Mono no Aware VS Consumed By Five Fires

By Soshi Saibankan, in L5R LCG: Deck Building

Ridiculous question?

I'm guessing the question would go around these poles:

  1. What clans am I trying to answer to? Pheonix / Crane tend to have key characters with 2-3-4 fates on them while the military ones usually 0-1-2. I'm having more trouble on the Crane side; and AFWTD doesn't work on Guest of Honor.
  2. Conflict deck price list. 2 Fate more and a card less; even with City of Lies it's not cheap. Let's say I ran AFWTD, CB5F, Ambush and Kachiko, that's 8 very expensive cards in my deck even if I run Favored Niece to cycle them out as needed
  3. Strategy? If I'm going «drop-bears» I might not care to have no fate on my guys when I play Mono no Aware. If I'm going for a heavy board presence and invest more in characters than I guess CB5F would help me gain board advantage.
  4. Splash options. Going 2x CB5F is already 4 Influence, which leaves room for let's say 2x Clarity of Purpose. Mono let's me splash anywhere, even 3x Clarity of Purpose

What do you think? Is Mono no Aware just better? Or is CB5F a good answer to a heavy board presence? Am I mad for even considering it?

The only reason I ever wanted to run Consumed by Five Fires is to counter FGG, which Mono No Aware does better, I think. Consumed seems like you'd only ever be able to capitalize it if you're ahead on board state already (so that after you spend 5 fate, you're up on board position next round because they lose all their characters, but you need to have characters with fate on them already in play before saccing your turn's worth of fate), where as Mono No Aware is best if you have characters with no fate on them already, so they're immune to the effect. It's just easier to plan a turn around Mono No Aware than it is to set up Consumed by Five Fires.

I really can't see a world where you can afford to play Consumed. It's expensive, and doesn't really net you much fate advantage, while sacrificing a turn of board presence. And I want it to be good. I just don't see it. Wish it were 3 cost for 3 fate instead. That'd be a bomb.

Mono no Aware is probably better if you're not Crane yourself. Kakita Yoshi can make CB5F profitable, but requires some setup.

Just now, Kakita Shiro said:

Mono no Aware is probably better if you're not Crane yourself. Kakita Yoshi can make CB5F profitable, but requires some setup.

Oh that's fun.

My friend tried it, but with only one CB5F. Not enough data. I'll probably try it again with Support of the Phoenix for Clarity of Purpose and Consumed.

Oh wait, you can't Support of the Phoenix and Consumed by Five Fires because the latter is Seeker Only.

I like it, it has won me a few games. With Favored niece you can cycle it out but it has proven useful particularly on the Pheonix matchup. The meta seems to go for big towers with 2+ fate with Finger of Jade and solves both. It requires some setup against clans with counters.

Maybe 1x is not too bad. Would combo with Embrace the Void but thats gimmicky at best. I hope Phoenix never get Seeker role ?