Nibley further comments on Moroni’s military genius: “The supreme test of generalship, we are told, is to have the enemy play your game, making just the moves you want him to make under the impression that he is being very smart on his own. Moroni did just that, and the attack on the city of Noah ‘was according to his desires’ (Alma 49:15).”
Geography/Culture: The incursion now moves away from Ammonihah toward Noah. Previous intelligence from the Zoramites likewise suggested that this city would be an easy target; instead it is “strong, yea, even to exceed the strength of the city of Ammonihah.” Despite this obvious discouragement, the Lamanite general chooses to attack.
In Sorenson’s geographic reconstruction, Ammonihah is strategically located at a passage from the coast over into the valley of the Sidon. After bypassing Ammonihah, Noah would be the next city in line and the next logical point of attack. In choosing to move on to Noah, however, the Lamanite commander leaves a fortified city in his rear, potentially exposing him to an attack from that direction which would have left him fighting on two fronts. Obviously, this situation would have been a great disadvantage to him.
Apparently the Lamanites intend a rapid raid into the Sidon River Valley to attack the heartland of the land of Zarahemla. If they conquered the central city, the hegemony would probably disintegrate and they would be victorious even if they had not conquered each individual city. Thus, the unnamed Lamanite general could afford to by-pass Ammonihah if he moved into the heartland so quickly that he did not have to worry about his rear. With one city under his control, he could keep moving quickly, conquering the string of cities right up to and including Zarahemla.
This plan hit a big snag at Noah. Moroni had apparently anticipated this strategy, perhaps even guessing that the army would skip Ammonihah. The Lamanite general has been forced into a very difficult position. He had bypassed a weaker defensive position, leaving him only three options: (1) Skip Noah and move to the next city, putting him even deeper in Nephite territory, (2) attack, or (3) retreat.
Retreating would have abandoned the entire purpose of the army. Moving on might have been acceptable if he could count on continuing his blitzkrieg style, but he has already had two nasty surprises. What will he find even closer to Zarahemla? The farther he goes forward, the more exposed he is to attacks from the strongholds in his rear. The Lamanite general stops to fight at Noah because he realizes that moving forward was too risky, and retreating would mean giving up the campaign. He presses the battle.