Jump to content

Welcome to Card Game DB
Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!
Photo

Scorpion clan strategy thread


  • Please log in to reply
146 replies to this topic

#41
freemandas

freemandas

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 47 posts

Currently I continue to play the Scorpion/Dragon with my beloved card of "Mirumoto's fury" and trying to define which other cards suits me best, whether tattooed, indomitable or let go (choosing almost always the last two). Even so, I keep spinning the dish of dishonor deck and I really like the idea of ​​mixing it with fenix. I think "Know the world" is perfect for this deck along with "Seeker of knowledge". The rest remains to break as much as possible the opponent's hand with earth ring and spies at court doing your opponent to raise the bid causing its honor to fall, adding dishonor their characters all you can and also claim ring of air or fire.

 

I Wish The Scorpion had more points to waste on phoenix and add 3 copies of Seeker but I consider 3 copies of Know the World is better if you want see at least one during the game.

 

So this is my last version that hope you like. Please tell me what you think about the deck.

 

Stronghold:  
1x City of the Open Hand (Core Set #6)

Role:  
1x Seeker of Air (Core Set #214B)

Province: (5)  
Air (2/2) Earth (1/1) Fire (1/1) Void (1/1) Water (0/1)  
1x Entrenched Position (Core Set #17)
1x Manicured Garden (Core Set #19)
1x Meditations on the Tao (Core Set #20)
1x Secret Cache (Core Set #13)
1x Shameful Display (Core Set #24)

Character [Dynasty]: (41)  
3x Bayushi Liar (Core Set #95)
3x Bayushi Manipulator (Core Set #96)
3x Bayushi Shoju (Core Set #107)
2x Bayushi Yunako (Core Set #105)
3x Blackmail Artist (Core Set #98)
3x Favored Niece (Core Set #102)
3x Shosuro Actress (Core Set #103)
3x Shosuro Miyako (Core Set #104)
3x Sinister Soshi (Core Set #97)
3x Soshi Illusionist (Core Set #99)
3x Yogo Hiroue (Core Set #106)
3x Young Rumormonger (Core Set #101)

Character [Conflict]: (6/10)  
3x Adept of Shadows (Core Set #180)
1x Seeker of Knowledge (Core Set #171)
2x Unassuming Yōjimbō (Core Set #181)

Attachment: (6)  
3x Fiery Madness (Core Set #183)
3x Ornate Fan (Core Set #201)

Event: (28)  
2x Ambush (Core Set #188)
2x Assassination (Core Set #203)
3x Banzai! (Core Set #204)
3x Calling in Favors (Core Set #186)
3x Court Games (Core Set #206)
3x For Shame! (Core Set #207)
3x Forged Edict (Core Set #184)
3x Know the World (Core Set #178)
3x Spies at Court (Core Set #209)
3x Way of the Scorpion (Core Set #185)

Holding: (5)  
2x Favorable Ground (Core Set #128)
3x Imperial Storehouse (Core Set #129)

 



