Crab Clanpack Review Featuring the London Legion (Crab Conflict Cards)
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;
Crab Dynasty Deck
Crab Conflict Deck
Non-Crab Cards
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.
Reinforced Plate
Aytan Hilmi (JeremiahBlitz)
It's a more restrictive Above question that doesn't really do anything to help against some of the issues of the current meta (character effects, mark of shame, etc). I would much rather have a Finger of Jade attached to a character as despite being only one use, it works during all phases of the turn and generally, just having Finger live stops your opponent from using their cards anyway as nobody wants to waste an effect. (2)
Luke Richards (Ikoma Eto)
Above Question has the versatility of being played on opponents characters to stop any subsequent buffs whereas Plated Armor provides the +1 military and it's limited to military conflicts for 1 less fate. Great for your own towers but with Finger of Jade still around, I don't think it will see much play. Currently. (3
Finbarr (Steelfur)
Restricted card, feels like it was printed for post-FoJ rotation. Whilst this may seem sub-par now. I have a feeling in a few cycles crab will be good they have event immunity in an evergreen pack (3)
Jake (Nostred)
A better above question (3)
Alex Botts (Bayushi Shimiji)
Hmm I'm not sure about this, maybe this will be cool once rotation hits but for now? Not so much. I guess we will see (2)
Average Rating: 2.6
Subterranean Guile
Aytan Hilmi (JeremiahBlitz)
Of all the clans, Crab currently lead in most cards with an inbuilt covert with Hiruma Skirmisher, Kaiu Shuichi and Yasuki Oguri. Subterranean Guile adds to this by giving the ability during military conflicts, and then only if we have an unbroken province with a holding. Given that this set is going to be all about the holdings I don't necessarily think that it will be too difficult to use. However when compared to other covert-granting cards such as Infiltrator's Tools and Tattooed Wanderer, it seems a little lackluster for its cost. Speaking of Tattooed Wanderer, there is the possibility to go full covert with either Dragon, Crane or Scorpion splash running either the wanderer, Political RIval or Unassuming Yojimbo respectively. With 15 sources of covert across the dynasty and conflict decks, this could result in a potentially large number of undefended conflicts for your opponent. (2)
Luke Richards (Ikoma Eto)
I'm all for more covert. Running Rebuild? Heavy holding deck? It will likely always be turned on or you can turn it on when needed. That said, this card will only work in Crab (currently). (3)
Finbarr (Steelfur)
Nezumi + 10 points. Covert is also strong. Not sure this needed to cost 1 given all its restrictions. (3)
Jake (Nostred)
Covert is good, you probably have this switched on all the time too. (3)
Alex Botts (Bayushi Shimiji)
Covert is cool. Nezumi are cool too I guess. Ok then. (2)
Average Rating: 2.6
Desolation
Aytan Hilmi (JeremiahBlitz)
The question I have with this card is if it's worth 2 fate and 2 honor to blank the text boxes of opponent provinces for a phase. On the one hand, Desolation allows you to preemptively blank provinces before they are flipped stopping an untimely effect that might otherwise swing the fight. It also helps against provinces such as Magistrate Station, giving a turn of respite and the opportunity to break them safely. On the other, it's relatively high costs mean that this card can be devastating if cancelled so I would see this being a 1-of at most. (3)
Luke Richards (Ikoma Eto)
It allows you to safely poke into annoying provinces such Shameful Display, Kuori Mori, Upholding and the list goes on. Is it worth the 2 fate and 2 honour? Maybe. Arguably Pathfinders Blade is better but that takes up a restricted card slot and you can always just run a single copy of Desolation for the turn you know you can break those provinces. (3)
Finbarr (Steelfur)
MAHO! Although on first appearance you might think this is Maho. It actually isn't, the Kuni purified their homelands of the taint but the only way to do it was to create a desolate wasteland. So this is actually a purification spell. Blanking provinces is great, is that affect worth 2 fate and 2 honour - no. If it was Pathfinder's blade would probably have seen play by now. (1)
Jake (Nostred)
Great ability but probably too expensive. The honour cost is going to hurt against clans like Scorpion. (2)
Alex Botts (Bayushi Shimiji)
Blanking provinces is really cool. There are some horrible provinces out there. I like that this covers all 5 of your opponents provinces at once 2 fate, 2 honour and space in the deck? Maybe a 1 of to deal with problem stronghold provinces like Sacred Sanctuary or Kuroi Mori? I'm not convinced. (2)
Average Rating: 2.2
Fruitful Respite
Aytan Hilmi (JeremiahBlitz)
Kaiu Siege Duck go! IMO this lost alot of its potential power when Gateway to Meido went on the RL (and you can still play Gateway/Talisman just with no Rebuilds). However, early game I do think that this does have some uses when there are typically less conflicts to be had and also against HMT unicorn decks which generally pass one of their three conflicts a turn. (3)
Luke Richards (Ikoma Eto)
It's a decent fate generation card, if a bit more restrictive than Path of Man, that will work wonders in most crab decks (Gateway to Meido, Tower and soon to be Wall deck for example). I suspect it will be easier to trigger the first couple of turns, so the earlier you draw them the better. (3)
Finbarr (Steelfur)
Duck card is best card. As far as I'm concerned this is a great card. Plenty of decks like to pass non-critical conflicts, especially when they will be risking giving you 1x or 2x ring triggers if you win. Wall punishes poking, this card punishes not poking. Seems like some great synergy here. (4)
Jake (Nostred)
Duck. (Duck.)
