As we stick to 3 updates per year to the restricted list, it is time for January’s update. Together with updates on the restricted list, we also have some changes to cards from Through the Mists and Restoration of Balance, as we realign them towards the Emerald Legacy core set. We try to stay true to the card’s initial direction, bringing small adjustments in wording and clarity, a few deeper changes to realign the concepts towards the design frameworks of the new core, and a few special ones get larger changes to be pulled out of the binder or to stay safe from bans further down the road.
As the first update after the new core set, this is also the first update with a realignment in logic of the restricted list. We aim to reduce complexity in places where it doesn’t help the play experience, and we also want to address issues directly instead of putting them to the side.
The first change is the removal of the concept of splash bans. Splash bans were introduced as an effort to curtail towering, then their use expanded into breaking cross clan combos. Later, they slowly made their way into community discussions, as a tool to create stronger siloes in the card pool. They also tend to be brought up every time a conflict card is considered for being restricted, as an alternative to keep the card in the pool. At this point in the game, we believe the splash ban is not necessary anymore and causes more pain than profit. The need to discourage towering is diminished, as a result of many changes to the game framework (attachment restrictions, no passing fate, etc) already reduced the edge of tall strategies in general. And its use to break apart combos, is often a game of make-believe: in those cases, the splash ban hides a toxic playstyle behind it, not daring to let the strategy free, but also not straightforward enough to directly ban it. Beyond that, splash bans are a heavy cognitive load when deckbuilding and playing the game. It becomes way too many restrictions to remember.
The second change follows from removing the splash ban, a few strategies that are toxic will be directly handled. There will be bans.
The third change is an effort to keep all clans on the same level in terms of the amount of cards restricted per clan. The benchmark is three cards. If a clan would go beyond three cards, the best move is to ban something instead of making their list longer than three.
And we also have a few changes due to changes in the meta after the new core set. So, onto the changes.
Freed cards from splash bans
- Fight On
- Return the Offense
- Shoshi ni Kie
- Heroic Resolve
- Renowned Singer
- Force of the River
- Lay of the Land
- Steed of the Steppes
Banned cards
A few cards from the list of splash bans were mass honoring effects. They were splash banned initially to separate them from Force of the River. This was done to avoid the easy access to mass honoring of characters that lead to honor victories. That solution worked as discouragement, but it put paper over the real issue. The real issue are effects that single handedly honor an infinite amount of characters. Getting characters in play is not the hard part.
We are banning all forms of blanket honoring. The following cards are banned:
- Phoenix Tattoo
- Festival for the Fortunes
- Glorious Victory
- Fu Sui Temple
- Isawa Tsuke 1
Changes in the Restricted List
Neutral
Proving Ground is now free. With the changes to how dueling works, the potential of this holding is curtailed as the costs of winning duels are now higher.
Waning Hostilities is now restricted. In the new meta it is more common for strategies to take a longer time to unfold, those strategies tend to have inevitable wincons after they cross beyond a certain round count. They can easily cover their slower setup with Waning Hostilities, as an easy silver bullet against fast strategies. This unbalances the larger meta game, as it pushes quick strategies out of the game. By restricting Waning Hostilities we add an extra cost to that, which should make quick strategies more relevant.
Crab
Herald of Jade is restricted. This is the first EL card to be restricted. It is a card with relevant traits, solid stats, anti-dishonor protection, anti-honor protection and also a way to affect conflict results by removing the bonus or penalties from status tokens. This is a long list of attributes for a 2 cost character. The card punches way beyond its weight, as it is a rare case where the versatility is 100% relevant. We plan to use erratas to EL cards when it is appropriate, but we can also restrict EL cards when it makes sense: both strategies are complementary.
Recalled Defenses is restricted. In EL, cards do not go on strongholds. It is not a time to ban this yet though.
Crane
Tsuma is restricted. It was always a very strong card, but now with Crane’s increased access to glory boosting, this card crossed the line.
