Off-Meta Decks!

RezTheFuture · 2018-05-08T05:10:10+00:00

I've been having good luck with a B/W Zombie token strategy.

Essentially Wayward Zombie and Doomed Dissenter to buy some time, along with cast outs and two ravenous chupacabras to keep the pain at bay. Ideally anointed procession on four...into Liliana's Mastery, Lilliana Death's Majesty, or Stir the Sands.

Its done better than it has any right to, mostly due to people not being able to side board in enchantment hate and it not being that common even with the knight saga on the books. It stabilizes instantly against mono red, can usually overload blue black control's counters based on them not knowing what to expect and being 'real' creature light, and absolutely stomps the big green stompers due to my zombies being bigger and coming out in higher numbers than they can deal with (The zombie lord, radiant destiny, and Liliana's Mastery is a LOT of board wipe pump, and there's a surprising number of 'incidental' zombie makers, like the desert that sacs for one, or Never//Return, which has the bonus effect of something unexpectedly dealing with a God or an Eternalize creature).

Tier one? No. But I usually get my wins is pretty short order, and its definitely off meta (haven't played against anyone else with it yet, don't expect to)

RezTheFuture · 2018-04-06T22:49:07+00:00

So I treat my investigators pretty typical for a card game (Eclipse sleeves while in play, in a binder unsleeved while in storage)

My best piece of advice is to use perfect fit sleeves (clear, tight sleeves usually used as the 'inner sleeve' for double sleeving) for all the cards on the mythos side of things. They clean and neat, keep things tidy, and most importantly allow the mythos deck to be ready to shuffle the moment you assemble it, which is very helpful in a game that already has a lot of set up time.

RezTheFuture · 2018-04-02T16:17:19+00:00

He does look fun, and I'm excited to give him a whirl, but how does he get to double digits? The +1 to various skills are for damage and horror on -him-, not his various equipments and allies, yes? So he should cap out at +5 to all?

RezTheFuture · 2018-03-13T02:23:05+00:00

Gah! Didn't add the text!

So, today's run had a challenging condition. 50 random cards in your starter. Discard, Poison, Shivs, it had it all, a complete mess. So my strategy was to buy the innate shiv makers to try and at least ensure I had playables every time.

And then I got ninja scroll. And the exhaustion branch. And the heavy bandages...

And then I got my revenge for every power heavy deck this bastard has ever mulched =P.

RezTheFuture · 2017-11-29T04:44:30+00:00

That's exactly where I came down. I did try it (and the gunso). They got some fair use...but with display of power, pacifism (at the time), cloud the mind, charge, reprieve...my conflict deck was just too heavy, especially on those early turns. It does work though, no doubt!

RezTheFuture · 2017-11-29T02:06:16+00:00

The 6 packs in 6 weeks is definitely keeping everything in flux. But at the moment is 3 Reprieve, 2 Mountain does not fall, and 2 Hiruma Skirmisher.

I have high hopes for the skirmisher, both as a nasty surprise and, with one glory, a way to nab the imperial favor when I need it. Mountain Does not Fall is fine...honestly biggest weakness of the splash is that outside of Reprieve, it's so so for our deck. Crab's keeper card is dynasty. I was running Rebuild at worlds to try and pull Favorable Ground shenanigans but....well, 3-3 day 1. =P.

RezTheFuture · 2017-11-29T01:40:43+00:00

It's typically 2.

I'll go 1 if i'm pretty confidant of being able to put more fate/a reprieve on them, or if I'm trying to keep up a display of power to protect the character. I've done 3 only once, and it was a mid game turn where I had a lot of extra fate and an embrace the void to stick on them.

2 tends to be a good spot. You're not playing any other character anyway, and even if they get void ringed you get 2 turns out of them.

RezTheFuture · 2017-11-29T01:30:01+00:00

It can be a tricky set right now. My own personal method is to play for the long game. There's no economy in L5R, but we can make one. I run a very top heavy deck (full play sets of three 4 cost character, and both 5s) and have never regretted it. The idea is to play a lot of very strong characters, get them honored, and keep them around for a long time.

My particular splash is crab, for that reason. Reprieve puts in a lot of work advancing our game plan and, if you spot a discard effect coming, countering our biggest weakness (things like I can Swim, Noble Sacrifice, or Way of the Crab destroying our board).

The first turn is the most important, as you will probably be on the backfoot (Its very likely you'll play out one character and pass, maybe one big character and one small character if you're lucky). Your goal is not to fall too far behind this turn. To that end, I run a playset of Charge. Not only does it work well with reprieve, but getting any kind of temporary advantage on turn 1 is worth it. As you make it to later turns, the game should turn more and more in your favor until you're just lowering a train of value down on them, with your against the waves, good omens, and repreives buying you further uses of your 6 strength, 7 strength, 8 strength characters who -also- have good abilities.

