Loyal Samurai,

The Imperial Gift Part II is on it’s way to Stronghold Stores around the globe. It should be arriving on or around August 1, so go to your local retailer and make sure to get your free copy, and use it to teach someone new! Both decks are designed to provide rich play experiences, yet are streamlined to form the groundwork for competitive play.

Make sure your local store is receiving this historic expansion by letting them know to contact us for more information.

Retailers receiving the Imperial Gift II are Level 1 or higher and have a United States shipping address or freight forwarder. Also included are stores with approved international Distributors who have agreed to pass on this exciting gift. If you are unsure whether your store is included in this, or you know you are not, contact your local store owner and ask them to request the Imperial Gift II from AEG via customerservice@alderac.com

It is very important to us to provide everyone, everywhere with our gift to the players and to ensure that it reaches everyone, please make sure your store contacts us!

Thanks for giving us a reason to dream up the Imperial Gift and remember:

Together we are stronger.

Regards,
The Legend of the Five RIngs Team

The Player Design Team is pleased to give players a look at the primary themes of each Clan, as they are planned for the Celestial Edition arc. Today a look at the Scorpion Clan.

Scorpion

Primary Themes

Magistrates

The Scorpion Magistrates are the masters of punishing the dishonored individual. They will form the basis of a military dishonor strategy for Scorpion. Punishing the dishonored on the battlefield and through ongoing loss of honor. The deck will combine both loss of honor and military aggression as the knowledge and investigations of the Magistrates lead to the downfall of opposing generals before, during and after the battle.

The Scorpion Magistrate’s focus for victory will be either complete destruction of their enemies militarily, or complete destruction of their enemies politically. Either is fine to a Scorpion.

Ninjas

Ninjas are the intelligence gathering, espionage and assassination arm of the Scorpion Clan. Trained in the art of subterfuge and stealth from very early in their lives they strike at opponents on and off the battlefield. Many a worthy opponent has been rendered weak , ill or worse before ever reaching battle. In many ways the ninja are the equivalent of scouts, except rather than relying on knowledge of the ground, they rely on prior knowledge (and often interference) with the enemy leaders. The ninjas are characterized through use of poison and access to hidden information – often times knowing more about the other player’s deck than he does!

The Ninjas primary focus for victory will be militarily by poisoning their enemy. And their enemy’s families. And their enemy’s friends. And their enemy’s friend’s families. And their enemy’s friend’s family’s…

Secondary Themes

Courtiers

Where the Scorpion Magistrates punish individuals for their deeds, the Scorpion Courtiers are ruthless in destroying an entire clans power base. Any fault, any opportunity, any weakness and the Scorpion will use it to reduce the status of another clan. Their main arena is the courts and the political stage. Where the Crane will often put you down in order to make themselves look better, the Scorpion focus entirely on making you look bad. And looking bad in the eyes of the Empire, the Court and the Emperor spells certain doom.

The Scorpion Courtier’s main focus for victory will be to shame their enemies into non-existance so that their clan’s name is stricken from Rokugani history and the mere mention of it is a criminal offense.

Kensai

The Scorpion Kensai are the swordsmen of the Bitter Lies Dojo. However, their techniques are very different to many other Kensai. Some say they rely on making the most of chance or luck. No one is quite sure of their technique. Like all things Scorpion it is shrouded in mystery and to get too close can only end one way. However they operate, the Scorpion Kensai are a lethal, determined and ruthless opponent and Bitter Lies Swordsmen can be devastating on the battlefield.

The Scorpion Kensai’s main focus for victory will be military. As time progresses, their ability to use their “luck” to their advantage will be explored in their mechanics.

The Player Design Team is pleased to give players a look at the primary themes of each Clan, as they are planned for the Celestial Edition arc. Today a look at the Lion Clan.

Lion

Primary Themes

Paragons

Paragons are two sides to the same coin. There are Paragons of “good”, who follow the tenets of Bushido, and Paragons of “evil”, following the tenets of Shourido. The Lion are masters of Bushido. Paragons are the highest example of these two beliefs. Lion Paragons are the pinnacle of the practice of Bushido in Rokugan, and as such are very honorable. At the same time though, Lions are also masters of warfare. This will lead the Paragon based Lion deck to a strong military game which, at the same time, will be gaining honor, allowing them to switch between the two victory conditions as they see fit. This will make the paragon deck very versatile.

Paragons will be Lion’s main honor victory condition, but with the ability to switch.