Preeminent Decree is restricted. In the right deck, it is worth taking a RL slot.
Doji Diplomat is restricted. 0F characters do not belong in EL. Its ability still allows some unique strategies to Crane, so it is not time to ban it yet.
Dragon
Belief in the Little Teacher is restricted. 0F ancestral attachments do not belong in EL. Belief allows Dragon to ignore a key part of the game, the risk of dishonor. It also goes against Dragon’s design for the New Core, where Dragon is designed to be weak at honor manipulation. There are a few strategies enabled by this card that make it worthy of a RL slot though.
Lion
(Lots of changes here, take a seat before you read)
Fan of Command is restricted. Coming from the splash ban, this card is too powerful to be free for other clans to use. But it is also extremely powerful in Lion itself. Fan of Command is worthy of building a deck around, that makes it a great candidate for being Restricted.
This would push Lion into having 6 RLed cards. That is not right, our limit is 3.
Master Tactician and Chronicler of Conquests are free. With the new core set, many changes affect those cards. The access to Battlefield is reduced, making those cards more expensive. The design space for 5 Cost characters is different, they are both more expensive due to the loss of passing fate, but also set at a higher power level than they used to be. The design around honor decks is also different, making Chronicler a strong card, but not an extraordinary one.
Called to War is free. Granted it is a very strong card, but it is not extraordinary, and we have a limit of 3 RL’ed cards to stick to.
TLDR for lion: the RL is Field Tactician, Tactical Ingenuity, Fan of Command
Phoenix
Secluded Shrine is restricted. This is a card that is never used, unless it is being abused. Let it cost a RL slot.
Guardian Dojo is restricted. We’re cutting down on mass honoring, Guardian Dojo is not exactly that, but it is close enough to be restricted. It also fits it well, as it is a build-around type of card.
Scorpion
Final Whisper is restricted. The interaction with taint tokens makes it worthy of a restricted slot.
Unicorn
Scouted Terrain is restricted. It was already restricted, but now it is not splash banned anymore.
Reserve Tents is restricted. Similar to Dragon’s Belief in the Little Teacher, this card single-handedly eliminates a core part of the game. Any strategy reliant on send homes or covert is neutered the moment a Reserve Tents shows up. In the past, Reserve Tents was justified by Unicorn’s lack of way to trigger movement, but during in the cards released by the Emerald Legacy we provide plenty of way for Unicorn to have reliable sources of movement, enough options that we can restrict this card without hurting the clan more than it should.
NEW BANS
Mass Honoring
- Phoenix Tattoo
- Festival for the Fortunes
- Glorious Victory
- Fu Sui Temple
- Isawa Tsuke 1
New Restricted List
Neutral
- Contested Countryside
- Kami Unleashed
- Waning Hostilities
Crab
- Kuni Labs
- Recalled Defenses
- Herald of Jade
Crane
- Tsuma
- Doji Diplomat
- Preeminent Decree
Dragon
- Adorned Temple
- Togashi Mitsu 2
- Belief in the Little Teacher
Lion
- Field Tactician
- Tactical Ingenuity
- Fan of Command
Phoenix
- Isawa Tadaka 2
- Secluded Shrine
- Guardian Dojo
Scorpion
- Dispatch to Nowhere
- Mark of Shame
- Final Whisper
Unicorn
- Scouted Terrain
- Utaku Tetsuko
- Reserve Tents
Changes in Through the Mists
Empress’ Retainer
Players should not trigger other player’s cards, unless through their own tricks.
Was:
Conflict Action: Discard the Imperial Favor – move this character home. Any player may trigger this ability.
Becomes:
This character gets +1 MIL and +1 POL while you have the Imperial Favor, or it gets -1 MIL and -1 POL while an opponent has the Imperial Favor.
Mioko’s Song
The previous version generated too much fate advantage at too little cost. The concept of dishonor as a means of fate advantage does not integrate well with the Crane design, making a card doomed to be either too good or too weak, and with a shadow larger than itself, as it affects the design of all Crane cards when it comes to costs or fate advantage. We take a completely new approach to it.
