Clan Rankings

[trevorcuba]

How do we feel about the power level of the clans?

I think Crane is obviously the strongest (maybe needs to be nerfed)

Next I would personally put Scorpion. If you stockpile influence they can reach their objectives easily and seem to have a flexible toolset.

I think Phoenix might be 3rd strongest but I have personally NOT had great success with them. I need to use their library more. Has anyone been able to consistently score the "collect 8 wood" objective?

Dragon is probably next. They are very powerful when everyone is new to the game but at higher level tables their lack of focus starts to hold them back.

Crab are REALLY good at holding a location and can camp out of Toshi Ronbo, but they take so long to get their tools online i think the game is over before they can become a real threat.

Lion can blitz early objectives really well but their focus on military highlight how few objectives require military to win. I really think the barracks needs to produce 2 troops a round to be effective.

Ironically, Unicorns inability to fight keeps them back. They never seem to have enough resources or troops to do what they want to.


These are just my thoughts.

[Dix de sabre]

1. Crane | 2. Scorpion | 3. Phoenix | 4. Unicorn | 5. Dragon | 6. Lion | 7. Crab

I also think the market (and the dojo) needs to be nerfed or redesigned. There are a lot of comments about this on BGG. What are the publisher and the designers doing? Even the most enthusiastic players say the market is broken, so they should listen to them.

If the Crane clan can build the market on turn 1, it's just no fun and leaves no hope of winning. In Gunsen, occupying an opponent's building three hexes away from a watchtower is unrealistic and too expensive. So, there's no solution.
The market gives 2 kokus per turn. It's too much (if it is built on turn 1, by turn 6 you'll have 12 kokus to finish off your opponents).
The dojo is not as powerful, but it breaks the rules. It kills the economic war aspect of the card market, which is one of the most interesting aspects of the game in my opinion.

I think the barracks don't work as a very efficient troop factory, but they work well as a lure, bait, or trap to build next to Toshi Ranbo, for example.

My favourite clans are the Unicorn (it evokes a cavalry of hussars raiding the countryside and waging a war of harassment) and the Crab (a scavenger/carrion eater).

[Jykten]

Imo it depends on player count and how much ppl know each clan.

Crane is probably a S tier in 2p format but I wouldn't think they're that good at 3+ players.

Overall I think military focused/aggressive clans are weaker in 1v1 whereas economic/development Clans are better. The factor is, imo, is the distance between 2 forts making warfare too expensive/slow.

There's also a learning curve. Crane has a combo everyone gets just by reading cards : Market + Economic Warfare. Lion, Unicorn ie, requires a good reading of the board and a more strategy.

According to Legend of Five Rings facebook page, Crab has taken the lead in Organized play. With Dragon 2nd place and Crane 3rd.
Source : https://www.facebook.com/legendofthefiv ... 094908897/

I dont know what format they're using in Organized play though.

At gen con, before game official release, they started organized plays : Dragon dominated, with Scorpion being last.
Source : https://www.legendofthefiverings.com/re ... t-gen-con/
The fact the Order kinda change from month to month makes me thinkg the game is actually fairly balanced.

I also wouldn't rely much on BGA as I don't feel any dynamic in 4+ players games ; it feels like everyone just play in their own lane. This favors a little more the economic clans.


I don't think Crane needs any nerf. Take one Shrine and Toshi Ranbo and the Crane will have to wage war to win the game. If they've focused too much on their economy, they can be beat. If they don't build Marketplace ASAP, the game will be a balanced one.
Of course they could still win just one battle but imo, that depends on what cards are picked. Beside Daidoji Uji (the guy who triggers blood before counting swords), their heroes aren't the best at battle.

For Dragon, Dojo is a double edged sword. if they lose that building, they basically lose the game.


But for what's worth, for now, what I think :
2players format :
A : Crane, Dragon
B : Phenix, Scorpion, Unicorn
C : Crab, Lion.

3+ players :
A : Crab, Phenix
B : Dragon, Lion, Crane
C: Scorpion, Unicorn

I think Phoenix might be 3rd strongest but I have personally NOT had great success with them. I need to use their library more. Has anyone been able to consistently score the "collect 8 wood" objective?

Special order.
I usually try to build Library the same turn I can buy all tactic cards. Its a very powerful tool. Usually, it gives enough influence to get special order, then its just about spamming Influence Column.
I feel Phenix is underrated as they can do a bit of everything and they can switch objectives very easily imo. Good heroes, Resurrection make them insane into warfare.
Both special orders are great.
Their difficulty imo is to put objectives in the right order and they're not that obvious to play. Library+tatics card+camp+clan goal could allow 3 VP in one turn. It asks for some resources ofc but its almost unstoppable and the it feels instantly profitable, with +3 influence.

Scorpion is great in 1v1 as they can kill troops everytime. This power lowers a lot with more players.

I see Crab as enclosing wall. They're very hard to push back. But they have no economy/ no movement boost making them very slow. In 1v1, its easy to avoid Crab troops so they can't even earn anything from battle.

Unicorn and Lion are close to Crab in design, imo.

But Unicorn has huge movement boost making them deadly if they know when to hit. They're like hunters, seizing opportunities. As Lion, they have a great area control. Problem might come from Stable and one of their hero doing kinda the same and they need a lot of Yellow cards.

Lion compensates the lack of movement and economy with Barracks but also hero. The guy ignoring Armor and Special order that grants a move are imo the most interesting cards. The +Army size feels kinda like a trap. On one hand its great to hold Toshi Ranbo, on the other hand, it lowers the area control as one will be tempted to put 7, half of the whole army, at only one place.