Scorpion that seeks Air yet wants Earth

I'm in the camp that thinks pursuing this win condition isn't quite there yet, but I do agree this will likely be a viable strategy with future releases. I can't say I've not been tempted by this same strategy after playing some Scorpion and seeing opponents honor totals start to dip.

Some thoughts:

Go Night Raid over Meditations? I would consider Meditations to be the stronger card in general (by some margin), but if you're going hand choke/dishonor might as well go all in, no?

Bayashi Yuniko seems too clutch to not run the full 3. He's a 4/4 at worst, and at best can really swing some conflict math. I've found him helpful against conflict switch effects. I'm currently of the opinion that running more than 4 strongholds is bad design (Crab being an exception...maybe), and I would probably shed a copy of Favorable Ground for the 3rd.

I think Favored Niece you'd want to run the full 3 as well. She's not ideal cost for stats, but you're choking your draw with low bids, and having the right answer in hand will be important so her filtering is nice to see more cards. I'd drop another copy of Favorable Ground or a Miya Mystic for the 3rd copy.

I think not running a couple copies of Assassination is a mistake...you aren't going to try to win on honor so shouldn't be any reluctance to using what you've got as a resource, and you've got your stronghold if you do start to run in a deficit to keep things on track. As painful as it is, I might drop a copy of each of the conflict characters.

All this may be terrible advice, I'm just spitballin over here. Glad to see a familiar face over on the L5R side of things, looking forward to bouncing deck ideas off you like the CoC days!

I'm thunking hard about this concept

Why not Shosuro Miyako?

Ah, I missed Miyako not being in there, which is another card that fits the theme, but won't trigger as often.

Cheers for the feedback Obtuse, been a while since we worked on decks together

I agree it might not be there yet, but I figure by giving it a go now I can see if it is an idea that only needs a few cards to come out, or is wildly off and should be abandoned until at least a cycle and deluxe have come out.

For Night Raid, I'm not a fan of provinces which trigger once, as if it isn't broken, they can go at it in future turns knowing their is no threat. Whereas 3/5 have an effect every turn they are attacked, Pilgrimage means they won't go at it for a ring victory unless they can break it, and Entrench Position will just be tough to break (and probably under my stronghold). Plus, if they only go in with one or two characters (never seen more than 2 go into anything unknown), it won't hit them hard. It also gives them the choice of what they discard, which isn't ideal.

I was trying to think of where to cut, and looking at the cost of my characters, I thought between Yuniko and Hiroue at least Hiroue can try to dishonour someone, and drag an extra body in that will get bowed in the end. Although with how potent duping a unique is, I should find a non-unique to cut. What would make Favorable Grounf be the card you would cut? As when I first looked at the card I was unsure and thought about the moving in aspect, but instead using it to pull out of an attack I am losing so the character is free to go into a second attack (or defend), whilst they get a ring which doesn't trigger.

The stats is what made me go for 2 Favored Niece, even with her ability. If I haven't got a card I want to discard (and I'm hoping there are no dead cards), then what would I drop to be trying to draw into? If I was doing a heavy draw deck and end up with cards that aren't useful, then dropping them for something else would be more tempting. Defending she couldn't stop a Seppun Guardsman or Otomo Courtier, and for her cost I want a better stat line. Sure she could beat the Shoshuro Actress in Military, but the Actress can fight off the Courtier as attacker or defender.

I thought about Assassination and I can't recall if I simply overlooked it, or if my concern was aside from them bidding higher than me I have no way to gain honour. So unless I go below them with it and can steal it back with the stronghold, I would worry I would get to a point I may not be able to play it. If it were to go in, I can see why the conflict characters would be what to cut, as their cost is high, and sitting on even 2 fate feels tough, let alone 3 for Unassuming Yojimbo (though their Covert is great for pushing those victories).

As for the lack of Shoshuro Miyako freemandas, without enough conflict characters (let alone them being cheap), as Obtuse guessed, I would feel like they wouldn't get to trigger their ability enough (or even at all). If they could, then their ability would suit the deck perfectly. Right now, more fitting cards need to be released.

I won't turn away advice, as that is why I put it on here, as well as potential inspiration for others. I like the challenge for why cards are or aren't used, as it makes me think about my choices and if I can't defend them, then I should review why I made the choices i did.