Nezumi/Ratlings

By OneThatFishes, in Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game

Me would like to first state, me hope there is a variety of non-clan factions outside of Nezumi. Like Naga or Ronin or Fudo or Madness. However this thread be bout how we can bring Nezumi back to the public eye. Try and be friendly yet civil. Let us begin.

Me personally would like to bring back Nezumi in future set as LCG be perfect format to bring them back. They weren't a horrible faction, far from it. Nezumi were a faction that won many koteis and became fan-favorite. Only problem was we originated as a "joke faction" so no one really took us seriously.

The plight of the "Last Tribe" is ideal in reality for Nezumi. It not only one of drama, but people tend love that group or faction that seem to be last of their kind. Way of The Ratling is a good book to read, it talks about not only the mechanical side but the flavor side of Nezumi. Good example of this:

"The idea that things happen by chance is an astonishing new concept that had simply never occurred to Nezumi, and appeals greatly to many. Nezumi stand in awe of people or things that appear to be lucky.

As humans first introduced the idea of luck, they are thought to be extremely lucky. Obviously it is luck that has given the humans their power and wealth. Luck allows humans to live a long time, makes their steel sharper, and makes spirits obey their will. Everything that a humans do that a Nezumi cannot is often attributed to luck. A few Nezumi have embarked on quests to find the source of luck, to steal it or destroy it, with no success. The xenophobic Green-Green-White Tribe has taken a more direct approach, and carry the skulls of dead humans as good luck charms.

I admire your devotion toward bringing back the Nezumi for the LCG. I do not agree, since I think there are already far enough (too many) factions, for the viability of the upcoming card game. But I respect your efforts. *bow*

Sharp-Sharp Stick into hearts of all who don't want Nezumi return to Rokugan. ;)

Indeed! I do hope you guys get some representation. At least an expansion dedicated to you guys, with ratlings for each clan and some unaligned ones, but hopefully a full faction all their own. FFG really has their work cut out for them, as their are so many factions with so many loyal followings [mine being Naga, but that isn't this thread]. You guys are awesome, and deserve to be carded fully!

I think they can see an appearance in the RPG for sure. The LCG would depend on how the current Clan system works out. They might work better as a "neutral" entity you can bring into the game, but not be the dominant flavor in a deck.

Oh, and it was not because Nezumi were a joke faction, per se. It was because the only way you could play them is if you threw down good money for a limited availability, limited run mini-set. And then needed to dig up all the nezumi cards ever printed to play a meaningful deck (or use that one sensei that was, in fact, silly). I know I wanted to play them, as I am sure many others did. But it was just not feasible, due to the nature of what it means to be a CCG (the Collectible is the big problem)

Edited by Sashmiel

Well with only a few Nezumi left they could join one of the great clans... The Crab would be a strong contender thinking how close the two worked together in the past.

Similar to the Spider which now have Shadowlands monstrosities in their ranks and the Mantis which have weird see creatures and the Phoenix which have... Phoenix.

And since we are at it the Unicorn could take care of the Naga.

Perhaps every clan could have a Nonhuman subfaction. Scorpions had many Foxes in the past.

Perhaps every clan could have a Nonhuman subfaction. Scorpions had many Foxes in the past.

I'm not sure if I would want it to be a box that's checked -- like I can certainly imagine some clans turning their noses up, or just not having a major nonhuman group.

But I would definitely be okay with emphasizing some of the fantastic nature of the setting with nonhuman personalities in the great clans, as well unaligned personalities, even though I'd rather they weren't their own factions.

Agreed, probably a bad idea as box to be checked.

But we have a lot of Nonhumans in the setting especially among the spider. So I think it would be cool to seen Nezumi and Naga in this role under the guidance of another clan. Because having them as separate faction is a bit to much. 9 factions is more then or too much already.

No.

No Ratlings. No Naga.

Rokugan for Rokugani.

Any group that isn't a primary factor of whatever the major story conflict de jure is should appear at least somewhere or another as allies to one of the primary factors or as neutral / mercenary cards. Don't be a slave to making every group stand-alone powers all the time with equal support. Handle one major conflict at a time, and do it well. Don't try to cram everyone in as major players year after year for fear of offending somebody.

Edited by mlund

No.

No Ratlings. No Naga.

Rokugan for Rokugani.

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I'd love to see Ratlings return There needs to be at least one non human faction, most likely Shadowlands.

I'd love to see Ratlings return There needs to be at least one non human faction, most likely Shadowlands.

Re: Shadowlands, I'd really rather see it be a creeping evil that can corrupt any clan from within.

In the setting, obviously, the Shadowlands is a place and Shadowlands creatures are a thing, but as a faction or clan? Meh.

I'm reasonably confident I'll be disappointed in this regard, though. :P

Shadowlands Horde was a faction before and was on the road to being one again.

I'd love to see Ratlings return There needs to be at least one non human faction, most likely Shadowlands.

Re: Shadowlands, I'd really rather see it be a creeping evil that can corrupt any clan from within.

In the setting, obviously, the Shadowlands is a place and Shadowlands creatures are a thing, but as a faction or clan? Meh.

