http://www.l5r.com/images/GrovesofStone.jpg

Can you say 9xOuter Walls?

(almost)

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Phoenix Clan*Shugenja*Void*Scribe

its a stronger castle of water/ring of earth/the earth answers

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Fire burns everything, fire cleanse, fire creates, fire destroys, fire protects, fire guides, fire scares away the darkness. all these traits are true of fire, and are true of the phoenix.

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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

The card is good, the best thing is the Emori quote with the art. I loves me some Emori!

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“How can you fight against the elements themselves? You cannot.” –Isawa Emori
You bring fire? Against the Phoenix? Is this some manner of Joke? - Shiba Ikokawa

If I were looking to quibble with it, I would complain about the fact that it is too good - it allows an Earth shugenja to avoid bowing to cast the spell built in, which is yet another damnation of Isawa Emori's trait. What's the point of the Elemental Master of Earth giving all Earth shugenja the ability to perform Earth actions without bowing when none of them bloody well do anyway? </snivelly-whine>

And if that's the worst damned thing I can say, I think it's a goodie.

Oh, and you can't buy it off a Rich Coffers in their turn, unless you also have a free Barley Farm. Poo!

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Daman'Asha
Samurai * Naga Warlord Experienced 2 * Black Viper * Unique


There is never a reason good enough to construct a Mantis deck. Isawa Aitoru

Just to clarify, you need presence to use it. But otherwise pretty good.

True, unlike CoW which excepts Presence as well. Thanks 9th for pointing out the balancing factor on this one.

It's probably better in an Earth-shugenja mid-game military attack deck for the province reduction, guaranteeing presence on the assault. We need no Scouts, just ROCK!

Aside: I could not believe it when I opened a GotE starter a while back (just getting back into the game at the time and saw Earth Becomes Sky. Sadness was overwhelming when I looked and saw only a SE bug, so not legal. Much was the gloom.

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Daman'Asha
Samurai * Naga Warlord Experienced 2 * Black Viper * Unique


There is never a reason good enough to construct a Mantis deck. Isawa Aitoru

I'm not familiar with a mid-game Earth-based Phoenix deck, but I can see this spell having use on the attack more than the defense. Drop this on Mariko on turn two and run at someones province. A 4PS swing is nothing to sneeze at, even if it requires presence.

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"Compassion in all actions. Virtue in all designs. Honor in all things."

Phoenix Clan * Crane Clan * Air * Shugenja * Guardian of Syphira

Strong is the call for upcoming Earth decks! It's both defensive and offensive! Phoenix Military is king!!!

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Phoenix Clan-Shugenja-Duelist-Void-Death Phoenix-Ishiken

"It is far better to die in indulgence than to live in wanting..."

Uh, what deck, exactly, is this ugly duckling intended for?

Blitz: One viable Earth Shugenja, and we're likely to recieve no *intentional* further support for the archetype for the rest of the arc. Bowing a Shugenja for -4PS in Blitz is likely to be, at best, a net +1 Unopposed Force. For three gold. Even if they do print blitz-worthy earth shugenja, the deck has much better ways to spend their money than on this incredibly awkward 3-drop.

Midgame Military: An action that does absolutely nothing to win an opposed battle. And can't be cheated in for "free" with Rich Coffers/Fudo. Not exactly a good investment of a fate slot. Also, doesn't help that our Earth Shugenja are just near-blank piles with Gold-Edition Military statlines, and this does nothing to exalt them beyond that drear reality.

Honor: 3GC is cripplingly innefficient for the Honor deck, as it almost always (barring a Silver mine) turns into 4GC. Temples to Shinsei don't make many builds because of how utterly awful the number 3 is for us. Beyond that, it requires Presence at the battlefield, which means you likely have a better action in hand or on the field that you should be using (such as some with "Gain honor" on it) before your paper-thin suicide defender gets blown away by the opponent's next action. The earth trait is not synonymous with "Strong Honor Shugenja" by any stretch of the imagination, so you're saddling yourself with another Bow-cost in a deck already inundated by them. These drawbacks are not worth +1PS over Castle of Water.

It's neat, and "flexible," but in terms of efficacy it's a flop.