Lion Clanpack Review Featuring the London Legion (Non-Lion Cards)
Fun Fact; The Insolent Outcast illustration featured above had been used by AEG in the previous iteration of the game on the card named Chikara, Experienced 2
To save on space, and to avoid you all having to read a wall of text, I have split the review into three sections handily accessible through the following links;
A note on the ratings themselves; All of the cards are rated on a scale from 1-5 where a 1 is a card that is either too specific, or has an effect that is so comparatively weak to existing cards that it will almost never see play to 5 which is as close as an auto-include in a deck as you can get.
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| Fun Fact; The Insolent Outcast illustration featured above had been used by AEG in the previous iteration of the game on the card named Chikara, Experienced 2 |
To save on space, and to avoid you all having to read a wall of text, I have split the review into three sections handily accessible through the following links;
A note on the ratings themselves; All of the cards are rated on a scale from 1-5 where a 1 is a card that is either too specific, or has an effect that is so comparatively weak to existing cards that it will almost never see play to 5 which is as close as an auto-include in a deck as you can get.
Support of the Lion
Aytan Hilmi (JeremiahBlitz)
Lion have some great tech cards that fit nicely into almost any deck. However, due the nature of the game, the lack of a keeper or seeker role more often then not ends up being more of a liability then an advantage. (1.5)
Luke Richards (Ikoma Eto)
Just your usual Support card. Nothing exciting but I can see Charge bird Phoenix or Unicorn HMT making a use out of it in the near future. (2)
Finbarr (Steelfur)
A good option for clans trying to run good Mil buffs, weapons and build out their own capabilities but support ofs havent been seeing a lot of play so this one likely won't either (2)
Jake (Nostred)
Do you want more Lion cards? Do you also want less Keeper/Seeker and Element locked cards? Are you tired of free money and/or Keeper Initiates? No? Nah I didn't think so either. (1)
Alex Botts (Bayushi Shimiji)
Your standard support of role card. nothing special or really good. (1)
Average Rating: 1.5
Yasuki Hikaru
Aytan Hilmi (JeremiahBlitz)
A middle of the road character with a decent effect. Send home effects are pretty strong so Hikaru should have its effect active more often then not. The only issue is that the Crab dynasty deck is already quite full but with the current tower meta I can see him becoming a key tool for Crab's defensive game. Once Defenders of Rokugan is released I could see this seeing even more play as win on defence becomes a major focus of the deck. (3.5 for now)
Luke Richards (Ikoma Eto)
Good stats and the ability to sending characters home is currently powerful. Having Hikaru on defence deters your opponent from using ever Banzai! or any military buff that might just end up going to waste. Having Hikaru on the board deters your opponent attacking with a tower. Unless you're playing against Scorpion or Crane, at 3 Military, it's likely you'll be able to send a character home from the conflict declaration. (4)
Finbarr (Steelfur)
Free send home is quite powerful, and at 3 this will hit a lot of personalities that people use as towers, or anyone after a Banzai. With the crabs new defensive theme spoiled recently this will be a solid option. Main issue is that it doesn't help crab as much vs Crane and Scorpion who will need to be dealt with. However, a cheeky Katana on an opponents character means you can send them home every turn. (4)
Jake (Nostred)
0 glory, reasonable stats, fits the defensive Crab theme that seems to be relevant for their clan pack and can defend against a break on its own. If they Banzai, you send it home, if they are a tower, you send it home, if for some reason they have more than 3 mil on a single character you just send it home. Let's just take an average 4 strength province (before we even talk about Crab's holdings) to break that with Hikaru defending alone they need 7 mil. Since a 4 mil character will get sent home they can't break with a 4 mil and a 3 mil. That means to break a 4 strength province against Hikaru the attacker has to commit three bodies or two 7 mil hecking chonkers. That just isn't happening often. This is a great card. (4)
I'm not sure about this card.
Sending a massive lion home is cool but then
they'll have access to that character for later
conflicts.
