I personally liked the story, but the core content is too repetitive. It is one of those op character centered stories where it does little to feed off its possitives such as comedy and easily resolving irreversible situations (It attempts to do so but the potential losses are never high enough, zero tension, and obvious realization the MC will easily resolve it results poorly). This results in a story with no real tensions and real story climaxes.

Now I get I'm just really listing negatives here... but I think it's still worth a shot. I'm just a bit stuck up on the negatives as I liked the story making me hung up on all these caveats that would've made it better.

The core loop consists of

1. 1. Downtime / Recruitment

1. 1. Military... more>> corps fighting (MC commands the army)

35% of the novel feels like it is filled with military strategy / fights, however, it is a very simple formula. The MC easily resolves everything, being one step ahead, there is never any real reversals and again tension in the plot. It is never complex either but a simple development/execution. This results in most of the core of the novel being really just a filler. These fighting scenes could've been much better written, a prime example being how Pick me Up, and Surving the Game as a Barbarian handles the exact same formula, but extremely well on both sides (though Pick Me Up fell off later on)

This results in the downtime filler being the core plot. The buildup that leads up these huge engagements being the attraction. I personally enjoyed this. But I can't bump it up from a 3 due to world/plot holes. Everything also revolves around the military. Every school is a training grounds to train potential future officers.

This novel is also 100% a harem. Every girl falls in love with the MC easily, and every FL love potential has major cliches to force the plot relationship. The MC is also a bit stuck up. <<less

Look, this story has a very simple formula, but it does it well enough that it doesn't become boring. There is a mystery subplot as the main story continues and the characters aren't terrible. I would rec to people who like the military aspects.

I like this story. Bit of a quicker pacing and a main character with a good head on his shoulders. The strategic parts are interesting and not too drawn out.

The only downside I have noticed so far are the older female leads who seem to fall for the young protagonist a bit too easily. But yeah, harem whatever.

Definitely one of the better novels being translated right now by anybody. Translation is pretty impeccable as well. The tactics/grand strategy the protagonists employs in war are fundamentally sound and his background as a middling Go player and professional chess player gives his insight some plausibility, especially combined with his pre-existing game knowledge of the opposing generals' tactical tendencies and strengths/weaknesses and his knowledge of how the game's wars would ordinarily develop, he's formidable but not preposterously so; that is to say, there's a reason for him to be winning... more>> these clashes besides just the protagonist's armor. The politics of it all are alright as well. My only complaint is that I wish the character-to-character stuff had a little more time spent on it, the micro level stuff rather than the macro level stuff. <<less