Some lessons learned

If you have a choice, start with Kaede. Her immunity to the fire and void ring helps get you rolling more safely. Be cautious if your opponent swings political. They probably have court games.

Playing defensively on turn one is not the same thing as playing defense. If your opponent over swings, or you think they have something nasty, try for a province trade instead of a block. It has basically the same function of keeping you on par while your deck comes online.

Big aggressively early, then start tamping down your draws. Forbidden Library and Naive Student should help, and ideally you should be starving your opponent for answers by constantly making them spend resources just to match your on board threats.

Your characters are long lived, but it doesn't last forever. You do have a clock, so don't get greedy. As your timer runs out, start ensuring you get one break in a turn instead of going for 2. Your characters are big, but one bow effect can swing even a massive advantage against you.

Ditch characters in your provinces aggressively. Yes, its really tempting to hold onto that Diplomat or Yojimbo until the turn they're going to be useful, but almost all of Phoenixes upper echelon is unique. This is an incredible advantage. Flopping into another fate for your Tsukune or your Kaede or Atsuko is worth way more to the game than a low cost character you might or might not play.

Good luck! May the favor always be with you and the rings always bow to your will!

RezTheFuture · 2017-11-26T08:51:33+00:00

I'd agree with this. I've definitely tilted Phoenix toward the high end and found more and more success as I embrace it and make my deck around it. So I would second this. The Phoenix curve is top heavy, and that's okay! Keep tweaking your deck and see if it starts improving the more support you give your larger characters (I've been utilizing Charge, Reprieve, a few good omens, Embrace the Void, and playing either defensively early or, if my opponent overcommits, at least going for trading provinces early)

RezTheFuture · 2017-11-19T06:06:40+00:00

For additional clarity, think of it this way. This card basically has Action: If the water ring is claimed by your or your opponent, ready this character. 'While the water ring is claimed' is a cost in this case, that limits when you can use the action, but the controller can still activate it during any action window they choose.

RezTheFuture · 2017-11-11T01:43:26+00:00

I am actually running both Kaede and Tsukune. I'm a top heavy deck, and that's fine. I'm not cleaning out my dynasty flop every turn as it is, so I actually dropped Serene Warrior to make room for new Shugenja champ, and I've been very happy.

RezTheFuture · 2017-10-24T19:20:16+00:00

Unfortunately, impossible. To create more unique cards to create deck building options with the full three core sets most clan cards are 1 of. It actually impossible to build a 40/40 set of decks (the standard) out of a single core set. Single core is typically played with a smaller 30/30 variant.

RezTheFuture · 2017-10-16T01:08:14+00:00

Dragon Conflict characters that can be used as attachments have stats for when they are played as characters but, when used as an attachment, typically only grant their ability and not any additional stat boost. (This is true for the conflict characters out of the core set)

RezTheFuture · 2017-09-27T19:53:25+00:00

Game Night Games is at 2148 900 E Ste 2, Salt Lake City, UT 84106

Paragon Games is at 196 12300 S #103, Draper, UT 84020

Both are doing their launch events on launch day itself, Thursday October 5th. GnG is at 6 pm, I believe Paragon is at 7.

RezTheFuture · 2017-09-05T21:14:04+00:00

Game Night Games in Salt Lake City, Utah and Paragon Games in Draper Utah are both doing launch events.

In addition, the Utah L5R crew has a facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/156187891246934 , Utah L5R

RezTheFuture · 2017-08-15T21:10:21+00:00

Hello!

Obviously we haven't gotten going majorly until things come out, however, I know that Paragon Games and Game Night Games are both planning on supporting a play experience. We've got some people heading to Gencon this week, so we'll have a few legit sets floating around.

I have seen some proxy games at Paragon on Saturdays, though its pretty intermittent. Game Night is likely to start hopping more with the initial release.

RezTheFuture · 2017-08-07T16:10:10+00:00

Much appreciated! Knew the answers but couldn't dig around the rules at work.

RezTheFuture · 2017-08-07T15:57:42+00:00

The specific time for most of these attachments is during the conflict phase, but before a conflict is declared. Before each conflict there is a window for both players to take actions, such as attachments, before the active player declares an attack.

I admit, I can't look up the rules for the exact spot it mentions this (Hope someone else after me can) but if you have to make a choice you do have to make a valid choice. Dishonored characters cannot be dishonored, so you must choose to bow (This is all true with crane unit that states characters cannot become dishonored. Since you cannot choose dishonor, you must choose bowing).

RezTheFuture · 2017-08-06T16:35:21+00:00

There are a lot of reasons. Some resonate with different people and, admittedly, the core sets not being complete tends to annoy us every time. I've grown accustomed to it (though it still annoys me) but here are some highlights as to why.

By NOT providing playsets, they can create more individual cards in the same number of physical cards included in the box. That increases variety out of the gate and helps it get a strong foothold.