#42
Ignithas

Ignithas

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 443 posts

Currently I continue to play the Scorpion/Dragon with my beloved card of "Mirumoto's fury" and trying to define which other cards suits me best, whether tattooed, indomitable or let go (choosing almost always the last two). Even so, I keep spinning the dish of dishonor deck and I really like the idea of ​​mixing it with fenix. I think "Know the world" is perfect for this deck along with "Seeker of knowledge". The rest remains to break as much as possible the opponent's hand with earth ring and spies at court doing your opponent to raise the bid causing its honor to fall, adding dishonor their characters all you can and also claim ring of air or fire. I Wish The Scorpion had more points to waste on phoenix and add 3 copies of Seeker but I consider 3 copies of Know the World is better if you want see at least one during the game. So this is my last version that hope you like. Please tell me what you think about the deck. Stronghold:  1x City of the Open Hand (Core Set #6)Role:  1x Seeker of Air (Core Set #214B)Province: (5)  Air (2/2) Earth (1/1) Fire (1/1) Void (1/1) Water (0/1)  1x Entrenched Position (Core Set #17)1x Manicured Garden (Core Set #19)1x Meditations on the Tao (Core Set #20)1x Secret Cache (Core Set #13)1x Shameful Display (Core Set #24)Character [Dynasty]: (41)  3x Bayushi Liar (Core Set #95)3x Bayushi Manipulator (Core Set #96)3x Bayushi Shoju (Core Set #107)2x Bayushi Yunako (Core Set #105)3x Blackmail Artist (Core Set #98)3x Favored Niece (Core Set #102)3x Shosuro Actress (Core Set #103)3x Shosuro Miyako (Core Set #104)3x Sinister Soshi (Core Set #97)3x Soshi Illusionist (Core Set #99)3x Yogo Hiroue (Core Set #106)3x Young Rumormonger (Core Set #101)Character [Conflict]: (6/10)  3x Adept of Shadows (Core Set #180)1x Seeker of Knowledge (Core Set #171)2x Unassuming Yōjimbō (Core Set #181)Attachment: (6)  3x Fiery Madness (Core Set #183)3x Ornate Fan (Core Set #201)Event: (28)  2x Ambush (Core Set #188)2x Assassination (Core Set #203)3x Banzai! (Core Set #204)3x Calling in Favors (Core Set #186)3x Court Games (Core Set #206)3x For Shame! (Core Set #207)3x Forged Edict (Core Set #184)3x Know the World (Core Set #178)3x Spies at Court (Core Set #209)3x Way of the Scorpion (Core Set #185)Holding: (5)  2x Favorable Ground (Core Set #128)3x Imperial Storehouse (Core Set #129)

I think you are overastimating Know the world.

#43
freemandas

freemandas

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 47 posts

I think you are overastimating Know the world.


Please may you explain it more? I Think this card is very good to controlate the ring and duplicate the effect of them. Also you can gain some fate tokens on the rings.

#44
HidaHayabusa

HidaHayabusa

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 303 posts

It's too situational. It's useless on the first conflict, depends on the ring claimed before played and it requires some very specific situations (like double Air, double Void, double Earth) to be met in order for it to be good. Plus it also assumes that you have claimed a ring, thus you have won something beforehand, making you to over commit in order to meet the requirements.

 

Once every second Tuesday it can win you the game, but that's true for almost all cards. Between Display of Power and Know the World, the first is the better card, since it is not conditional and most of the times you can control when you play it. 

 

That said, I'd never bother in 3x Cores environment with any event that costs 2 fate, while the most powerful decks have access to at least 3 Counterspells.


  • Ignithas and Epicurus like this

#45
Ignithas

Ignithas

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 443 posts

It's too situational. It's useless on the first conflict, depends on the ring claimed before played and it requires some very specific situations (like double Air, double Void, double Earth) to be met in order for it to be good. Plus it also assumes that you have claimed a ring, thus you have won something beforehand, making you to over commit in order to meet the requirements.

 

Once every second Tuesday it can win you the game, but that's true for almost all cards. Between Display of Power and Know the World, the first is the better card, since it is not conditional and most of the times you can control when you play it. 

 

That said, I'd never bother in 3x Cores environment with any event that costs 2 fate, while the most powerful decks have access to at least 3 Counterspells.

Well said, but having Display as a 1 (or 2 of) is still pretty strong.



#46
HidaHayabusa

HidaHayabusa

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 303 posts

It is, if your tournament isn't filled with Scorpions and Cranes.


  • Epicurus likes this

#47
NuFenix

NuFenix

    Advanced Member

  • Contributor
  • PipPipPip
  • 1261 posts

After watching the latest Imperial Assembly where they built a Scorpion deck as a group, it got me wondering - How effective would a dishonour deck be that focused on trying to win the Earth ring every turn, only bid 1, and then used Spies at Court to hit their hand, and Blackmail Artist to steal honour?

