As the title suggests, in these blog posts I will shuffle through some of the Special Card decks to look at which cards are worthy of your attention and which ones fall more in the category of "Only if you have Rice to burn..."
I intend to go through the special cards (including Risen Sun) for all of my four factions - Prefecture, Cult, Tengu & Jung, but first, I thought we'd start with Ronin. We're going to cover the whole bally lot, so get comfortable.
Note - Cards from the Risen Sun cycle are marked with a ✽. In future years, you will of course only be able to choose cards from 1 cycle.
Events
Balance
Ask yourself whether your warband will generally be re-rolling dice over the course of any given turn e.g. do you have a lot of Samurai models with Prowess [Melee]? If so, probably give this card a miss. Otherwise, denying your opponent re-rolls (see above), may well be decisive.
Blessing of Kah'non ✽
The probability of any one standard damage roll coming up as a double is only 1/6, but in a turn heavy with melee, the odds of this occurring will of course increase significantly. Whether this proves to be effective at a key moment is in the hands of... well, Kah'non.
Celebration of Life ✽
A 1 Rice card that will either achieve nothing or spectacularly screw over your opponent. The obvious use is to play it in a scoring turn in an Idols game when facing multiple numbers of Kairai i.e. to prevent them from performing scenario actions. However, it will also prevent Soulless models from assisting in melee and enables you to pass through their melee zones, so there are other potential uses. Keep in mind that some Soulless models will not care that much about becoming Insigificant for a turn e.g. Ghost, The Wraith
Ganbatte ✽
Re-roll the dice to see if the game will end? Even at 1 Rice, this is a little too situational for my tastes, particularly as the outcome is far from guaranteed.
Grace of the Kami
For the cost of 1 Rice, having a card that will make any 1s count toward the result will always be useful. The downside is that you have to play it before the roll and naturally, this means you won't roll any 1s. However, there will be a key roll where it's better to be safe than sorry.
Pre-ordain
For a card that relies on a few random variables - namely the initial dice roll to determine the value of the dice that can be potentially swapped in - and the fact that you are pre-setting the value of a die before the roll (it would be more useful to swap in a die after the roll), this card is a little expensive at 3 rice. However, that's not to say it won't prove useful at a key moment and it can always be used which adds to its value.
Second Chance
You have just rolled multiple 1s and your opponent has not. This enables you to re-roll the duff outcome of an opposed test. Yes, your opponent can choose to do the same (and can even be more selective about which dice they re-roll) but the value of this 1 Rice card is turning disaster into an outcome that at the very least is slightly less disastrous.
War Weary ✽
All models only receive 1 activation counter in the first turn of the game. As with Balance, you need to ask yourself, does this hurt my opponent more than it hurts me? There are certainly some examples where this will be the case. The ronin Blood Brothers only ever get 1 activation counter anyway. Kairai starting the game next to a Desecrated Grave don't get any activation counters in the first turn. Any Flanking models will not be concerned as they are not around to receive activation markers in the first turn. In terms of your opponent, armies comprised solely of models with a Movement statistic of 4 or lower (with no Ki Boosts) and no Scouts will be slow off the mark, so if you have means to gain an advantage i.e. you are faster, then this may prove decisive for the first VP. The card is expensive at 3 Rice, so any advantage you gain from it needs to be fairly significant.
Year of the Risen Sun ✽
All models start the game with an additional Ki Token. Again, are you going to benefit from this more than your opponent. For armies with access to Channel, Leech or any other means of moving Ki around, this may prove very useful for executing a first turn strategy that would otherwise not be
feasible.
Enhancements
Finesse
This model's opponents lose the Brutal trait in melee exchanges. At a cost of only 1 Rice, I'd suggest Brutal is sufficiently ubiquitous to make this a decent investment, but obviously you want it on a model that is likely to benefit from it which will usually be one of your key melee models. Note that this can't be taken by models with Brutal.