Once the crab pack is out then it might be a
different story. (3)
Average Rating: 3.7
Doji Kuzunobu
Aytan Hilmi (JeremiahBlitz)
So this is a decent card imo. A solid statline, courtier keyword and a passive ability to turn off reactions. Note that all event cancels are reactions themselves so you would be free to play anything you liked with no concequence. Granted this applies for your opponent also and outside of cancels reactions are not terribly common so I would see this as maybe a 1 of at most. (3)
Luke Richards (Ikoma Eto)
A Courtier with well rounded stats and an ability to boot that can become a nuisance for a fair few clans (...including yourself). It currently doesn't fit in the Kyuden Kakita deck and the 4-drop slot is heavily contested in Crane so I don't think this card works just yet. We might see Doji Kozunobu becoming popular when the Crab pack releases as they already appear to be packing a lot of reaction characters... (2.5)
Finbarr (Steelfur)
Solid statline, and some interesting interactions. Turns off a lot of solid effects out of lion and some other useful effects like Kirei-ko. Not sure that reactions are strong enough to earn this character a slot, especially since crane already have a lot of cancels and embargo effects. (3)
Jake (Nostred)
This is good against the subset of cards which have reactions rather than actions or interrupts and where the reactions trigger during a conflict. Seems niche when Crane can just Voice of Honour, Gossip or Guest of Honour a lot of them already. It might become really good in a meta where Crane's biggest predators are reaction heavy but I don't think now is that time. (2)
Hotaru's hubby! Who is a literal fox.
Hmm can't trigger reactions. I like it.
This pack has a lot of strong reactions
and Kozunobu will help against other clans
nasty cards too. The 4 drop slot in crane
is pretty contested however. (3)
Average Rating: 2.7
Isawa Tsuke
Aytan Hilmi (JeremiahBlitz)
I really like Tsuke. Against decks which like to swarm with cheap characters this could be quite good. She doesnt need to be in the conflict so there is always the ability to Display of Power into the fire ring to get multiple effects off. (3.5)
Luke Richards (Ikoma Eto)
Another 4-drop for Phoenix?! It requires either player to have at least 2 characters of the same cost to even make use of it's ability so at most, you are hoping that this character flips up later into the game. Is this better than say Isawa Ujina, Prodigy of the Waves and Master of the Gisei Toshi? No. I can see use of this character in a Isawa Mori Seido honour deck but Kyuden Isawa is still at the top of the list for powerful strongholds. (2)
Finbarr (Steelfur)
This card is hillarious versus Scorpion and Lion (and to an extent unicorn), but dishonour isn't what the Phoenix shugenja deck is trying to do so I don't expect that this will take the slot from Ujina. (3)
Jake (Nostred)
I see Isawa Tsuke is secretly a Scorpion. If this card was red it might see play, if it was yellow or blue it would see play, it is orange and at 4 fate it isn't replacing Ujina or anyone else. (2)
Alex Botts (Bayushi Shimiji)
The forth member of the Council of Elemental Masters
has a pretty cool ability. Let's dishonour every
two drop the opponent has, or honour all of my four drops.
This does make me wish all the elemental masters
cost the same but oh well.
His stats aren't amazing but I'll forgive him. (3)
Average Rating: 2.7
Shosuro Denmaru
Aytan Hilmi (JeremiahBlitz)
I am not convinced about Denmaru. He has no synergy with scorpion's dishonor theme and also will only work against 2-3 of the 7 clans. (1)
Luke Richards (Ikoma Eto)
Scorpion now get the Lion 2-drop dynasty treatment. Stats are average and although the ability might see some use, it will only matter in the Crane, Lion or Phoenix matchup. As a conflict character it might have seen play but as a dynasty character, he is folder fodder. (1)
Finbarr (Steelfur)
An interesting effect, but if your opponents characters are honoured as a Scorpion you are doing it wrong. Its anti-synergy to save you from something you shouldn't let happen in the first place. (1)
Jake (Nostred)
Why though? (1)
Alex Botts (Bayushi Shimiji)
I'm interested in giving this guy a test run.
He'll make winning conflicts against certain
clans a bit easier but I'm not sure if he'll
be good enough to keep in all match ups.
