Legend of the Five Rings

2007 Melbourne Kotei

Top of Clan - Dragon Report

 

I was only intending to keep notes of my games for my son, who was not able to attend this year and wanted a blow by blow report, so my descriptions are a little broken. The Melbourne Kotei was held in my store, Alternate Worlds, so although I am not an "organizer" I still have some commitments to get things set up. To ensure we have enough space, we erected a marquee at the rear of the store (in our carpark) on the Friday night. The Marquee can comfortably sit 30 and we can fit more instore if required. We have a pre-Kotei event on the Friday night instore, so I end up with a late night on Friday and an early start on Saturday for the main event. I manage some 6 hours sleep before I need to leave. Arriving first, I make the final preparations and we are off. We have 27 players which means only 5 rounds of Swiss.

 

I am playing a weird deck. It is Honour/Military/Enlightenment. Or more specifically, I aim for whichever victory condition best suits what I draw and which opponent I am facing. For those that asked, the deck list is at the end of the report.

 

Round 1 - Brett Steeves (NSW), Lion, Swift Sword? (Tactician deck) Military.

 

If my memory serves, Brett introduced me to L5R around 10 years ago. I don’t recall ever defeating him in a tournament. I had a good start against him, with double gold and Satsu Xp 2 out on turn 3. Brett had dumped numerous personalities. Turn 4 Satsu takes a province. Brett retaliates and I let him take one, in return I take 2 more on turn 5 as Brett defends only one. Turn 6, Brett plays Matsu Lineage pumping all 8 of his personalities and attacks all 3 of my provinces, in a last ditch effort to take me out before he goes down. Brett has about 140% of my force total, so I choose to defend two. Brett chooses the battle I have no presence in and plays a solo game. I have no move tech in hand so Brett gets every thing he needs with 2 Inspired Strategists. After we both pass, Brett plays "A Samurai’s Fury" and "Broadfront’s" my bigger army into the battle for a wipe out. I loose two provinces and my personalities that can fight back. The third province I have presence, but the Personalities there are only speed bumps. I keep the province but loose all my Personalities. I flip a holding and concede. I had a similar result against Brett in an earlier Kotei, where I was so close to a win in a comfortable position and went down. Not to be discouraged, but losing the first round with only 5 rounds in Swiss, I now probably need to win the remaining four. I Loose - Military.

0 wins - 1 loss

 

Round 2 - Jon Bartels (Out of State, South Australia?), Unicorn Military ?

 

I get a good gold start, getting Yoritomo Yashinko (Mantis) out early followed by Utaku Tarako (Unicorn), which also gives me the Ring of Water into play. (Yes I am playing Dragon). He continues to build, but his gold is slower. I get Satsu XP2 out next turn. I launch two attacks, he doesn’t defend. Everything becomes a walk from there. Satsu gets out Ring of Air and Void, I take another province that turn and get out Ring of Earth. I have huge card draw at this time. He concedes. I win - Military.

1 win - 1 loss

 

After round 2, we get clan breakdowns. I am the only Dragon player, so even if I come in last, I am top Dragon, (we only have one Crane too!). I am determined to earn the top Dragon spot, by placing well.

 

Round 3 - Sam Groom (South Australia), Crab Kyuden Toketsu, with splashes of Lion, Enlightened Unicorn and unaligned. Military.

I Get a good gold start, getting Yoritomo Yashinko and Satsu Xp3. My move tech saves a province. I (Satsu) kill a province, I still have 4. I have 4 rings out at this time, inc. 2 "fake" rings, thanks to two Tamori Futaba’s. I bring out the Wanderer. I am sitting on 23 honour. I have a Hoshi Masujiro feeding me honour as well as South Hub Village which targets Yashinko for 2 honour per turn. He attacks two provinces with a big force. I defend against the smaller one with Satsu and the Wanderer. Sam resolves the battle I am not at first and Broadfronts my units in. The Wanderer give Razen +12 force and I gain 12 honour plus 2 from Masujiro. We are tied for force totals. We both die, I gain another 3 honour for his killed personalities, which gives me 40 honour on his turn. Sam took one Province with Rapid Deployment for the sleaze!. I win - Honour.


