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Cockadooddle-doo!

Welcome to the fifth Clan previews for Legend of the Five Rings CCG next expansion set,
Drums of War. Rising from the ashes, today we’ll be examining some cards that Phoenix
players are really going to enjoy… myself included. While I loves me some Puff the
Magic Dragon decks, Phoenix is still first and foremost about Spells, resurrection, and
sacrifice in the face of great tragedy. Many of us remember the “Exploding Fire
Chickens” decks with great fondness, and long for some sort of similar theme to
return. DOW doesn’t revive that deck exactly, but it does provide some great material
for a modern day interpretation — with a twist: to prevent destruction, or not to
prevent the destruction? That is the question.

The combustive components below are likely to find their way into a variety of current
Phoenix Clan decks. Read on…

First, we have what I call the three destruction “Negators”. Phoenix has
traditionally used either stuff that “blew themselves up” and their opponents with
them, or cards that prevented destruction. During the early Gold environment, we saw
Phoenix permission decks rule the roost, as Towers of the Asako deck prevented anything
bad from happening to their important Personalities.

But the stronghold was overpowered, and the restrictive gameplay proved to be
uninteractive and unenjoyable. Fast forward four years later, and we now have some of
the components in Drums of War… but it’s handled a little differently. Two of the
three Personalities, Agasha Chisuzu and Isawa Aiya, indeed have abilities either negate
the destruction of your fellow Phoenix Clan cards, or prevent destructive effects.
Chisuzu’s targets are somewhat limited, but she also has — ba dum dum — CAVALRY!
Boxable Cavalry for Phoenix. Right on. Shiba Arihiro sacrifices himself to save one of
your valuable Shugenja from Spell-cost-originated destruction (such as Awaken the
Eighth, Bishamon’s Fury, or My Life for the Phoenix). In- ter-est-ing…

Agasha Chisuzu
2F/3C
5HR, 6G, 2PH
Phoenix Clan Air Shugenja • Cavalry
Reaction: After a Spell, Kiho, or Ranged Attack targets a card you control, bow and
destroy Chusuzu or one of her spells: Negate the action’s effects on your card.

Asako Meisuru
3F/4C
0HR, 7G, 3PH
Phoenix Clan Water Shugenja
Elemental Battle: Target a number of cards in Meisuru’s army up to her Chi. Straighten
them.

Isawa Aiya
2F/4C
4HR, 8G, 4PH
Phoenix Clan Earth Shugenja
Reaction: Before a Phoenix Clan Personality is destroyed by an effect, even if Aiya is
Dead, remove Aiya from the game: Negate the destruction.

Shiba Arihiro
3F/3C
4HR, 7G, 3PH
Phoenix Clan Samurai
Reaction: Before a Shugenja you control is destroyed as a cost: Arihiro is destroyed
instead, paying the cost.
Reaction: After a Shugenja bows, if Arihiro is Honorable Dead: Straighten the Shugenja.


Then there’s this special guy who deserves a bit of a spotlight… Shiba Gyousei. This
guy just refuses to go quietly into the night. After each time he’s Honorably killed
in a battle, he resurrects himself a turn later to seek retribution on his attacker.
Gyousei would have gone unnoticed if it wasn’t for the 4C and the word “Duelist”
printed in his trait bar. Couple him with fellow duelists Isawa Sawao and Shiba Yoshimi
and you’ve got the makings of a Phoenix dueling deck (notice the combo-wombo thing
going on between Fire Shugenja Isawa Sawao and Shiba Yoshimi?).

Shiba Gyousei
2F/4C
3HR, 8G, 3PH
Phoenix Clan Ghost Samurai • Duelist
Reaction: After Gyousei dies Honorably during a battle: Target a Personality who opposed
him when he died. At the start of your next turn, Gyousei enters play in your home and
issues the target an unrefusable challenge. Destroy Gyousei (after the duel, if any).


But it’s not just the Personalities that will be needed to fuel the destruction
negation, a Fate deck is needed as well. Here we have some AMAZING support cards in the
form of Grasp Destiny and Phoenix Detachment. For 3G, Phoenix players will be able to
“recycle” Personalities like Shiba Arihiro or Shiba Gyousei from their discard
pile. Lion players should be able to appreciate Grasp Destiny as well with their new
Stronghold (and its 4 Focus Value).

Heck, I think ANY deck will dig Grasp Destiny, since you can get a limited effect of
Musume Mura for only 3G. Better still, you can target your opponent’s Provinces, and
dump that important Personality he’s been waiting for in exchange for a discarded
Holding. How’s THAT for sticking it to someone? If ever a Common cried out to be a
Rare, this is it.

Run or Die screams, “Play me in Draft!”, but it might find its way into Constructed
decks as well. Lastly, Guarded by Chi and Sezaru’s Burden add more magic tricks for
Phoenix, who are receiving better quality spells than we’ve seen in previous arcs.

Action
Grasp Destiny
3G
Limited: Target a card in any Province and a discarded card in its player’s Dynasty
discard pile. Switch them.
4FV

Action
Run or Die
2G
Reaction: Before a Personality you control is destroyed, target and destroy another
Personality you control at this location with a different Faction trait: Negate the
first destruction.
2FV

Follower
Phoenix Detachment
1F/0C
1HR, 3G, —PH
Samurai
Battle: Destroy this card an pay the Gold cost of an Honorably Dead Human Personality in
your discard: Bring him into play in your current army.
2FV

Spell
Guarded by Chi
4G
Singular
Reaction: Any number of times per turn, after a Battle or Open action taken by another
player resolves, bow this spell: Ranged 4 Attack.
4FV

Spell
Sezaru’s Burden
6G
Maho Limited: Bow this Shugenja and destroy this spell: Starting with you, each player
shows the top card of his Dynasty deck, and puts it into play without Gold cost if it is
a Personality. Destroy this Shugenja if any of the Personalities shown was more
expensive than him.
4FV

Sincerely,

Mark Jelfo
mjelfo@cox.net