Shiba Tsukimi.
Isawa Kyoko
Isawa Kyoko XP
Isawa Akihiro
Shiba Fusaburu
Agasha Ueda
Asako Katashi
Isawa Nakajima
Hou Hou.
Isawa Mizuhiko
Isawa Emori
Shiba Morihiko
Shiba Rae

What do people think about them as a group?

decent flock of birds

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Top Rat R.6 2006
Top Rat R.6 2007
Top Rat R.20 2007
Top Phx Cincin 2008
Top Phx CO 2008, 4th
Mizuhiko Gencon 2008
Top Phx CO 2009, 3rd
Top Phx Chicago 2009
4th Topaz 2010
Top Phx CO 2010, 4th

It seems like a good team.

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Phoenix Clan*Shugenja*Void*Scribe

I wanted Bairei instead of Emori, but I think they are a solid group definitely.

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- Phoenix Clan - Shugenja - Actor - Gozoku -

Haven't seen the new Art/MRP on some of these. Anyone have a link to the CE version of the cards mentioned above? I know we've seen most of them, but Emori and Rae I haven't seen, as well as a couple of others.

Thanks,

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Isawa Ujihiro
Phoenix Clan*Shugenja*Void*Bloodmage*Ishiken*Guard*Keeper of the Original Isawa Ways*Experienced 5*Unique

"Time to show Rokugan who their powerful priests are .... and why we are truely feared."

As a whole, there are too many blank peeps (kyoko, fusaburu, ueada, in most games katashi, fusaburu, nakajima (awesome trait though!), mizuhiko)
If you now add all those w/o battle actions then it boils down to Tsukimi, Emori, Kyoko xp and 2 guys with RA2 or 3. We really needed that revamp of spells with that lineup of non-existent Battleactions if we are really supposed to go military.

Anyhow, seeing that normally just the best stuff gets played and looking at small packages I think we have alot of good directions to work with:
- 4 non-unique Cav shugs to support any military theme - or go for pure cav soon due to Ritual of Summoning and Essence of Gaki-do ? (or hopefully more spells like Scouring/Rebuke granting Force-boosts)
- Another good magistrate with great stats for a shugenja in Katashi and also another great 4F shug with Eitoku..err i mean Nakajimi.
- Good uniques

So in general it's a nice start to work with, just hoping we will see more (normal-priced) guys with good stats and an action for military and less boxable swarms...

We also have to remember that we have peeps in the Imperial Gift 1&2, Glory of the Empire and Death at Koten to add to this list. I mean this list is important to prepare yourself mentally for Celestial release, but until the first set after Celestial comes out(and let's face it, we had Stronger than Steel, and Glory of the Empire, we won't be one of the first three clans with another stronghold) it's important to count those other personalities in as well.

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- Phoenix Clan - Shugenja - Actor - Gozoku -

Shiba Tsukimi -- good unique, has that useful kill action, awesome trait in combo with Morihiko, useless in cav shuggie swarms

Isawa Kyoko -- decreased honor req means boxable for full honor, stay-at-home-for-rejuvenating-vapors shugenja. fodder.

Isawa Kyoko XP -- always useful, but a bit awkward for cav swarm

Isawa Akihiro -- love him in combo with Ritual of Summoning, net +1 honor if you buy him for full

Shiba Fusaburu -- meh? needs a lot of support before he gets useful

Agasha Ueda -- whee! played a game recently with 3 Uedas in the first two flushes, vapors + ritual of summoning made me win on turn 4

Asako Katashi -- stats are amazing, but I just haven't been able to get good use out of his ability yet. we'll see.

Isawa Nakajima -- I've ... got no particular love for this man. Nice to have around against military because he can help defend, but by himself he's got nothing special

Hou Hou -- de facto part of the cav swarm deck, nice to have around when you get Flanked by Nightmares

Isawa Mizuhiko -- love the naval, but creepily easy to pop. probably more useful in samurai and honor deck than pure shuggie military

Isawa Emori -- return of the Mack! but with no High Temple of Toshi Ranbo, he's very easily poppable

Shiba Morihiko -- solid boxable for the samurai deck, needs much support, only really shines with Tsukimi.

Shiba Rae -- Ranged 3 isn't bad, but dull otherwise


General thoughts: We seem to have a deluge (it's a pun!) of Water cavalry shugenja, and a fair bit halfway decent samurai, but like others have said they're nearly all blank or have weak battle actions. Phoenix need a lot of support to get anywhere and right now the cav deck can run a lot more consistently than anything else -- I just hate running samurai and struggling until I can get Tsukimi out. I think we have some real possibilities here, but we're going to need a lot more support for honor and samurai decks before things get interesting. That being said, I love that we're suddenly the "magic unicorn".

I've been playtesting my shugenja military deck, and it can take provinces pretty solidly. Still working on the balance and everything, but I'm pleased with how it's worked so far. I only run 1 samurai in the entire deck: Nobuyuki, because there will always be a shugenja in play to boost him. That, and with 19 spells and 9 kihos, most of my actions are useless without a shugenja.

For me, the trick to doing well with a pure shugenja military is using cavalry for superior movement capability in assigning to battles, and then giving unopposed Force bonuses (e.g. Rejuvenating Vapors; Dance of Flames, even better if you can straighten on the same turn; Chasing Osano-Wo, or Sneak Attack + Scouring Flood/Osano-Wo's Rebuke). It's got some cool combos.

Am I being too stubborn for refusing to use any Shadowlands or Maho cards in my deck?

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Phoenix Clan Shugenja • Fire • Void • Scribe
"I do not wish to fight," Ketsu said, "but I will not let you stand in the way." Moments later, he was surrounded by flames.

heh, it's a choice, personally, i shy away from shadowlands cards, and only use maho that doesn't cause an honor loss

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Isawa Jonqar
Phoenix Clan Naga
Wooly Maggot Clan Stealer of Ree's Shoe and Bearer of the Sacred Tithe
BH #: 2200
TO: Northwest Ohio Kotei 2009
Top Phoenix & 7th Place: Kalamazoo level 10
TO: Toledo Kotei 2008
Top Phoenix: Detroit Kotei 2007