Thank you for making these videos. It has helped me and my son immensely as we get started with the game. Most importantly, I think, is that you two model friendly, relaxed and sportsmanlike play which is really valuable for my son to see as an example. It's easy for him to get hung up on whether he wins or loses and it's helpful for him to see people who handle that gracefully and still have fun. Thanks, guys.
Gawd I love this series so much. The most entertaining LCG I have ever watched. And thank you for thinking out loud, it really helps me understand the game better. Looking forward to next installment. Cannot wait for December when the game becomes available out here.
I can't praise these videos enough. The two of you do such an excellent job demonstrating the intricacies of the game, explaining not only what actions you are taking but also WHY you're taking them. It's just really informative, thanks for doing these! One other thing I really love is when you two make the old faux-pas of referring to the characters by their family name ("I bring out Hida"; "I attack with Shinjo", etc). I've been playing L5R for 20+ years now and every single person that is new to the game does it, no exceptions. It's endearing in a way to hear you guys doing it too, as the "tradition" of it happening really makes the new game legitimately L5R. It makes me smile every time.
Team Covenant As a follow up to the naming thing, if you guys take a look at the Learn to Play description for each clan there is a breakdown of the families that make up that clan and what their main roles are. Those are obviously deep lore, but even if you don't care about that it's still a nice little bit of flavor which you can usually see reflected on the cards!
I don't usually comment but these videos are so good. I could watch so many of these as the production is really good and they are easy to follow. I have not had a chance to play the game yet (2 more weeks) so it is nice to be able to see and understand what is happening. I have tried watching some of the other L5R content out there but it is much to hard to follow if you don't have an understanding of all the cards, so thanks again for making this easy to follow. My only request would be to for you guys to make more videos each day :)
I really appreciate the way you guys are playing the game "out loud" and how you methodically walk through each step in the phase flow chart. Your post-game discussion here on game 2 was excellent. I played L5R this afternoon with my 73-year old mom 😀 (yes, she is a nerd senior citizen! She listened to my brothers and I play D&D, Warhammer, etc, for 30 years and now is great at the "new" generation of awesome tabletop games.) I built Unicorn and Crab decks out of the core set and our game took about 2 hours. She described it as "calming." To which I add "thoughtful" and "absorbing." My new favorite game--and I have never played a TCG, CCG, or LCG before! Love it! Thx again, guys, for these helpful videos.
Absolutely: share it! And get this (off topic, but humor me): last year, after merely watching my brothers and I play D&D, my mom rolled up a character and played! She played a tiefling paladin! Back on topic: I crossed the Rubicon and bought card sleeves for my L5R Core Set. Oh no! I have become an LCG Super Nerd!! :D Actually, I think getting card sleeves is a good idea. These card games are not cheap, and the sleeves are. It is worth it to get more play out of your cards.
Thank you for another fantastic video! I know it was only a single day without a new game play video, but with content this good it felt like a drought. Can't wait for the next one. Keep up the great work.
I've always loved Team Covenant videos (although I've been a bit absent the past few years) but these are by far my favorite. I hope they continue with this style of video even after they've gone through each clan.
My favorite thing about this game has to be the card art pieces. Absolutely stunning. btw, thanks for showing the cards and their abilities. It really helps with the game introduction to new players, and not many take the time to create so high quality content as you guys.
This video series has been awesome! As a traditional board gamer, the LCG format interests me, and you have gotten me very interested in L5R. I can't wait until the core set comes out for general release so I can give it a try. These videos have been really helpful, and I can't wait until the next video in the series. Keep up the good work!
Just top drawer stuff, the perfect follow on "this L5R thing looks interesting" video to follow up your 🐉 🦄 video. This video really highlights the wonderfully different way that factions have to be played and the possibilities that emerge just from the Core Set. Cannot wait for more! Loved the post game discussion, so worthwhile. Would be cool to hear which faction you guys decided to splash into your conflict deck and why 😃
I love that theory, Steven. I think its very unrated strategy but, in my opinion, its the best defensive option to put your best province under your stronghold to force the opponent to deal with it. If opponent card draw abilities are an issue, the Earth Ring is great here. You get a card and they lose a card. Loving the series guys, thank you!!!
I was just rewatching the previous one, this is a great great series. I loved Zach's face in the last one when assassinate popped, took the wind right out of his sails, priceless.
Loved this video, especially the addition to the comments at the end are really helpful to summarize what went right and what went wrong in the match. And what each player was looking for to do, really helps flesh out what each clan is looking for and the different ways to play
Oh man Phoenix is so awesome! Really like the concept of the clan. Although Steven making them look real good here ;) (sorry Steven) - The Mountain Does Not Fall triggers without you having to successfully defend. So he could have avoided some of the unopposed conflicts. Anyways guys REALLY awesome content. Keep the videos coming !!
Another excellent showcase of the game. Phoenix were always the complex clan to design decks for, the honour drain is an interesting result. Can't wait to see how Crane are going to be playing if this is how Phoenix are beginning in the core set.
