1. The Ultimate Hedging Strategy

Buy a piece of furtile land with access to fresh water. Learn to farm. Stock up on ammunition. Lots. Invest in making your neighbours like you enough to not want you dead. Bury pieces of gold in your backyard (small pieces, easy to make change). Stay close to friends you trust, in case you need to start a new nation. Value friends who are physically strong and naturally charismatic leaders. They will become the new warlords, and you want to be on their side.

2. Have a religion

It won’t change anything, but may make you feel better. And if you have enough charisma, you may even be able to mobilize gullible people in the name of religion, so you can protect yourself from the physically strong and naturally charismatic guy who became a new warlord whom you forgot to value as a friend in 2009.