Working on a Unicorn Deck, looking for help!

Key to the deck is Cavalry Reserves to unleash an absolutely overwhelming military crush and then solidify the attackers with For Greater Glory, which will serve as my splash from the Lion Clan and is my restricted "greylist" card. So 3 copies of Cavalry Reserves and 3 copies of For Greater Glory.

Battle Maiden Recruit, at 0 cost, seems like a logical fit for Cavalry Reserves, so 3 of them go in as well. Young Warrior seems like an excellent choice as well... she has fantastic stats for her cost, and her weakness - the need to deploy during the first conflict - doesn't apply if she's sent in from the Reserves. Since the deck will focus on outnumbering the enemy, Utaku Infantry and Shinjo Shono are in as well.

So far we have...

DYNASTY

3 Battle Maiden Recruit

3 Utaku Infantry

3 Young Warrior

3 Shinjo Shono

CONFLICT

3 Press of Battle

3 For Greater Glory

3 Cavalry Reserves

Thoughts? (Be gentle. Remember, the Unicorns are kind!)

There are dozens of such decks on FiveRingsDB or BushiBuilder you can reference for your build. Cheap characters, items and buffs, Shono. Problem is, now that we're using the Fire role and access to our Djinn, I feel like this build will fall out of favor.

Im actually more intrested in talking this out... I like hearing the why's and what's that go into deckbuilding, rather than reading off a list.

Wont we have Seeker of Water for a while still?

As of right now, I think Charge is a more valuable RL card for Unicorn Swarm decks because you can't quite get the full value out of the Cav Reserves / FGG combo until the next dynasty cyle comes out. There are few cards that I feel are critical in making a low fate cost swarm it's most effective.

Until then, there is just too much value in Charging something like Chagatai to pass up.

BMR is a card I would consider filling in with if I had room, not starting with. Playing her for free is still taking up an action in your dynasty phase and likely preventing you from passing first to get the extra fate. Now that Unicorn has a solid group of conflict characters, passing dynasty first and playing a conflict character later is generally a better play, even if it costs you a fate, because it's most likely denying fate from your oppnent

Hmm... I hadnt even considered Chagatai/Charge... wow that IS powerful...

Still, I wonder if I cant use Cavalry Reserves to send in Moto Chagatai as well! For 3 fate I send in in 3 Battle Maidens and Chagatai! Only 2 Fate if I use the Mantis Tenkinja.

Most Unicorn decks use both Charge and Cav Reserves.

So a typical turn might be you flip a Chagatai and maybe some small characters and or Keeper Initiates. Try to but as many characters as you can buy be first to pass dynasty. Charge Chagatai into a battle and see what happens. Then when Chagatai does at the end of the turn with any of you other small characters that you bought it discarded you have some ammunition for Cav Reserves in your follow up turns and hopefully banned some fate to play it.

1 hour ago, Ishi Tonu said:

BMR is a card I would consider filling in with if I had room, not starting with. Playing her for free is still taking up an action I. Your dynasty phase and likely preventing you from passing first to get the extra fate.

I love Battle Maiden Recruits for unlocking the number of participating character mechanics. It costs 0 but remains valuable for Press of Battle, Challenge on the Fields, and of course HMT itself. I think she is worth inclusion, though following your point I will probably choose the extra fate over playing her most of the time I am given this choice (which is not always, far from it!). She'll also be able to get on board with Shinjo Gunso, once this one becomes be available.

17 minutes ago, Ascarel said:

She'll also be able to get on board with Shinjo Gunso, once this one becomes be available.

I'll revisit BMR once Shinjo Gunso and the new holding come out. Until then there is just too much competition at the 2 fate and under slots and too many good conflict character choices to take up an action buying a zero skill character.

Yes BMR helps the "numbers matter" cards but it's really not that difficult to meet that requirement. I've had her in as a 2 of a few times but since the clan pack game out I just can't find any room for her. She is pretty much at the bottom of my character consideration list and behind some holdings when I decide on my final card slots.

