When to attack

[Stone Mill]

This may not directly answer you question, but experienced players are on target when they apply real-world principles to SEIV.

From my military training, I find these invaluable:

PRINCIPLES OR WAR
Objective
Direct military operations toward a defined and attainable objective that contributes to strategic, operational, or tactical aims.
Offensive
Dictates that we act rather than react and dictate the time, place, purpose, scope, intensity, and pace of operations. The initiative must be seized, retained, and fully exploited.
Mass
Concentrate combat power at the decisive time and place.
Economy of Force
Create usable mass by using minimum combat power on secondary objectives. Make the fullest use of forces available
Maneuver
Place the enemy in a position of disadvantage through flexible application of combat power.
Unity of Command
Ensure unity of effort for every objective under one responsible commander.
Security
Protect friendly forces and their operations from enemy actions, which could provide the enemy with unexpected advantage.
Surprise
Strike the enemy at a time or place or in a manner for which he is unprepared.
Simplicity
Avoid unnecessary complexity in preparing, planning, and conducting military operations.

Now as for specific applications of these principles... that may be a few more Posts.