I presume immune would mean can't be chosen as the target of events, and assassinate definitely chooses targets.

I'm actually backtracking on my evaluation for this guy a lot. He can only make himself immune, and if he does, he'll most likely just be a 1/2, and if you buy him dynasty phase, your opponent sees it and can always choose to bid one. I think he'd only be good as a conflict character. Unless your goal is to punish your opponent for drawing cards, he's pretty mediocre. Good way to stay ahead on cards though, I guess. I wonder if it's best to just play him and bid 4 or 5 regardless. Intimidate your opponent into bidding low, then punish him on the card draw. Go for 4 so that if they do go full five and decide to just eat the extra +2 pol, you can still get most of your hand.

2 hours ago, AradonTemplar said:

I presume immune would mean can't be chosen as the target of events, and assassinate definitely chooses targets.

I'm actually backtracking on my evaluation for this guy a lot. He can only make himself immune, and if he does, he'll most likely just be a 1/2, and if you buy him dynasty phase, your opponent sees it and can always choose to bid one. I think he'd only be good as a conflict character. Unless your goal is to punish your opponent for drawing cards, he's pretty mediocre. Good way to stay ahead on cards though, I guess. I wonder if it's best to just play him and bid 4 or 5 regardless. Intimidate your opponent into bidding low, then punish him on the card draw. Go for 4 so that if they do go full five and decide to just eat the extra +2 pol, you can still get most of your hand.

I really do think the whole point with Composure will be to stop opponents bidding 5 by default anyway so just having him out and forcing a 1 bid means he will likely have paid for himself (especially in a clan like phoenix where you have alternate draw already so you aren't hurt as much by bidding 1). Add as a bonus you attach a fan and send him in and 4 pol even without composure is usually enough to get a bully duel off.

19 hours ago, Tabris2k said:

Sweet! a monk that isn't useless with an ability that Yokuni can use.

2 hours ago, Tabris2k said:

Another one, this time from Discord:

Seems good. Is good? I think is good.

This is good.

I hope it's doesn't turn off all events entirely for a turn, which seems to incentivize non-interactions on both ends the same way Policy Debate did. You either don't block or don't play events.

19 minutes ago, Hordeoverseer said:

I hope it's doesn't turn off all events entirely for a turn, which seems to incentivize non-interactions on both ends the same way Policy Debate did. You either don't block or don't play events.

It only makes one character immune to events for that conflict.

Somebody raised a very interesting point in the L5R subreddit: you can intentionally lose the duel, so your opponent cannot target their character with their own events. Effectively shutting down Banzais, Court Games, StD, some Way Of... heck, maybe even Calling in Favors or Forged Edicts.

Which really bring a new layer of mind games to this duel. The opponent now has to decide: Do I lose the duel, and I cannot use Way of the Crane on my character, or I win, making the other immune and activating his composure?

Yeah I was just thinking along the same lines. I feel like this is a good card design. Seems like there's going to be decision points with him on both sides of the table. We'll see how it shakes out when the truly competitive start playing with it.

Now we just need a few other Shinobi interactions to warrant playing the Seal

From FB page:

I like it (Should be Children of the Empire)

31 minutes ago, Victarion13 said:

From FB page:

I like it (Should be Children of the Empire)

Yup, it’s from Children. Was posted in the prior page. 😉

As I said, it has a very cool interaction with Yurts, because it gives you a “ready at will” effect.

9 minutes ago, Tabris2k said:

Yup, it’s from Children. Was posted in the prior page. 😉

As I said, it has a very cool interaction with Yurts, because it gives you a “ready at will” effect.

I lost the one page, lol

Yes, hoping to have them both on the table XD

I dunno, she has some serious competition at the 3 fate slot. At 3 fate I really want something with great stats or strong ability and right now this doesn't seem to be all that great. However, CotE seems like it's got a clear focus on honor so maybe she ends up being an all-star. I just would have liked to see those stats pushed a little more with a fairly average ability.

Could be good if you get her honored, but until then, it's pretty difficult to use. Combos with Windswept Yurn, which helps, but after that you're relying on your opponent to give you the reaction. I think she could have stood to say 'Gains 1 or more honor' flat, so that you could use duels to ready her.

she looks interesting, I think she could have been better if the ability was limit twice per round, but that might make her too useful with certain attachments.

2 hours ago, AradonTemplar said:

Could be good if you get her honored, but until then, it's pretty difficult to use. Combos with Windswept Yurn, which helps, but after that you're relying on your opponent to give you the reaction. I think she could have stood to say 'Gains 1 or more honor' flat, so that you could use duels to ready her.

Her ability works with City of the Open Hand, so against Scorpion at least is a guaranteed 1 ready per turn.

Then again, 2 glory against Scorp is no good.

On 12/20/2018 at 2:58 AM, Tabris2k said:

Already got that covered in the “at best” case of losing a conflict. 😉

Then you shouldn't call it an all or nothing card when there's actually a continuum. A misleading introduction like that affects the reader's perception of the rest of your paragraph. 😜

7 hours ago, shineyorkboy said:

Then you shouldn't call it an all or nothing card when there's actually a continuum. A misleading introduction like that affects the reader's perception of the rest of your paragraph. 😜

I said all or nothing because after the conflict she’s either a 4/3 or a 0/0. And her ability doesn’t help with this. Having an unbowed 0/0 at home doesn’t do much.

