We had our event today and I played Phoenix and went 3-2 so nothing amazing but I was happy.
I was lucky to be able to pull a third Temple to Shinsei and I pulled a second Unstoppable Power. I ran the deck out of Shrine of Champions (the send home was very useful from about turn 4-5 onwards by leaving the SH unbowed). I think SoC is the right call for the sealed environment.
Game 1 Vs Crane
I went second and trailed in honour until over the course of three turns I brought into play all 3 Temples to Shinsei. The Crane player realised he was going to loose the straight honour race so switched to military but defense was relatively easy for me after building a rather good hand over the course of the game. I dropped both Unstoppable Power to hit 40 honour during his turn.
Game 2 Vs Scorpion
The honour crawl is slow and I lost a province to a Seidan Sanzo'd ninja but I was able to stick at 3 provinces fending off multiple attack and killing many dirty ninjas. Eventually I bow out Paneki with Shiba Reiden and a kill a couple of others giving me the room to reach 40 honour.
Game 3 Vs Unicorn
I am at 29 honour with one province and a bunch of personalities out (multiple elements showing). I have already held off three attacks against my second to last province before conceding it dropping to one. He has Hwarang with 3 followers, an Obsidian Champion's Chen and masses of personalities including 4Ph Battle Maidens. He attacks and I drop 2 Unstoppable Powers, Courtesy and finally a Discretionary Valor to hit 40 honour. I then drop the Entrapping Terrain and finally Outer Walls to raise my province strength. It was all for nowt though as after I had sent the big units out of battle and exhausted my send home actions he was able to pip my province strength by one point of force on one unit and I had no answers. Bloody great battle though.
Game 4 Vs Phoenix
I managed to win a very early battle with my Katashi bowing his Katashi (who had already used her bow action as a limited action which I got around with a timely use of the Ring of Air) I won the battle and killed the Isawa Shugenja who also happened to have a spell and two follower tokens shunting me past his honour and up to 19. It wasn't very close after that and he concedes after bringing Akuma no Oni into play.
Game 5 Vs Crab
Turn 3 Hida Kuon gets Mountain of the Phoenix'd but he has the Ring of Water to escape. That one play was what turned the game. If Kuon was dead I would have not lost provinces quite as quickly and my defense would not have been as strained. In the end I crossed 40 but lost my last province before I could win. The Recon Action that gives everyone zero force follower tokens made my opening hand of 3 Settling the Homeless cry.
So only a 3-2 result but I hit 40 honour in all my games so I was happy and I posted a winning record with a clan I thought would not put up much of a fight in sealed deck.
A fun day was had.
Cards I put in the deck that really did nothing... They all seemed nice but I never saw them when I needed them...
Touch of Ice
Selfless Devotion
Chasing Osano Wo
Desperation Strikes
Cards that rocked my face off...Unstoppable Power (wins games)
Encircled Terrain
Corrupt Officials (to shut down Akodo's Grave)
Isawa Akihiro (was death incarnate when carrying 5 Fires and Fueling the Flames)
Settling the Homeless
Oh and obviously Consumed by 5 Fires...