Round 4 - Steve Merlo (Victorian), Scorpion, City of Lies, dishonour/control. Military (Stronghold that sends you home dishonoured)

 

Steve is one of my local players. We play weekly and know each others decks well. He has played against all 4 of my variant Dragon decks. His deck only becomes offensive after he has dishonoured your personalities. My win ratio against him is high, although he can beat me, despite being a relative beginner. (He did end up as top Scorpion). I have a good gold start, Steve get no gold. I score Yashinko and Satsu, Steve is still struggling for gold. Satsu gets me Ring of Air and Ring of Void. I attack, kill a province with Satsu and get Ring of Earth. I continue to build. Steve, builds hoping to get enough to stop me. Steve recruits all three Bayushi Saya (lock or dishonour) and one Maru (bower). I bide my time, I can’t afford to dishonour. I can honour run slowly if need be. I know he can’t attack without great risk. I bring out the Wanderer. I am currently on 20 honour. He continues to build next turn. I have a total of 5 rings (inc. 2 "fakes"). I attach Temple Acolytes to the Wanderer and declare an attack with no Infantry. He assigns to have presence at all provinces. I assign no Cavalry. I choose a random battle. He passed. I Doomed Intentions the Wanderer in. Steve discards a political action to pay the cost of targeting the Wanderer to send him home dishonoured. The Wanderer tells him to take a "Flying Leap". Then pumps himself for +20 force and I gain +20 honour. Steve passes. I kill the province and gain another honour for the personality killed, putting me on 41. I win - Honour.

3 wins - 1 loss

 

Round 5 - Damien Hennessy (Tasmania) - Shadowlands, The Jagged Maw?, Big Oni deck. Military. Black Heart.

 

I get a good gold start and an early Satsu Xp3 with a ring. I attack early with Satsu who has Rosoku’s Urn, as well the innate ability of the Ring of Water thanks to "The Elements Path" and I have a ring in play (not Water). He defends with one Oni. Damien uses Inspired Strategy to pull a Dark Lords Favour. I pass as I am still up on force. He uses another Inspired Strategy to pull another Dark Lords Favour. I pass again. He uses one DLF to reduce Satsu to zero force. I use the Urn to cancel it. He uses the second DLF to make him zero force again. This one sticks. Damien has burned five cards to get Satsu. I use Satsu’s now innate Ring of Water ability and go home.

 

Damien has big Oni’s. Sentei no Oni that comes back from the dead is a pain, but I make him singular with "The Shogun’s Ring Hand". Satsu ‘broke’ the singular rule by making two of them cease to exist, together!. I was starting to get tired here, so some of the details are sketchy. Satsu takes a province. I have 5 rings at this time, only 3 real ones and I am sitting on 21 honour. Satsu also has the Golden Obi now. The Wanderer was at home. I attack with Satsu. He does an instant kill action, which I negate with a "Flying Leap". The Wanderer bows 5 rings and gives Satsu +20 force and I gain +20 Honour. After taking the province and buying a personality I have 44 Honour. Damien has 3 personalities and needs to destroy 4 provinces in his turn. He concedes. I win - Honour

4 wins - 1 loss

 

After the Swiss rounds, I am placed 5th. We have a dinner break and move into the store for the finals. The store is closed now.

 

Quarter Final - Jason Bennett (South Australia), Shadowlands, The Jagged Maw?, Big Oni deck. Military. Black Heart. Deja Vu

 

