Over lunch at work, have been going through the card list, looking for cards that stand out as great multiplayer cards.
Or ones that are not so great, especially in terms of leading to unfun games.

Here's a short starting list.

Good Multiplayer cards
1) Sashimono

Potential problem Multiplayer cards
1) Hida Amoro

Do we think there is other potential additions to the Banned List?

Beastmaster Matriarch could be interesting. It's specifically worded that she gets +2 MIL for"each ring in each opponent's claimed ring pool" so especially in larger games she could become monstrous...especially since you just keep accumulating rings as the game progresses.

@Kaito Kikaze , maybe the card you mention was designed with that intention. ???

Good lord! What if FFG actually knew beforehand that their multiplayer was going to use multiple sets of rings? ?

36 minutes ago, Kaito Kikaze said:

Beastmaster Matriarch could be interesting. It's specifically worded that she gets +2 MIL for"each ring in each opponent's claimed ring pool" so especially in larger games she could become monstrous...especially since you just keep accumulating rings as the game progresses.

I'm pretty sure, based on the wording under Rings and Card/Game Effects , that she would only get the bonus for rings on her owner's provinces.

1 minute ago, shineyorkboy said:

I'm pretty sure, based on the wording under Rings and Card/Game Effects , that she would only get the bonus for rings on her owner's provinces.

Even with this bit at the end of that section?

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This rule does not apply to cards that specifically call out rings in an opponent’s claimed ring pool.

Ah, my mistake. I thought her ability said each player, not each opponent. In that case since rings on provinces are not the same thing as a claimed ring pool your opponents don't have claimed ring pools and her ability does nothing.

Also, I note that Keeper Initiate is much less useful in multiplayer since as long as you have your keeper ring on a province you can't claim it to trigger their ability.

Edit: Actually anything that reacts to rings being claimed, like Asako Tsuki, are less good. But stuff that needs a ring to have been claimed, like Prodigy of the Waves and Solemn Scholar, are better because you don't lose it at the end of the turn.

I'm not sure that's the intent. Here's this bit from "Declaring Conflicts and Claiming Rings":

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If the attacking player wins the conflict, the ring token they used is then claimed (during step 3.2.7) and placed on one of their unbroken provinces. At the end of the round, claimed rings are not returned to an unclaimed ring pool and remain on that province instead. This ring counts as being in this player’s claimed ring pool for the purposes of card and game effects.

The wording overall in the document still feels kind of rough, but I think it's at least the intent here that rings on provinces are considered the player's "claimed ring pool" for effects.

But that other bit you quoted makes me think that your cards treat your rings on provinces as being in your claimed ring pool, but not your opponents. Although that leads to an awkward issue where either your opponents can never have a claimed Earth ring and thus Tadaka can never be shut off or as soon as someone claims a Water ring Prodigy of Waves is always active.

The beta rules can definitely use some cleaning up and clarification. I think it's more likely that all players have the rings on their provinces considered in their claimed ring pool, which would make it a little easier to turn off Tadaka's ability against you. But yes, cards like Prodigy of Waves would be turned on by anyone claiming the required ring. I don't think there are a lot of cards that work this way, but there's a handful at least that will probably be awkward like you said.

there's also Ishiken Initiate, 2 for 1/1 with +1/+1 for each Claimed Ring. She has void so if Inquisitive Ishika is out she's 1 and if there's 2 Inquisitive Ishika is out she's free.

"At the end of the round, claimed rings are not returned to an unclaimed ring pool and remain on that province instead. This ring counts as being in this player’s claimed ring pool for the purposes of card and game effects."

"When a card or game effect refers to one or more claimed or unclaimed rings, it only refers to the ring or rings in the unclaimed ring pool or on the provinces of the controller of the card effect, or by the player resolving the game effect. This rule does not apply to cards that specifically call out rings in an opponent’s claimed ring pool."

Everything is clarified in the rules.

So beastmaster matriarch is working very well, but prodigy of the waves work only if the player owning her claimed the water ring.

I'm a Dragon player, and all I can think of is that I want more Mantras. But then looking at it closely, I realize it all hinges on how they are worded.

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After an opponent declares a Fire conflict, choose a Monk character or a character with a Monk attachment – place 1 fate on that character and draw 1 card.

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After your opponent declares a Water conflict, choose a Monk character or a character with a Monk attachment – ready that character and draw 1 card.

Now the rules say:

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Any card ability that refers to “ Your Opponent ” or “The Opponent” is referring to the singular other player participating in a conflict against you. It does not refer to the player(s) not participating in the conflict. Players not participating in a conflict cannot fulfill any conditions of abilities that specifically call out “Your Opponent” or “The Opponent”.

Any card ability that refers to “ An Opponent ” can refer to any of your opponents, even during a conflict

In any case I've always preferred the Fire Mantras and this looks to me like a good idea to run them in a multiplayer match -- perhaps even 3! Togashi Tadakatsu can well stay home.

So does Way of the Phoenix just shut someone out of their selected ring for the turn now?

Yes? I'm not sure what you're asking. That's how Way of the Phoenix has always worked...pick an opponent, pick a ring, that opponent can't declare conflicts with that ring. If that's the only ring they still need to win, they'll need to try and claim it from someone's province.

7 hours ago, Kaito Kikaze said:

Yes? I'm not sure what you're asking. That's how Way of the Phoenix has always worked...pick an opponent, pick a ring, that opponent can't declare conflicts with that ring. If that's the only ring they still need to win, they'll need to try and claim it from someone's province.

Except if it's their last ring they wouldn't be able to declare attacks since you need an empty unclaimed ring pool to declare ringless conflicts.

Good point. I wonder if that's something the design team would consider changing, or if they'd prefer to leave things as-is and that player is just SOL for the round?