5 minutes ago, XTrueFinale said:

So now with a few dynasty packs out AND thanks to the LCG format, I found whatever sense of clan loyalty wavering...the clan I liked the most just seem pretty average in terms of their cards, whereas the new cards is making a particular clan very enticing to play...

Well this will be the first test of your clan loyalty then.

There is nothing wrong with changing clans depending on what appeals to you. For example, I really like the Dragon clan, but, I find their play style completely unappealing at the moment, so I play other stuff, mostly Unicorn because regardless if I win or lose with them, I'm having a good time. Until I manage to participate in a major tournament where my clan loyalty matters for something or I earn Hatamoto with a clan, I'm just going to play whatever I enjoy the most.

When it's time to be competitive, I'll play the most competitive deck I enjoy, or the one that requires the least amount of brain power as I hear these big events are rather grueling and I don't think I can make it though a long event if I have to call upon my limited brain power more often than I'm used to.

Personally, I came into this game supporting the Dragon and the clan packs haven't done anything to change that. Thing is, though, tournament play is probably going to be a pretty rare occurrence for me (I don't have ANY playgroup as of right now). Whenever I do finally get around to doing a tourney, it's going to be Dragons all the way--but I don't feel bad playing other clans in casual. In particular, I find the Unicorn and the Phoenix to be very interesting from a story standpoint, and in casual games I can guarantee that I will be giving those two a fair bit of table time. Casual games are for fun--but tournaments? Those are for earning glory for the Dragon Clan!

I figured going in I'd be pretty solid Phoenix, as long as they were playable. Phoenix has been really good to me so far; strong cards and enjoyable gameplay. However, I've also found myself really enjoying Crab and Unicorn too, so I don't think I'll be as loyal to Phoenix as I thought. Especially since I've really enjoyed the Unicorn fiction, and I always felt like Crab should get more respect. We haven't seen much Phoenix fiction yet, but if they become obviously arrogant or not as wise as they act like they are, I could see myself abandoning them for another clan.

That, or if I could get my Unicorn deck to work out. It needs a lot of refinement and practice

I have stuck with Dragon, and once our Stone of Sorrow and monk tech kicks in, I think I'll have a good time.

But this onslaught of pure Lion OP madness has tempted me. I have a Lion deck and it feels so overpowering compared to playing Dragon.

I stuck with Phoenix from the time I began in late Samurai (when they were... mediocre to bad, on average) through Celestial (when they were pretty middle of the road) through Emperor (when they were stupidly, abusively broken) through Ivory (absolute trash again!) through Twenty Festivals (middle of the road again!). (Not that power levels mattered TOO much, since I was a perennial scrub- a metric for how abusively good Phoenix was in Emperor? I won a lot).

I stuck with Phoenix through good stories and awful stories, to say nothing of several years of no stories at all about what the Clan was up to (what were the Phoenix doing from the end of Samurai Edition through the end of Ivory? Your guess is as good as mine).

I'm Phoenix for good.

Unless they let my play a non-Mantis-centered Minor Clan Alliance, 'cause the Hare, Fox, Wasp, Dragonfly, Badger, Centipede, Falcon...

While I'm sure a great deal of players, especially old5r players, will show their clan loyalty I think for every person who does there will be a person who doesn't. This is now an LCG and this gives people that option. My obly thought when it comes to this is how we as a community treat the players who just play something because it's OK or FotM. I believe this will be the test of our community

20 minutes ago, starrius said:

While I'm sure a great deal of players, especially old5r players, will show their clan loyalty I think for every person who does there will be a person who doesn't. This is now an LCG and this gives people that option. My obly thought when it comes to this is how we as a community treat the players who just play something because it's OK or FotM. I believe this will be the test of our community

Treat them like you would any other player who plays anything else. If someone wants to jump ship each time a new FotM deck comes along then it will only make you a better player for when you participate in a competitive event.

And if you don't have people to play against then you'll end up with some real pretty cards that just sit in a box. I'd much rather show up and play against whever FotM deck someone has then show up and have nobody to play with.