Pacifism ✽
Ooh, interesting. Can you build a warband around your most expensive model not making ranged attacks, being involved in melee or making an opposed Ki-Tests for at least the first couple of turns? If so, this card may tip the balance when scoring the first and (if you're really lucky) the second VPs. Important - This card only works in games based around Scenario Points. It does not work when the VP is awarded for having the most amount of Scenario Objectives e.g. Idols.
Paragon
For warbands looking to get the most out of Virtue trait or even to gain access to a key Virtue benefit when it's really needed, then this is worth considering, particularly if you have access to Virtue benefits e.g. via a Shisai, but you have no other means of generating Virtue tokens.
Prayer Scroll ✽
Grants Immunity to Spirit Block for 2 Rice. Temple of Ro-Kan can purchase up to 3 of them. If you must, but I'm not sure Spirit Block occurs frequently enough to warrant using this card much. For use in games against Cult when you know they tend to field the relevant models.
Equipment
Important - Models are generally only permitted one equipment card. Many of what follows is situationally useful, but there may be another more effective item of equipment that your model could be carrying.
Arashi's Fan
An oldie but a goldie. For 2 Rice, a small model becomes a not particularly tempting target or, you can bring a large/huge model down to the equivalent of a tiny/small model respectively. Well worth the investment when facing off against a ranged list as it makes your key character almost immune to ranged attacks (or at least reduces the effectiveness of this approach). I like to use it on a model that is likely to hang back from the central conflict (e.g. a Shugenja) where it will be at medium/long range for most of the game. Most opponents will determine that taking a pot shot requiring a success level of 7 or more is basically a non-starter! In tournaments, ranged weapons will likely be sufficiently prevalent to ensure it has value in any given list, but it may be wasted Rice in some match ups (e.g. Minimoto).
Demon-Face Mask
Ok, it's only 1 Rice, but the benefits - Fear (3) and Immune [Blind] - are a little situational, particularly in a competitive setting. For friendly match ups where your regular opponent brings Naoko to every single game.
Hotai's Coin
For 2 Rice, you can re-roll 1s until one of those re-rolls also comes up as 1. Yes, if you have my luck, you will probably "crap out" straight away, but in pure probability terms, this item has value, particularly for ranged attacks where those 1s do tend to ruin an activation and there are less opportunities for re-rolls.
Kintoki's Salt
Gives access to the Strong trait, (albeit via a Ki Feat). Do you have a model in your warband that you intend to be in melee? Yes? Then you could do worse.
Magatama ✽
I'm very much a fan of this card which extends the range of Opposed Ki feats by 2" for the cost of 1 Ki. As models that rely on ranged Opposed Ki feats generally don't want to be anywhere near melee, this greatly assists with keeping them a healthy distance away from opponents armed with sharp pointy implements.
Minimoto Steel Helm
Another largely decorative piece of equipment but given that it only costs only 1 Rice and Stunned is a relatively common occurrence, it's not a bad investment.
Obscure Charm
This item couldn't be more specialised (it prevents Unknown models either targeting your model or entering base to base) as it affects a very limited pool of characters - Ghost, Ikryio and Toshiro are the only ones I have found so far. And yet, for only 1 Rice, having a model in your list that is basically Immune [Ghost] is very tempting given what a nuisance that model is whenever you face off against Ninjas. In reality, this is likely to make way for a equipment card that sees more frequent use.
Triangle Knife
Heh... Bleed (1), Pierce (1) and Combo Attack (1) makes this a potentially nasty side arm (in real life, these are now banned from use in war by the Geneva Convention), but you have to think about which model you're going to give it to. Do they have a decent melee statistic (in order to make an effective Combo Attack), do they not have a better melee weapon available and as always, is there not another more effective equipment card they could be carrying? The list of potential wielders of this weapon may be shorter than you think.
