Hello All,

Could some L5R veterans out there offer me some advice? If you were playing exclusively with Clan Cards (in the Conflict and Dynasty decks) which cycle would you purchase first (after 3+ Core Sets)?

Let me flesh this out a bit!

A local gaming store that I frequented just closed down, and I was able to pick up 4 Core Sets of the L5R LCG for about $50. (I grabbed a fourth for extra neutrals, and because I need enough gameplay materials for seven players, not six).

Here's my dilemma, (which may sound odd but I have my reasons). I have a group of friends I sometimes play board games with, but we typically have 5 to 7 players. I'd like to introduce them to this game, but not overwhelm them with deck building options right from the start. What I'd like to do is place 7 decks, (1 per clan), on the table, very briefly explain the theme/story for each, and let my friends choose one a piece. From there, I'd have them each cut both their Dynasty and Conflict decks down to 45 cards a piece (i.e. keep the vast majority of the cards and just dump a few).

For the first few games I would have all of the neutral Dynasty and Conflict cards set aside in secret stash ; with 7 players they'd have to be "drafted" in some way and (for the sake of expediency and to avoid bickering) I figure I can introduce this element once everyone is comfortable with the rules and the clan cards they already have. (Even with 4 Core Sets there aren't enough Fine Katanas (etc.) to go around.)

Thus each player would have a Dynasty and Conflict deck comprised exclusively of clan cards from a single clan (for our first dozen games or so).

Those of you who are familiar with the game might realize that, with 3 copies of each clan card in each Dynasty/Conflict deck, we're going to fall well short of 45 cards (and in most cases won't even hit 40) with just the 3 Core Sets. For this reason I'd like to purchase all of the cards in one cycle to pump up that number a bit.

I'm trying to decide which cycle!

I actually have a few goals when determining which cycle to pick:

1) For the sake of balance with a new group of layers, I'd prefer cards that counterbalance the weaknesses of each clan in the core set. For example, I'd like a bit of military power for Crane Clan, and a bit of political clout for Lion Clan, etc.

2) I'd like to keep the core theme and style of each clan intact; I want a lion clan filled with proud warriors, not weird monsters.

3) I'd prefer a cycle that doesn't introduce too many new rules/mechanics; again, newer players.

Thus far I'm heavily leaning towards the Inheritance Cycle (even though I might pull the 'Disguise' mechanic cards and slap them in the secret stash for the first dozen games).

Again, could some L5R veterans out there offer me some advice? If you were playing exclusively with Clan Cards (in the Conflict and Dynasty decks) which cycle would you purchase first (after 3+ Core Sets)?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

A cycle has 6 packs. If you want to keep strictly to clan cards and don't mind spending a little more, you could buy the 7 clan packs instead of a cycle. That way you have a bigger card pool of clan specific cards, maintain clan theme, and don't get a bunch of new rules to add up.