Thanks for your videos! I plan on getting into this game. Been doing a lot of theory crafting lately and it's nice to see a game play out with my current clan (Crab) and my old clan (Phoenix, back in the TCG days)
Good on you guys for doing this because I agree it takes a good 5 or so games before new L5R really clicks and you understand what you need to do to build and pilot decks better. There is quite a few good lessons to learn from this game. In particular the big lesson people learn in their first couple games is that honor really matters (even though it seems worthless at first glance). At any given time there are two distinct battles being played out each round. Dishonor losses are not uncommon in my experience when either of these clans are in the match. Splashing these two clans together really creates a mean honor pressure deck.
Nice breakdown at the end, guys. Makes me want to try a Phoenix build aimed at honoring to 25. Probably not viable in the core, but could be a fun learning exercise.
Guys I love your videos, it's what I was looking for to get the feeling of the game before the release. Both the visuals and commentary add so much! I am looking forward to a third one with two of the remaining clans (Scorpion plz!). Thanks! :-)
Cool that they threw in a character with the surname Yojimbo. I wonder if that was a homage to Akira Kurasawa's Samurai film Yojimbo starring the famous Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune.
I have to ask.... I know the solid color card sleeves are regulation, but does anyone enjoy playing casually with clear sleeves? Thanks for a great game, Zach and Steven!
Brand new to L5R in any real capacity. I've done a little bit of research when I saw this LCG (based off of the older card game, I know) was coming out. Can't wait to see Scorpion clan if/when you show them in play!
@ 0:15 On the shelf in the back, what's the game that's right above Star Wars LCG? Also, on the row above that, the one in the middle that's flush with the edge of the shelf?
It is called Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn. It is a non-collectible card game. We did a live demo of it here if you want to learn more: th-cam.com/video/pL9BkmDN7EQ/w-d-xo.html
So, I have the folks at Covenant to thank for a wallet that is quite a bit lighter. 😎 Got into Arkham Horror recently because of your great content and then went and bought a two player token set and boards. Then you produce these great L5R videos and website content. Now, I’ve purchased 3 cores, all of the Imperial Cycle and will likely get a subscription. Wish Team Covenant was in Northern Kentucky.
That is great to hear Patrick! We are so glad you enjoyed our content. If you ever visit Oklahoma you should come by and say hi, we could probably setup a game of Arkham!
Something I noticed early on, was the Crab's Wall and The Night's Watch Wall. I did some searching, and it looks like O5R was printed in 1995, probably in serious development for 1-3 years before that. Maybe more, I don't know. The Crab were in Imperial Edition. Thrones' first printing was August 1, 1996. I wouldn't assert that GRRM lifted the idea, though I would say that I'm reminded of the phrase, "good art is copied and great art is stolen."
Can you even play this game with one core set? I have one and would like to play it a few times before I know if I want to buy two more. But can I only play Crane and Lion then or can I try the other clans?
All card actions, including provinces, are once per round unless they say otherwise. So it was a mistake to gain a second fate in the same round from the second attack at Manicured Gardens.
As you learn, I need to point few mistakes out. ( beside decisions). You cannot trigger province ability twice a round. You also don't ask for actions between conflicts while there is an action window
Old guard player here. I like the coin toss method for deciding first player. The ccg version had the player with the highest starting honor on their stronghold be the first player. Ties were a coin flip.
#askcovenant I hope I don't butcher this question, but at 19:05 would Steven have been able to make a zero strength military challenge since Zach didn't have any defenders to at least get the benefit of one of the rings? Or does a challange require a minimum of 1 strength?
Anytime a conflict ends with 0 to 0, it is considered a tie and the ring goes back to the pool. So the challenge could have been initiated, but nothing gained! Unless strength boosts were in hand, of course.
Team Covenant you did shuffle both decks at the start but forgot to offer them for the final cut as per rules xD, in the end you do your mulligan and is not stated in the rules to offer again for final cut... Great video, keep the good work 👍
That one with the piles is officially a Power Shuffle. It's the way forward. Power shuffle into piles, shuffle each pile, then shuffle them into each other two at a time. Shuffle them 3 piles, then shuffle into each other. Cut. Cut. Shuffle. Optional: Sombrero. Slamming tequila.
Crab aren't Night's Watch-like, the Night's Watch is Crab-like -- As crazy as it sounds, L5R actually predates A Song of Ice and Fire by a couple of years, though Martin and John Wick had obviously been working on their respective projects for several years before either was published.
Steven, you should have defended with Witch Hunter & Shuichi. Then you have a chance although you lose a fate on Shuichi (defended and hopefully not broken). Then you should pass your next conflict in preparation to defend againts military with your Berserker ,which in turn you can use the Witch hunter to sacrifice your Envoy(gain card/fate?) to ready Shuichi and trigger the Berserkers Ability. Lastly you may attack with Shuichi! Overall it was a good video. :) Thanks!!
