So, we know what the initial roles by Clan are going to be, and the Phoenix got Seeker of the Void. I'm guessing, at this stage, that the no-brainer Provinces are Shameful Display and Kuroi Mori. But what about the other 3? My temptation is to say Entrenched Position, Fertile Fields and one of the Water ones. Is it better for us to be able to change type or element?

Also, should we include Seeker Initiates, or are they not really useful?

51 minutes ago, Tonbo Karasu said:

So, we know what the initial roles by Clan are going to be, and the Phoenix got Seeker of the Void. I'm guessing, at this stage, that the no-brainer Provinces are Shameful Display and Kuroi Mori. But what about the other 3? My temptation is to say Entrenched Position, Fertile Fields and one of the Water ones. Is it better for us to be able to change type or element?

Also, should we include Seeker Initiates, or are they not really useful?

I wouldn't play 3 of them, but maybe one or two.

I am not sold on the seeker... You have to pay at least 2, probably 3 for them, and then swing and win void just to look at 5 cards and pick one. Id rather have those 3 fates in another char, like asako diplomat

About rings, for me, running display of power and masahiro, kaede etc elemental fury is a better choice

Since ring manipulation and control is one of our themes, I would gravitate towards Elemental Fury.

The seeker monk was merely okay in 1 core. It is likely garbage in 3 core.

2 hours ago, Suzume Tomonori said:

Since ring manipulation and control is one of our themes, I would gravitate towards Elemental Fury.

On the contrary, since we already cover ring manipulation, I was kind of tempted by Rally to the Cause so that we also had control of conflict types.

29 minutes ago, Tonbo Karasu said:

On the contrary, since we already cover ring manipulation, I was kind of tempted by Rally to the Cause so that we also had control of conflict types.

There are two philosophies regarding this, and I won't say yours is wrong.

Rally is more consistent and typically better than Elemental Fury. Some rings can be backbreaking in certain situations, but swapping the conflict type usually has more impact at all stages of the game.

Where were the roles announced? I'm curious what the other clans got.

2 minutes ago, agarrett said:

Where were the roles announced? I'm curious what the other clans got.

On 8/19/2017 at 6:03 AM, Zesu Shadaban said:

(Copied from Facebook from someone gracious enough to share the results)

Clan roles have been chosen by the top 2 in each clan. These will be in effect through Worlds in November:

Scorpion: Seeker of Air
Phoenix: Seeker of Void
Dragon: Keeper of Void
Lion: Keeper of Earth
Crab: Keeper of Air
Crane: Keeper of Water
Unicorn: Keeper of Fire

This is also in order of how they placed. As a unicorn player, I don't understand the choice of Keeper of Fire. I was hoping for Seeker of Water. But we'll see if they saw something I did not!

Let the griping begin!

Here it is

Having now played a couple games as Phoenix, it's tough to declare which is more powerful, switching types or switching rings. Against many opponents, switching conflict type utterly ruins their attack, but against some, like Dragon, it barely matters. Switching rings is useful because we have so many shugenja right now that care about rings, and this can be used to activate the abilities you need. I don't think there's an obvious answer.

I'm currently running the seeker initiates, but haven't had one come up yet.

I think Seeker Initiates should see some play If you have the room to spare and if you want some way to dig into a speifoc card. It's a very difficult choice for the Phoenix if they are allowed to re-select Seeker Of the Void at the WC event and then be locked into that role for the year.

Shameful Display is an important province because of honored/dishonored status being so important to Phoenix. They need to have as many ways to trigger obtain honored status as they can.

That being said, with the Phoenix able to control rings so well, a Keeper role may end up being best for them in the long run since that can translate into 1 - 3 fresh bodies when they claim a ring and that could be a big swing in the board state.

Still a really tough call.

So is it mandatory to play the seeker/keeper your clan got?

i always thought it was free choice?!?

why do i have to play a role someone else picked? as far as i remember we still have free will...

The same reason you have to follow all the other deck coinstruction rules other people decided on.

You're free to choose whichever role you want for casual play. The clan - specific roles are only required for formal organized play.

wtf... the game has not even been released and they already impose players what role they have to chose for a tournament. biggest joke ever. deck construction rules is in the rules btw.

and if i remember right players at gencon decided, were was my vote there?

Having played many games as Phoenix by now, here's what I think are the best 5 provinces with Seeker of Void:

1) Kuroi Mori - Obviously, pretty much always goes on the SH, though against some factions like Dragon I place it in the home 4.
2) Shameful Display - The swingiest Province in the game and is even swingier with Phoenix do to the stronghold and naturally decent glory values. Almost always in home 4, sometimes on the SH in certain matchups
3) Elemental Fury - Always does something useful as opposed to Rally which sometimes is a dead card. Bonus points for Phoenix do to cards like Masahiro and Atsuko being able to destroy certain effects. Combos with Display of Power and Tsukune as well.
4) Manicured Garden - Fate is better than a card in most situations, as fate keeps your board bigger and therefore gives you more options for conflicts.
5) Meditations on the Tao - Same reasoning for Garden except in reverse, Meditations helps keep your opponents board clear and therefore gives you more conflict options long term.

Earth Provinces are very mediocre when not on the Stronghold, but phoenix almost always put Kuroi Mori or Shameful Display on their Stronghold so Earth Provinces are not as impactful and the obvious choice of element to not run, in my opinion. My current lineup means that every single attack is into something that gives me an advantage, which is huge in this game.

Just now, Bubba9 said:

wtf... the game has not even been released and they already impose players what role they have to chose for a tournament. biggest joke ever. deck construction rules is in the rules btw.

I suggest playing a different game then. Or don't participate in tournaments if you don't want to follow the rules they outlined.

its a free world, i will play whatever role i want, done!

11 minutes ago, Bubba9 said:

its a free world, i will play whatever role i want, done!

It appears your Anakin is showing through ?

23 minutes ago, Bubba9 said:

wtf... the game has not even been released and they already impose players what role they have to chose for a tournament. biggest joke ever. deck construction rules is in the rules btw.

So when you show up to a standard format MTG event do you piss and moan about not being able to play your cards that are not standard legal? When you go to play X-wing at a 100 point event do you just say screw you guys I'm playing all my ships?

Wether you play MTG or X-wing or any other game, if you are playing the game at a competitive level it will have tournament specific rules that will need to be followed. Those rules and how they are implemented have nothing to do with how good the game is.

L5R LCG is doing some things that are rather innovative. The game is spectacular, IMO. If I had an issue with the tournament rules, which I don't, I would still enjoy this game a great deal in a casual setting. If the tournament rules are so much of a sticking point for you, then don't play competitively.

If that is still a problem for you then get to steppin. Don't let the door hit ya where Fu Leng split ya

50 minutes ago, Bubba9 said:

its a free world, i will play whatever role i want, done!

That's fine and awesome! Just don't forget you won't be allowed to play in sanctioned tournaments if you're not playing the role selected for the clan.

56 minutes ago, Bubba9 said:

its a free world, i will play whatever role i want, done!

In a game about duty, fealty and honor it's perfectly thematic as is the idea of the Hatamoto. It puts a thematic wrapper on the meta game. If this really gets under your skin I feel like you aren't going to like this game Bubba9. Nothing about L5R screams free will to me. In fact it screams just the opposite. I've got to deal with the situation dealt to me by my place in the celestial order.

Void. The final element. These are the studies of the Phoenix clan: to seek out new magic and forbidden knowledge, to boldly go where no shugenja has gone before! (Que music)