How to Play Like a Bushido Warrior

Sunday Read - We Must Tell the Emperor

When this fine game was released, there was much lively discussion about it. Very quickly, a consensus emerged about how to play and how to win. The game provides two very distinct paths to victory.

1. Military Victory whereby the Japanese drive three of the four enemy fronts from the board.

2. Survival Victory whereby the Japanese exhaust the event deck at game’s end and still hold the Home Islands against their enemies.

Players did the math on the probability of Military Victory and quickly realized the odds are heavily stacked against the Japanese. The game's designer calculated the chances of Japan achieving military victory to be only 5%. This, of course, was the historic reality facing the Japanese. The United States’ economic and military potential vastly exceeded Japan’s. My hunch is the 5% number overstates Japan’s prospects. As such, players quickly abandoned pursuit of Military Victory. The rationale is there is no point in making the considerable effort to achieve an objective with such limited prospects for success. The thinking is it is better for the Japanese to conserve her limited resources for the inevitable endgame showdown with her enemies. The pursuit of military victory is deemed a waste of time and effort.

I once asked when players “gave up” on Military Victory. The smart set announced from the get-go. Japan’s situation is hopeless. Excessive offensive effort was foolishness. Better to set up the defensive perimeter, hunker down early and prepare for catastrophe. Memorably, the thread wound down as everyone piled on with historic details showing the futility of Japan’s military position during the war.

Run & Hide

The thinking goes like this. I dub it the “Run & Hide” strategy. Pick a fight with the biggest bully on the playground. In fact, start the fight in the lowest most dastardly humiliating way and then run like hell. The problem is this bully knows where you live. Moreover, he has a long history of raising the largest possible army and, as quickly and directly as possible, invading and devastating said bully’s homeland. In gameplay terms, the Japanese push back their enemies and seek to maximize their resources for the American counterstroke. The thinking is resources allocated to offensive efforts weaken the Japanese defensive position for the endgame. Sure, this is not the manliest plan. But, it has a plausibility about it. However, the historic record suggests otherwise.

One example of such thinking was in a video review of the game. The reviewer, Marco, found the game only came alive for him when the Late War deck saw Japan's enemies begin their inexorable advance on the Home Islands. To him the Early and Mid War periods were not particularly interesting. One sensed he was killing time before the 'real action' of the Late War period began.

One player’s ultimate response to the military situation confronting Japan and the game situation was resignation. He eventually declared the game had no meaningful decisions. Thereafter, he abdicated making decisions and allowed himself to be guided solely by the DRM’s on the event cards. While this tact has a certain simplicity about it, since adapting this strategy, his enjoyment of the game declined precipitously, and his win-loss ratio did not improve. I can’t say I’m not surprised he abandoned the game.

Another player, who shared the "it is hopeless" consensus, actually gave it a shot one-time and went all-out for Military Victory. The results were insightful. He still lost the game. However, he noted his pursuit of military seemed to invigorate his play. The attempt also made him realize there was something to going all-out for Military Victory. Alas, he lost his nerve quickly and conceded defeat. Whether he followed up on this intuition I don’t know. But, he was correct -- how you play affects the quality of play.

Not surprisingly, none of these players have achieved a Military Victory. Curiously, they nor anyone else seems to offer any evidence the “Run & Hide” strategy actually delivers on its promise of increasing Japan’s chances to achieve Survival Victory. Furthermore, it doesn’t seem to enhance their enjoyment of the game. No doubt, these guys aren’t actively playing the game anymore. So, I’m doubly perplexed as they advocated a strategy and style of play which didn’t demonstratably increase their chances for victory and ultimately discouraged them from playing the game anymore. One suggested he could be convinced to play merely to “go along for the ride” as the event cards are revealed. Hmm, not my idea of a good time gaming

Going for It

I vehemently disagree with these defeatists. They remind me of accountants and old maids, not determined warriors hell-bent on victory and glory despite the fearsome odds against them. Look, this is a game. I want to maximize my enjoyment. Sitting back, getting creamed, hoping for the best and looking forward to getting my three kamikaze chits is not my idea of fun. I want to win, and I want to have fun. So, when I play “We Must Tell the Emperor”, I take on a persona. I am the steely Bushido warrior faithfully serving his Emperor. I am not some vague incarnation of the spirit of Japan. I am a confidant to his majesty liaising with the government and leaders of the Army and Navy. My duty is to coordinate these fractious elements to serve the Emperor and lead the Japanese Empire to take its rightful place as an equal with the great powers. Got it?

What does this mean? It means all-out pursuit of Military Victory from the get-go. One player was on to something. “Going for it” changes the way you think and play. Instead of seeing the limits of the dire situation and complaining about the unfairness of life, one looks for and one finds offensive opportunities to pursue Military Victory. It is a case of the proverbial glass half-full or half-empty. Bringing an attitude of optimism and determination to the game means you think differently about decisions and plans. You are not an accountant coolly toting up debits and credits. It reminds me of the maxim that men cannot be managed to their deaths. Rather, only through vital leadership (and their buddies in their unit) are they willing to die for a cause and go to the ends of this earth for it. I call it Bushido Spirit.

I’m not saying one simply ignores the harsh realities of the military and economic situation. One has to be realistic. But, it means thinking with Bushido Spirit. You are never going to overmatch the enemies of Japan materially. Fight with what you have and with what you can get. The situation will never be ideal for the perfect offensive. Your elite troops will all be dead before final victory is achieved. You’ll never have enough oil to fuel your war machine. So, drive to positions quickly where you can strike for victory and then take your shots. And if you’re turned back, don’t lose heart! That is the surest route to defeat. It will take more than three Knock-out Blow attempts to win the game, unless you’re the luckiest warrior in the Emperor’s realm.

Alas, truth be told, most of the time you will fail. The fates and the material factors will conspire against you as they did historically. Japan will be forced onto the strategic defensive and will be desperately fighting for her very existence. But, it will be different. Thinking like a Bushido warrior will mean you will change your perceptions of the situation and your gaming experience. When the moment comes, be it decisively (U.S. subs) or ebbing/bleeding away imperceptibly and Japan shifts to the strategic defensive, your mindset will be one of “come and get me”. Again, you will think differently as you steel yourself for the final showdown in the Home Islands. To win the endgame, Japan must continue to think offensively. The deft counterstroke at the right moment will keep the Emperor safe. Bushido spirit will serve you best. If you follow the path of the rank defeatism of the “Run & Hide” crowd, rationally you will only see the hopelessness of Japan’s situation.

There will also be occasions when despite your determined intentions, the fates will conspire and your plans for Military Victory will never come close to fruition. Once, this happened to me. But, the determination imparted to me by my Bushido spirit and my knowledge of the Late War deck allowed me to overcome what had turned into a truly desperate situation. Again, victory could not have been sweeter. I have no doubt the “Run & Hide” crowd would have thrown in the towel before the final event card had been revealed.

Lastly and most importantly, thinking like a Bushido warrior will create a more compelling game experience. If you have never tasted the sweetness of Military Victory, you haven’t really played the game. We play for the gaming high. It doesn’t get any better than fighting against fearsome odds and overcoming history, and all in less than an hour! Again, if the conventional wisdom of the “Run & Hide” crowd led to more victories for the Japanese, they might have a point. But, they make no such case. So my advice to prospective players is to learn the ropes. Once you have mastered the mechanics, shift gears. Become the Bushido warrior and go for the glory. Even when you most likely fail and the American forces are laying waste to the Home Islands, you will be ready to defy them in the final battles. Only then will you know the satisfaction of serving your Emperor to the bitter end with honor and glory.