Hey there!

Been looking to buy into L5R for a few weeks now just as a casual player (big fan of themes utilizing Japanese and other East-Asian culture) and am wondering how "pick up and play" the core set is. For someone who has been away from CCGs for years and having never played an LCG before, how approachable is L5R?

I ask not just for myself, but also a friend of mine who I'm planning to show the game as my first opponent. While I'm sure he'll also be a big fan of the aesthetic of the game, he is 100% new to CCGs/LCGs so I want to be sure I'm not gonna spring something excessively complex on him either.

All experienced input is appreciated! ^^

So as a new player I recommend checking out the Skirmish format of the game its a more new player friendly format and is one you can easily play with just 2 core sets. For the main format "stronghold" You will need 3 cores to have a full playset of all the cards. From the core I recommend picking up the Clan War and Children of the Empire Deluxe Boxes as they are great value to get a ton of cards and Clan War has rules and cards for the multiplayer format.

L5R is a complex game. Not basically rule wise, but doing the math and right choises can take some time to crasp. Better player will win in most cases vs. Better deck. So playing the deck right way is essential to do well in this game.

it is possibe to make mistakes Also in deckbuilding, so that Also need skill. Fun thematic game, but requires skills to analyse propabilities, resourse management etc.

There were some beginner decks back in the day, built with one core set in mind, you could try those. They arent perfectly balanced to each other, but are ok to learn. One thing we did with new players here was ignore certain aspects of the game, mainly no ring effects and no ban/restricted lists. That way people could have more freedom building their decks, and the rules were lightened a bit. Now that skirmish exists, you could go for that too as was suggested.

I loved old L5R and technically this new version is designed better. However, L5R punished players heavily for mistakes and is not a good game for a casual or a newb. If this person is a friend keep your good will intact and avoid L5R for now. Have you thought about something cooperative, like Marvel Champions? I think it is the best card based game FFG has produced so far.

I picked up a single Core set, two random expansions, and three clan packs to play with my son and we've been having a blast this past week, enjoying the art and the card interplay. I've ordered Children of the Empire.