As far as scorpion go his stats are a bit
weak for a 2 drop if he was glory 0 then
different story. (2)
Average Rating: 1.2
Moto Ariq
Aytan Hilmi (JeremiahBlitz)
If we have learned anything from Doji Challenger it's that harpoon effects are very strong. Unlike Doji Challenger however, this effect comes with the restriction of being less honorable then the opponent and they are allowed to choose who comes into the fight. Unicorn's midrange dynasty character lineup is also pretty full so I'm not confient that this will see a lot of play. (2)
Luke Richards (Ikoma Eto)
What everyone else said. An ideal situation with Unicorn harpoon would be Moto Ariq and Honest Challenger on the defence. Harpoon in their whole backline to the conflict then Unfulfilled Duty everyone back up for the attack. Yet that ideal situation is a lot to ask... (2.5)
Finbarr (Steelfur)
Unicorn don't race towards dishonour, and harpoon is not efficient when your opponent gets to pick the character. That the character has to be ready redeems this card slightly but I'm sceptical that this will see play compared to Tetsuko. (2)
Jake (Nostred)
Okay fair enough, Unicorn is 9 times out of 10 meeting the conditions of this card because they can't stop using their dishonourable spooky magic, but still, you want to break as a Unicorn player. Not only that but you want to do it quickly. If they've left their characters at home then w.e. easy life for you, why let them have a free choice on which one comes in to make your life a bit harder? (2)
Alex Botts (Bayushi Shimiji)
Harpoon affacts are good as i stated above.
The fact it must be a ready character is also good
however..using this on the attack might cause
you to lose the conflict, on defense might cause
you to lose a province.
and this guy is a bit to big for a poke.
granted he cant be assassinated but still.
The fact he can do this in a POL conflict is
very useful however. (3)
Average Rating: 2.3
Caravan Guard
Aytan Hilmi (JeremiahBlitz)
Most decks will have their own 1 cost cards that they will use over this, usually with similar stats but the clan keywords for synergy or better effects for utility. As a card its OK but is unlikely to see play. (2)
Luke Richards (Ikoma Eto)
Just an average card with the Bushi keyword. A 3/2 statline defender for 1 fate is decent but otherwise comparable to a neutral Shiba Peacemaker which saw minimal play past core set. But wait, you can attack with it! Paying a fate to declare it as an attacker can be worth it (i.e their stronghold or an undefended province) but loses value once you've spent 3 or more fate on it. Synergises well with Right Hand of the Emperor and Those Who Serve which i'm sure is what they had in mind when designing this card. (3)
Finbarr (Steelfur)
1 fate for a 3-2 is decent, and as a defending character this is actually quite good, but then how many people play Shiba Peacemaker? 2 for a 3/2 is still decent for one turn. Might fit into a swarm deck that just needs another 1-2 drop body to fit in. (3)
Jake (Nostred)
This is a 1 cost 3/2 which usually costs you a second fate on the attack. If you can find a way to get around that second fate then the value here is pretty rediculous. I can think of a clan which is really good at moving characters about after a conflict has started and which has a SH that generates a lot of cash. Unicorn could genuinely use this. (3)
Alex Botts (Bayushi Shimiji)
Finally this pack has a card the unicorn
can use!
Really great stats for a 1 drop. Shiro Shinjo
doesn't care to much about the tax. Plus
all the move affects unicorn have anyway.
Neat card, dont think the other clans will care
about it. (2)
Average Rating: 2.6
Insolent Outcast
Aytan Hilmi (JeremiahBlitz)
This has a very restrictive effect that wont see use against the majority of clans and outside of that it is too expensive for its stats. (1)
Luke Richards (Ikoma Eto)
Great against the Phoenix / Crane match up but is it really worth teching the card for those clans alone? The answer is no. The +1/+1 stat isn't really worth the 2 fate on the off chance 2 or more of your opponents characters are honoured when this character turns up in one of your provinces. If it was costed at 1 fate and was a conflict character, then just maybe... (1)
Finbarr (Steelfur)
Interesting effect, but paying 2 for base 1/1 stats against most clans is just not good enough for inclusion unless Lion, Crane and Phoenix Bushi become top meta decks. (1)
Jake (Nostred)
Its ability is bad and it would be overpriced even if it were cheaper at 1 fate. It even comes in a pack where there is a 1 fate neutral character that has 3/2 stats on defence and costs a second fate on attack. To match that value on attack this character would need your opponent to have 2 honoured characters in play and become a 3/3... It's really really bad folks. (1)
Alex Botts (Bayushi Shimiji)
Hmm i think this guy sucks. Honestly is
+1/+1 for each honoured guy really going
to help against them?