 

If they bid high to make up for losing a card every turn, then their honour will start to plummet and they will have to quickly stop or risk falling to dishonour.

If they they bid low to maintain their honour, then their hand will only increase if they have extra card draw, and if they end up with nothing, you know they can't bring any sneaky tricks against you.

 

Maybe even use Contingency plan so if they ever have 1 honour and think they can claw it back in the next draw phase, you change your 1 bid to 0 and finish them off. Or Watch Commander so they are less tempted to play their cards, making them do even less for them. Plus against Crane, Dragon, Lion and Phoenix we use can our stronghold during the Fate phase to bring them down by one right away before they draw. It might even make them think we want the honour to start with a high bid ;)

 

Add dishonour effects (Way of the Scorpion, For Shame where they bow or be dishonoured, Fire ring), and when their characters leave they get punished even more.

 

As for why Scorpion and not anyone else, because We Can Swim  :ph34r:



#48
Hakkor

Hakkor

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 439 posts

I'm sure this strategy will be core when a new potential Stronghold is released, probably working around shinobis and destroying your opponents hand (every shinobi in the current game synergizes so well with discard strategies).

 

But, currently, if Scorpion tries to go higher in honor from turn 1, it's a complete waste of their stronghold, which I'm sure game designers made it that way for a reason. When debating about honor and dishonor, a free air ring per turn is gold.

 

Anyway, just my opinion.



#49
freemandas

freemandas

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 47 posts

Think about dishonor deck, this is my new creation. I usually play with high bid, but I want to try this concept.

 

Try to punish the opponent's hand with spies at court and ring of earth. To surprise with display of honor, and look for the option to do unopposed conflicts with Outwit and Unassuming Yojimbo.

 

What dou you think?

 

Stronghold:  
1x City of the Open Hand (Core Set #6)

Role:  
1x Seeker of Air (Core Set #214B)

Province: (5)  
Air (2/2) Earth (1/1) Fire (1/1) Void (1/1) Water (0/1)  
1x Entrenched Position (Core Set #17)
1x Fertile Fields (Core Set #18)
1x Meditations on the Tao (Core Set #20)
1x Secret Cache (Core Set #13)
1x Shameful Display (Core Set #24)

Character [Dynasty]: (42)  
3x Bayushi Liar (Core Set #95)
3x Bayushi Manipulator (Core Set #96)
3x Bayushi Shoju (Core Set #107)
3x Bayushi Yunako (Core Set #105)
3x Blackmail Artist (Core Set #98)
3x Favored Niece (Core Set #102)
3x Shosuro Actress (Core Set #103)
3x Shosuro Miyako (Core Set #104)
3x Sinister Soshi (Core Set #97)
3x Soshi Illusionist (Core Set #99)
3x Yogo Hiroue (Core Set #106)
3x Young Rumormonger (Core Set #101)

Character [Conflict]: (6/10)  
3x Adept of Shadows (Core Set #180)
3x Unassuming Yōjimbō (Core Set #181)

Attachment: (6)  
3x Fiery Madness (Core Set #183)
3x Ornate Fan (Core Set #201)

Event: (28)  
2x Assassination (Core Set #203)
3x Banzai! (Core Set #204)
2x Calling in Favors (Core Set #186)
3x Court Games (Core Set #206)
3x Display of Power (Core Set #179)
3x For Shame! (Core Set #207)
3x Forged Edict (Core Set #184)
3x Outwit (Core Set #212)
3x Spies at Court (Core Set #209)
3x Way of the Scorpion (Core Set #185)

Holding: (4)  
1x Favorable Ground (Core Set #128)
3x Imperial Storehouse (Core Set #129)
 



#50
XTrueFinale

XTrueFinale

    Newbie

  • Members
  • Pip
  • 2 posts

I've been exclusively playing Scorpion for a while, and I feel as fun as the theme of Scorpion, the practice in execution isn't that strong.

