artifices

/AA1 R T AH0 F IH0 S IH0 Z/
noun
  1. 1

    A crafty but underhanded deception.

  2. 2

    A trick played out as an ingenious, but artful, ruse.

  3. 3

    A strategic maneuver that uses some clever means to avoid detection or capture.

  4. 4

    A tactical move to gain advantage.

  5. 5

    Something made with technical skill; a contrivance.

Source: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/artifice, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/artifices