Both Jason and I have slow gold starts, each of us only getting one holding on turn 2. By turn 3, neither of us have personalities. Everything about this game progresses slowly. Either of us could have taken two provinces if we had personalities. I finally get Yashinko and a Razan, as well as two rings in play. We both build slowly. We both kills some personalities but no provinces. Jason brings out Yoritomo Kitao and Diagotsu. I survive with non-unique personalities thanks to Razan’s. We are fairly balanced in force, even with his big 15 force Oni's and my Razans. Neither of us can make a major dint in the other. I bounce attacks, killing the odd Oni and stall him as I try an get out my uniques that can actually do something. Diagotsu proves to be annoying with his "tainting" I manage to defend and hold, with Kitao being killed. Jason brings her back with the stronghold, but when Diagotsu is forced to come into the battle and dies, Jason uses the stronghold to bring him back instead. I flip Second doom of the Phoenix and Diagostu is no more. I eventually get Satsu Xp3.  I slowly crawl up in honour while holding my provinces, although I loose Satsu Xp3. I bring out the Wanderer and Satsu Xp2, hitting 41 honour. Jason is forced to attack. I will back Satsu Xp3, negate a kill action on him with "Flying Leap" and cease to exist his big Sentei no Oni. He can’t take enough provinces now, I win. The game took 90 minutes, that is the one game went to time. This was an awesome intense game, with the balance of power swinging back and forth. I had no fate deck at the end of the game. I win - Honour.

 

Semi-Final Richard Chan (Victoria) Mantis. Broken wave City, Enlightenment.

 

Richard is another of my local players. He was won every Kotei he has played in (3). I can count the times I have defeated him on one hand, but can not count the number of times I have lost against him. Richard was convinced to play this deck (not his strongest mantis deck), to show AEG that they have made some dumb combo cards. My only edge, is that I know his deck, I know a weakness, but it is still based on card draw. His deck is incredibly fast, 4-6 turns.

Game 1. I draw badly, no gold. I chug slowly. Richard draws well. He gets all he needs. Ring of Air and Void by turn 3. On turn 4 he attacks and enlightens. I am helpless.

Game 2. I draw well. I have multiple move tech which can kill his deck. He does his thing with Ring of Air and Void by turn 3. I get Satsu Xp3 with Golden Obi and the Wanderer but only 2 rings, before he is ready on turn 5. At this time, he has drawn his entire fate deck and has 16 cards in hand. Richard prevents my Water Dragon and Razen from assigning (stronghold), he targets Shiki with Moshi Sakae (if he assigns she produces a range 4 attack on every card in the unit), then Mockery on Shiki, forcing me to assign and get shot. Tamori Futaba is bowed.

 

Richard attack all 4 provinces with 1:2:2:1 personalities. Yashinko defends the left most, Satsu xp3 defends the second, the Wanderer defends the third and Hiruma Oda defends the fourth. He chooses battle at province 3 first. Richard goes Navel, pays 10 gold to target the Wanderer and range attacks for a kill. I Reinforce the Gates, negate the action and Into the Darkness to send them home. At this point, on of the players want to leave. Since the store is closed and I am the only one with keys, I take a break to let him out. 

 

(He only has two Samurai in play, one I just sent home, whom he need to play a Samurai’s Fury to create presence on my side of the field for Ring of Earth). He moves his other Samurai into the battle with a kiho. I Doomed Intentions in Satsu Xp3 and he ceases to exist. Although things are going well, I only have move tech in hand now. Richard bring in the Tsuruchi Terao Xp. (Ranged 4 Attack. You may bow or discard a Ring you own as a cost to perform two more consecutive Ranged 4 Attacks, which may be combined together.). Richard Creates two 1/1 on my side, which gives him Ring of Water. I pass. Richard does Terao range attack on the Wanderer, then reacts with Elemental Arrow (Before a card in your army produces a Ranged Attack, target a Monk, Shugenja, or Enlightened Personality in your army: The Ranged Attack has +3 Strength. You may produce a second consecutive Ranged Attack with strength equal to the final strength of the first.), and then reacts to do two more range attacks on Satsu. I can’t flying leap because it a reaction not an action. I loose both Personalities and the 1/1 dudes have gone. Richard creates another two 1/1 dudes. I check his rings and see three (needing Ring of Fire) so I pass, but he actually has four. Richard got Ring of Fire out just before I left the game. He gets Ring of Earth, I loose. (A long day and a break in concentration hurt). I could have brought in Water Dragon Xp (with action cards) and moved Yashinko out of the way (Ring of Water) to prevent Ring of Earth that turn. If I had survived, we both had depleted forces. He had no way to create presence on my side after that turn, so it would have been up to the draw. Although he had no more fate deck, only 7 cards left, two of which were "A Samurai’s Fury" and no more Elemental Arrows!. Next time ......

