Ok, so I get the basics. Packs are released with set cards in them with bigger boxed sets occasionally to release new factions? I think.

Is there a through-line for all of FFG's living card games so I know what to expect/budget? How often do most of these games (Netrunner, Star Wars, Game of Thrones) release? Are the releases clan-based or will I be planning to buy every pack because there's that one chase card I'm going to need for my Ronin/Mantis deck that's only found in the Crab pack?

Essentially, from what we all know and from past experience others have had in the living card game systems, what will I be looking at?

Thanks!

14 minutes ago, ricefrisbeetreats said:

my Ronin/Mantis deck

You might want to sit down for this.

Core: 39.95. From 1 to 3 needed due to no full playset of cards. 7 strongholds for each Great Clan and cards to play them.

Deluxe: 29.95. Only 1 needed. Full playsets of cards. They said that deluxes will be clan focused. But surely they will include other clans' stuff so people buy them. Could be used to introduce new factions like Shadowlands or Mantis.

Deluxe preludes a cycle of 6 expansion packs at 14.95 each. Only 1 of each needed. Full playsets of cards, They will include a mix of different types of cards (characters, holdings, conflicts cards...), I guess.

Once a cycle is completed (costing 120 total), new deluxe hits with another cycle of 6 expansion packs following after. Rinse and repeat.

You can find spoilers and card lists pretty easily so if you're not a completionist, you can choose to skips sets if they have nothing to offer you.

Are we talking monthly releases for the $15 expansions?

6 minutes ago, squirrelfox said:

You might want to sit down for this.

I'll keep bugging them until it becomes a reality.

Monthly releases. First month core, next one deluxe, next one first expansion, next one second expansion,... There may be gaps but more or less tends to be like that.

Awesome! Thanks! I assumed as much, but you never know. And don't worry all you Mantis naysayers. I'll play my cousins, the Crab, until they're released.

For Netrunner, The monthly releases had a fairly even distribution of cards for each faction, with a little focus on one or two. 20 different cards, 60 cards total (enough for any playset). Also its $15 MSRP, so cheaper is an option too, and they usually drop in price over time.

The deluxe sets usually focused heavily on 2 factions for netrunner (One on each side), but I think splashed other stuff, or at least neutral stuff (I'm having a hard time recalling and don't feel like looking it up), was about 1 every 6 small expansions and helped define an "arc". They had closer to 100 cards IIRC.

Price however should be consistent. I think they have a solid business model for this sort of thing.

I am sure that FFG will be adding more clans when they can. Having played Yoritomo's Alliance as first faction, I certainly would love the good old Yoritomo back.

5 minutes ago, ricefrisbeetreats said:

Are we talking monthly releases for the $15 expansions?

$15 MSRP, so if you have a nice FLGS they tend to be a bit cheaper.

Also, given that there are going to be so many factions it might not be necessary to buy every pack if FFG's card powerlevel trend is taken into consideration.

7 minutes ago, ricefrisbeetreats said:

Are we talking monthly releases for the $15 expansions?

More or less that time frame, depending on the vagaries of shipping from China.

Just now, Wintersong said:

I am sure that FFG will be adding more clans when they can. Having played Yoritomo's Alliance as first faction, I certainly would love the good old Yoritomo back.

Maybe the first deluxe set will be Shadowlands or Mantis (or both).

Just now, Danwarr said:

$15 MSRP, so if you have a nice FLGS they tend to be a bit cheaper.

Also, given that there are going to be so many factions it might not be necessary to buy every pack if FFG's card powerlevel trend is taken into consideration.

Also true. There were many expacs in Netrunner that I didn't need to buy, since they only improved decks I didn't play (either faction or even within the faction). I bought them because that is how I am, but if you check ahead, you can skip packs too. And they shouldn't be rare to find either.

Very worst case is given a normal L5R playgroup, you can probably borrow cards off people, or split the dynasty packs. "Can I borrow 2x copy of that Lion card you aren't playing?" "Sure, Lion are trash anyways."

They did tend to try to expand playstyles in the deluxe packs too. They would usually have 3 stronghold equivalents for each featured faction in them, either varying or completely changing the basic theme. This is how I see us getting stuff like "Berserkers" or "Kensei" sort of subthemes in a clan. However, they also did release stronghold equivalents in the normal dynasty packs too occasionally, iirc. But they tended to be more of the same flavor, instead of vastly different.

Note, AGOT2 might give you a better idea of their general strategy, but I imagine it is at least close.

Just now, Mirith said:

Note, AGOT2 might give you a better idea of their general strategy, but I imagine it is at least close.

Faction distribution is almost certain to be similar to GoT 2.0 I feel. However, it could be like 40k Conquest and they introduce new factions with the deluxe sets.

I would personally prefer "dual" deluxe sets similar to Netrunner from a theme/story perspective, but who knows at this point.