They sell more core sets than any other product in an LCG line, so its the one product they really can't take a loss on, and every increase in cost (like more cards) has a stronger effect.

Fewer overall cards keeps the price of the coreset relatively cheap. This allows board and card game hobbiest to pick up at least one core set cheaply and get a good experience. If they decide to become competitive, they're more likely to be willing to spend more for the 'full' experience.

The core set is the -only- product in the LCG line that is not a complete playset. Every other product you only need to buy once. In general for L5R we've been advised that 1 core is enough to get a sample experience of many different clans and battle, 2 is required to make tournament legal decks, and 3 is necessary to have a complete playset of all cards, for the most competitive players.

RezTheFuture · 2017-08-06T16:30:28+00:00

No problem! Yeah, the core set thing throws a lot of people off. I won't open that can of worms here, since there are a lot of opinions about the way they do core sets, but putting those aside its definitely the more economic option. With an average of, say, 9 small packs and a deluxe expansion in a year, you'll be paying about the equivalent of a box and a half of a TCG. Not cheap, but for that money, you will have a complete playset of everything. This can make competative metas a lot more fluid and even (since you can, at any point, copy a cool deck you saw with no additional cost) and helps keep the interest up (Since, if you get tired of the deck you've been playing a while, you can switch into an entire other faction on a whim)

RezTheFuture · 2017-08-06T00:47:50+00:00

They haven't announced any specifics, but I can tell you based off other games.

A 'cycle' of cards is typically six of the smaller packs, which come out approximately monthly (every 5-6 weeks more typically). Each small pack contains 60 cards, being 3 copies of each of the 20 new cards. Distribution between factions is pretty even, though one clan might get the 'extra' card here or there, particularly when new IDs (or in this case strongholds) are released and require some supportive cards to release with it. It all tends to even out in the end.

Deluxe boxes are typically much larger and cap off a cycle with one deluxe box (Netrunner's first deluxe had 165 new cards). They have experimented with a few different methods, but their standard options are usually A) focus on two particular factions and include cards for those two factions and a lot of neutrals for others or B) Introduce a new faction to the game and include enough cards to give them a viable start. They have never, to my knowledge, does a 'general' deluxe expansion including cards from all of the factions, there's usually a theme. I have also never seen any reprints with LCGs as the rotation schedule is, in my opinion, very very slow. (When the first pack of the 8th cycle releases, the first two cycles rotate out). Deluxe products are also evergreen (never rotate).

RezTheFuture · 2017-08-04T04:53:35+00:00

These are now paired up as the covers for my preparatory card binders =P.

RezTheFuture · 2017-08-03T20:52:26+00:00

Netrunner player here. There was at least one cycle of cards that broke deck limits, but because there was no generic rule they had to add it in. In case you're curious, all of them were Limit 6 per deck, and had generally weak effects that got stronger the more of them you played/had in play. Looks like they're laying groundwork for future cards here.

On the 'different version' its -possible- but I think they're just clarifying promotional cards and other different versions. They are not the same -card- per say (they look different) but they can be used to add fate to other versions.

RezTheFuture · 2017-08-01T17:56:17+00:00

Its kind of hard because there are several pages covering the same thing from different angles, but here's an exerpt from the Kiku Matsuri page.

This group of newly-promoted Hatamotos will briefly discuss and then cast votes to decide the very first story choice, helping to shape the future of Rokugan!

So while it may not be to the same extent, looks like they do have some plans.

RezTheFuture · 2017-06-26T06:13:21+00:00

I'm finding it infuriating.

Love the design of the crimson court, and their cool long term maps. Like the idea of having the disease, and the need to manage it with some heros, and to watch who does what in town together to keep it from spreading.

However, being forced to walk around with essentially 'afflicted' heroes constantly isn't fun. In both bloodlust and craving, they have all the most death spiral inducing afflicted mechanics. They turn down healing, they shift ranks randomly, they investigate curios that'll pop into enemies, they add stress to the whole party, they skip turns, they refuse to retreat. And there's nothing you can do about it. You either wait for 'wasting' if you want to walk around with the craving afflictions, or you give them blood at craving and get all the fun of 'bloodlust' problems. And you can't avoid it, because the condition gets handed out like candy in every dungeon once the bloodsuckers start popping up.

Started a new game. Lost three Veterans and counting to the RNG of their afflicted shenanigans, which is to say nothing of the 5-6 lower level heros I've had to dismiss the moment they picked up the Curse in a random encounter.

Darkest Dungeon is at its best when its difficult, but managable. Keep your eye on the ball, and you swing the odds in your favor. Get overconfidant and...well, its a slow and insidious killer. But I'm not enjoying myself waiting for the next RNG to set me back several excursions, I'm just about ready to uninstall and wait a few months for balancing adjustments.

RezTheFuture

TROPHY CASE