Tankeru's Tanto
A specific tool for a specific job, namely for stopping Kairai rejoining the fight after you've put them down 5 times already. Yes, this stops models from utilising Rise and Last Stand. Rise is the more prevalent of the two, but following the recent release of a certain Wolf Clan model, it's a weapon that you may see tucked into a few more belts. It is however pretty costly at 3 Rice and also has -2 melee strength. This is countered somewhat by Pierce (3), but that's only relevant against armoured models. You will therefore likely only be wielding this blade to finish off the offending model and when you're certain of achieving a decent success level.
Vial of Raijin's Breath
Getting somewhere quickly can be vital in Bushido and getting somewhere without having to worry about something in the way, is also pretty vital. Glugging the contents of this vial gives access to a one shot Ki Feat (i.e. the card is discarded after use) that grants +2 Move and the Cloudwalk trait. This can be effective in a number of ways e.g. enabling you to launch an early charge from a long distance away, give your VIM model a decent escape route (note - your opponent will of course not choose the attached model if the case of nominated VIMs) or swoop into a scoring zone at the last moment from a place of relative safety. It's multiple uses makes it a worthwhile tournament purchase.
Wolf Heart Talisman ✽
Enables you to re-roll your first Fear test of the game by temporarily granting the model Bravery. At 2 Rice, this is a little expensive for a one use item.
Terrain
Rice Bale Barricades
I've covered this before, but in summary, for a measly cost of only 1 Rice, this terrain card will always be a worthwhile investment. You can use it to block likely run/charge lanes, provide an additional source of cover and to effectively remove a 4" scoring zone from the early phases of the game (as you need to move into base to base contact with it and then spend an action to destroy it).
Spirit Catcher Wind Chime
A more specialised terrain card that provides an effective 6" no-go zone (i.e. including the base size as well) for Kami. Your opponent's Lesser Kami will probably not be concerned - it's rare that you want those models in a specific place anyway as their impact on the game can usually be done in different areas. However, if facing off against the likes of The Wraith and the Sins, then certainly, a protective area for ranged attack models to sit whilst they take pot shots at them is definitely of value. In Tournaments, such match ups are not guaranteed, so you may find this has limited use over the course of an event.
Sun Goddess Shrine ✽
Now this is more interesting. It's exactly the same as the Spirit Catcher Wind Chime and costs the same amount of Rice, but it affects Soulless models as opposed to Kami (and pretty much all Kami are Soulless anyway). Therefore, this is more effective in that it can keep a greater number of potential threats away. Some factions won't be troubled by this at all, but if you're minded to use the Ordered For Battle Theme (see below), then this is an ideal card to keep in reserve.
Themes
Ordered For Battle
A very popular tournament Theme, as it allows you to maintain a reserve of models that may be useful in specific match ups. On top of the tournament rice limit, you are able to choose an additional 30 rice of models and/or cards that can be swapped in before the game commences. You may prefer the bonuses from some of the faction Themes but if you are not intending to use any other theme, then you should always make use of this Theme at an event. Important - Enhancements and Equipment cards have to be attached to a model and cannot be changed around. Therefore, if you wanted to make use of a specialised card like Obscure Charm, you would also need to include a suitable model in your reserves to carry it.
Strategic Deployment
This is less fiddly than Ordered For Battle but at the expense of some flexibility. It enables you to take two lists to a tournament and having seen your opponent's list, determine which warband you are going to use. Be aware that Unique models cannot be included in both lists! Certainly for your first event or two, I would recommend this Theme over Ordered For Battle as you will find it a lot easier to implement before the game.
The Imperial March
Considering the limited pool of models currently available for this Theme (Koshimori Yukio, the Princesses, Golden Sentinels and Takashi Mako) against the limited benefits (1 opposing model gains a Death Sentence marker that can't be removed), this will very much depend on whether you want to play it or not. I'm sure some people will have fun with it and the models available are certainly effective at melee / controlling scenarios.
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