Really appreciated the discussion at the end. Great game! And if you'd be so kind, would you tell us what brand of deck protectors you're using? Cheers.
I think Steven is going to look back on this video one day and flinch. Investing 2 fate into a character whose stats aren't great and her ability requires her to kill herself lol. That's not #smart5R.
I am going CRAZY!!! The game will not be delivered to be at LEAST before the 10th so this is torture for me, awesome torture but torture none the less!
Great videos guys. Still a couple of weeks until the game hits the shelves in Spain though. A suggestion: would it be possible to leave the cards you talk about a little longer onscreen? Most times I don't get to read the whole text (I'm aware I'd be more familiar with them if I had the game, but maybe it will help newbies to understand game decisions. Otherwise, keep up the good work, and looking forward to Crane Clan!
I had this same problem, but I think it's fine tbh. If they are there too long it obscures the view, and you can always just pause the video to read (my solution)
Content of the deck is Yogo Junzo Yogo Junzo experience 3 moto tsume 1 moto tsume experience 3 ogre bushi 3 ogre outlaw 1 onino akuma that's I can remember from the dynasty deck the fate deck 3 gerrila tactics 3 sneak attack 3 evil portents that what ire call got to check the deck first
Still blows my mind how Steven was considering investing 3 fate on Hida. I haven't even played this game before and from watching the other play through I could tell that was a terrible idea 😂
Is this really how you play L5R I think this is not L5R I have an old deck here and it's the Yogo Junzo Army deck last expantion I played is anvil of despair
Wish I could find someone in Dallas texas who is interested in buying original AEG L5R sets of cards, I have training boxes one and two, numerous loose cards and clan boxes
Guys, can you help me understand Phoenix clan's stronghold ability? It reads, "Bow the stronghold, choose a character, that character gets +2 glory until the end of the phase." How is this useful? My experience has been that doing this makes the chosen character a tempting target for cards that dishonor that character. For example, let's say I have Adept of the Waves participating in a conflict. I bow the stronghold, add +2 glory to Adept of the Waves. My opponent responds with Court Games and makes me choose to dishonor Adept of the Waves, causing his skills to both go down by not just 2 (his regular glory amount) but 4 (his augmented glory amount). Correct? He's now -2 in both his skills. Ouch. And even if my opponent doesn't have Court Games or another way to dishonor my characters, what is the advantage of +2 glory? To be safe from Court Games, any character with glory boosted in this way would have to refrain from participating in a conflict and just basically sit there being glorious. Then what? Is this ability solely to increase the glory count during the determination of Imperial Favor? If so, that seems rather weak for a stronghold ability.
Think about it in the opposite way! Remember that if your character is Honored, they add their glory to both stats. So typically, you honor your characters via the Fire ring or card abilities, and then mid-conflict you can take an action to give them +2 glory (at that point, +2 strength). You can also use it on a standing character before Imperial Favor is determined to count higher glory on your board.
Light bulb! I get it. At 36:08, Zach bowed the stronghold to increase the glory of the *already honored* Asako Diplomat. Being honored added her regular glory (+1) to her stats, giving her 2 military / 3 political. But when the stronghold increased her glory by 2, that added +3 to both printed stats, so she became 4 military / 5 political. On my first viewing of this game, I completely missed the fact that the the Asako Diplomat was in an honored state when the stronghold ability was triggered. Lesson learned: do things in the right order! If Steven had been able to respond by dishonoring the "glorified" Asako Diplomat, that would have just bumped her down to her normal stats of 1 / 2. But if Zach had triggered the stronghold ability on the Asako Diplomat *before* honoring her, it wouldn't have done anything to increase her abilities and would have made her vulnerable to going into the negative numbers with Court Games or whatnot before Zach got a chance to honor her. Thanks for this clarification!
Let's say that that Guardsman with the dash for a political stat is honoured. Does he become a 3-N/A or does he get the +1 from the honoured state to his non-existent political state as well, becoming a 3-1? My gut says the former. Can anyone confirm or deny?
Dash is static and cannot be modified! From the rules reference: "If a character has a dash for a skill value, that skill value cannot be modified or otherwise changed by card abilities and effects."
LOL I am phoenix clan from emerald on we are a minority but more daring the most any clan. But hope if the do Koti format again that it is Phoenix on phoenix finally. I almost gave up the game when I opened the next starter to find only the champion which was different and much weaker and one shuginja that was not one per deck became one per deck everything else was of other clans that would cost me much more.