2 minutes ago, Danwarr said:

Faction distribution is almost certain to be similar to GoT 2.0 I feel. However, it could be like 40k Conquest and they introduce new factions with the deluxe sets.

I would personally prefer "dual" deluxe sets similar to Netrunner from a theme/story perspective, but who knows at this point.

I would agree on the "Dual Sets".

Maybe they'll do 3 deluxe sets of opposed factions (Lion/Crane, etc), then when they get to the 4th, they'll add Mantis. Unfortunately this means Mantis will have to wait 2 years? 3? 4?

If they are to introduce new factions, I would say that the sooner the better. Unless they plan to, at some point, in some deluxe to add some extra strongholds to support previvously released characters from other factions. Which not sure if that will happen or be posible as so far we only know that in your dinasty deck you can include your clan's character and neutrals.

Just now, Mirith said:

I would agree on the "Dual Sets".

Maybe they'll do 3 deluxe sets of opposed factions (Lion/Crane, etc), then when they get to the 4th, they'll add Mantis. Unfortunately this means Mantis will have to wait 2 years? 3? 4?

All of it sort of depends on how FFG is going to integrate those clans. In the AMA they made it clear they would play a vital role in the story, but it's unclear if they will integrates those into the game itself. If they are going to introduce Mantis and Spider back into play, it would seem wise to do so as quickly as possible to piggyback off of the launch hype.

40 minutes ago, Wintersong said:

I am sure that FFG will be adding more clans when they can. Having played Yoritomo's Alliance as first faction, I certainly would love the good old Yoritomo back.

They may, or they may not. We don't know.

Given the re-established timeline, I doubt any new clans will be added until the seven Great Clans get their deluxe box...and after that, they still might not. The only LCGs that ever added factions (Netrunner's mini-factions really don't count) were Call of Cthulhu, which added one after over a decade of being in print, and Conquest, which added two, but said upfront in the core rules that they'd be adding Tyranids and Necrons as the first two deluxes.

20 minutes ago, Gaffa said:

They may, or they may not. We don't know.

Given the re-established timeline, I doubt any new clans will be added until the seven Great Clans get their deluxe box...and after that, they still might not. The only LCGs that ever added factions (Netrunner's mini-factions really don't count) were Call of Cthulhu, which added one after over a decade of being in print, and Conquest, which added two, but said upfront in the core rules that they'd be adding Tyranids and Necrons as the first two deluxes.

I kinda like that they are neither committed to having or not having additional clans. At this point they could choose to add every single faction that has ever existed, never add another, or anywhere in between. I think it's good they are leaving themselves that flexibility.

If it's like AGoT2, you can probably expect each dynasty pack to only have around 1-3 new cards for each clan, with a bunch of room for neutrals. For deluxe boxes, I expect mostly to be based around 1 clan, with 2 cards for each other clan (to make them buy it too) and a bunch of neutrals.

I don't expect Mantis or Spider to come out anytime soon. Randomly throwing out an idea for when it might come about: after each of the 7 clans get a big box, the next big box will be a Spider vs Mantis box, with the idea being that Spider overruns the other Great Clans and it is up to the smaller, ignored clans to band together to push them back.

55 minutes ago, Gaffa said:

They may, or they may not. We don't know.

Given the re-established timeline, I doubt any new clans will be added until the seven Great Clans get their deluxe box...and after that, they still might not. The only LCGs that ever added factions (Netrunner's mini-factions really don't count) were Call of Cthulhu, which added one after over a decade of being in print, and Conquest, which added two, but said upfront in the core rules that they'd be adding Tyranids and Necrons as the first two deluxes.

If I'm not mistaken, Warhammer Invasion added new factions too, although that's a really old example. Also, I don't know if you count this, but Star Wars LCG only had `1 or 2 objective sets for 2 of the factions (basically 10% of a deck, just as a teaser) , which they later fleshed out in a expansion.

1 hour ago, Danwarr said:

I would personally prefer "dual" deluxe sets similar to Netrunner from a theme/story perspective, but who knows at this point.

Or even "Duel" deluxe sets.

The general release model will likely be adhered to, but there might be some surprises (like the Champion decks for Netrunner or the old Cthulhu coffins). Either way, it's going to be a monthly investment - it's just a question of "how much". And definitely take Danwarr's advice and bug your LGS to carry it, since they'll be in a better position to give a little discount (my LGS usually does Netrunner packs at $12 instead of $15).

I would love two clans per deluxe so we can cycle faster (Unicorn getting the last one if not? Would not surprise me ).

I could imagine a Tutori's Army stronghold, that is clan less but has lots of bamboo to fill your deck with... at least if teh bamboo symbol is doing what people are guessing it does and when the story is at least halfway similar to what we already had.

Anyway, I really hope that Mantis and Spider will return, since I kinda liked both Clans, even though Crane always remained my true love!

The obvious issue with dual sets being the odd number of Clans.