 

Richard Chan did go onto win the Kotei. I finished 3rd. This was my equal best performance at a Kotei. I Loose - Enlightenment.

 

FYI fun bits.

 

The top "solitary" Crane, finished 4th.

 

Against of one of the players in the Swiss rounds (as well as one as one of the quarterfinals), I had two Satsu’s in play (Xp2 & XP3), via Will. This added to the "Horror" of my deck.

 

By day two, the "horror" of my deck with the instant honour and force gain combined with Satsu being a major threat, even if dead made me well known. The funniest thing that happened over the weekend, was in the multi-player tournament (random pairings). For some reason, my partner was left alone and they concentrated on me. Even when Satsu was bowed (or dead) and I had no one else in play they were fearful. They launched an attack, I Doomed Intentions, brought Satsu in and cease to exist the big threat, winning the battle. At one point, Satsu XP3 was dead (killed via a "No Hiding Place" while bowed, - the honourless scum) and I had no personalities in play. My partner was bowed out. Both my opponents were afraid to attack me because Satsu might come back into play. They eventually decided to do so. Satsu did come back via will, told them to take a Flying Leap and ceased to exist another to win the day again.

 

I think Satsu should have an innate Fear ability on the card, he certainly does against all the players in reality.

 

My deck is multi-cultural. I am more Monk than Dragon. I believe the path to enlightenment is not restricted to one clan but is in reality a combined effort of every clans strengths.

 

For Alderac: How about a Dragon stronghold that gives any Monk the Dragon faction trait.

 

Kotei 2007 Dragon - Military/Honour/Enlightenment Deck.

Stronghold - The High House of Light
Wind - Voice of the Emperor - All 5 Rings under Stronghold
DYNASTY DECK
3 Events

1 A New Wall
1 A Time for Vengeance
1 Second Doom of the Phoenix

15 Holdings

1 Arms Smugglers
1 Gifts and Favours
3 Gold Mine
1 North Hub Village
1 Rich Coffers
3 Secluded Village
1 Shrine of the Sun
1 Shrine to Fukurokujin
1 South Hub Village
1 The Tao
1 West Hub Village

21 Personalities

1 Crab - Hiruma Oda (Exp)
2 Dragon - Hoshi Masuhiro
1 Dragon - Mirumoto Masae (Exp)
1 Dragon - Tamori Emina
3 Dragon - Tamori Futaba (More rings)
1 Dragon - Tamori Shiki (Exp)
3 Dragon - Togashi Razan
1 Dragon - Togashi Satsu (Exp 2)
1 Dragon - Togashi Satsu (Exp 3)
1 Mantis - Yoritomo Yashinko
1 Unaligned - The Mystic (Exp)
1 Unaligned - The Wanderer (Exp)
1 Unaligned - Water Dragon (Exp 2)
1 Unicorn - Moto Rumiko (Exp)
1 Unicorn - Utaku Tarako (Exp)

2 Region

1 Sacred Hillside
1 Fields of Pyrrhic Victory

 40 Total

 

FATE DECK


16 Actions

2 Doomed Intentions (Great card, only have 2, but that is enough)
2 Hired Killer (for those stains that just won't go away)
3 Into the Darkness
3 Meeting the Keepers
3 Reinforce the Gates
1 The Shogun's Right Hand
1 Will
1 Whispered Rumours (didn’t use it once)

2 Followers

1 Shinsei's Crow
1 Temple Acolytes (so much fun when it works)

3 Items

1 Golden Obi of the Sun Goddess (Exp)
1 Rosoku's Urn
1 Yogen

13 Kiho's

2 Banish All Shadows
1 Blessing of the Dragon
2 Calling the East Wind
1 Cleansing Spirit
1 The Element's Path (Great card)
3 Flying Leap (Core of the deck)
3 Lady Moon's Prophecy (More Rings)
1 Strike of the Dragon

5 Rings

1 Ring of Air
1 Ring of Earth
1 Ring of Fire
1 Ring of Void
1 Ring of Water

 40 Total

If you want to make this more Enlightenment based, add Phoenix - Shiba Denbe.

Inspired Strategy would also be nice, probably take out Whispered Rumour!