Is Kaezin playable?

By twinstarbmc, in L5R LCG: Deck Building

Title pretty much says it all, but here's some context. I've got a Political-heavy Crane deck I'm trying to get a little more Military into. And it's looking like duels are going to be a bigger thing in this deck, too. So..... maybe?

He isn't bad as long as you realize that the ability isn't there to help you win conflicts.

Kaezin is alright and can fill the 3+ str. mil slot, that few cards occupie in Crane.

18 hours ago, Mirith said:

He isn't bad as long as you realize that the ability isn't there to help you win conflicts.

Care to be a hair less cryptic? Subtlety is lost on me, I'm afraid.

2 hours ago, twinstarbmc said:

Care to be a hair less cryptic? Subtlety is lost on me, I'm afraid.

On its own, his ability will rarely let you win a conflict. Sending everyone other than him and your opponents best military home will only occasionally give you the win (Not impossible, just rare). It will however probably prevent a break. Given other buffs, you could probably get the win by going tall, but there are other problems with that. Intentionally losing with his ability for the abort isn't bad either, but conditionally useful.

He is okay at defending Political against less-political clans who may have to send more than one to attack Crane.

So you wouldn't recommend using him on the attack to combo with Admit Defeat to bow their solo defender (assuming you win the duel)?

31 minutes ago, Kaito Kikaze said:

So you wouldn't recommend using him on the attack to combo with Admit Defeat to bow their solo defender (assuming you win the duel)?

Nope. I don't often see multi-character defenses until the SH Province anyway, and Kaezin generally needs a lot of buffs to take a SH alone.

4 hours ago, Kaito Kikaze said:

So you wouldn't recommend using him on the attack to combo with Admit Defeat to bow their solo defender (assuming you win the duel)?

And if he is only useful when you have a particular card in your hand, is that playable?

19 hours ago, Mirith said:

And if he is only useful when you have a particular card in your hand, is that playable?

With Crane cycling its not bad. The issue is getting him big enough where it will matter.

I think you guys are playing him wrong. I see his duel used as a built in eject button more often than anything else.

Defend with him. Force your opponent to play cards to get bigger so they can break, and then lose his duel to leave so he can swing in your next conflict.

You're on to something. He is a sort of phony duellist, baiting you in a winnable duel but always betting one and going home taking maybe honor at the same time. It's why he is Yojimbo to Asami, who can chip honor too.

Can you use duellist training with a bowed character? (if lost, already bowed so is there game change?). Maybe duellist training is meant to be lost, for chipping honor by bidding 1.

Crane dueltech is phony and their mean for honor pressure ?

duels are supposed to be lost, and use contingency plan for honor chipping.

except Policy Debate of course.