I'm reasonably confident I'll be disappointed in this regard, though. :P

That is my favorite variety of the Shadowlands. The fallen samurai stories had some cool moments. There were some cool oni summoning moments too for that matter. I always liked the taint within the clans as opposed to the external threat. You can beat a Shadowlands (Junzo/Spider/???) deck, but you can't beat an omnipresent threat.

I will take Kenku for the Crane Clan, just calling dibs here!

Edited by Drudenfusz

I will take Kenku for the Crane Clan, just calling dibs here!

Isn't that pretty much already established ? As I recall every clan has it's own non human species, Kitsune/Ningyo for Mantis, those weird creatures for Crab that live underground etc.

I will take Kenku for the Crane Clan, just calling dibs here!

Isn't that pretty much already established ? As I recall every clan has it's own non human species, Kitsune/Ningyo for Mantis, those weird creatures for Crab that live underground etc.

Not entirely, there have been faction allied noon-humans throught the history of L5R, but you could have them also non-allied in your decks (lots of oni and ogre got played out of Crane boxes in the past and that basically early on, I think even in the first Crane Clan book for the RPG they had a crane deck build with ogres there). So, even with the few story tie-ins the Crane had with the Kenku, there have been others too, like Hoturi and his Kitsune wife, or there have been Kenku who had been allied with other clans. Anyway, basically I tried to make a joke for how ridicolous I find this thread has become. I don't mind every and each getting their own faction, or seeing them all as neutral, or seeing all the non-humans once in a while assigned to a faction, Alderac has used all of the above in the past, so why not continueing doing that?

Me not want Nezumi as part of main factions when game is first released. Nezumi truly need to be part of an expansion that focuses on them. Same with Naga or Shadowlands.

What humans tend to forget is that Nezumi breed quickly and reach adulthood quickly. A typical female Nezumi will have a litter of 6-8. It takes six months for the Nezumi mother to give birth to her litter. After that, a newborn Nezumi takes One Year to reach adulthood. The longest lifespan of Nezumi, sans Br'nn, is thirty years. Nezumi are not careless or bad parents either. A Nezumi will be very protective of her young and fight to the death to protect them. Nezumi even take care of newborn/adolescent Nezumi even if it is not there children.

So to translate this knowledge into the game. Age of Conquest AKA Emperor Edition had a time skip of 35 years, not much to humans but for Nezumi? 1.6/35 years is close to twenty-one generations worth of Nezumi being born and growing up.

Also its true Nezumi have a good relationship with Crab, being immune to taint and their ability to not only explore but fight Shadowlands and all.

here is entire tribe known as Chipped Tooth Tribe which joined the Last Tribe. Chipped Tooths are smaller Nezumi with black fur, webbed hands and feet and are excellent swimmers. They used to live in Islands of Silk & Spice, home of the Mantis. Mantis even recruited these Nezumi to join them on their boats.

Another thing is the relationship between Nezumi and Dragon who actually got along well.

Crane not like Nezumi and see them as thieves and vermin.

Phoenix are naive and sheltered and only hear third-hand about Nezumi let alone meet one.

Obviously Spider and Nezumi is bad combination.

Lion originally hated Nezumi. Then grew to tolerate and have some respect for them after the Nezumi rescued the last Shapeshifter of one of the 5 ancient races (which took form of anthropormic of Lion). In return the Lion built a shrine for the Nezumi who lost many during great battle.

Scorpion viewed Nezumi as allies who were good at being mercenaries and assassins and expendable.

Unicorn did not like Nezumi because Nezumi tend to startle horses and make dogs bark. Nezumi didn't like horses.

So with that in mind, Nezumi got along with 5:9 of the great clans.

Nezumi as a Faction won't be in the initial release, but likely a much later release if at all. Mantis and Spider have a priority first. However, as Neutral cards any Faction could use... Possibly.

While I agree that Nezumi deserve their own faction, my hopes for it are as low as my hopes for a Naga faction, which are pretty low. I'd rather see them worked into some sort of arrangement where you could have half your deck Nezumi focused but play out of one of the great clans as opposed to them getting nothing. There are people debating whether they should even have all the great clans, I suspect that getting the Nezumi as a full faction will be an uphill battle at best, no matter how much I agree with the idea. Although it is only the second day of having to wrap my head around all this, so maybe we can all be pleasantly surprised.

I am a die-hard honor/dishonor player. Crane duel/honor and Scorpion dishonor decks are all I have ever played........EXCEPT for the Nezumi. The Ratlings stole my heart and my money.... right up until they were wiped out, which knocked me out of the game for a good chunk of time. I was really sad.

Hell yes bring the Nezumi back!!!!

Sharp-Sharp Stick into hearts of all who don't want Nezumi return to Rokugan. ;)

So Nezumi speak like Skaven? :blink:

Sharp-Sharp Stick into hearts of all who don't want Nezumi return to Rokugan. ;)

So Nezumi speak like Skaven? :blink:

Yes-yes. Nezumi tend to repeat words for great-great effect.

I'd like to see them make an appearance, at least as neutral cards. (Not sure if there are enough left to make a full faction.)

Same for Naga and other Nonhumans...