OK. I like the series. Thank you for the work and effort. That said, I have some concerns. I am of Phoenix Clan. I stopped playing when AEG broke the game (turning Crab into merchants, Mantis in to mages, Phoenix into liars and every clan got stronger magic than Phoenix). Now that FFG has the IP, I am overjoyed to see L5R return. Without backing away from that statement, there seems to be something "off" about the clans. None of them seem to do the thing they are known for. Crab Clan is supposed to be a straight forward beat stick...high strength, all aggression, no subtlety. Phoenix Clan is supposed to be about the magic...what you see is not what is real, or what is real is malleable. Scorpion Clan is all about tricks, lies, deception and who is/is not honorable. Lion Clan is supposed to be all about brilliance in tactics on the battlefield. Crane Clan is about honor and leveraging their honor against yours. Now, in this series, I see the clans NOT doing what they are supposed to be doing. Example, in this particular game, Phoenix did NOTHING magical. No where in the Phoenix game play did anything "magical" happen. Phoenix won by dishonoring the Crab...that is supposed to be what Scorpion does. Did you notice, in the Crab game play, you never got the sense of "overwhelming force"...aka the beat stick. Everything feels watered down and bland. Watered down to the point where the clans, once distinctive and flavorful, are now interchangeable. Am I whining? Maybe. But I miss my Clan. Where is the magic that woke me up in the morning? I miss playing the game, but the game I played was deeper than this. I know FFG had to change the game. After AEG butchered the game into ridicule, something needed to be done. But in the end, we clan players were drawn to the game and our clans for a reason. Those reasons don't seem to be game. Am I wrong?
Yeah, it is probably best not to judge the clans on these single learning games - as they are being played well under their true strength. In our games now, Phoenix feels very magical (always manipulating the rings) and Crab feels like a beat stick, but on the defense specifically.
They are going out with subscriptions! And as it turns out from FFG's recent announcement, all 6 packs will be going out in 6 weeks...so you'll have them quite quickly!
This may be me just projecting... but Steven usually seems under the influence of substances (not naming any specifically) during some of these playthroughs. Which doesn't bother me... just an observation lol
Ha, maybe in some areas I get what you mean but a lot of the philosophical learnings from Buddhism, Shinto etc, only get those connotations in the West. Work with a nurse who found Buddhism late and hes exactly the same to be honest!
Thank you for making these videos. It has helped me and my son immensely as we get started with the game. Most importantly, I think, is that you two model friendly, relaxed and sportsmanlike play which is really valuable for my son to see as an example. It's easy for him to get hung up on whether he wins or loses and it's helpful for him to see people who handle that gracefully and still have fun. Thanks, guys.
Love this comment. Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know. We very much think this is an important thing to be providing in this space!
Gawd I love this series so much. The most entertaining LCG I have ever watched. And thank you for thinking out loud, it really helps me understand the game better. Looking forward to next installment. Cannot wait for December when the game becomes available out here.
I can't praise these videos enough. The two of you do such an excellent job demonstrating the intricacies of the game, explaining not only what actions you are taking but also WHY you're taking them. It's just really informative, thanks for doing these!
One other thing I really love is when you two make the old faux-pas of referring to the characters by their family name ("I bring out Hida"; "I attack with Shinjo", etc). I've been playing L5R for 20+ years now and every single person that is new to the game does it, no exceptions. It's endearing in a way to hear you guys doing it too, as the "tradition" of it happening really makes the new game legitimately L5R. It makes me smile every time.
We have learned the naming conventions now - so that means we are officially L5R experts, right?
Yep! You have completed your gempukku and are full samurai now. :)
Team Covenant As a follow up to the naming thing, if you guys take a look at the Learn to Play description for each clan there is a breakdown of the families that make up that clan and what their main roles are. Those are obviously deep lore, but even if you don't care about that it's still a nice little bit of flavor which you can usually see reflected on the cards!
@@felizpanda So this is an entirely different game from the old CCG I see.
We want MOREEEEEE in future, not just playing all the clans in the core set, but also the as the game expand, Meta and Advance VS. Kudos guys :)
I don't usually comment but these videos are so good. I could watch so many of these as the production is really good and they are easy to follow. I have not had a chance to play the game yet (2 more weeks) so it is nice to be able to see and understand what is happening.
I have tried watching some of the other L5R content out there but it is much to hard to follow if you don't have an understanding of all the cards, so thanks again for making this easy to follow.
My only request would be to for you guys to make more videos each day :)
Cant believe just how different this match was from the Unicorn v Dragon. Like practically different games! So excited now.
I really appreciate the way you guys are playing the game "out loud" and how you methodically walk through each step in the phase flow chart. Your post-game discussion here on game 2 was excellent.
I played L5R this afternoon with my 73-year old mom 😀 (yes, she is a nerd senior citizen! She listened to my brothers and I play D&D, Warhammer, etc, for 30 years and now is great at the "new" generation of awesome tabletop games.) I built Unicorn and Crab decks out of the core set and our game took about 2 hours. She described it as "calming." To which I add "thoughtful" and "absorbing." My new favorite game--and I have never played a TCG, CCG, or LCG before! Love it! Thx again, guys, for these helpful videos.
I hope you do not mind if we share this story! So fantastic!
Absolutely: share it! And get this (off topic, but humor me): last year, after merely watching my brothers and I play D&D, my mom rolled up a character and played! She played a tiefling paladin!
Back on topic: I crossed the Rubicon and bought card sleeves for my L5R Core Set. Oh no! I have become an LCG Super Nerd!! :D Actually, I think getting card sleeves is a good idea. These card games are not cheap, and the sleeves are. It is worth it to get more play out of your cards.
