The Book of Five Rings and Wargaming

By: Chad La Mons

This article is not so much a review of The Book of Five Rings, as it is an observation of its relevance to wargaming. Whether battling across a table-top or playing the latest strategic/tactical video-game, Miyamoto Musashi’s book will prove useful to all wargamers. The table below features four Classical Elements and their corresponding military aspects.

Element	Sample Strategies	Sample Tactics	Actions	Generalship
Fire	Blitzkrieg	Bayonet Charge	Attack	Popular support & Morale
Wind	Guerilla warfare	Creeping Barrage	Evade	Intelligence
Earth	Scorched Earth	Phalanx	Defend	Logistics
Water	Trench Warfare	Suppressive Fire	Countermoves	Coordination of forces

In campaigns, the four Classical Elements can also anticipate potential conflicts and unrest.

Element	Commonplace  Governments	Abnormal Governments	Vocation/ Education	Causes of Strife
Fire	Totalitarian	Fascism/Isolationism	Labor, Military	Lack of resources
Wind	Socialism	Anarchy/Libertarianism	Art, Writing	Economic failure
Earth	Republic	Oligarchy/Plutocracy	Business, Politics	Inequality
Water	Tribalism	Theocracy/Technocracy	Philosophy, Science	Ideological

Omitted from these tables is the last and most intriguing Element called “Void”, a state of transcendent skill and awareness concerning the four Elements. Any wargamer capable of achieving this state, would appear to others as being extremely lucky.

The Battle of Waterloo, 1815
Napoleon’s plan to weaken the British with artillery (wind) was thwarted by the Duke of Wellington ordering his men to fallback behind the cover of a hill (water). Misinterpreting the Duke’s maneuver as a retreat, the French launch a massive cavalry charge (fire), which is greeted by the British infantry arrayed in a series of defensive squares (earth).

In applying principles found within The Book of Five Rings, do not think of the Elements as being superior to each other. The Elements are ever flowing and changing, never static.