I'm kinda hoping FFG has to accelerate the release of their next dynasty cycle because I really want to try some of the swarm decks that I have been pre-entirely brewing.

1 hour ago, Ascarel said:

I love Battle Maiden Recruits for unlocking the number of participating character mechanics. It costs 0 but remains valuable for Press of Battle, Challenge on the Fields, and of course HM  T itself

Sorry, what is HMT?

HMT is the Unicorn stronghold that was released during the Elemental Cycle dynasty packs:

https://l5r.gamepedia.com/Hisu_Mori_Toride_(Unicorn_Clan)

It's arguably their best (most successful) stronghold at the moment. Its certainly their best platform for swarm tactics.

Shiro Shinjo is full of potential as well but is built more for a long game.

Ah thanks.

I actually prefer Shiro Shinjo, especially combined with Border Fortress

If you're playing at a more measured pace and going for the late game Shiro Shinjo has a ton of potential and pretty much everyone is still figuring it out.

I put in a little testing with it when it was first spoiled but, I've had to focus on my HMT deck for the Seattle Kotei later this month. Once that is over, I'll be putting in some serious testing time with Shiro Shinjo, at least until I see the cards that I want for my swarm lists and can start testing both strongholds in whatever the new metagame looks like at that time.

Not that I should expect you would care what and why I am playing what I am playing. I only posted that to put into context what will likely be my slant on any suggestions made for decks right now.

1 hour ago, Ishi Tonu said:

Not that I should expect you would care what and why I am playing what I am playing. I only posted that to put into context what will likely be my slant on any suggestions made for decks right now.

I actually thought it was very intresting. I asked you guys for advice, remember? :-)

15 hours ago, Green Raven said:

Sorry, what is HMT?

Good lord. I just complained in another thread that sometimes excessive use of abbreviations is hard to follow, and here I fell prey to that habit myself. My apologies. The sprayer has been sprayed.

4 hours ago, Ascarel said:

Good lord. I just complained in another thread that sometimes excessive use of abbreviations is hard to follow, and here I fell prey to that habit myself. My apologies. The sprayer has been sprayed.

Are you sure you want that to be your nickname?

12 minutes ago, Ishi Tonu said:

Are you sure you want that to be your nickname?

My mind is pure, and therefore I have no idea what you're talking about.

Ok, but seriously, I just tried translating an expression we say in my native language, and I thought the image was clear enough, without thinking about the form. 😆 :facepalm:

Lets talk Provinces...

Im using Seeker of Water, so that I can access Press of Battle and Mantis Tenkinja. Conveniently, This allows me to include Riot in the Street, which works perfectly with the swarm cavalry playstyle Im going for. I also want Along the River of Gold, because it just seems like such a powerful province, with an ability that can help cover for the Unicorn's poor diplomacy and which can can be triggered at any water province.

What else would you guys recommend?

I like many water province, even Endless Plain (that is not so great, because is all about luck).

Anyway, Along the River and Midnight Revels. We usually don't have a so big glory, so Midnight Revels can bow one of your opponent big guy. Along the River can help you to save your stronghold as well, if under the stronghold there is a water province: still you need to manage to revel it without let it be broken.

51 minutes ago, Victarion13 said:

I like many water province, even Endless Plain (that is not so great, because is all about luck).

Anyway, Along the River and Midnight Revels. We usually don't have a so big glory, so Midnight Revels can bow one of your opponent big guy. Along the River can help you to save your stronghold as well, if under the stronghold there is a water province: still you need to manage to revel it without let it be broken.

What does Midnight Revels have to do with high Glory?

2 hours ago, Ser Nakata said:

What does Midnight Revels have to do with high Glory?

lol

I wanted to write cost, but I wrote glory. Anyway, usually I don't use 5 cost character, so I often bow opponent big card

Not even Chagatai? O_o

23 hours ago, Ser Nakata said:

Not even Chagatai? O_o

I am thinking to do a Moto Horde deck, with all Moto, but not for now.

Now I have no 5 or more cost character, and I am having fun (that does not mean be competitive).