Thank you for another fantastic video! I know it was only a single day without a new game play video, but with content this good it felt like a drought. Can't wait for the next one. Keep up the great work.
So true. This good game vids should be daily :)
I've always loved Team Covenant videos (although I've been a bit absent the past few years) but these are by far my favorite. I hope they continue with this style of video even after they've gone through each clan.
My favorite thing about this game has to be the card art pieces. Absolutely stunning.
btw, thanks for showing the cards and their abilities. It really helps with the game introduction to new players, and not many take the time to create so high quality content as you guys.
This video series has been awesome! As a traditional board gamer, the LCG format interests me, and you have gotten me very interested in L5R. I can't wait until the core set comes out for general release so I can give it a try. These videos have been really helpful, and I can't wait until the next video in the series. Keep up the good work!
The both of you have great charisma with the camera that it makes the viewer feel like they're in the room with you. That's pretty special.
Thank you Kirk! Very kind of you to say.
Just top drawer stuff, the perfect follow on "this L5R thing looks interesting" video to follow up your 🐉 🦄 video. This video really highlights the wonderfully different way that factions have to be played and the possibilities that emerge just from the Core Set.
Cannot wait for more!
Loved the post game discussion, so worthwhile. Would be cool to hear which faction you guys decided to splash into your conflict deck and why 😃
Check the blogs!
I love that theory, Steven. I think its very unrated strategy but, in my opinion, its the best defensive option to put your best province under your stronghold to force the opponent to deal with it.
If opponent card draw abilities are an issue, the Earth Ring is great here. You get a card and they lose a card.
Loving the series guys, thank you!!!
I was just rewatching the previous one, this is a great great series. I loved Zach's face in the last one when assassinate popped, took the wind right out of his sails, priceless.
Loved this video, especially the addition to the comments at the end are really helpful to summarize what went right and what went wrong in the match. And what each player was looking for to do, really helps flesh out what each clan is looking for and the different ways to play
I love these videos. I'm always consistently impressed by the quality, entertainment, and helpfulness of TC videos. Thank you for posting these!
Oh man Phoenix is so awesome! Really like the concept of the clan. Although Steven making them look real good here ;) (sorry Steven) - The Mountain Does Not Fall triggers without you having to successfully defend. So he could have avoided some of the unopposed conflicts.
Anyways guys REALLY awesome content. Keep the videos coming !!
Great video. Thank you for including the post game discussion. Please do this for more of your instructional videos.
Plan on it!
Another excellent showcase of the game. Phoenix were always the complex clan to design decks for, the honour drain is an interesting result. Can't wait to see how Crane are going to be playing if this is how Phoenix are beginning in the core set.
These matches keep getting better! I'm really liking the look of Crab at this point.
You have already learned what not to do from this video, so it should be pretty easy to get going with Crab!
CRAAAAAB!!!
Thanks for your videos! I plan on getting into this game. Been doing a lot of theory crafting lately and it's nice to see a game play out with my current clan (Crab) and my old clan (Phoenix, back in the TCG days)
This series is great! Keep it coming!
Good on you guys for doing this because I agree it takes a good 5 or so games before new L5R really clicks and you understand what you need to do to build and pilot decks better. There is quite a few good lessons to learn from this game. In particular the big lesson people learn in their first couple games is that honor really matters (even though it seems worthless at first glance). At any given time there are two distinct battles being played out each round. Dishonor losses are not uncommon in my experience when either of these clans are in the match. Splashing these two clans together really creates a mean honor pressure deck.
I'm a french fan and all I want to say is thank you so much for doing this good L5R match and to speak clearly ^^ can't wait to see à crane deck !
Fantastic video. My friend and I spent the whole weekend unboxing three Core sets and playing. Keep up the great work, guys!
We hope it was fantastic!
25:08 ♪♪♫ Honor Pressure - nice one, Steven!
Nice breakdown at the end, guys. Makes me want to try a Phoenix build aimed at honoring to 25. Probably not viable in the core, but could be a fun learning exercise.
Guys I love your videos, it's what I was looking for to get the feeling of the game before the release. Both the visuals and commentary add so much! I am looking forward to a third one with two of the remaining clans (Scorpion plz!). Thanks! :-)
Scorpion v. Crane coming up!
Team Covenant Great! Scorpion played by Zach?
Cool that they threw in a character with the surname Yojimbo. I wonder if that was a homage to Akira Kurasawa's Samurai film Yojimbo starring the famous Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune.
Loving it! Please keep them coming! Cheers!
Actually, you can look at the dynasty cards after the mulligan. It is specified in the rules reference under mulligan
Thanks Marco!
I have to ask.... I know the solid color card sleeves are regulation, but does anyone enjoy playing casually with clear sleeves? Thanks for a great game, Zach and Steven!
Brand new to L5R in any real capacity. I've done a little bit of research when I saw this LCG (based off of the older card game, I know) was coming out. Can't wait to see Scorpion clan if/when you show them in play!