Tacticians

The Tactician is a true master of the art of warfare, and the Lion Clan have the best Tacticians in the Empire. This will be shown in the mechanics by their access to cards. With their superior planning, Tacticians will usually have the right strategy when they need it. Also, like most Lions, Lion Tacticians are very honorable, and this will tend to be prevalent on their cards. However, they are not necessarily the Paragons of Bushido like some of their brethren, and as such will find it more difficult to gain honor in battle. While switching between honor and military will always be a possibility, a Tactician deck will tend to find its main strength comes in its military capability.

Tacticians will be part of the Lion’s military victory path.

Secondary Themes

Commanders

Like all other Commanders, Lion will focus heavily on manipulating the other troops in their army. Where they will differentiate from other Clans is that their skills focus around implementing the logistics of a battle. It may be the high quality of tacticians within the clan, but Lion Commanders excel at preparing and getting the best out of their troops right time to ensure that the Clan’s tactical brilliance translates to action and victory on the field.

Lion Commanders will have military as their main victory condition.

Heroes

Lion Heroes, like other heroes are overpowering individuals – free from fear, impervious to pain and driven by an iron will to overcome even overwhelming enemies. They strike terror into the hearts of their enemies. Individually they embody all that is great about the clan – controlled aggression, tactical acumen and the Code of Bushido are what drive the Lion Hero. They are all about attacking and taking the fight to the enemy and mechanically unfettered attacking and generating fear is what they do best.

Lion Heroes will be a military victory.

Deathseekers

Deathseekers seek redemption through dying honorably in battle. They will fight relentlessly and recklessly seeking only the release of a glorious death. For this reason their focus will be on self-destruction for positive effect. Because this redemption rehonors them it may used as part of an honor as well as a military strategy – but will not represent a whole strategy in its own right.

Deathseekers will be military decks with possible honor support options.

The Player Design Team is pleased to give players a look at the primary themes of each Clan, as they are planned for the Celestial Edition arc. Today a look at the Crane Clan.

Crane

Primary Themes

Scouts

The Daidoji make up much of the Crane’s army, represented by Scouts, and will be the main way for Crane to attack. The Daidoji are fierce fighters employing hit and run tactics and turning their intimate knowledge of the lay of the land to their advantage. Like all Cranes, the Scouts will be good at gaining honor. Unlike the Courtiers of the clan, the Scouts do not gain honor by their victories in court, but rather their victories on the battlefield. They will be significantly more adept at defending than other Clan’s Scouts. Crane Scouts tend to be more expensive and have higher force than other clans’ scouts, as they work in as part of the elite Iron Samurai of the Daidoji family that defend the Crane from all attackers.

Their victory condition is military and honor switch

Courtier/Magistrates

Courtiers and Magistrates make up the political muscle of the clan. Crane Courtiers are superb at gaining honor. They are masters of the court with impeccable rhetoric and oratory. The Magistrates are not only good at bringing honor to the clan, but in doing so they can bring equal dishonor of their enemies. Crane Courtiers and Magistrates differentiate themselves from other clans in that they use political intrigue to always show the Crane in the most favorable way possible and make their enemies look bad by comparison.

Courtiers and Magistrates will win both through honor and dishonor for their opponents.

Secondary Themes

Artisans

The Crane are famous for their beautiful art – be it poetry, crafts or music. The Crane are the rich and famous of Rokugani life, and this is where their Artisans excel. Crane Artisans not only make beautiful works of art, but they know how to use these talents to their advantage through strategically placed gifts. Crane Artisans are masters of using their works to manipulate others, forcing their enemies to either accept, gaining advantages for their clan, or refuse, forcing disadvantages on their enemies. A spectacular gift from a Crane Artisan can be both a treasure and a curse.

Crane Artisans are a pure honor deck.

Duelists

Art for the Crane enters every part of life. And the art of dueling is no exception, if somewhat more deadly for their enemies. The Kakita duelists are master of Iaijutsu, rivaled only by the sword masters of the Mirumoto. Duelists will not make up a deck of themselves, but rather they will enhance other decks. Duels and Duelists are very powerful and create a lethal combination when used properly. Being manipulated into a duel with a Crane is tantamount to a death sentence, and the Crane are masters of forcing this situation upon their foes. Where Crane duelists differentiate themselves from other Duelists is how they win – through the single perfect strike. This is represented through their ability to manipulate Focus Values better than their Dragon rivals.

Crane duelists will be part of Crane’s honor decks whether they include a dishonor element or not.