Sun Tzu, The Art of War, and Heroscape

[chas]

Sun Tzu is great. I've just finished reading another Chinese Classic, Romance of The Three Kingdoms (abridged edition). This is also a well known computer game. In the book the various factions try out many of these type of maneuvers, which include deception in many forms as an adjunct to their military campaigns.

You hit the nail on the head with the "don't charge in" comment. I find it often useful to wait out a charge, especially with one powerful piece by an opponent! I like to keep my army together for combination attacks. Its a series of moves, rather than one move, that usually wins the game, unless your die luck suddenly goes nuclear...

The Civil War Battle of Second Manassas is worth studying here. The South lets the North attack one part of its army, while the other half suddenly arrives on the flank and counterattacks! Very Heroscapy!!!

[RageAngel]

Since I wrote a book about 2 years ago on applying the Samurai writings (Hagakure, Five Rings) to Christianity, I'll have to see if I can write something up applying them to Heroscape.

BTW, Art of War is in the public domain. It's completely free here:
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/132

Yes, that's the whole book

Update:

The first lesson, from Musashi's Book of Five Rings.

To Hold down a pillow means not allowing the enemy's head to rise. In contests of stategy it is bad to be led about by the enemy. You must always be able to lead the enemy about. Obviously the enemy will also be thinking of doing this, but he cannot forestall you if you do not allow him to come out. In strategy, you must stop the enemy as he attempts to cut; you must push down his thrust, and throw off his hold when he tries to grapple. This is the meaning of "to hold down a pillow". When you have grasped this principle, whatever the enemy tries to bring about in the fight you will see in advance and suppress it.



The spirit is to check his attack at the syllable "at...", when he jumps check his advance at the syllable "ju...", and check his cut at "cu...".


The important thing in strategy is to suppress the enemy's useful actions but allow his useless actions. However, doing this alone is defensive. First, you must act according to the Way, suppress the enemy's techniques, foiling his plans, and thence command him directly. When you can do this you will be a master of strategy. You must train well and research "holding down a pillow".

In Heroscape, this means to always be mindful of what your opponent is planning to do; in this case by how he has positioned his pieces and where his order markers lie. Neutralize his squads and heroes that will be used next to attack, possibly causing him to lose his turn.

If you have a multiple choices in attack targets, the best choice is going to be those pieces your opponent is going to use most immediately, or that are already in position to attack you and have order markers on them.

[FieldMarshal]

Allowing the opponent to make the mistakes is almost always the best thing to do. If the other player can make just one mistake in the beginning of a match, it will go a long way in helping you win.

That's one of the reasons I pray that I don't win initiative for the first round of a heroscape game!

[Topher]

BTW, Art of War is in the public domain. It's completely free here:
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/132

That is an pretty neat looking site, never knew such a thing existed. I will be checking it out, thanks. Anyway, I prefer to move second as well in HS. Unlike in Chess you don't usually need to immediately start reacting to your opponents moves and I'd rather make the most well-informed first move I can.

[SirGalahad]

Originally Posted by Grungebob

Ahh the old art of war threads. About once a year somebody posts a thread attempting to use the teachings of Sun Tzu in Heroscape.

And that's a good thing. It means new people are coming to the game and the boards.

[Hogg]

Originally Posted by Ullar/utgar own

Ok........ I doubt I'll be getting that. Ever.

It has been translated and published so many times you could fill a room with different copies of it. I got a copy for $4 and it is also avaliable for free on the net as others have posted.

Originally Posted by TOG

I find it ironic that I actually picked this book up at the library last night, and now this thread appears...

Maybe it's a sign that I should read the book.

You should also read The Secret. It will tell you why you saw this thread shortly after picking up the book.

[Chimpy]

Originally Posted by Grungebob

Ahh the old art of war threads. About once a year somebody posts a thread attempting to use the teachings of Sun Tzu in Heroscape.

I am still waiting for a proper analysis of Heroscape sourced in an in depth reading of The Federalist Papers.

[Agent Minivann]

Originally Posted by Chimpy

I am still waiting for a proper analysis of Heroscape sourced in an in depth reading of The Federalist Papers.

To do it right wouldn't you really need to do away with order markers? I think that would really capture the feel of a limited central government.

[Star Wolf]

The art of war. Yeah I saw this on the history channel once. That guy was a genius. He beat an army that was way bigger than his if I remember correctly.

[Chimpy]

Originally Posted by Agent Minivann

To do it right wouldn't you really need to do away with order markers? I think that would really capture the feel of a limited central government.

Ah, to the contrary, the authors of Federalist were fans of "energetic" government that had the "means" to accomplish any "end" set before it. Limiting order markers t match the views of Hamilton, Madison, and Jay is counter-intuitive. As Publius says:

Originally Posted by Federalist No. 23

Because it is impossible to foresee or define the extent and variety of national exigencies, or the correspondent extent & variety of the means which may be necessary to satisfy them. The circumstances that endanger the safety of nations are infinite; and for this reason no constitutional shackles can wisely be imposed on the power to which the care of it is committed. This power ought to be co-extensive with all the possible combinations of such circumstances; and ought to be under the direction of the same councils, which are appointed to preside over the common defence.