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Though the Crane have the finest duelists in the land, courtiers that can speak circles around their peers, and an unmovable iron legion, they are still vulnerable. A war with the Lion has decimated their armies, and as the Scorpion’s power in the Imperial City grows to previously unimagined heights, the Crane find their position slipping.

Join us today as we preview the non-Crane cards in Masters of the Court, a new Clan Pack for Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game! While the majority of the pack focuses on the Crane Clan, each of the other six Great Clans receives three copies of a new character that often focuses on countering powerful Crane Clan strategies.

A Matter of Honor

While the Crane emphasize glory and honor, the Crab Clan see no need for such accolades, and Yasuki Fuzake (Masters of the Court, 14) is a pillar of that philosophy. Not only does he have zero glory, when he leaves play, you may remove status tokens from one character controlled by each player. Not only will this help neutralize the Crane’s heavy honor threat, it also negates dishonor tokens on your own characters! With the Crab’s numerous ways to send off their warriors. Yasuki Fuzake will always find a purpose when his fate runs out, putting the Crab on even footing with their foes.

While the Crab may care little for glory, the Scorpion’s manipulation ensures their enemy's honor becomes their own. Bayushi Dairu (Masters of the Court, 18) is the son of Bayushi Shoju and Bayushi Kachiko, and like his parents he is already a master of the subtle art of deception. As an Action during a conflict with Bayushi Dairu, you can move a status token from another character to him. Ideally, you'll be using this ability to steal the honored status of an opposing character, because with two glory, Dairu can become a military and political powerhouse when he is honored. As a Courtier, Dairu can also use this newfound honor to issue a Forged Edict (Core Set, 184) without falling into dishonor, potentially even becoming honored again in the future.

Give and Take

Other clan cards in Masters of the Court focus less on countering the Crane Clan specifically, and more on denying your opponent's options.

Chukan Nobue (Masters of the Court, 17) is a Phoenix Scholar who can stop a Policy Debate (For Honor and Glory, 40) in its tracks. As long as this Courtier is on the field, your opponent cannot force you to discard cards with card abilities. This means your valuable conflict cards will always be safe in your hand from characters like the Paragon of Grace (Children of the Empire, 13), who can disrupt your plans before they even come to fruition. With two glory, Chukan Nobue can also become a potent force during conflicts should the Phoenix see an opportunity to honor her.

While Chukan Nobue can prevent your opponent from attacking your hand of cards, Kitsuki Jusai (Masters of the Court, 15) can deny options in a more subtle way—by taking away your opponent's fate. If you and your opponent bid the same amount of honor during the draw phase, you take one of their fate and place it on an unclaimed ring. If you are the first player, you can quickly claim that fate as your own by placing it on the ring you plan to use during your first conflict. Even if you aren’t the first player, you can place your opponent’s fate on a ring they don’t need, forcing them to make a sub-optimal choice if they want to claim what was once theirs.

Not every non-Crane card in Masters of the Court is set against them. While the Mantis and Crane Clan have been at odds recently, the Armament Artisan (Masters of the Court, 19) may make for a useful ally for the Left Hand of the Emperor. With the ability to become honored alongside another character you control, the Artisan can become a constant military presence for the Crane Clan, in area in which they often lag behind. With cards like Way of the Crane (Core Set, 146), it’s no stretch to imagine the Artisan will consistently contribute at least three military skill to a conflict.

The True Masters

The Crane may be the Masters of the Court, but that doesn’t mean they are invincible. Each clan has its own method of dealing with the Left Hand of the Emperor. When Masters of the Court arrives, will you stand with the Crane, or use the tools held within this Clan Pack to keep them at bay?