Hello all, I was just wondering what your opinion is on Way of Chrysanthemum considering the new dueling them that seems to be cropping up? I am still wary of it due to the high cost, and considering how rare people seem to bid a 3 or higher on a duel? Just in case people don't remember it, https://l5r.gamepedia.com/Way_of_the_Chrysanthemum

I have been running WotC the whole time, with an honour running Lion deck. Strategy was to hard mulligan for WotC and Bid 5 turn 1 if I didn't find it. Beyond that, bids dropped to 1 very quickly, so I got used to playing with no Conflict and focused on defending rather than attacking, and getting benefits from losing conflicts or having my provinces broken.

After Children of the Empire I found that all the extra duels meant my opponents often found ways to sneak a few more points of honour off me or got way more effects relating to the dial that I couldn't oppose.

At the moment I have switched to Unicorn splash to try and get a little more aggression and actually win some rings. I was on Crane to try and maximise my defense with Stewards and For Shame, etc etc.

I've found more decks are playing a bit of a longer game, which actually works for me. I'm using a few duels of my own, and I very much am willing to play them when the duel is close to try and sneak an honour or two off my opponent. It helps to be willing to bid higher and lose a point or two myself to gain the duel's effect occasionally, then they can't be sure whether I'm going to choose the honour for my win condition or lose some honour to gain board state.

I am going with quite a swarmy deck that races through its Dynasty and rarely puts extra fate on the bodies. This was mostly originally so I would have plenty of choices of defenders, to minimise my honour losses to bow, covert, etc.

It's probably not a duelling deck in the way you mean though I guess.

Honourable Lion w/Unicorn
by: Brekekiwi

Yōjin no Shiro (Core)
Keeper of Earth
Before the Throne (The Chrysanthemum Throne)
Night Raid (Core)
Public Forum (Into the Forbidden City)
Shameful Display (Core)
The Art of War (Core)

Dynasty Deck (40)
Character (35)
3 Obstinate Recruit (Core)
3 Ikoma Prodigy (Core)
3 Matsu Berserker (Core)
3 Steadfast Samurai (Core)
3 Tactician's Apprentice (All and Nothing)
3 Akodo Toshiro (The Chrysanthemum Throne)
3 Aspiring Challenger (Children of the Empire)
2 Miya Mystic (Core)
3 Tireless Sōdan Senzo (The Ebb and Flow)
3 Venerable Historian (Core)
3 Kitsu Spiritcaller (Core)
3 Honored General (Core)

Holding (5)
3 Imperial Storehouse (Core)
2 Staging Ground (Core)

Conflict Deck (42)
Attachment (8)
2 Cloud the Mind (Core)
3 Force of the River (The Ebb and Flow)
2 Honored Blade (Core)
1 Talisman of the Sun (Meditations on the Ephemeral)

Character (4)
2 Iuchi Wayfinder (Core)
2 Guardian Kami (Disciples of the Void)

Event (30)
2 A Legion of One (Meditations on the Ephemeral)
3 Contingency Plan (Core)
3 Court Games (Core)
2 Defend Your Honor (Children of the Empire)
2 Even the Odds (Breath of the Kami)
2 Hand to Hand (Children of the Empire)
3 Policy Debate (For Honor and Glory)
2 Ready for Battle (Core)
2 Sabotage (Tainted Lands)
2 Way of the Lion (Core)
3 Waning Hostilities (Fate Has No Secrets)
3 Way of the Chrysanthemum (The Chrysanthemum Throne)
1 Glorious Victory (Children of the Empire)

Deck Built using https://www.bushibuilder.com

The new dragon and dueling cards are very good at sapping my honor. Also, they encourage singular large characters with very high stats, whom I can't often successfully duel against.

I've been roughly handled by a crane dueling honour run deck on jigoku a couple of times now, but I've had more success hitting honour vs non - duel decks.

I'm retrying all the clan options for my splash, so lots is on the board. Loading more convert to avoid duel bullies was suggested to me. I could just get a lot of 'stay your hand' and keep attachment destruction and sabotage around?

Any advice?