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Honor’s Veil continues the epic storyline of Legend of the Five Rings in a 150+ card expansion. Honor’s Veil adds more exciting cards to the mix to continue to bolster your samurai and shugenja as they fight for control of the Empire. With the 2008 Kotei season on the horizon, you will want the new power of Honor’s Veil added to your deck as you fight for your Clan and their glory!
As Winter Court draws to a close, the political struggle between the clans takes on a dangerous edge. When the spring thaws come, the battles raging between the clans will resume, perhaps made worse by the intense rivalries that have sprung up during a disastrous court season. The Crane and the Dragon emerge as front-runners in the Race for the Throne, but will the deadly manipulations of the Scorpion permit either clan to take the lead?
Triple Preview Day! Darling of the Season – Court Invitation – Exchange of Hostages
Sun Doru – The Scorpion won the Child of the Tao storyline event, allowing them to be the first to house the descendant of Sun Tao as he writes the continuation of his ancestor’s work on strategy. While he wears the Scorpion colors now, if another Clan should win the Child of the Tao event in 2008, he will be reprinted with another Clan’s colors, leaving the Scorpion. Will he stay to study the Scorpion ways of war longer? You can tell the story!
Triple Preview Day! Daimyo’s Blade – Wolf Legion – Muddy Sandals
Triple Preview Day! Cornered Market – Elaborate Preparations – Gempukku Ceremony
Ancestral Sword of the Ki-Rin – Back from the Sands, this ancient blade can mean a lot of force for cavalry. The send home works against the truly dishonorable or highly honorable, though the average samurai will not be deterred.
Skilled Quartermaster – Resource management may not be the most noble job for a samurai, but it is vital to the success of any army. Skilled Quartermaster adds value to expensive attachments, regardless of type.
Ungrateful Host – Dishonor has seen some meta come its way in this set, but it also gains some new tools of its own. Ungrateful Host offers a widespread threat against those a dishonor deck would attack. While it doesn’t guarantee anything it will cause your opponent to rethink his actions, and throwing him off his game is exactly what many dishonor decks want.
Hidden Dragon Temple – This simple holding offers the ability to possibly see your own characters again later, or more importantly to remove opposing characters that might be helping a little too much from beyond the grave.
The Champion’s Guidance – Champions can often swing games and they just as quickly become a major target for the opponent. The Champion’s Guidance allows the Champion to spread around Force, taking a little heat off themselves and allowing you to threaten multiple provinces.
Kayomasa – We dare you to call him Nanny. Kayomasa brings a lot of beef to both the Spider and Maw’s Grave decks, both of whom have a decent number of uniques to pair with his ability. The Yojimbo trait will have more support coming in the near future, which can give the big guy even more to do. Spider dueling is of course happy about more 4chi personalities.
The Spiders Shadow – Clearly a big gamble card, but The Spider’s Shadow can definitely turn the tide for a military deck in a bad situation.
A Prophet Revealed – Kyuden Ashinagabachi gains support from this event, which allows the force reduction from the stronghold without the loss of force in your own army.
Teardrop Island – Players may remember the much loved Merchant Caravan. While it was free, it always cost a fate card. Teardrop Island sees an added gold cost, but also a standard 2 (3 if Mantis) gold production in exchange, with the ability to get up to 4G when necessary from fate discards.
Versatile Army – Some players may not care for paying gold for actions, but 3G to bow out their strongest personality or straighten your strongest personality is nothing to ignore. With decks that have a mixture of cavalry and infantry, or even just a few personalities with the cavalry trait, this card can be very effective.
Famous Bazaar – A basic 2 for 2G holding, but the cycling effect on the card can make for a much more effective Dynasty flow. Good in the early game to possibly pull more gold, and good in the late game to get to more personalities. We expect this card will see play in many decks.
Snow Riders – A powerful follower with a non-bowing ranged attack at 4, bringing many targets into range. The reaction to stop send-home actions means your large cavalry units will be there to stay.
Kyuden Miya – A reusable In Search of the Future can be quite useful. Or so we’re told…
Bayushi Eisaku – Paid for off the stronghold or a quick overlay later, Eisaku brings the Hero and Duelist traits, along with the ability to remove a potentially difficult card from the opponent before it sees play. Along with The House of False Hope you can make even more strategic decisions of which card to eliminate.
The House of False Hope – The House of False Hope illustrates the massive spy network of the Scorpion Clan, able to determine the location of threats quickly so that armies and other subversive elements can remove them before they are a problem for the Clan of Secrets.
Daidoji Takihiro – The Crane have a small prayer answered in Takihiro. The reusable lethal duel is something Crane decks have needed for a while. The cost of the action will require a somewhat more militant build. However with followers like Sparrow Clan Aide enticing Crane players, they will likely be able to pay the costs without much trouble.
Kyuden Kyotei – The Crane leverage their political and economic power with Kyuden Kyotei. The trait allows the Crane to pull a Marketplace as a Legacy holding, the only way to have a 3G producing Legacy holding with no restrictions on that gold use. The ability has many applications from simple dueling to many more focus value effects, some we’ll see later in this set.
Kitsuki Taiko – Honor gain and more magistrate options for the Dragon. Taiko also has a hint of the current alliance with the Scorpion. The discard option allows those Dragon who don’t want to be seen with Scorpion full use as well.
Morning Frost Castle – Simple, yet surprisingly powerful. With several characters in the Dragon already receiving natural Force increases from weapons and Rings in play, this stronghold can spread around that Force. Along with characters like Togashi Kazuki this can make for a surprisingly powerful Dragon offense.
The Balance Shifts – It didn’t take long to answer yesterday’s question. With the Fire Dragon gone the Imperial City is again up for grabs, and with no Emperor the militaristic Clans can flex their muscle for political power. This card reflects that ability and puts the honor Clans in a pinch, as the stronger military Clans might steal away the Imperial Favor before it can be used against them.
Return to the Heavens – Our previews begin with Return to the Heavens. This event is powerful but with a hint of danger. While it can give honor decks a potential extra turn, it also reduces their future resources in the process. Just as important are the storyline implications. Will the Phoenix be able to maintain control of Toshi Ranbo without the Fire Dragon? We will find out soon.
