L5R Legend of the Five Rings Strategies and Clan Characteristics

The following is one of the parts of a series on how to build a good deck for Legend of the Five Rings, more commonly know as L5R, an Oriental-based trading-card game. In this installment, I will explain the advantages and disadvantages of each clan. The Eight Great Clans are Crab, Crane, Dragon, Lion, Phoenix, Mantis, Scorpion, and Unicorn, but there are also various other factions you can play as. Those are the Shadowlands, Brotherhood of Shinsei and Ratling.

Brotherhood of Shinsei - These are the monks of Rokugan. Their most easily attained victory is that of enlightenment, or playing all five Elemental Rings from you fate hand.
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Crab - The Crab have one of the most powerful armies in all of Rokugan. Their most easily attained victory is that of military domination, or the destruction of all of the opposing players' provinces.

Crane - When you think of the politics of Rokugan, you either think of the Crane or the Scorpion, but when you think of honorable politics, you only think of the Crane. Their most easily attained victory is that of Honor victory, or being the first to gain the required amount of honor (typically 40) and then begin their turn, though with some work, they can also be a militical deck. As well, they are excellent duelists, though that, in and of itself, is not a form of victory.

Dragon - The Dragon, self-exiled from the rest of Rokugan, live in tall mountains - the perfect lifestyle for harsh physical conditioning. As such, found amongst their people is a versatile combination of monks, samurai, and shugenja (which is the prime spellcasting people of Rokugan). The Dragon are one of the best choices for an enlightenment deck as they are so diverse in capabilites, though they can effectively be a military deck or, with very specialized cards, an honor deck.

Lion - The Lion clan is one of the most honorable clans in Rokugan, and their prowess on the battlefield and tactical abilities are unequaled. Their most easily attained victory is that of military domination, though they are great at honor victory, as well.

Mantis - The Mantis Clan lives on a chain of islands on the Coast of Rokugan. They have developed a massive Navy, and because of this, they have powerful abilities in the beginning of combat. They are a powerful military deck, primarily because they can destroy an entire army by shooting them with an ability called a ranged attack.

Pheonix - The Pheonix clan has the most amazing army of shugenja in all of Rokugan. They are led by the five Masters of the Elements, not their Clan Champion, like most other clans. Thier most easily attanied victory is that of Military Domination, though they can do an honor victory or and Enlightenment victory almost as easily.

Ratling - The Ratling Horde's power lies in numbers. They reproduce at an incredible rate, producing many more creatures per turn than any other clan. Their most likely form of domination is that of military victory.

Scorpion - They are probably the most dishonorable clans in Rokugan, and one of the most powerful political powerhouses, as well. Through their lies and deceit, their most easily attained victory involves honor - either an honor victory or a dishonor victory, depending on how you craft your deck. By lowering your opponent to below -20 honor, they will lose the game. When all players have lost, be it throgh the destruction of their provinces or honor loss, you win the game.

Shadowlands - The shadowlands are not dishonorable - they simply do not have honor. They are the creatures that torment you in your most horrific dreams - the oni, goblins, and trolls that walk in the night. They can cripple your army, making it impossible for them to lose, and then destroy you, or they can crush your entire army with merely half of theirs. Their power can match the Crab or Lion, their speed can match the Unicorn, and their dueling capabilities can match the Crane.

Unicorn - The Unicorn left Rokugan for a great length of time. While they were away, they found horses with power, endurance, and speed, the likes of which had never been seen in Rokugan before. Not only did they find horses, but they found rare weapons, as well. They rode back into the land of Rokugan through the Shadowlands, crushed the Crabe as they rode over them with their Moto steeds, and then rode into the northern territories of Rokugan and reclaimed their former homeland. They are the quintessence of speed and mobility, and thus are a powerful military force, though they can be an honor deck, as well.