Some of their best cards are either too situational or costs too much to play. One of the problem is most of their characters don't have amazing stats or not that cost-effective to play.

 

A lot of their "cool" events plays a lose-lose situation, giving yourself chars dishonour to do something, whereas ideally in my opinion strong events should give you a win-lose result.

 

If only either Scorpion somehow has characters that are resilient to being dishonoured (such as most of their cards have 0 glory) or more cost-effective characters that can hold their own without being reliant on support. 

 

Overall they don't come across as posing much a threat of field and playing an uphill battle of making your opponent's life hard to win the game rather than trying to win the game themselves.

 

Overall of course this is just my opinion or maybe I haven't figured out how to play them yet, but I guess it's a time for a clan change for me...



#51
Hakkor

Hakkor

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 439 posts

Some of their best cards are either too situational or costs too much to play. One of the problem is most of their characters don't have amazing stats or not that cost-effective to play.

 

Sohu has the best raw stats so far among champion (glory and honoring is another matter). Their cost 4 characters have military 4 and politics 4, which is amazing! (not many clans have both 4 costers with power 4). Bayushi Lair has politics 3 for cost 1, both cost 2 shuganjas have also strenght 3, which is amazing since there are not so many characters that have raw stats of 3 without a cost. The actress has strenght 3 for cost 3, which is great. There is only 1 character that has a raw strenght of 4 for cost 3, and many are 2/2. Plus, her skill is brilliant. The Unassuming Yojimbo has a  military 3 value with covert included in a politics oriented clan. How could that not be good?

 

I would like to know what cards do you take into consideration when saying they don't have amazing stats.

 

Also, if you consider the events are expensive: first, you have the city of lies (play 3x and you will se events are no longer that "costly"); second, a well placed I can swim or blackmail gets rid of a characters independntly of how many cost 0 attachments / event you opponent played on him. 1 card for... just everything he threw in.

 

 

A lot of their "cool" events plays a lose-lose situation, giving yourself chars dishonour to do something, whereas ideally in my opinion strong events should give you a win-lose result.

 

The cool events needs a high cost, which is dishonoring your characters. Take into consideration that all the strong events have very strict conditions to be played: For Greater Glory needs to break province and only works on Bushis; Voice of Honor requieres more honored characters, and so on. Scoprion cards just steal or cancel whatever you need with not much restriction but dishonoring a characters of yours, so you can play in anytime. Of course, you can't go gung-ho throwing all your stuff as soon as you have the chance. Scorpion is about being a surgeon with your opponent.

 

Overall they don't come across as posing much a threat of field and playing an uphill battle of making your opponent's life hard to win the game rather than trying to win the game themselves.

 

Maybe it's you mate's playstyle. Maybe it's mine's. But ask him about Scorpion and you'll se his face turn blue. Still haven't lost a game against him (very close ones, but still won).

 

But coinciding to what you said, Scorpions are great courtiers. It's their game to look like they are no threat and you are just making your opponent's life harder to win. But slowly, they will take back the conflicts and start breaking provinces. if you manage your resources correctly and use them at the right time, your opponent's resources will slowly drain.

 

Plus, if you think dishonoring your characters is too much of a cost, try to run 2x/3x blackmails, and pay the costs with your opponents characters (Spies at court, Forged Edict, Court Mask, Call in Favors back a Poison/Pacifism/Cloud the Mind). But many players will say it's too expensive, when it removes a character from the fight, cancels its skills and nets you a copy of the card plus its skills and you have an empty body to dump your dishonor costs. All that with no honor cost. And you can even play it cheaper with City of Lies.

 

And if not, Ambush in a Yunako / Yorue with a cost 2 shugnega and wreck havoc. You paid 3 for an equivalent of 2 charges without the limitation of clonflict type. Who says that too expensive. And you can also play it cheaper.

