A strange, foreign world. Mysterious judges with capricious rules. Thousands of gamers find themselves split into factions and pitted against each other at the whim of an unknown higher power, with no idea how they got there or why they were chosen. Dying in this world hurts, but it's not the end: dead players always respawn to fight again.
Echo, with his extensive knowledge of fighting, armor, and weapons, has all the makings of a great leader. The ragtag recruits fighting for him under the less-than-threatening name "Society of Pinprick Enthusiasts" become the bane of the opposing factions, sowing terror in their wake. But this game won't be won in straightforward skirmishes. The squad will have to forge pacts with their own faction, the judges, and even their enemies. Each day brings new twists, new rules, and new ways to play, and a step that seemed to be in the right direction might suddenly become a fatal mistake.
Brute force and bravado won't be enough for Echo to carve his way to the top and stay there. He will have to lead his squad through mistakes, good fortune, victory, and defeat in his quest to secure his position.
The two-part epic Small Unit Tactics has a massive fanbase in Russia, and these novels were in many ways forerunners to some of the most famous Russian LitRPG cycles. Departing from the genre standard, there are no system messages or stat sheets here. Instead, the author uses an artistic touch to illustrate the characters' growth as they level up and improve their skills, which undeniably sets these books apart. We are pleased to present them for the first time in English.