They are up next!
Sad to see my crab lose but very fun game overall, congrats on the presentation quality!
36:05 A misplay here: that province had already used its ability that round, and could not be triggered again.
@ 0:15
On the shelf in the back, what's the game that's right above Star Wars LCG?
Also, on the row above that, the one in the middle that's flush with the edge of the shelf?
It is called Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn. It is a non-collectible card game. We did a live demo of it here if you want to learn more: th-cam.com/video/pL9BkmDN7EQ/w-d-xo.html
Damn good video TC. Love it. You have convinced me to get into this game when IT FINALLY ARRIVES.
We still have pre-orders available if you want to get our exclusive Sakura tokens with your pre-order!
So, I have the folks at Covenant to thank for a wallet that is quite a bit lighter. 😎 Got into Arkham Horror recently because of your great content and then went and bought a two player token set and boards. Then you produce these great L5R videos and website content. Now, I’ve purchased 3 cores, all of the Imperial Cycle and will likely get a subscription. Wish Team Covenant was in Northern Kentucky.
That is great to hear Patrick! We are so glad you enjoyed our content. If you ever visit Oklahoma you should come by and say hi, we could probably setup a game of Arkham!
Oddly enough, I grew up in Edmond, OK and have family in Noble and Norman. Definitely will be visiting next time I’m in town.
Great series of videos. These have been really helpful.
Where is the next one? This is the best L5R content on TH-cam! Please keep going! :)
On the way!
Something I noticed early on, was the Crab's Wall and The Night's Watch Wall. I did some searching, and it looks like O5R was printed in 1995, probably in serious development for 1-3 years before that. Maybe more, I don't know. The Crab were in Imperial Edition.
Thrones' first printing was August 1, 1996.
I wouldn't assert that GRRM lifted the idea, though I would say that I'm reminded of the phrase, "good art is copied and great art is stolen."
inb4 someone points out that walls weren't new to the late 90's
Thanks for keeping up the great l5r content!
Great Video guys loved seeing an honor victory!
Can you even play this game with one core set? I have one and would like to play it a few times before I know if I want to buy two more. But can I only play Crane and Lion then or can I try the other clans?
All card actions, including provinces, are once per round unless they say otherwise. So it was a mistake to gain a second fate in the same round from the second attack at Manicured Gardens.
Thank you Patrick! That can be a hard one to remember.
I'll probably end up using markers for activated abilities, because it also applies to interrupts and reactions.
Thats the same way we do it.
Isn't the Mountain Does Not Fall, even if you lose you don't bow? I didn't see win on there anywhere?
You could just tilt the card 45 degrees to denote that its ability has been exhausted.
As you learn, I need to point few mistakes out. ( beside decisions). You cannot trigger province ability twice a round. You also don't ask for actions between conflicts while there is an action window
Thank you!
Old guard player here. I like the coin toss method for deciding first player. The ccg version had the player with the highest starting honor on their stronghold be the first player. Ties were a coin flip.
#askcovenant I hope I don't butcher this question, but at 19:05 would Steven have been able to make a zero strength military challenge since Zach didn't have any defenders to at least get the benefit of one of the rings? Or does a challange require a minimum of 1 strength?
Anytime a conflict ends with 0 to 0, it is considered a tie and the ring goes back to the pool. So the challenge could have been initiated, but nothing gained! Unless strength boosts were in hand, of course.
Does the boosters provide extra copies (more than 3) neutral cards for each booster set?
The expansions have three of every card, regardless of faction!
So I gotta ask, are those elemental rings just the cardboard ones or special? If special, where do get them?
So are just the cardboard ones in the Core Set.
Fantastic! God I love watching you two guys play!
Team Covenant you did shuffle both decks at the start but forgot to offer them for the final cut as per rules xD, in the end you do your mulligan and is not stated in the rules to offer again for final cut... Great video, keep the good work 👍
That one with the piles is officially a Power Shuffle. It's the way forward. Power shuffle into piles, shuffle each pile, then shuffle them into each other two at a time. Shuffle them 3 piles, then shuffle into each other. Cut. Cut. Shuffle.
Optional: Sombrero. Slamming tequila.
Wow, thank you so much foe this video! I can't wait to watch it!
Crab aren't Night's Watch-like, the Night's Watch is Crab-like -- As crazy as it sounds, L5R actually predates A Song of Ice and Fire by a couple of years, though Martin and John Wick had obviously been working on their respective projects for several years before either was published.
Good point! L5R in 1995, Song of Ice and Fire in 1996.
In terms of the LCG's, crab seems to be a mix of NW (defend the wall) and Stark (sacrifice to gain advantage)
Steven, you should have defended with Witch Hunter & Shuichi. Then you have a chance although you lose a fate on Shuichi (defended and hopefully not broken). Then you should pass your next conflict in preparation to defend againts military with your Berserker ,which in turn you can use the Witch hunter to sacrifice your Envoy(gain card/fate?) to ready Shuichi and trigger the Berserkers Ability. Lastly you may attack with Shuichi!