Alex Botts (Bayushi Shimiji)
First off, this is not a giant siege duck, Aytan! It's a small toy duck! Deal with it. I dont know how usefull this card is but when it does work its excellent. I'm curious about this card while using Stolen Breath or Pacifism but that just might be hot jank. (3)
Average Rating: 3.3 (Duck)
Siege Warfare
Aytan Hilmi (JeremiahBlitz)
I find this quite lackluster. My issue with this (and others with similar effects) is that it doesn't actually help you win the conflict; only bringing you closer to the break with less skill. Personally I don't think that this will see much play as generally cards that increase strength such as Banzai and Spreading the Darkness are more valuable for their flat stat boost. (1)
Luke Richards (Ikoma Eto)
Comparable to Perfect Cut but it doesn't help you win the conflict, only help break the province (and without any bonuses). Not worth a deck slot. (1)
Finbarr (Steelfur)
Nope. Just play Banzai. Province Strength reduction does not help you win conflicts. (0)
Jake (Nostred)
Just play Banzai or A Perfect Cut or anything else that gives you the net 2 stats but isn't conditional and has additional bonuses. (1)
Alex Botts (Bayushi Shimiji)
No. -2 to a character is useful. -2 to a province doesnt help much Although...see my comments about Kansen Haunt, can I attack with 0 strength, use this is break? Ok, I'm being silly, sorry. (1)
Average Rating: 0.8
The Strength of the Mountain
Aytan Hilmi (JeremiahBlitz)
Strength of the Mountain is, in Tyler's words, a card that you will use probably once in a game for your big defence, proccing all the on-defend win effects and then using your board to go all in for a break. Unlike The Mountain does not Fall, which only protects against bowing from conflict resolution, Strength of the Mountain rolls this effect with added Borderlands Defender on all defending characters. This, combined with O-Ushi and the other win on defence abilities given by the Kaiu Wall pieces can make for some extremely explosive plays netting several cards and ring effects in one go. Of course with its high printed cost and impact on the game it will be the prime target for opponent cancels so we will have to be sure that the activation can go through when it's played. (4)
Luke Richards (Ikoma Eto)
If The Mountain Does Not Fall was annoying to play against, you're going to hate this card. Play around cancels or proctect it with your own and the 3 fate cost shouldn't be an issue. Pull this off and you have either set yourself up to win the game or at least shortened the gap. I think this will be at least a 1x tech card. (3.5)
Finbarr (Steelfur)
I have had this card played against me. It was strong and won the crab player the game. Think cavalry reserves but with the cards the opponent has on the board. 10/10 would play once a game to continue Crabbing when you thought all Crab was lost. Only downside of course is, that if this is your strategy and it gets cancelled, you will be very sad. (3)
Jake (Nostred)
If you are gunna Crab you might as well maximally Crab, this let's you do a lot more crabbing than The Mountain Doesn't Fall. If you defend with 2+ characters it's worth it, but more importantly the existence of this card just lets you defend with everyone and safe the rest of your cards/fate. (3.5)
Alex Botts (Bayushi Shimiji)
The mountain REALLY doesn't fall, it doesn't even stumble a bit. Do you have to be told super mountain is good? I don't think you do. I think you know. (4)
Average Rating: 3.6
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