It’s a Wrap – Last Changes to Emerald Core Set

We’re wrapping up the Core Set, as we’re very close now to it being art complete (2 artworks left!), and ready to go into printing. With more time and considering the changes in the meta from starting rotation and our latest set, Under the Empress’ Eyes, we considered a few extra balance and playability changes to make the core set as good as it can be.

Crab Clan

The Crab Clan sees several adjustments aimed at refining both their defensive and aggressive capabilities.

• Wrathstorm Dancer: This character receives a boost to its military skill, now at 3. Its ability has also been reworked; instead of a conditional skill bonus, it now will not bow after a conflict if you have another Berserker character on your side.
• Yua, the Onibaba: This unique commander becomes more versatile with the addition of the Foreign trait.
• Jak’ithith: Receives a minor boost, by making it easier to distribute the loot he takes.
• Our Duty!: This event can no longer be played during the first round of the game.
• Till the Last One Falls!: The ability was changed to have a higher floor by changing how the bonus is calculated. But it also receives a lower ceiling, as it gets restricted to a max 1 per conflict.

Crane Clan

The Crane Clan receives updates that focus on their dueling and political strengths.

• Asahina Envoy: This character no longer has the Courtesy keyword.
• Respected Connoisseur: The character’s ability to honor another character now requires the target to be at the same location.
• Destiny Revealed: The “Duel Strike” ability has been changed to move 1 fate from your fate pool to the winning character, rather than placing a new fate on it.
• Strike Beneath the Veil: This event has been strengthened; the skill reduction is now -3 for both military and political skill, and it is no longer restricted to just military conflicts.
• Daidoji Nami and Daidoji Akikore: both characters now can only use their abilities while participating in the conflict.

Dragon Clan

Dragon Clan’s changes emphasize their unique attachment and dueling-focused gameplay.

• Warrior of the Open Hand: This monk has lost the Tattooed trait. Its ability now triggers only if there are defending characters, making it more specific.
• Two Hands: The event’s conflict action has been reworked. Now, your opponent chooses two of their characters, and the skills of both are set to match the lowest value between them for the conflict.
• Wolf’s Proposal: The glory modification from this attachment’s ability has been increased from 1 to 2.

Lion Clan

The Lion Clan’s adjustments bolster their offensive, honor-based strategies.

• Eminent Historian: This character gains a new protection, becoming unable to receive dishonored status tokens. Additionally, its honor ability can now be used from home.
• Wise Quartermaster: The ability has been changed to also allow moving around attachments between opponent’s cards. This change increases the utility of this character when combined with Battlefield attachments, and also invites Lion into running negative attachments.
• Declaration of Dominion: This attachment can now be attached to any province, not just unbroken ones. This change impacts its utility when the province it is attached to gets broken.

Phoenix Clan

Updates to the Phoenix Clan refine their spell-based and control-oriented abilities.

• Drawing the Void: The effect of this event has changed significantly. You, not your opponent, now choose which of their revealed cards is removed from the game. Furthermore, if you have Void affinity, you also draw a card.
• Wisdom of the Wind: The Air affinity bonus has changed. Instead of allowing the conflict to ignore status tokens, it now grants the chosen character +2 glory for the conflict’s duration.

Unicorn Clan

The Unicorn Clan sees several changes that enhance their mobility and unique combat style.

• Diplomat of the Steppes: Political skill has been increased to 2.
• Keeper of Inner Peace: The trigger for this character’s ability has been made more specific, now activating only from an opponent’s card effect or a ring effect.
• Moto Oktai: This character’s interrupt ability can now be triggered at any point during the conflict phase, not just during a conflict.
• Moto Youth: Political skill has been increased to 1, and the character has gained the Foreign trait.
• Shinjo Isamu: The character’s ability is now more flexible, allowing it to resolve the effect of any ring that matches the attacked province’s element, not just unclaimed rings.
• Golden Eagle: This creature gains the Scout trait. Its ability as an attachment has been changed to cause all of an opponent’s characters to lose the covert keyword.

Neutral Cards

• All Distances Are One: This event now requires the conflict to be at an unbroken province to be played. This change is minimal, but it avoids unintuitive situations with flipping facedown broken provinces.

Under the Empress’ Eyes

We also see a few updates to the cards in the open playtest of our latest set:

• Ebony Blood Garrison: it no longer gives 1 fate and 1 card draw. The card ability was also reworded to ensure that both the Crab player and their opponent get to trigger on-reveal and on-break abilities on their provinces (unless a separate effect interferes).
• Doji Reiha: Reiha loses Bushi, and their duel now lets the opponent choose which of their characters will face-off against Reiha.
• Truth Burns Through Lies: now also attaches to Magistrate. But its target conditions become more strict.
• Serenade of 1000 Lanterns: its affinity ability is changed to honor gain.
• Bird Helm Adjudicator: loses Courtier
• Herald of Justice: has its military increased to 3
• Work in Progress: gains Jade

That’s all we have, we hope you enjoy the changes to both our core set and our latest set, Under the Empress’ Eyes. Let us know what you think in the comments or on discord!