Overall it was a good video. :) Thanks!!
So much to learn!
At the start of the video you mentioned that Zach has ascended...Malazan reference or just a phoenix pun?
Phoenix pun for sure.
Really appreciated the discussion at the end. Great game! And if you'd be so kind, would you tell us what brand of deck protectors you're using? Cheers.
We are using Dragon Shield Mattes: teamcovenant.com/product/dragon-shield-card-sleeves-matte
Many thanks to you.
This version of L5R looks and feels so different from the L5R of old. Seems interesting, the thing I like least is the forced attrition of characters.
I think Steven is going to look back on this video one day and flinch. Investing 2 fate into a character whose stats aren't great and her ability requires her to kill herself lol.
That's not #smart5R.
He has basically had his head on his desk about that one since the cameras stopped rolling.
It's the sort of decision I'd make when I'm new to games so I empathise :P
What happens when an opponent does not declare defenders? Can he still play them from his hand?
Yes! A conflict begins and the defender still has first action.
where did you get the card covers?
Dragon Shield Mattes from us: teamcovenant.com/product/dragon-shield-card-sleeves-matte
Water seems like nothing but once you realize you can ready cards back up it's pretty op
I am going CRAZY!!! The game will not be delivered to be at LEAST before the 10th so this is torture for me, awesome torture but torture none the less!
is it too late to start this?
No, the game is still active!
Man, this is the right way to learn how to play.
Thanks for these videos!
I'd love to hear how your opinions change as you play more games :)
Great videos guys. Still a couple of weeks until the game hits the shelves in Spain though. A suggestion: would it be possible to leave the cards you talk about a little longer onscreen? Most times I don't get to read the whole text (I'm aware I'd be more familiar with them if I had the game, but maybe it will help newbies to understand game decisions.
Otherwise, keep up the good work, and looking forward to Crane Clan!
Thank you for watching Marino! We will consider your suggestion, and Crane Clan is coming up!
I had this same problem, but I think it's fine tbh. If they are there too long it obscures the view, and you can always just pause the video to read (my solution)
More! (I know you already are, but seriously, MORE!) :D
phoenix decklist link is broken :(
Sorry for that! We updated the link. Thank you for letting us know!
thanks for that ^^
Content of the deck is Yogo Junzo Yogo Junzo experience 3 moto tsume 1 moto tsume experience 3 ogre bushi 3 ogre outlaw 1 onino akuma that's I can remember from the dynasty deck the fate deck 3 gerrila tactics 3 sneak attack 3 evil portents that what ire call got to check the deck first
Still blows my mind how Steven was considering investing 3 fate on Hida. I haven't even played this game before and from watching the other play through I could tell that was a terrible idea 😂
A terrible idea indeed!
You guys play board games too? Is that Quantum I see back there!?
Yes - huge love for Quantum. That's actually the free board game shelf from our retail store.
what was in those mugs
We will never tell!
Is this really how you play L5R I think this is not L5R I have an old deck here and it's the Yogo Junzo Army deck last expantion I played is anvil of despair
Wish I could find someone in Dallas texas who is interested in buying original AEG L5R sets of cards, I have training boxes one and two, numerous loose cards and clan boxes
Great great tutorial. Now where's Crane?
Next up! Crane v. Scorpion.
Thank you!!! Now I just need to find someone to play with (consistently)....
Are you still in Vegas and playing L5R?
Took you long enough....
Just kidding \o/ Love these videos, so time go by really slow in between the two :)
How do you, in good conscience - cover those card backs like that!? HOW?!?!!
They are the sleeves we had! Clear is the best choice for sure.
Guys, can you help me understand Phoenix clan's stronghold ability? It reads, "Bow the stronghold, choose a character, that character gets +2 glory until the end of the phase." How is this useful? My experience has been that doing this makes the chosen character a tempting target for cards that dishonor that character. For example, let's say I have Adept of the Waves participating in a conflict. I bow the stronghold, add +2 glory to Adept of the Waves. My opponent responds with Court Games and makes me choose to dishonor Adept of the Waves, causing his skills to both go down by not just 2 (his regular glory amount) but 4 (his augmented glory amount). Correct? He's now -2 in both his skills. Ouch. And even if my opponent doesn't have Court Games or another way to dishonor my characters, what is the advantage of +2 glory? To be safe from Court Games, any character with glory boosted in this way would have to refrain from participating in a conflict and just basically sit there being glorious. Then what? Is this ability solely to increase the glory count during the determination of Imperial Favor? If so, that seems rather weak for a stronghold ability.
Think about it in the opposite way! Remember that if your character is Honored, they add their glory to both stats. So typically, you honor your characters via the Fire ring or card abilities, and then mid-conflict you can take an action to give them +2 glory (at that point, +2 strength).
You can also use it on a standing character before Imperial Favor is determined to count higher glory on your board.