 

Try to play them more conservatively, as if you where an evil mastermind and grin when something works out, as if you had it planned all along. Do not fight lost battles, where you need to invest a lot of cards. Let your opponent break a province, but keep your trick for the right moment. Tell him you Know how to Swim when he's throwing everything in thinkig you are helpless.

 

But if you are still not having fun, another clan may suit your playstyle better, a you have well said. Cheers!



#52
freemandas

freemandas

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 47 posts

Ok, after good matches in tournaments, I show you my last version that I think is just well balanced.

 

The strategy consist in: Muligan with everything but Forget Edict, Spies at Court, Assassination and Display of Power; In Dinasty mulligan trying to get 1 or 2 cost characters (specially Bayushi Liar, Blackmail Artist and also, with honor clans, Soshi illusionist). Then you bid allways 1, don't worry, you will recover in the mean game supported with cards like Imperial Storehouse, Bayushi Liar and the provinces. In the mean game you probably will have more card in hand than your opponent.

About rings, you must go to air and earth.

Also about Favorable Ground, I just check that you need it against Outwit and Rout at least you are unicorn. In many matches, you haven't your counter in hand.

 

I love Display of Power for this kind of deck. The face of your opponet when you play this is... amazing XD

 

And again and again... Shosuro Actress is GOD and Yogo Hiroue is rencarnation on earth XD

 

Stronghold:  
1x City of the Open Hand (Core Set #6)

Role:  
1x Seeker of Air (Core Set #214B)

Province: (5)  
Air (2/2) Earth (1/1) Fire (1/1) Void (1/1) Water (0/1)  
1x Entrenched Position (Core Set #17)
1x Fertile Fields (Core Set #18)
1x Meditations on the Tao (Core Set #20)
1x Secret Cache (Core Set #13)
1x Shameful Display (Core Set #24)

Character [Dynasty]: (39)  
3x Bayushi Liar (Core Set #95)
3x Bayushi Manipulator (Core Set #96)
3x Bayushi Shoju (Core Set #107)
2x Bayushi Yunako (Core Set #105)
3x Blackmail Artist (Core Set #98)
2x Favored Niece (Core Set #102)
3x Shosuro Actress (Core Set #103)
3x Shosuro Miyako (Core Set #104)
3x Sinister Soshi (Core Set #97)
3x Soshi Illusionist (Core Set #99)
3x Yogo Hiroue (Core Set #106)
3x Young Rumormonger (Core Set #101)

Character [Conflict]: (5/10)  
3x Adept of Shadows (Core Set #180)
1x Seeker of Knowledge (Core Set #171)
1x Unassuming Yōjimbō (Core Set #181)

Attachment: (6)  
3x Fiery Madness (Core Set #183)
3x Ornate Fan (Core Set #201)

Event: (29)  
3x Assassination (Core Set #203)
3x Banzai! (Core Set #204)
2x Calling in Favors (Core Set #186)
3x Court Games (Core Set #206)
3x Display of Power (Core Set #179)
3x For Shame! (Core Set #207)
3x Forged Edict (Core Set #184)
3x Outwit (Core Set #212)
3x Spies at Court (Core Set #209)
3x Way of the Scorpion (Core Set #185)

Holding: (6)  
3x Favorable Ground (Core Set #128)
3x Imperial Storehouse (Core Set #129)

 



#53
FightingWalloon

FightingWalloon

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1271 posts
Is there a public link to the John Butler Scorpion deck I hear so much about?

#54
Hakkor

Hakkor

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 439 posts

After some more games, I am now really figuring out Scorpion. My up to now dreaded Bayushi Manipulator makes now total sense. I could not understand how a skill that gives you a single extra card for 1 extra honor could be vital. Every 1 cost character, so far, had a skill that was really important for in-faction synergies. I know most of you already discovered and mentioned here, but I wasn't aware of its importance. When an opponent insists on bidding 5, it lets you lose and extra honor with no need of honor costed cards and activate both Blackmail and your Stronghold. Now I understand it's not about the card, it's about losing honor (not stupidly) in a tied game.

