely on The Strategist for their ultimate success, and, as such, will have to protect and keep The Strategist as far away from the front lines as possible. The loss of The Strategist might come across as an unmitigated disaster, should the heroes come to rely on his or her advice too much. Also, there's no guarantee that The Strategist won't turn out to also be TheChessmaster, manipulating both the heroes and the villains towards some mysterious and personal goal. This will almost never be the case, however, as The Strategist very rarely wants power for him- or herself; the sheer joy of being given a venue where they can stretch their intellectual muscles and try out their plans is often reward enough for their loyalty and service.

* ''Eikou no Napoleon: Eroica'', the sequel to ''Manga/RoseOfVersailles'', has its fair share: the first to appear is, surprisingly, Alain, who has a knack for anticipating the strategies of ''UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte'' of all people; another is Napoleon (of course), who not only did all of historical deeds but also offered a job to Alain upon discovering they had the same idea to dispose of a counter-revolutionary insurgence (with the difference that Napoleon actually had the authority to do the job and Alain was trying a BavarianFireDrill); [[WoodenShipsAndIronMen Horatio Nelson]] took care of frustrating Napoleon's efforts at sea; the French generals Massena and Murat, who acted as Napoleon's [[TheLancer Lancers]] after [[spoiler:Alain's death attempting to kill Napoleon]]; Michael Von Melas, who gave Napoleon a desperate run for his money at Marengo and would have won if Alain didn't anticipate Napoleon's need for more troops and returned at the right moment; Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov, the great Russian general, anticipated Napoleon's tactic at Austerlitz (too bad [[IgnoredExpert the czar ignored him]]), but when Napoleon invaded Russia he outsmarted him every time and, while unable to defeat him in battle, his scorched earth strategy left the invaders helpless when the Russian winter came, ultimately resulting in victory; after Kutuzov's death (and Napoleon's HopeSpot), Carl von Clausewitz in person took care of organizing the Coalition's strategy that led to the victory at Leipzig, the first defeat inflicted to Napoleon on the battlefield; and, finally, the Duke of Wellington, who inflicted Napoleon his final defeat.

* Ikki Tenryou in the ''{{VideoGame/Medabots}}'' anime, which has a surprisingly-well-developed sense of tactics for a {{Mons}} show. Left to his own devices, Metabee would be stuck in a vicious cycle of PunchPunchPunchUhOh, but Ikki keeps him out of trouble. Ikki likes to use the terrain, such as exploiting a nearby fountain to douse an electricity-wielding opponent and make her electrocute herself, or tricking a heavily-shielded opponent into chasing Metabee over a dune, allowing Metabee to shoot at his legs from below and ignore the shields.

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* Toward the tail end of ''WebVideo/{{Kickassia}}'', after the idea of [[spoiler:summoning Dr. Insano]] goes about as well as one could expect, Linkara is called upon to determine an actual strategy to defeat the Nostalgia Critic.

* In ''Franchise/{{Noob}}'', Heimdäl is Justice guild's leader and strategist, a trait seen mostly in the novels. The novels also state that Arthéon was another of Justice's strategists before his RealMoneyTrade incident. Arthéon puts these talents in use as leader of the Noob guild in all three media, but his expertise gets balanced out by Noob being a RagtagBunchOfMisfits of which he's the OnlySaneMan.

In several sport series, The Strategist will be a highly-talented player who also devises strategies or helps the coach do so. Often, said characters have weak health, so they're only allowed to play [[RaceAgainstTheClock for a limited time]], or aren't called into the games unless the team is in a tight pinch. They're also likely to hold quite the degree of power inside of the team, possibly as captains or assistants...if not ''coaches''.

** While it's clear Stannis has utterly ''no'' talent for politics, one of his few saving graces as a leader is his strategic ability and talent as a general. He would've taken King's Landing if it hadn't been for Tyrion's wildfire trick and fiercely organized defense, which delayed his siege long enough for Tywin to arrive with the Tyrells as reinforcements. [[spoiler:Though he finally loses this largely came about through rather contrived writing, with Ramsay Bolton somehow wrecking Stannis' entire war effort with 20 men in a night raid.]]