1. Kakita Kasukaru – 4 August 2010at13:28

   How do you determine how the decks are different? Here are a couple of examples reflecting my question:
   * different Clan
   * same deck but a couple of cards change
   * similar decks but 1 military oriented and the other honor
   * completely different decks (one scout one duelist).

2. phantasiespiller – 4 August 2010at17:40

   very good points!

   Most of the time it is easy to draw a clear distinction between same and different decks. So I don’t worry about these …

   First I count on the player’s sense of fair-play by announcing the same or a different deck (in essence).

   As such the decks in question will be checked by the TO team and there should be an obvious difference between the deck of day 1 and day 2. Change of clan is an option, but not necessary. The winning strategy of the deck does not necessarily have to be changed (honor, military) but the way this strategy is implemented should definitely change (duels, items, followers, etc.).

   Replacing a couple of cards with similar cards will not be considered as a deck change …

   Since there are only a few players concerned, we will be looking at the situation as it is on Sunday and see case by case with the concerned player. It should be clear though that a new, different deck can be used, and might prove beneficial towards the race to the title.

   Tom

3. Medalliah – 10 August 2010at22:37

   Hello, i’m very much looking foward to this event! However on the subject of deck changing, i wish to ask a few questions myself (Not just on decks mind you!).

   1) How much of the deck has to change for it to be considered different? Example-i have two different Scorpion limited dishonour decks. One has battle actions and defends a little, the other runs ninja and shugenja and doesn’t go near battle. Is this considered diffeent?. (Another example would be Crab Hero dueling and Crab hero non-dueling or Mantis big follower and Mantis follower swarm.)

   2) Can you change who you support between games/tournaments? Or is it once you’ve picked/not picked and been given to the guy who finishes first are you locked in?

   3) What strongholds will Ronin be allowed to pick from? Will they only have Palace of the Breaking Dawn or could they pick any unaligned stronghold? (Nanashi Mura/Lost Traveller Castle/War Camp of the Yodotai lol ?)

   Thanks in Advanced!

4. phantasiespiller – 10 August 2010at23:37

   Hi,

   1) as stated earlier, the TO team will check with the candidates on a one-by-one basis whether they play a different deck on day 2 to day 1. As such the mechanics and combos should be different, even if the overall strategy (winning condition) is the same. The way you describe it should be ok.
   Also as noted on the ryoko-owari forum, you can also play a different clan from day 1 to day 2. So if you qualified as top Crane, and want to play Shiro Matsu on Sunday, you will still be considered as Crane candidate.

   2) Befiore R1 on Sunday, all candidates are introduced and presented. By the end of R1 every player can decide whom they support;that choice is final then.

   3) A list of strongholds will be provided soon … on a sidenote, Nanishi Mura was a draft SH, never legal in constructed … (if I recall that right)

   Tom

Please note that the full rules of the tournament are published here.

The Lion previews are spread with pretty much a bit of everything (Cavalry magistrate, deathseeker, tactician, commander, paragon and hero). Ikoma Hagio -exp is the previewed daimyo, and he is really good, with a move in and straighten action. And there are some nifty actions to go with it, such as Shatter the Line (which we will certainly see coupled with Shinjo-Dun in the Unicorn tac cav decks too).

Crab previews are mostly heroes and berzerkers, with some scouts and shugenjas. Hida Benjiro -exp 2 is clearly the most frightening personality in the lot. Packing a whoping 8F, he also gets a Iaijutsu battle action which is a force duel killing the loser! And the card art is… disturbingly huge. There are also some interesting scout cards, such as Knowledge of the Land, which gives extra card draw. Will certainly see use in Crane and Unicorn decks as well.

This time a multipurpose attachment.

Enjoy!

First a word about the Spider ones. It is mostly Paragon and Kensai support and a goblin commander. The cards are all really solid, with brutal force and nasty battle actions. The theme of ripping opponent personalities limbs off and using them as weapons continues. A nicer note: two of the cards are designed by Steve Argyle and are probably the two most gorgeous cards ever made for Legends of the Five Rings. Check Daigotsu Hotako and Daigotsu Hakihime, who are both extremely dangerous opponents and superb cards.

The Phoenix are very nice too. They get a new Master of Void (Isawa Kimi) to replace the late Shiba Ningen. More importantly, they get a unique, Shiba Morihiko -exp with a built in sneak attack for his entire army: scary. Apart from this, they get more shugenja, yojimbo, spells and an inquisitor.

The Crane previews were published too. Cranes got a decent scout, military oriented, Daidoji Arima, a duelist, a magistrate and mostly courtiers. It is essentially about playing with the favor for control and getting it back (Doji Umakai). As unique personality of note (but probably difficult to use in any Crane deck) is Doji Kusari, an ex-Ikoma and Domotai husband. With commander and paragon, he will probably be of more use for Lion decks, I suppose. Actions shown are also artisan and courtier control.

Stay tuned for the next two previews on this very website, tomorrow morning… Game changing cards… [drum roll]

Mantis get their usual bunch of gold cost jank, thunder shugenja and personalities with silly ranged attacks. In the lot was also a seriously scary Scout recon strategy (Waylay the Messenger), with a reusable ranged 6 attack… It will certainly see play in Unicorn, Crane and Crab decks too. Speaking about Cranes, two Crane related cards were also previewed. One is Daidoji Yaichiro exp. He is now a scout and Iron Crane, with a “Ring of Water” included in his battle action. Another is Rekai’s Yumi: although not really a Crane specific weapon, it will certainly see play in Crane decks as well as other scout ones, considering it includes a sneak ranged attack as battle action. Lats but not least, a new ratling joins the pack: Rus’tik’tik is there, a boxable Chipped Tooth tribe rememberer with a small bonus for non-humans as a battle action.

The Unicorn cards shown are nothing short from amazing. Battle Maidens get extra support for their honor deck, with personalities such as Utaku Fumiko exp and actions such as Downhill Assault. But most importantly, there is a new Stronghold, Outsider Keep, which is a force bonus reaction with card draw. Quite impressive. In general, the other personalities are all about card draw, cavalry and tacticians, infantry with movement, opposed or not. Versatile and very powerful.

AEG also surprised everyone with the return of a DaK personality. Tamoro Shaiko is back, but with a sad twist. She is now undead and has sworn to avenge her fate which she blames on Seppun Tashime. Both have thus an exp version, post DaK, which should be the prelude to more stories, hopefully. She comes in at 8GC with a Maho sacrifice/kill action. Quite the scary type but not overpowered for Daigotsu Shaiko.