"I will follow you, and they will follow me. Even into Jigoku itself."

–Moto Juro

Like the tide, war ebbs and flows in the Emerald Empire. When hostilities are at their peak, each of the seven Great Clans has its own unique way of handling battle, whether that's the unified cavalry of the Unicorn or the mystic arts of the Phoenix. Whatever conflicts a clan may have, however, what unifies them is a higher purpose, a sworn duty to the Chrysanthemum Throne and Emperor Hantei XXXVIII.

Join us today as we preview Fate Has No Secrets, the fifth Dynasty Pack in the Imperial Cycle for Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game. Fate Has No Secrets continues to expand on the themes found in the Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game Core Set for all seven Great Clans, while also examining their role in the Imperial City of Otosan Uchi.

Masters of the Elements

The Phoenix have a unique relationship with the elements, producing powerful effects when certain rings are contested or claimed. Fueling these spells is a legion of Shugenja, characters acting as a focal point for the powerful effects produced by the Phoenix. The Master of Gisei Toshi (Fate Has No Secrets, 85) combines both of these themes into one explosive card. After the conflict phase begins you may choose a ring, and while that ring is being contested, players cannot play non-Spell events. While the Phoenix have access to powerful Spells like Supernatural Storm (Core Set, 175), many other Clans are more restricted in their non-Spell events. In this way, you can essentially shut down an opponent’s plans while you're contesting the named ring. If you have a plan for what rings you're going after ahead of time, the Master of Gisei Toshi can help shut your opponent out and ensure you claim the ring you need to press your advantage, whether that means honoring your high-glory characters with the fire ring or replenishing your hand with the earth ring.

The flow of the rings throughout the game also contributes directly to the ability of the Henshin Disciple (Fate Has No Secrets, 87). As a Scholar of the elements, the Henshin Disciple gains various bonuses based on three different rings—the Air ring increases political skill, the Earth ring grants military skill, and the Fire ring gives the HenshinDisciple the pride keyword. All told, these abilities makes the Henshin Disciple a versatile character. If you can plan properly, Henshin Disciple can slot well into any of your plans.

Masters of the Plains

The Unicorn’s strange approach to battle vexes many of the clans across Rokugan. Though they may not understand their methods, few can dispute the fearlessness of the clan that rides into battle. Their Cavalry are fearless when riding against the warriors of the other six Great Clans, or even to the south, where the dread Shadowlands await.

The courageous Moto Juro (Fate Has No Secrets, 89) leads his cavalry unit with a fearsome dedication and chasing down all who stand In his way. What's more Moto Juro boasts an unmatched mobility: twice per round, you may move Moto Juro to or from a conflict. Like many other Unicorn cards, this forces your opponent to commit to a conflict before they know if Moto Juro will be participating. Moto Juro is an important piece of any conflict puzzle, since his five military skill is something your opponent must always consider, even if Moto Juro is not currently in the conflict. Being able to move twice per turn, combined with the Unicorn stronghold of Golden Plains Outpost (Core Set, 7) allows Moto Juro to be extremely mobile, drawing out your opponent’s characters before slipping away to participate in a future conflict or taking forces already present by surprise. As a Cavalry character, Moto Juro can be equipped with cards like Born in War (Core Set, 194) to boost his skill even further. And as a Bushi, Moto Juro can be brought into a conflict via Cavalry Reserves (Core Set, 199) and have fate placed on him through For Greater Glory (Core Set, 168), giving him extreme value in a Unicorn deck that splashes Lion. Not to mention the fact that five military skill gives him the ability to Rout (Core Set, 213) most characters in the game. With a versatile ability and traits that work with a variety of cards, Moto Juro will be an important dynasty character for the Unicorn going forward.

The Unicorn excel at military conflicts and can sometimes struggle to keep up on the political end of the spectrum. Luckily, they can use the new Waning Hostillities (Fate Has No Secrets, 100) event to distill their aggression into one, powerful conflict. Waning Hostilities cuts the conflict phase short, giving both players only a single opportunity to declare a conflict, and meaning that the Unicorn can focus on a military onslaught without worrying about splitting their forces or potentially missing out on a second conflict. As a neutral card, any clan can take advantage of Waning Hostillities, calming tensions right when your opponent is ready to launch an assault.

The Secrets of Fate

The clans of Rokugan clash for position, power, and favor. What form will your battles take in the conflicts to come?