Was:
Honor: 12
Action: During the conflict phase, bow this stronghold and dishonor a character you control – gain 1 fate. That character gains courtesy until the end of the round.
Becomes:
Honor: 10
Dishonored CRANE characters you control gets +1 MIL and +1 POL.
Reaction: After you play a character, dishonor that character and bow this stronghold. Choose an opponent’s province – look at the top 2 cards of that opponent’s dynasty deck. Discard each card from that province and put one of the looked at cards into that province faceup. Put the other card on the bottom of their deck.
Lucky Coin
We are not replicating Belief in the Little Teacher. Becomes a new concept.
Was:
Military Bonus: +0. Political Bonus: +0.
Ancestral.
During conflicts, ignore the effects of dishonor status tokens on attached character.
Becomes:
Military Bonus: +1. Political Bonus: +1.
Reaction: If this attachment is in play or in your hand, after all players reveal their cards in the dynasty phase, if the total printed cost of characters in your provinces is lower than 6 or higher than 12, remove this card from the game – set aside each card in your provinces, refilling them faceup. Then, shuffle the set aside cards back into your deck.
Eloquent Advocate
Was:
Courtier.
Becomes:
Courtier. Magistrate.
Kaiu Mitsurugi
We are not using Rally in Emerald Legacy, so we keep the card doing exactly the same thing, but without referencing the keyword.
Was:
Each holding you control gains rally. Etc…
Becomes:
After a holding is revealed in a province you control, add the top card of your dynasty deck to that province, faceup. Etc…
War Cry
Simplify
Was:
Reaction: After you win a MIL conflict as the attacker, if all your participating characters are Berserkers – break an attacked non-stronghold province, if able. Otherwise, draw 1 card.
Becomes:
Reaction: After you win a MIL conflict as the attacker at a non-stronghold province, if all your participating characters are Berserker – break the attacked province.
Floating Fortress
Was:
Conflict Action: While defending, choose a CRAB holding in your dynasty discard pile not named Floating Fortress and spend 1 fate – place that holding in the attacked province. If that holding is still in play at the end of the conflict, discard it. (Max 3 per round)
Becomes:
Conflict Action: While defending, spend 1 fate. Choose a holding in your dynasty discard pile – for this conflict, this holding becomes a copy of the other holding. You may move this holding to the attacked province. (Max 1 per conflict.)
Honest Assessment
Simplify. Want to play on the opponent’s courtier? Sure, why not
Was:
Restricted. Attach to a Courtier character you control. Etc…
Becomes:
Restricted. Courtier character only.
Master at Arms
Was:
Interrupt: When this character leaves play, choose a Weapon attachment in your conflict discard pile – add that attachment to your hand.
Becomes:
Reaction: After you play this character, choose a Weapon attachment in your conflict discard pile – add that attachment to your hand.
Dragon’s Claw
Was:
Restricted.
Conflict Action: If Dragon’s Fang is attached to attached character, bow this card and choose a participating character with lower MIL skill than attached character – move that character home and bow it.
Becomes:
Restricted.
While attached character has a Dragon’s Fang attachment, it gains: “Conflict Action: Choose a participating character with lower MIL skill than this character – move that character home and bow it.”
Togashi Tsurumi
Was:
[…]
Action: Pay 1 fate – place a card from your hand facedown under this character. If this is the first time this round you used this ability, draw 1 card. (Unlimited.)
Becomes:
[…]
Action: Place a card from your hand facedown under this character. Then, draw a card.
Akodo Cho
Bowing attachments leads to a messy board. We don’t bow attachments.
Was:
Conflict Action: Bow a Follower attachment on this character and choose a participating character. That character’s controller selects one […]
Becomes:
Conflict Action: If this character has a Follower attachment, choose a participating character. That character’s controller selects one […]
Spirit of Valor
Becomes a new card, with a concept better aligned to Lion in the new core set
New card:
Lion Attachment. Spirit. Follower. Ancestor.