4 hours ago, Tabris2k said:

I said all or nothing because after the conflict she’s either a 4/3 or a 0/0. And her ability doesn’t help with this. Having an unbowed 0/0 at home doesn’t do much.

She does become a favor monkey at that point.

8 hours ago, Tabris2k said:

I said all or nothing because after the conflict she’s either a 4/3 or a 0/0. And her ability doesn’t help with this. Having an unbowed 0/0 at home doesn’t do much.

being honored would make her 5/3 not 4/3.

7 minutes ago, BayushiFugu said:

being honored would make her 5/3 not 4/3.

They're talking about Lion's Honored Challenger, who is a 2/1/2, not Shiotome Heroine.

More spoilers on the main page: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2018/12/26/the-face-of-honor/

In specific:

Lion:

Phoenix:

Unicorn:

And neutral Air Province in the fan:

My hot takes on these cards:

Kiku Matsuri - Interesting, and has its place in a defensive Honor runner. Not sure if its enough to ALLOW for such a deck to exist, and I doubt that this will be replacing Manicured Gardens or Fertile Fields, but it is an okay card which will have a deck which wants it. Flagging this as a "Young Rumormonger Ban Bait" or #YRMBB2019.

Ikoma Orator - Uhhh... Yeah. No. Just not good, and no help for the Lion. Though it seems that Ikoma cards are going to keep having the silliest flavor text.

Matsu Tsuko - Fate reduction action on a body with decent stats. Not sure if she's going to be the Push 4 Fate the Lion need, but she's not BAD.

Glorious Victory - Oh. Okay. Uhh... huh. Ummm. Huh. Yeah. Sorry, all I can see with this card is how it synergizes with Force of the River and Cavalry Reserves and Kitsu Spiritcaller to create some bizarre Honor bomb deck. Otherwise, I cannot this this is worth the high Fate cost.

Gift of Amaterasu - 1 Fate to honor a body with an extremely restrictive situation. Sorry, but Benten's Touch is just a better card. Period. Path of Man does not see play, and that is ALSO just a better card.

Unmatched Expertise - 0 Fate, +1 Mil / +1 Pol attachment that protects you (somewhat) from Dishonor? This is more weight for the Phoenix Splash in Unicorn, and might see some play there. If the Dragon ever pick up a Fire Role again, this is going to be another staple card for them. Also, Card 2 of the #YRMBB2019 cycle.

Isawa Ujina - Just to make this clear, you RESOLVE the Ring before you CLAIM the Ring, which makes this Forced Reaction potentially powerful. It also makes it potentially terrible. Luckily, SWITCHING the Ring (with Know the World) does not count at Claiming the Ring (it enters a claimed ring pool, but is not claimed), so that is one synergy we do not need to worry about. Ujina is going to be like playing with dynamite. Sometimes, it's really powerful, but you have to be REALLY careful with it on the table.

Utaku Kamoko - **** that Horse has got some legs! Hachiman gets Kamoko up and going if your province gets broken, AND Honors her to boot? I think this card will officially make Appealing to the Fortunes THE Unicorn Void Province of choice. Being immune to the principle debuff of Dishonor is also nice.

Ide Negotiator - Cavalry Courtier! There are a lot of my fellow Pony players who will be over the moon for this card for just those two traits. Personally, I think the Bid manipulation will synergize well with Honest Challenger, and allow you to actually run Good Omen + Charge! / Cavalry Reserves, which is a combo I have been quietly wishing for, for a while.

Challenge on the Fields - A Duel which does not cost Fate to play, heavily favors the Swarm deck, AND can be a duel you WANT to lose (as sending home your own guy to use in a later fight is a good ability)? Yup. I am happy with this.

So, the short of it is this: it is going to feel GOOD to be playing Unicorn in 2019. Thoughts and prayers to the Lion Clan.

I really enjoy that Honor victories are going to be more readily available.

Kiku Matsuri - I went to Gencon and all I got was this meh province. Will every Gencon named card be this blah?

Ikoma Orator - Nice quote. Suitably swarmy art. Bland otherwise.

Matsu Tsuko - Will this Clan champion also get a counter-intuitive rules "clairification"?

Glorious Victory  - Nice Unicorn card. A little pricey.

Gift of Amaterasu - Stephanie Pui-Mun Law. What a beautiful card. Really lovely. What? Play it? In a deck?! You're havin' a laugh.

Unmatched Expertise - This is a Fire card before it is Phoenix. Hey FFG! There are other Elements, y'know?

Isawa Ujina - Playing this guy is like daring your opponent to call the judge for stalling. Expect to see this a lot:

Utaku Kamoko - Better than Shono. And that is saying alot. It would be nice if the Unicorn Champions had the Champion keyword.

Ide Negotiator - What? They couldn't fit her into the Scorpion box?

Challenge on the Fields - "You and what army?"

Mostly good stuff so far.

I love that Komoko doesn't give a rip about what other people think of her honor. Stats aren't over the top great, just a solid card all around.

Can't wait for this set to drop.

I was worried about Ujina but then I checked and Iron Mine and Reprieve protect against him. So between them and Vanguard Warrior he's fine.