War Era has got me reading "The Art of War" again, and I thought I'd write an article on each chapter, exploring how Sun Tzu's ancient wisdom aligns with our modern digital battlefield. This is Chapter 5: Use of Force, or "Energy."
Previous: Chapter 4 - Disposition of Military Strength
In Chapter 5, Sun Tzu discusses shih (勢), which is momentum or strategic energy. He explains that this momentum is created by the masterful use of two types of forces:
Zheng (正): The direct, conventional, or "orthodox" force. This is the army you see.
Qi (奇): The indirect, unconventional, or "unorthodox" force. This is the surprise attack, the feint, the force they don't see coming.
Sun Tzu writes: "In all fighting, the direct method may be used for joining battle, but indirect methods will be needed in order to secure victory."
In War Era, the zheng is your visible strength—your tanks, your stats, your pills. The qi is your creativity—your diplomacy, your timing, and your memes.
The zheng is the raw power you can bring to bear in a direct confrontation. It's the "meta," the calculated, expected force. In War Era, this is your nation's conventional army.
Elements of Zheng (Direct Force):
Equipment & Stats: This is the most obvious zheng. Following the massive new update, the meta has shifted. The introduction of mythic equipment and the buff to critical damage has created a new standard for a "strong" player.
Infrastructure: A Level 5 Military Base providing a +25% offensive bonus is a clear zheng asset.
Economic Power: The new crafting and scrap system means a nation with massive stockpiles of scrap and steel has an overwhelming zheng advantage.
Obvious Power Plays: A direct, full-scale invasion like the one that led to the "Fall of Paris" is a textbook zheng maneuver—using overwhelming, visible force to seize a primary objective.
The zheng force is what you use to engage the enemy. It's the fistfight. But as Sun Tzu warns, you cannot win on direct force alone.
The qi is how you win. It's the surprise, the deception, and the attack on the enemy's mind. This is where War Era truly shines, and we can see plenty of real-time examples from the last few days.
Elements of Qi (Indirect Force):
Resistance & Proxy Wars: This is the ultimate qi tactic. While your enemy's main army (zheng) is occupied, you fund a resistance war (RW) in their disconnected region, forcing them to split their damage and resources. My own nation of Georgia must consider relying on qi (resistance) to bleed our occupiers, as our zheng (direct force) is insufficient.
Diplomatic Feints: South Africa's "Mzansi Gambit". They are seemingly losing to Argentina, but their leadership frames it as a "calculated piece of Diplomatic Full-Contact Chess"—a qi maneuver designed to lure the enemy in. This is using diplomacy and perception as an unconventional weapon.
Market Warfare: A truly wise commander saw the new scrap system coming. They didn't just hoard items (zheng); they hoarded the materials to craft those items. We're already seeing articles calculating the "arbitrage" and new market potential, using qi to corner the new market and economically starve their rivals.
Morale Warfare (The Meme Front): This is perhaps the most visible qi tactic in War Era. Look at the national feeds. They are filled with propaganda, slander, and meme articles. This isn't just for fun; it's a dedicated campaign to attack the enemy's will to fight. It is the qi of the masses.
Sun Tzu says momentum is like "a log or stone. As long as it is on level ground, it is motionless. When it is on a steep slope, it moves. ... So it is with a skilled warrior. The momentum is overwhelming, the timing precise."
You create this momentum by combining zheng and qi.
In War Era, this looks like: A major alliance (PABLO or CULO) launches a direct assault (zheng) on a key region. This fixes the enemy army in place; they must defend. As they pour all their damage and pills into this one battle, you use qi:
You launch proxy resistance wars in three of their undefended territories.
You send diplomats to their allies, showing them how much your enemy is spending, and offer them a better deal to abandon the fight.
You flood the news feed with memes about their failing defense to break their citizens' morale.
The zheng (direct attack) pins them, but the qi (the RWs, diplomacy, and memes) is what causes the collapse. This is momentum.
The new update has changed the battlefield. The zheng force has been redefined with T6 gear and new crit stats. This means new, creative qi tactics will emerge to counter it.
Victory isn't just about having the best gear. It's about using your conventional strength to create an opening, and then using your unconventional creativity to land the winning blow. Master both, and you will create unstoppable momentum.
Next up: Chapter 6 - Weak Points and Strong, where we'll explore how to attack the enemy's weaknesses and avoid his strengths.
Written by Precision for the War Era community. May your zheng be strong and your qi be unexpected.