Just now, Ishi Tonu said:

Treat them like you would any other player who plays anything else. If someone wants to jump ship each time a new FotM deck comes along then it will only make you a better player for when you participate in a competitive event. And if you don't have people to play against them you end up with some real pretty cards that just sit in a box.

I agree but we all know that there are a lot of people who take clan loyalty very seriously and all it takes is for some to make comments and see a backlash. I have a clan, crane, but really I finds a few clans styles interesting and sometimes feel that cranes cards compared to other clans are a bit flat. So I'm sure like everyone I always have random decks with me for fun and to know how the other decks function

Clan loyalty is simply the Clan that you like the most, and perhaps care the most about their storyline fate. Any truly competitive person will play multiple clans just to gain a better understanding of their enemy. It would be foolish to be so loyal as to only play your clan. Unless you have such a huge playgroup that you can adequately see all the other clans playstyles and overall meta, you really do need to play different clans to prepare your clan for the battles ahead.

As for competitive events, I have always been clan loyal, and I think FFG has done a good job so far creating a system that can reward clan loyalty.

30 minutes ago, starrius said:

I agree but we all know that there are a lot of people who take clan loyalty very seriously and all it takes is for some to make comments and see a backlash. I have a clan, crane, but really I finds a few clans styles interesting and sometimes feel that cranes cards compared to other clans are a bit flat. So I'm sure like everyone I always have random decks with me for fun and to know how the other decks function

Thing is... most people I know? Clan loyalty is a personal thing, aimed at themselves. The worst that I've ever heard (and said) is when someone who isn't particularly clan loyal gets a story pick and just goes with whatever they want instead of consulting their peers... but that happens with clan-loyal winners, too (as a Phoenix fan, I'm intimately familiar with this, because the Phoenix fanbase agrees on almost nothing).

6 hours ago, AradonTemplar said:

I figured going in I'd be pretty solid Phoenix, as long as they were playable. Phoenix has been really good to me so far; strong cards and enjoyable gameplay. However, I've also found myself really enjoying Crab and Unicorn too, so I don't think I'll be as loyal to Phoenix as I thought. Especially since I've really enjoyed the Unicorn fiction, and I always felt like Crab should get more respect. We haven't seen much Phoenix fiction yet, but if they become obviously arrogant or not as wise as they act like they are, I could see myself abandoning them for another clan.

That, or if I could get my Unicorn deck to work out. It needs a lot of refinement and practice

I can concur that the Unicorn storyline has probably been my favorite thus far. The fiction's actually bumped the Unicorn up to being my second-favorite clan (over Phoenix--sorry...). I wish that Dragons and Phoenixes got more fictions, too--we haven't gotten any attention beyond the intro fictions (and that one pre-tournament fic you guys got). All the other clans have gotten the focus at one point or another--where's our turn lol?

This pack sure seems like the perfect time to give us a dragon or phoenix story. But they'll probably decide to continue the unicorn fiction instead.

Maybe to make up for it we'll get a Dragon and Phoenix monk deluxe box and a shirt novella all about Dragon, Phoenix, and the Perfect Land Sect.

*dreams big*

5 minutes ago, Zesu Shadaban said:

This pack sure seems like the perfect time to give us a dragon or phoenix story. But they'll probably decide to continue the unicorn fiction instead.

Maybe to make up for it we'll get a Dragon and Phoenix monk deluxe box and a shirt novella all about Dragon, Phoenix, and the Perfect Land Sect.

*dreams big*

Coming soon I guess since before Shadowlands lore are officially introduced there will probably be a brief flashback of Shinsei and how Fu Leng was thwarted before and that will be a good time to have more Dragon and Phoenix stories.

For now its all about in clan fighting so stories are definitely on Cranes, Scorpions, Lions and Unicorns with Crabs serving as a bridge to when Mantis and Shadowlands lore is expanded.

45 minutes ago, Mandalore525 said:

where's our turn lol?

