Clifton Park Tourney Report (long)

[Loki]

On Mon, 21 May 2001, skt0870 wrote:

> Overall placings were:
> 1st- Connor Alexander using Naga enlightenment
> 2nd- Lion Player (sorry, can't remember your name) from Finals Round 1
> 3rd- Chris Lagrone using ninja tactition
> 4th- Me using Dragon Dueling

Good GOD.  A NAGA ENLIGHTENMENT Deck winning a tourney?  Wow.  Now I've
seen it all.  :P
 
> Ok, here's the decklist.  It seems to be a pretty solid deck, though 
> improvements are always good.

And several can be made.  :)

> Iron Mt.
> Toshimoko Sensei
> 
> Dynasty (40)
> 3x GM
> 3x JW
> 3x SF
> 3x ST
> 2x MC
> 2x HD

More Free=Better.  I'd drop anoter holding such as JW in favor of another
Merchant Caravan.

> 3x Mirumoto Daini
> 3x Togashi Mio
> 3x Togashi Yoshi
> 3x Mirumoto Yuyake
> 3x Kitsuki Mizuochi
> 1x Kitsuki Yasu
> 1x Clan Heartland
> 1x Tidal Land Bridge
> Inheritance
> Imperial Gift
> Peasant Revolt
> Emperor's Peace
> Plague of Locusts

I do believe I see why you only ran two Merchant Caravan now.  You'll
probably want to yank this later, unless of course you expect every
opponent you run into to be Crane/Kosatten.  If you're scared of the
Shadowlands, toss in an Irish Festival.

> The Hidden Emperor
> 
> Fate (41 w/ sensei)
> 3x Iai. Challenge
> 3x Iai. Duel
> 2x For the Empire

Maybe I'm missing something, but unless you play vs. SLH, you have NO WAY
to issue this challenge.  Either use a method to make it playable (Corrupt
Jade Slivers come to mind) or ditch it in favor of something more
universally useful like Iai Art.

> 2x In Search of the Future
> 2x Entrapping Terrain
> 2x Come one at a Time
> 2x Superior Tactics
> 2x Sun in Shadow
> 2x Imperial Edicts
> 2x Kenshinzen

These are a little pricy for their effect.  Plus, none of your
personalities naturally meets the requirements.  You need a Sanct. Blade 
just to pop these guys on, or a duel that you just won.  If you
desperately want to force duel acceptance, use Shiryo no Togashi, or even 
Pressure. Or better yet, just use dishonor cards to really hit 'em when
they refuse.  

> 2x Sanctified Blade

These are only so so.  They cost one holding's worth of gold,
and don't have any useful effects without a duel in your hand.  I'd
councel you to drop them in favor of something else.  If you were to
switch to Iai Art, for example, you could use Force of Will here, to make
Art lethal.  Costs one more gold, but also has a 4 Focus, and a much
bigger effect.  Instant PK.  FoW also insta-pastes most SLH
personalities and some Scorpions,Crabs,and Dragons.  The other simple fact
is, using Yoshi, you probably don't really need to run these to win duels.
Alternately, consider Corurpted Jade Slivers, which can trade off Force
and Chi AND make one of your guys Shadowlands for a turn, so those For the
Empire won't go to waste when you don't have a SLH player to play vs.

> 3x Test of Honor
> 2x Block Supply Lines
> 1x His Most Favored
> 1x Ancestral Sword of the Dragon
> 1x Mirumoto Wakizashi

I'd pitch the Wakizashi.  Doesn't have enough effect, and you've already
got plenty of costly things in this deck.

> 1x 12th Black Scroll
> 1x Kaagi's Journal

This is only really good if you're using those C1 at aT a lot.  It's also
fairly expensive.  I'd counsel you to drop it in favor of something else.
Perhaps a 3rd copy of a good defensive card, or some more metagame.  You
might want something like Deeds, Not Words to help deal with other honor
runners.  Cranes in particular could likely lap you in an Honor Race.

> 2x Enough Talk!
> 1x Ring of Void
> 1x Ring of Earth
> 2x Bandit Attack

The last few seem well enough.

Mirumoto Hakanin * Dragon Clan Schemer
Chief Organizer/Supporter, Togashi Angai for Emerald Champion