Cost: 1.
Military Bonus: +1. Political Bonus: +1.
Costs 1 less to play while you control a Shugenja character.
Action: Sacrifice this attachment and choose a LION character in one of your discard piles – for this conflict, attached character gains each printed ability of the chosen character.
Conflict Deck – Influence 3
One With the Sea
Was:
Conflict Action: Choose a character you control at home – move it to the conflict. (Max 1 per round.) […]
Becomes:
Conflict Action: Choose a character you control – move it to the conflict. […]
Henshin Seeker
Phoenix monks suffered from being too siloed from other Phoenix cards, while lacking abilities that could stand on their own. This new concept for Henshin Seeker aims to bridge that gap.
Was:
Reaction: After you claim the FIRE ring, choose a Monk character you control – honor that character. PHOENIX characters you control cannot receive dishonored status tokens until the end of the phase.
Becomes:
Reaction: After the FIRE ring is claimed, choose a Scholar or Monk character – ready that character.
Cherished Family Servant
Simplify.
Was:
Cost: 0
Military: 0. Political: 0. Glory: 0
When you play this character, it enters play under the control of an opponent of your choice. (You may still put fate on it.) While this character is not dishonored, it cannot be discarded or lose fate during the fate phase.
Dire – Poison attachments on characters you control gain ancestral.
Becomes:
Cost: 0.
Military: -. Political: -. Glory: 0
When you play this character, it enters play under the control of an opponent of your choice. (You may still put fate on it.)
Poison attachments on characters you control gain ancestral.
Yogo Tadashi
Was:
Shinobi. Poison Master.
Becomes:
Courtier. Shinobi. Poison Master.
Shinjo Atagi
Set to current province strength, not printed.
Was:
Conflict Action: Choose a participating character – for this conflict, set the skill matching the conflict type of that character to the printed strength of the attacked province.
Becomes:
Conflict Action: Choose a participating character and an attacked province – for this conflict, set the skill matching the conflict type of that character to the strength of that province.
Moto Raiju
Was:
Conflict Action: Select one – for this conflict, this character gets either +X MIL or +X POL, where X is the number of faceup non-stronghold provinces controlled by your opponent (to a maximum of 3).
Becomes:
Conflict Action: For this conflict, this character gets +1MIL for each faceup province controlled by your opponent.
Lay of the Land
Uses Peaceful keyword, does not work on stronghold provinces, can also be used to turn provinces facedown (which cleans it of all tokens, except Taint). Higher influence cost.
Was:
This card cannot be played during a conflict.
Action: Choose an unbroken province – reveal it, if able. You may discard any number of status tokens from it.
Influence Cost 2
Becomes:
Peaceful. (This card cannot be played during a conflict.)
Action: Choose an unbroken non-stronghold province – reveal it or turn it facedown.
Influence Cost 3
Scout’s Steed
With the removal of passing fate, the previous version loses the tiny value it still had. We turn it into a new concept.
Was:
Unicorn Attachment. Creature.
Cost: 0. Military Bonus: +0. Political Bonus: +0
Attach to a character you control.
Reaction: After attached character commits or moves to a conflict as the attacker – play a character from one of your provinces into the conflict as if it were in your hand.
Influence Cost 2
Becomes:
Unicorn Attachment. Creature. Mount.
Cost: 0
Military Bonus: +1. Political Bonus: +0.
Peaceful. Attach to a character you control.
Reaction: After you play this card, choose an opponent’s eligible facedown province – ready attached character. Immediately declare your next conflict for the phase, against that province with attached character as an attacker. That province cannot be broken during this conflict.
Influence Cost 3
Changes in Restoration of Balance
The Maiden’s Icy Grasp
Complete new concept that fits better in the design framework of the new core set.
Was:
Neutral Attachment. Spell. Water.
Cost: 1.