 

Also, I still find turn 1 bids not worth in scorpion but, after playing against honor suicide Unicorn (perma 5 bid), switching to bid 1-2 from turn 2 and on makes your life easier to win by dishonoring rather than province break. Still, it's complicated to keep earth and air rings at bay. It only work if you already got a high card draw in turn 1, and honor starving does not always work. Still, it's more viable than I thought as an alternative win condition (particulalry when you lower honor conditioning cards can't trigger).

 

Blackmail is becoming more and more core in Scorpion, even more than Ambush. From the moment I have x2 copies, but I'm not sure I'd include a third copy. I am quite happy with a mix of 2x of everything.

 

And cloud the mind is such an incredible control card that shuts down 50% of characters in the game. I'll make it 2x as soon as I make some space for it.


  • Atrus likes this

#55
Asklepios

Asklepios

    Advanced Member

  • Contributor
  • PipPipPip
  • 5433 posts

So what's your anti-Lion strategy with Scorps?

 

I'm thinking bid low, and use the stronghold to try to keep equal on honour with them at all time. Its more important to them to exceed your honour then it is for us to have lower honour.

 

Any other thoughts or experiences from the field on this match up?



#56
Asklepios

Asklepios

    Advanced Member

  • Contributor
  • PipPipPip
  • 5433 posts

Actually, around that topic, here are my "default" approaches vs various clans:

 

vs Scorpion - Open 5, or 6 if possible then slow it down if honor running low. Aim to keep a little ahead on draw and behind on honour so you can use your stronghold while they can't.

 

vs Crane - Draw fast and hard. Concentrate on making sure they aren't honored, rather than that they are dishonored, as this makes the cancel game uneven in our favour. Expect a fast game.

 

vs Lion - Bid low, try to maintain honor parity or advantage. Ideal situation is first action of the conflict phase being stronghold to gain equal honor.

 

vs Dragon - Bid high, but try to turn cards in hand into board position as fast as possible, aiming to have no more than 5 cards in hand when Restoration of Balance flips. If hard to play cards in hand, slow down drawing. Save the direct kill effect for a voltroned unit.

 

vs Unicorn - Bid high. Honor game loss is far less likely than province rush, so we need to stall the rush with control cards. Use dishonoring for control and stemming the early game, rather than with dishonor victories in sight.

 

vs Phoenix - Bid high when possible, but don't go too close to zero honour, as dishonor loss is very possible. Treasure those dishonor tricks and cancels. One of the best match ups, to be honest.

 

vs Crab - Bid low. Dishonor loss is a real possibility. Probably as hard as match ups go, for Scorpion, as Watch Commander messes us up a lot, our Stronghold will trigger less often than theirs, and you can't outlast them. Best bet is probably to try to work at dishonoring them.


  • GuessWePlay5Rings likes this

#57
Hakkor

Hakkor

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 439 posts

So what's your anti-Lion strategy with Scorps?

 

I'm thinking bid low, and use the stronghold to try to keep equal on honour with them at all time. Its more important to them to exceed your honour then it is for us to have lower honour.

 

Any other thoughts or experiences from the field on this match up?

 

Anti Lion strategy: he is 2 honor higher, so bid 4. Even if he bids 5, you can use your stronghold and his "higher in honor" card are screwed. From that moment on, bid 3 if he intends to keep honor high, continue to bid 5 if he doesn't care about honor and is looking for cards.

 

The bid adaptation also changes depending on the player, not ony the clan. You need to enter you opponent's mind and Outwit him (no pun intended), always maxing your cards while being lower in honor.

 

If your opponent keeps bidding 1: bid perma 3 and win the game with ease with your extra cards.

 

If your opponent keeps bidding 5: bid perma 5. Use Bayushi manipulator to stay lower in honor. Assassinate when needed to max you Stronghold's ability. You can even consider not defending a couple of conflicts to stay behing in honor and boost your Yogo Outcast and play Blackmail. This games are hard because I can Swm is nullified. Keep favored Niece high in fate and cycle cards for the right tools.