Veterans of AEG's tenure can tell you... it's possible to go five or more years with nothing but token, "Shiba Someguy was in court too" appearances. I have high hopes that FFG will do a better job of not leaning on the "magical guys are hard to write for" crutch, but so far, we're getting more the same focus on the Crane and Lion (which, since they're the most "generic samurai" of the clans, makes a certain amount of sense, even though I personally never need to read another Crane story as long as I live).

4 hours ago, Shiba Gunichi said:

Thing is... most people I know? Clan loyalty is a personal thing, aimed at themselves. The worst that I've ever heard (and said) is when someone who isn't particularly clan loyal gets a story pick and just goes with whatever they want instead of consulting their peers... but that happens with clan-loyal winners, too (as a Phoenix fan, I'm intimately familiar with this, because the Phoenix fanbase agrees on almost nothing).

So very true....

59 minutes ago, Isawa Tasatu said:

So very true....

The world is about to end! 2 Phoenix players agreed!

10 minutes ago, Khudzlin said:

The world is about to end! 2 Phoenix players agreed!

Oooh, look at that nice darkish scroll I found at the back of the library....

22 minutes ago, Isawa Tasatu said:

Oooh, look at that nice darkish scroll I found at the back of the library....

First thing that came to mind when I saw that new 4 cost Phoenix character's artwork.

11 hours ago, Zesu Shadaban said:

This pack sure seems like the perfect time to give us a dragon or phoenix story. But they'll probably decide to continue the unicorn fiction instead.

Maybe to make up for it we'll get a Dragon and Phoenix monk deluxe box and a shirt novella all about Dragon, Phoenix, and the Perfect Land Sect.

*dreams big*

Well the Dragon was next in line after Tadaji left, and with the Imperial Decree it seems a good time to focus on religious matters while we prepare for the tournament.

7 hours ago, Isawa Tasatu said:

Oooh, look at that nice darkish scroll I found at the back of the library....

*sigh*

My life, my soul, for the Phoenix... and the Empire. The rest of ya stand clear...

I fully plan on continuing to play Lion, but I will be playing small games with every other clan to get a feel for how each clan plays, which makes it easier to know how to beat each clan!

On 12/5/2017 at 0:41 AM, Yogo Rye X said:

...

For now its all about in clan fighting so stories are definitely on Cranes, Scorpions, Lions and Unicorns with Crabs serving as a bridge to when Mantis and Shadowlands lore is expanded.

Ummmm, you mean Mantis and Spider, correct? ? (as in the Mantis and Spider deluxe box)

1 hour ago, LordBlunt said:

Ummmm, you mean Mantis and Spider, correct? ? (as in the Mantis and Spider deluxe box)

I'm sorry but I really hope they don't try and do a Spider Clan again.

Many apologies to all of you Spider fans out there...it was the dumbest story decision AEG ever made and signaled the impending doom of the game.

I know I say this cause I'm from original Imperial Edition...and was happy when they added the Shadowlands...but when they started adding new clans things got dumb fast.

I'm all for adding clans via conflict deck only (Mantis), (Ratlings), (Naga) - but the only group I really even care to see as a playable full Dynasty/Conflict Clan is Shadowlands (not Spider...big distinction)

3 hours ago, kraken78 said:

I'm sorry but I really hope they don't try and do a Spider Clan again.

Many apologies to all of you Spider fans out there...it was the dumbest story decision AEG ever made and signaled the impending doom of the game.

I know I say this cause I'm from original Imperial Edition...and was happy when they added the Shadowlands...but when they started adding new clans things got dumb fast.

I'm all for adding clans via conflict deck only (Mantis), (Ratlings), (Naga) - but the only group I really even care to see as a playable full Dynasty/Conflict Clan is Shadowlands (not Spider...big distinction)

At this rate the Spider will rise again... In about 20 years. Sigh.

Meanwhile I'm thinking of going Scorpion with Crane splashed in.

6 hours ago, LordBlunt said:

Ummmm, you mean Mantis and Spider, correct? ? (as in the Mantis and Spider deluxe box)

Depends how they go about it...if they skip Toturi's Ronin army and Junzo's Shadowlands army decks then yes but I think it will be a while before those.