I was thinking you could use Festival for the Fortunes
to beef this guy up but i think you'd just lose
with more style that way. (1)
Average Rating: 1
Kitsuki Kagi
Aytan Hilmi (JeremiahBlitz)
Conflict courtiers are always welcome and its ability helps with the recent trend of being able to reuse cards from the discard. In my opinion this will see some decent play especially as it helps vs Phoenix (because of the stronghold), Crab (rebuild targets and gatway to meido fuel if the deck proves to get out of hand), Unicorn (cavalry reserves fuel) and several of the new lion cards released in this pack. (4)
Luke Richards (Ikoma Eto)
A Conflict Courtier (1 splash) that statwise, is on par with Bayushi Collecter (so far, so good). The ability is currently good against Crab, Lion, Phoenix and Unicorn with cards you want to target such as Iron Mine, Vanguard Warrior (Meido combo), Lion recursion (Champions of Yomi), Fushicho, Spells and Calvary Reserve fuel. You can also remove Keeper Initiates. Overall a solid card which can also trigger off Courtier cards. (5)
Finbarr (Steelfur)
Conflict Courtier is great for new Dragon, and this ability helps in some tough matchups right now - Phoenix, Crab and Unicorn. It can remove spells, it can remove a Karada or Iron mines forcing an early rebuild, and it can make Cavalry Reserves a dead card if it triggers at the right time. It will also help versus new recursion Lion and at worst it can remove keepers from any other clan. (4)
Jake (Nostred)
Dragon really hates that Phx have Against the Waves and just Phx generally but does Dragon care beyond that? Crab too I guess?I dunno man, this seems average. (3)
Alex Botts (Bayushi Shimiji)
DO NOT READ!
Everyone's favorite shadow corrupted
magistrate is back minus the shadow corrupted bit.
Considering all the recursion in this pack
and lion in general he just might be useful,
and against phoenix, and crab, and unicorn.
Plus as a conflict character with 1 influence
he might show up a lot.
In fact as a Courtier and Imperial he might show
up in a certain clan's future Imperial based deck. (3)
Average Rating: 3.8
Those Who Serve
Aytan Hilmi (JeremiahBlitz)
Any deck with multiple cheap characters to bring out each turn will love this card. It costs 1 itself so you need to summon at least 2 guys to make it worthwhile and then they will have to be worth not taking the passing fate. I think that in any HMT flavour of deck this card will do very well along with any deck that can bring out ore dynasty guys either by flipping more cards or digging through their dynasty and I am looking forward to trying it out in my version of sacrifice crab as fully half the deck is now 1/2 cost characters. (4, 5 in HMT decks)
Luke Richards (Ikoma Eto)
Overall a top neutral card that any deck can utilise but HMT / Swarm decks will want to run at least 2x of. It generates value as long as you're able to play 2 characters and 90% of the time you'll be able to. Also brings For Greater Glory back in to the equation. Note: Works better in Unicorn alongside Wayfarer's Camp and Windswept Yurt. (4.5, 5 in Unicorn)
Finbarr (Steelfur)
Swarm Decks eat your heart out. Really interesting effect that Unicorn and Lion are going to love. However, it may be a double edged sword as although you are getting more characters a tower can do a lot more with an extra spare 1-2 fate. So it may backfire every now and then, but still worth the risk. (4)
Jake (Nostred)
The spice here is using it after your opponent has already passed, swarm decks will want to do that, swarm decks with lots of cheap characters will really love it. What's fun though is any clan which can stall during Dynasty can build a deck based on this. I can't say whether those decks will be good but certainly the Lion and Unicorn one will be. I think it's in almost every Unicorn and Lion deck from here on out so is just a straight up 5. I took one look at this and went "okay, what if I use City of the Open Hand and Favoured Niece to stall then I just buy everything..." I will not be the only person who has that thought. (5)
Alex Botts (Bayushi Shimiji)
This is a badass card. Every clan/deck can get use out of this. I'm certainly going to try this in a scorpion deck for sure. You have to make sure you get at least two characters to make this give you a discount but that should be easy. Quick note, this doesn't stack with Daidoji Uji because his discount is for playing characters as though they were in your hand and you can't do that in the dynasty phase. but still..get Uji for 4 instead. Watch out for unicorn swarm HMT decks using this. (4)
This is a badass card. Every clan/deck can get use out of this. I'm certainly going to try this in a scorpion deck for sure. You have to make sure you get at least two characters to make this give you a discount but that should be easy. Quick note, this doesn't stack with Daidoji Uji because his discount is for playing characters as though they were in your hand and you can't do that in the dynasty phase. but still..get Uji for 4 instead. Watch out for unicorn swarm HMT decks using this. (4)
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