I think that on both a canon and a symbolic level, the Playbook acts as Barney's 'weapon' against the possibility of getting involved with Robin again. He both hides behind it like a shield - from fear of getting involved with her again - and at the same time actively wounds her with it. He creates it after the breakup in order to hide from the fact that he's hurting. He starts talking about plays again in 'The Best Man' because of the tense situation between him & Robin after the almost kiss and the cab conversation, where he knows he's having feelings again and isn't sure about hers so he hides behind this when he think his first attempt at deflection (calling Nora repeatedly) has come to nothing.
In 'The Stinson Missile Crisis', there is obviously some tension in the air over the whole situation - even Barney can't fail to be aware of the awkwardness of his ex-girlfriend helping him to pack up all this stuff for the benefit of his current girlfriend (especially as he never did that for Robin - which is why his ultimate destruction of the Playbook for her is so important), not to mention they are spending a lot of time together while Nora is out of town. This is why Barney is so quick to classify Robin as a 'bro' because he can't let himself feel anything for her again, and possibly also he does at least subconsciously wonder what she is feeling.
It's not until S8 that Barney realises that the Playbook can be used as a weapon to get Robin and not just to protect himself against her. But it is very symbolic because it must be its final 'battle' and, in addition, it must kill the Womanizer. It's no coincidence that Barney has a samurai sword as one of his most prized possessions, and has made samurai references on more than one occasion. This is what the Playbook represents - as the Womanizer, it was his great and treasured weapon, but it is the instrument of his persona's destruction. And who is the only person whom we ever see actually pick up the samurai sword? Robin, in 'Baby Talk'. Of course to make it really perfect they should have had him hide the Playbook under it for real in 8.10, but I guess the Stormtrooper was funnier.
That would've been much more meaningful if the Playbook was under the sword but it was quite funny when it was above the Stormtrooper.
The Playbook is Barney's Samurai Sword in that it protected him from HIMSELF from showing that he was hurting over his breakup with Robin and he used it as a protective shield against fighting his feelings for Robin. But, it also helped him win Robin back so the Playbook is/was his life until he realized Robin is really his whole life and he doesn't need the playbook anymore.
In 'The Stinson Missile Crisis', there is obviously some tension in the air over the whole situation - even Barney can't fail to be aware of the awkwardness of his ex-girlfriend helping him to pack up all this stuff for the benefit of his current girlfriend (especially as he never did that for Robin - which is why his ultimate destruction of the Playbook for her is so important), not to mention they are spending a lot of time together while Nora is out of town. This is why Barney is so quick to classify Robin as a 'bro' because he can't let himself feel anything for her again, and possibly also he does at least subconsciously wonder what she is feeling.
It's not until S8 that Barney realises that the Playbook can be used as a weapon to get Robin and not just to protect himself against her. But it is very symbolic because it must be its final 'battle' and, in addition, it must kill the Womanizer. It's no coincidence that Barney has a samurai sword as one of his most prized possessions, and has made samurai references on more than one occasion. This is what the Playbook represents - as the Womanizer, it was his great and treasured weapon, but it is the instrument of his persona's destruction. And who is the only person whom we ever see actually pick up the samurai sword? Robin, in 'Baby Talk'. Of course to make it really perfect they should have had him hide the Playbook under it for real in 8.10, but I guess the Stormtrooper was funnier.
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The Playbook is Barney's Samurai Sword in that it protected him from HIMSELF from showing that he was hurting over his breakup with Robin and he used it as a protective shield against fighting his feelings for Robin. But, it also helped him win Robin back so the Playbook is/was his life until he realized Robin is really his whole life and he doesn't need the playbook anymore.
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