Jade Edict: Under Fu Leng’s Shadow

TLDR: if you just want to see the final list go here

With Under Fu Leng’s Shadow released on Jigoku, we issue now a short update to address cards in those packs. This update comes in time for the top cut of the Clan War tournament.

A Common Enemy: Ignoring the call of the Shadowlands

Accursed Summoning is both an extremely strong and a versatile card. Its uses can ranging from a consistent pumped-up charge (bringing in 9 military skill for 1 fate), to being able to summon into play a Kansen for double rings, practically getting a kami and an extra +2/+2 stats for just 1 fate (in an environment where Kami effects have already been proven to be playable at 2 fate as a cost, without the extra flexibility that Accursed Summoning brings). In addition, the summoned creatures are not removed from play, and can be saved by crab effects, Akodo Kaede, and others. Keeping these around can further break the card and we expect that allowing it to be played will make games revolve entirely around it. In addition to the raw power, there are also many worrisome interactions to consider (Exposed Courtyard + Kansen, for example). For being so flexible, strong, and easily exploitable in a myriad of ways, Accursed Summoning is banned.

Breathing In: Repeated Abilities

The sad truth about dragon is that, even when designing the edict, it’s borderline impossible to get them to a sweet spot balance-wise. The main reason behind this is that when Dragon sees a Mitsu on turn 1/2 and when it doesn’t see a Mitsu, the power level of the clan is wildly different. Centered Breath is the sort of card that exacerbates this issue, and ensures that on the games that you do see Mitsu while having this in your deck, you are most likely going to win them. After some practice games where Centered Breath and Swell of Seafoam were run together, it felt like dragon was the one and only viable deck for the top cut and the deckbuilding question to answer was just “which version of dragon is better for the mirror”. We understand that based on the clan war winrates, Dragon needs some help, and we think Swell of Seafoam alone should be able to give them enough of a boost to propel their winrate up to more acceptable levels without being the end all be all deck decision. The other issue with Centered Breath is how it operates with Mitsu1 and Togashi Acolyte, allowing players to trigger Mitsu1 5 or more times in a single conflict, forcing their opponent to sit there passing through a dozen triggers while getting slammed with Hurricane Punch, Swell of Seafoam, and Void Fist (and then doing it all again next turn because the cards all get re-drawn). For being way too above the curve power level wise, as well as promoting a “solitaire style” negative play experience, Centered Breath is banned.

Not the way we want: Neutral Stands

Way of the Warrior is a stand at 0, and that alone makes it borderline banworthy. In addition to this, however, it also makes the character it stands immune to bows, dishonor, and send-homes, which can invalidate a lot of strategies that are used to answer towers. Furthermore, it heavily incentivizes playing a tower deck with Unicorn splash, which is something the community as a whole has grown pretty bored of facing. Both for the power level of the card itself and the playstyle it promotes, Way of the Warrior is banned.

Dancing with the Animals: Province Stacking

Dance of Chikusho-do is, in theory, a nice card; it costs 2 fate, the cards come in facedown, and it only gets cards on unbroken provinces. However, most of the Wealth of the Cranes you have seen been resolved, had been costed at 1-2 fate as well; defending early is already something that decks want to do, and delaying the payoff by 1 turn doesn’t change that you can draw 8 dynasty cards for 2 fate. Province stacking can completely break the game in a multitude of ways; via holding stacking, farming free fate off unique personalities that you got multiple copies off, or creating a combo win condition, or just amassing a large amount of value. If this card is allowed, we think that multiple builds will attempt and succeed at breaking it, either out of Crane (for similar reason to Wealth), Dragon (combining Audience Chamber with Adorned Temple) or maybe even Phoenix itself. For these reasons, Dance of Chikusho-do is banned.

Edict of Judgment: the compiled list

Servitors of Stone: roll the credits

This Jade Edict was elaborated in appreciation for the game and respect for the community, by the Magistrate Team:

DirtyDeeds#9918, jmart#6576, Notfragile#7860, Usagi#0328, zarzuckett#6853

With the invaluable playtest and council of the Councillors:

• Crab: Enegon#8434
• Crab: Daigotsu Kaikou#8609
• Crane: Jeremey#2822
• Crane: Erik#2965
• Dragon: Arash#3491
• Dragon: Komhl#7296
• Lion: Holyfield#7822
• Lion: Handsome_Dan#8310
• Phoenix: Algahra#6531
• Phoenix: fleepa0#6482
• Scorpion: Poogin#4183
• Scorpion: ZELOisBack#2201
• Unicorn: Nomadic#4292
• Unicorn: Yoritomo Alex#4401

We also counted on the playtest of the Ronin:

• Enrique_#6541
• suburbaknght#4584