Light bulb! I get it. At 36:08, Zach bowed the stronghold to increase the glory of the *already honored* Asako Diplomat. Being honored added her regular glory (+1) to her stats, giving her 2 military / 3 political. But when the stronghold increased her glory by 2, that added +3 to both printed stats, so she became 4 military / 5 political. On my first viewing of this game, I completely missed the fact that the the Asako Diplomat was in an honored state when the stronghold ability was triggered.
Lesson learned: do things in the right order! If Steven had been able to respond by dishonoring the "glorified" Asako Diplomat, that would have just bumped her down to her normal stats of 1 / 2. But if Zach had triggered the stronghold ability on the Asako Diplomat *before* honoring her, it wouldn't have done anything to increase her abilities and would have made her vulnerable to going into the negative numbers with Court Games or whatnot before Zach got a chance to honor her.
Thanks for this clarification!
A perfect explanation!
Let's say that that Guardsman with the dash for a political stat is honoured. Does he become a 3-N/A or does he get the +1 from the honoured state to his non-existent political state as well, becoming a 3-1? My gut says the former. Can anyone confirm or deny?
Dash is static and cannot be modified! From the rules reference:
"If a character has a dash for a skill value, that skill value cannot be modified or otherwise changed by card abilities and effects."
Phoenix Honor! a TC trademark ;)
no more rarity of the cards??
No rarity. Non-collectible entirely!
Team Covenant they should have print some booster packs
Great Shmuffling
LOL I am phoenix clan from emerald on we are a minority but more daring the most any clan. But hope if the do Koti format again that it is Phoenix on phoenix finally. I almost gave up the game when I opened the next starter to find only the champion which was different and much weaker and one shuginja that was not one per deck became one per deck everything else was of other clans that would cost me much more.
I don’t understand why you but a character on the broken province. Seems pointless.
One game is that long? Ooo
This is a demo game where we explain several things. A regular game will be closer to 30-40 minutes.
OK. I like the series. Thank you for the work and effort. That said, I have some concerns.
I am of Phoenix Clan. I stopped playing when AEG broke the game (turning Crab into merchants, Mantis in to mages, Phoenix into liars and every clan got stronger magic than Phoenix). Now that FFG has the IP, I am overjoyed to see L5R return. Without backing away from that statement, there seems to be something "off" about the clans.
None of them seem to do the thing they are known for. Crab Clan is supposed to be a straight forward beat stick...high strength, all aggression, no subtlety. Phoenix Clan is supposed to be about the magic...what you see is not what is real, or what is real is malleable. Scorpion Clan is all about tricks, lies, deception and who is/is not honorable. Lion Clan is supposed to be all about brilliance in tactics on the battlefield. Crane Clan is about honor and leveraging their honor against yours.
Now, in this series, I see the clans NOT doing what they are supposed to be doing. Example, in this particular game, Phoenix did NOTHING magical. No where in the Phoenix game play did anything "magical" happen. Phoenix won by dishonoring the Crab...that is supposed to be what Scorpion does. Did you notice, in the Crab game play, you never got the sense of "overwhelming force"...aka the beat stick. Everything feels watered down and bland. Watered down to the point where the clans, once distinctive and flavorful, are now interchangeable.
Am I whining? Maybe. But I miss my Clan. Where is the magic that woke me up in the morning? I miss playing the game, but the game I played was deeper than this. I know FFG had to change the game. After AEG butchered the game into ridicule, something needed to be done. But in the end, we clan players were drawn to the game and our clans for a reason. Those reasons don't seem to be game.
Am I wrong?
Yeah, it is probably best not to judge the clans on these single learning games - as they are being played well under their true strength. In our games now, Phoenix feels very magical (always manipulating the rings) and Crab feels like a beat stick, but on the defense specifically.
As a long time crab player, this was painful to listen to. He compared them to the Night Watch...
They are defending a big wall so that the rest of the kingdom does not get consumed by evil!
Team Covenant oh I'm just being a big fanboy about it
Haha totally understand. We have actually learned a lot more about Crab since this video. Fascinating clan.
Team Covenant my favorite since 2001
And all corrupted holding gold mine silver mine farm bayden pass
I WANT THOSE TOKENS!!! :P
They are going out with subscriptions! And as it turns out from FFG's recent announcement, all 6 packs will be going out in 6 weeks...so you'll have them quite quickly!
No subscriptions here, I'm based in Australia ;)
This may be me just projecting... but Steven usually seems under the influence of substances (not naming any specifically) during some of these playthroughs. Which doesn't bother me... just an observation lol
Projecting, methinks. Steven is very spiritual (I believe?!) and very philosophical in his mindset.
Slaitaar Some would argue that spirituality and herbal usage go hand in hand ;)
Ha, maybe in some areas I get what you mean but a lot of the philosophical learnings from Buddhism, Shinto etc, only get those connotations in the West. Work with a nurse who found Buddhism late and hes exactly the same to be honest!
Tomonatsu isn't straight up good. She's straight up awful :).