Legend of the Five Rings CCG anyone?

[Terin]

Who all is still interested in this? Andy, if you are, I'll bring down a few decks when I come visit NYC. If anyone from ATL is interested, just let me know. There IS an online version for those who already know how to play. A new set was just released, and the first expansion is about to be released, so it's the perfect time to get into it. L5R is based on feudal japan, but set in a fantasy world where dragons, naga, and various other fantasy creatures exist. Be warned though, it's much more complex than magic, and your average game will take about 20-30 minutes. In addition, the storyline weaves into the CCG itself. They have Storyline tournaments, where the winners get to make decisive choices that will effect the storyline, and hence affect future cards. In addition, cards that are created based on these storyline events usually have the winner's name printed along the side of the card. L5R came out a year or two after M:TG, and has been one of the only games able to last through M:TG's domination of the CCG realm (up until Yu Gi Oh! anyway) I've become immersed into the storyline and anyone who is interested please PM me and ask anything you want to know, I'll be more than happy to get you started.

-T

[Ming]

I'm still interested in learning. I tried that online thing you posted a while back, but didn't really understand what I was looking at or what I should do once there. I would much rather just sit down with you when you come down here and have you teach me that way. I think that that's the best way to learn.

[Bob]

L5R : a game that is simple, once you get passed its excesive complexity.

Its worth the learning tho.

[Ming]

Terin, I was in Border's today, and I saw a two-player L5R starter set. Is it worth picking one of those up?

[Terin]

It's probably training grounds, which is good to learn, but only a fwe cards are legal in the Lotus Environment. But if you want to get it to just learn, it's probably one of the best ways outside of getting someone who knows how to play to teach you. If you can hold out 10 days, I'll come up with some cards. In the meantime, here's a list of the different clans and their personalities. Tell me which one you think you would like to play:

Crab: Defenders of Rokugan, this clan protects the rest of the Empire from the evil of the Shadowlands

Crane: The esteemed Crane are The Left Hand of the Emperor, as they specialize in matters of the courts and the art of duelling. As perfectionists, they strive to excel in all they do.

Dragon: The enigmatic monks that make up the Dragon clan are commonly tattooed with the blood of their Daimyo, giving them strange magical powers.

Lion: The Right Hand of the Emperor, they are the bulk of the empire's army, and of them are born tactical geniouses and historians.

Mantis: This clan is a seaborn one, and have been called "pirates" in the past, but they maintain their position as a great clan and often trade different goods native to their home, the Isle of Silk and Spice.

Pheonix: The Scholars of the empire, they are in touch with the elemental spirits that dwell within everything. The spells they weave are strong.

Ratlings: These creatures were around long before humans, and they are immune to the taint of the shadowlands. They are all but extinct, and while most humans distrust their theiving nature, they have a handful of friends in the Crab Clan.

Scorpion: The Underhand of the emperor. The Scorpion value loyalty above all else, and will sacrifice honor and dignity to uphold that loyalty to the empire. It is often said that if you have a secret, somewhere there is a Scorpion who knows of it. They are the Crane Clan's biggest rivals in court.

Shadowlands: The evil taint of the shadowlands is born of the fires of Jigoku (L5R version of Hell) It also doesn't help that the Dark God Fu Leng calls it his home. The only thing a human can do to resist the taint is wear Jade, which eventually turns to obsidian over time. The goal of the Shadowlands Horde is to consume Rokugan, the glorious Empre, into it's festering maw.

Unicorn: These nomads wander along the northern coast between Rokugan and the Burning Sands, a desert so deep that very few who enter return alive. Still, there are gaijin (foreign) cities within the sands that the Unicorn have visited, and their unique heritage reflects it as their techniques are sometimes considered "barbaric" in nature. (think mongols)


Ok, so that's a small breakdown of the different clans. Pick which one yo uthink you'd like to play and see about picking you up a deck.
-T

[Ming]

A few of them look really cool. But if I had to pick one, I would say that the Dragon clan caught my eye the most. After that, probably Unicorn then Mantis.

[Terin]

K, I'll pick up a dragon deck on the way down.
-T

[Ming]

If you pick something up from a store, just let me know how much I owe you.

[Ming]

Sorry for the double post....

Terin got both me and Tobs into L5R when he visited recently, and I must say....WOW! I've been playing Magic for close to 10 years now, and in that course of time, I've delved into many other games, all the while avoiding L5R for some reason. And I'm kicking myself now for doing so, because it's SOOOO good.

And it must be...since it's survived for nearly as long as Magic has. Now, I'm obsessed with it...I can't get enough! If you guys can find it, I would HIGHLY suggest trying it out. You can even just pick a clan to play, pick up your clan's starter deck, and pretty much play right out of the starter. The rules are a bit complex, but they're not too bad, and if you've player other TCGs before, you shouldn't have too much trouble.

[Terin]

Basically, if you're into Feudal Japan, this is the CCG for you. DOn't get me wrong, it still has alot of fantasy elements, but the Code of Bushido is reflected in this game. So Ming and or Tobs, have you found a preffered clan? Are you ready for some more Ninja Beatdown??
-T

EDIT: We're totally gonna bring L5R to AWA06