Military Bonus: +1. Political Bonus: +1.
Reaction: When attached character commits to or moves to a conflict, bow this attachment and spend 1 fate unless attached character is a Shugenja – characters cannot enter play during this conflict. (Max 1 per round.)
Becomes:
Neutral Event. Spell. Water.
Cost: 0.
Conflict Action: If you control a participating Shugenja character, choose a character that entered play during this conflict – that character does not contribute its skill toward the resolution of this conflict. With Water affinity, also remove 1 fate from it.
Twin Sister Blades
With the changes to dueling, the previous version becomes unacceptably strong.
Was:
Restricted. While attached character is dueling, your opponent cannot bid 4 or 5.
Whenever you give honor to your opponent as a result of the honor bid of a duel involving attached character, reduce the amount given by 1 (to a minimum of 0).
Becomes:
Restricted.
If attached character is Bushi, it gains: “Conflict Action: Draw 1 card (draw 2 cards instead if this character is Duelist and your side is outnumbered).”
Crippling Curse
Was:
Non-unique & Forced Reaction: […] (Max 1 per round.)
Becomes:
Unique & no max on ability.
There Are no Secrets
Simplify, and reduce power level.
Was:
[…]
Interrupt: When one or more fate would be removed from attached character – gain 1 fate. (Limit 2 per round. Max 3.)
Becomes:
[…]
Interrupt: When one or more fate would be removed from attached character – gain 1 fate.
Bayushi’s Saboteurs
Improved timing.
Was:
Conflict Action: The defending player selects one – either they discard each card in their provinces and refill their provinces faceup, or they flip all cards in their provinces facedown.
Becomes:
Reaction: After this character commits to or moves to a conflict, the defending player selects one – either flip each card in their provinces facedown, or discard each card in their provinces and refill those provinces faceup.
Sake House Informant
Was:
Shinobi. Spy. Informant.
Becomes:
Shinobi.
Child of Saltless Water
Simplify.
Was:
Unicorn Character. Meishōdō. Spell. Water. Spirit. Foreign.
Cost: –
Military: 0. Political: 0. Glory: 0.
Water role only.
No attachments. If this character is not participating in a conflict, discard it.
Conflict Action: While this card is in your hand, spend 1 fate and choose an attacked province – put this character into play into the conflict. For this conflict, set its MIL skill to the printed strength of that province.
Becomes:
Unicorn Character. Spirit. Foreign. Meishōdō.
Cost: 1
Military: 0. Political: 0. Glory: 0.
Water role only.
No attachments. Whenever this character is at home, discard it from play.
Reaction: After you play this character, choose an attacked province – for this conflict, set this character’s MIL skill equal to the printed strength of that province.
Traveling Tinkerer
Complete new concept, realigned with the roles of courtiers and merchants.
Was:
Unicorn Character. Courtier. Cavalry. Artisan. Merchant.
Cost: 3
Military: 1. Political: 3. Glory: 0
Conflict Action: Even if at home, bow a (friendly) attachment on a participating Merchant – gain 1 fate.
Becomes:
Unicorn Character. Courtier. Cavalry. Merchant.
Cost: 3.
Military: 1. Political: 3. Glory: 1.
Conflict Action: Even from home, choose an attachment – for this conflict, switch that attachment’s MIL and POL skill modifiers.
Naginata
Addressing undesired interactions when played on opponent’s characters.
Was:
[…]
Reaction: After a character moves during a MIL conflict attached character is participating in, choose a participating character with lower MIL skill than attached character – bow it.
Becomes:
[…]
Attached character gains: “Reaction: After a character moves to a MIL conflict this character is participating in, choose a participating character with lower MIL skill than this character – bow it.”
That’s a huge block of changes to take in, so take your time and read it again. 😉 We’re going to update EmeraldDB, Jigoku, and the Emerald Edict as fast as possible over the coming days.
With so many errata coming, we’ll also update the errata file and will offer it as a separate little pack on DriveThru and Azao.