 

You opponent keeps playing a lot of honor dependant cards and is recklessly going down on honor: bid 1-2 and punish him hard. He probably already bid 4-5 and is equal or lower in honor, so you already couldn't use I can swim or similar cards. Punish there. Do not defend and focus on attack to get some unopposed conflicts and hit the air ring.


  • Asklepios and Atrus like this

#58
Kahga

Kahga

    Newbie

  • Members
  • Pip
  • 2 posts

Longtime Scorpion player coming back for the LCG (no one in area to play CCG for the last year of it's life).

 

I have begun trying a Scorpion build and having a lot of fun with card denial.  I have undervalued Blackmail and will make a different deck to give it a try.  

 

I have been having fun with a Shosuro Miyako focused deck with 8 conflict characters.  Using a crane splash with Admit Defeat and Political Rival.  Focusing on card denial has been fun and having a hand of 10 cards while my opponent is down to 2 has been great.  After I get them 4 or lower I switch to low honor bids and begin to put pressure on their card draw ability.

 

This work spectacularly against a Dragon opponent with low card number who dueled me.  I let my Bayushi Shoju die for a 4 honor cost to him - oops.  He was at 4 honor and 2 cards.  I then bid 1 next round to his 2.  At 2 honor and 4 cards I was able to keep him there for a number of turns, put honor on my 2 cost guys and eventually attack undefended provinces to air/undefend him out.

 

I have also undervalued 'Spies at Court' and will look into how that affects things as well.

 

Thank you for all the great advince/discussion.  To summarized, as far as I see things as a learner, most of the Scorpion decks seem to focus on card/honor denial of some sort.



#59
Asklepios

Asklepios

    Advanced Member

  • Contributor
  • PipPipPip
  • 5433 posts

So been doing something a bit odd recently, and allying into Lion for Ready For Battle. And it works. It really, really works. Scorpions so often have a mass of cards in hand, and so often a series of plays can be countered by Mirumoto's Fury or For Shame. So far, in 5 test games with this alliance, I've seen at least one copy each game and always found a window to play it, and found that that play has made a big difference. There seems to be a soft synergy between this card and Scorpion.

 

Question is what else to spend Influence on. I've been using Vengeful Oathkeeper, which has been adequate, but there are some annoying anergies there, like Shosuro Miyako not triggering with the Put Into Play. 

 

Any thoughts on what else I can spend 7 influence on out of Lion? Shame there's no 1-cost character, as that would be ideal... Right now considering Strength In Numbers. But it's not great. May just use the card slots elsewhere...


  • Hakkor likes this

#60
Hakkor

Hakkor

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 439 posts

That's pretty interesting and I didn't even consider splashing Lion. Ready for battle makes a much more solid choice than Voice of Honor to play it with Forged Edict to counter your opponent's cards. Yet the window to use is more narrow than the Crane card, when it can trigger it's 100% useful, without any conditioning.

 

Do vengeful Oathkeeper not work? Thinking about it, they would be great in my Scoprion build which has 0 conflict cards that help military (excepting Yojimbo) and tends to regularly lose in military.

 

I'd say a single copy of Guide of the Ancestors. I know Scorpion has the court mask, but this one requires no dishonoring shennanigans to come bak to play. More copies would result redundant, as Scorpion draw a lot of cards, and has the ability to search via the province.

 

Without thinking too hard, I see the card doing wonders versus a lot of cards: Water Ring, Crane Stronghold, Giftgiver, Lion Pride Brawler, Mirumoto's Fury, Ninten Adept, For Shame, that sneaky Phoenix Earth Shugenja... Staples in any corresponding deck.

 

And most important of all: consider that spending 10 influence is not at all mandatory. Maybe 4 influence is the right splash that improves the deck, and leaves more space for Scorpion love.