The samurai of Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game who thirst for war will find myriad battles to join among the Kunshu Kotei Series and the second period of Elemental Championships… but what about those bushi who do not seek battle so much as practice? Or those courtiers who prefer the social aspects of Legend of the Five Rings more than the lethal cuts they might face in tournament play?

Whether you hope to enjoy a multiplayer game with your friends, offer demos to new players, or disguise yourself as a samurai from another clan in order to explore its cards and strategies, casual play fulfills an absolutely integral role in Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game Organized Play—although this role has long gone mostly unrecognized and uncelebrated.

Now, however, as the 2019 Season One Kit ushers in a new era for Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game Seasonal Play, casual play is being given its chance to shine. You can still play tournaments if you want—and earn prizes for competing—but you can also explore the mysteries of Rokugan through Open Play.

Open Play rewards players for participation of all kinds. No longer do you need to participate in tournaments to earn beautiful extended art cards. No longer do you need to budget time for three or more rounds of gaming. You just need to do two things:

Show up to your favorite local game store. Play Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game.

That's it. By doing those two things, you can make yourself a valuable member of a growing Legend of the Five Rings player community and earn valuable promos. And the best part may be that you can do it completely at your own pace.

Play More to Earn More

Even as the introduction of Open Play and Open Play Nights dramatically increases the number of ways you and your friends can enjoy Legend of the Five Rings Organized Play, the 2019 Season One Kit greatly simplifies the way that prizes are awarded.

Each time you complete a game at your favorite local retailer—whether that's a demo, a multiplayer game, a casual game with your buddy, or a tense tournament game—you'll simply report to the store's representative, who will check off a box on the store's tracking sheet. Each time you check off enough boxes to complete a whole section, you'll earn the associated card.

This means that by the time you've recorded six games at your local game store, you'll have earned a complete play set of three copies of the month's first extended-art promo card. Log two more games, and you'll earn a copy of the month's second extended-art promo, as well.

And you can do this all at whatever pace you desire—which may be a welcome boon if it's hard to budget enough time to play through a whole tournament. It's also nice for those really ambitious (and eager) players who might be able to stop into their game store on a weekend and play through all eight games to earn their promos, possibly while testing decks for a big tournament—or even while playing in a tournament.

Altogether, the Season One Kit introduces six different extended-art cards, two per month for each of the season's three months.

Month Card A Card B 1 2 3

Will You Fight with Wooden Swords?

If samurai fought every duel with sharpened blades, few of them would survive the training ground. Indeed, there are many reasons to hone your skills in casual games—and other circumstances with lower stakes. You can explore new cards and practice new techniques. You can focus on helping your friend improve, rather than improving yourself. You can welcome new players to the community, and you can invite them to join you in multiplayer games or league play.

With the introduction of Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game Open Play Nights, Rokugan's samurai will find themselves honored for more of their actions than ever before. You don't need to win battles to claim your rewards. You just need to play.

Find out when and how you can get involved with Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game Open Play. Talk to your local retailer today!