L5R Newbie Part VI - Introduction to the Scorpion Clan
Comparisons – This one is easy. The Scorpion are the primary embodiment of the Ninja and similar assassin groups. One important point is that old5r tended to give Scorpion all the ‘Ninja action’ whereas is looks like FFG has taken the better choice to make some of the neutral clans (the Deer if I remember correctly) as equal assassin based forces. This better allows ‘neutral’ assassins who can be hired as opposed to having to shoehorn a reason why Scorpion would want to help out a clan (perhaps) who they are opposed to without tying the story in knots of ‘I know that you know that I know that she knows so I do this so that you..’ etc etc.
Key Locations
Kyuden Bayushi – The Bayushi family Palace also known as the ‘Silk and Shadow Palace’ – the Scorpion clans Traitor’s grove was originally placed here but this may have ‘moved’ in the new arc to closer to the City of Lies. Unless that’s a lie. With Scorpion you really cannot tell. It is surrounded by a moving maze unsurprisingly called ‘Bayushi’s Labyrinth’ which shifts about and has many deadly traps which apparently require a switch to enable (a switch? Powered by what? Water??)
Yogo Towers – Home to the Scorpion’s primary Shugenja family this consists of lots of spires.
Yogo Towers – though it looks like ‘one’ tower and not particularly spire like so yet another original5R art fail.
The City of Lies – or ‘Ryoko Owari Toshi’ or ‘City of Stories’ or my personal favourites ‘the City that Dung Built’ and the Crab name for it ‘Reeking Scorpion Cesspool’ is a major city and the perhaps the second largest settlement in the Empire. It is known for its drug dealing/growing and illegal activity. It featured heavily in the Scorpion novella.
Key People
Bayushi Shoju – born horribly disfigured and lame this Daimyo is an expert left handed swordsman. Magic is used daily to restore strength to his withered arm. Due to his appearance he has never (yet) been seen in public without his mask on. He is an able schemer and political operator with complete control over the Clan. His story in the old timeline seemed somehow , to me, to not ring true but in the new story it makes much more sense. Shoju shows great loyalty to the current Emperor and more general sense (see here )but it looks like his wife will be causing ‘complications’ moving forward..
Shoju twisted his mouth in a sharp way when he realised Kachiko was going to drop an enormous political turd in his hand....again.
Bayushi Kachiko
One of the fans all time favourite characters Kachiko is arch-typical femme-fatale and reminds me a bit of Cersei Lannister in several respects. She is hated by her brother Shosuro Hametsu with both having attempted to assassinate each other (siblings…always trying to kill each other…). As with Shoju she had a very detailed story but in the new story her actions are again more nuanced. With (perhaps) the best of intentions she has attempted to protect the Empire but looks like she has caused a storm here. Like Shoju she appears in a lot of the current stories such as here
The other interesting change is that her old time line relationship with Hoturi has translated into a Lesbian relationship with Hotaru. This at least means that Dairu is (probably…it is Kachiko) Shoju’s son.
Out of all the Five rings characters Kachiko is the one you most expect to see wearing very little and that little being red silk or black leather.
Kachikko poses for 'Rokugans hottest babes' center sheet.
Bayushi Aramoro – Shoju’s half brother by his father’s second wife grew into a skilled Assasin which was somewhat surprising as he is the actual good looking one. Like his brother he also love’s Kachiko so we are in great ‘soap plotline’ territory.
RPG
All Scorpion get an air increase and +1 skulduggery skill then for the families
Bayushi +1 air or fire and +1 courtesy and design
Shosuro +1 air or water and +1 courtesy and +1 performance
Soshi +1 air or void and _1 design and +1 theology
Yogo +1 earth or void and +1 composition and +1 theology
Schools
Bayushi Manipulator School (Courtier)
This is possibly the Scorpions most ‘honourable’ courtier class as they have several that move into much murkier waters. Default ring increases are Air and Fire and the five starting skills come from Command, Courtesy, Design, Martial Arts Unarmed, Performance, Sentiment and Skulduggery.
Starting honor shows how low regard is for the Scorpion generally and is 35. Tech upgrades come from the standard Kata, Rituals and Shuji.
At the beginning characters from this school get ‘Lord Bayushi’s Whispers’ which is a wonderfully nuanced technique. Once per session in either a narrative scene or downtime the courtier can make a TN2 Skulduggery check and on success finds someone who can provide pertinent information for the problem at hand. One opportunity can be spent to pick any skill that that person has (and a level equal to the current school rank). As a support action that person can carry out checks using that skill to assist the Scorpion. The role play opportunities here are great as are the options (especially as the character gains in rank) from sudden bodyguards to people who can make stuff or research or cast spells. The possibilities are endless and it beautifully encapsulates a Courtier with a network of Scorpion agents that can be called on wherever they are in Rokugan. The Character then gets to pick one of two Shuji
An earlier Kachiko. Not sure what effect Kachiko, or the artist, actually wanted here. Wait a second, perhaps I do.
Cadence – When making a Social (Air) check opportunity can be spent to convey a secret message that alters the meaning of what you are saying to another who also possess the technique. Two opportunity allows the same targeting someone who does not posses the technique.
Rustling of Leaves – A useful ability that allows the Scorpion, when they attempt to spread a rumour, to spend two opportunity that increases the TN of any attempt to trace that rumour back to the Scorpion character by two per opportunity spent this way. Therefore the Bayushi can spread all manner of nastiness and potentially avoid reprisals. This could allow them to de-stabilise (or even stabilise) a social court situation or person.
Finally the School Ability is ‘Weakness is my Strength’. When exploiting a weakness (explained on page 100-101 of the printed core) as a scheme action the Courtier does not have to spend a void point to do so and can re-roll additional dice up to the school rank.
Starting equipment contains lots of clothes (presumably so the character can blend in anywhere) so Ceremonial clothes, common clothes, travelling clothes a Wakizashi and any one weapon of rarity six or lower.
An absolutely great thematic courtier house..
Shosuro Infiltrator School (Shinobi, Courtier)
The next Scorpion school is also courtier but introduces are first Shinobi. Shinobi are almost ninja like assassins who strike in the dark (etc etc). So whereas the Bayushi School manipulates and controls this one is basically a facade for very nasty secret dirty tricks.
Initial ring increases are +1 Air and +1 Fire and the common five starting skills can be selected from Courtesy, Fitness, Games, Martial Arts Melee, Martial Arts Unarmed, Performance and Skulduggery
The available tech for upgrading is Kata, Rituals and Shuji.
As a start technique this school finds us facing our first Ninjutsu technique and it is ‘Deadly Sting’. As an attack action whilst using a dose of a poison (owned by the character) they can make a TN3 Martial Arts check using a readied but concealable weapon (so no Katanas or war hammers etc) targeting someone in range of that weapon. On success then a poison can be added to the weapon. Core book poisons are (covering only weapons use, there are different effects for ‘ingested’)
Noxious – Deadliness is increased by +4
Fire Biter – After a critical is caused the target becomes both dazed and exhausted (Dazed increases their attack and scheme TNs by two and if exhausted they cannot remove strife and fatigue at scene end.
Night Milk – As with fire biter this applies a post critical effect and in this case it makes the target both disorientated and prone. Prone is simply on the floor and can only move one range band a turn (crawling). It increases some damage risks and reduces one other (arrows). Disorientated increases movement and support TNs by 2.
With each type the target then suffers damage equal to deadliness plus bonus successes.
The character can also spend one opportunity to move a range band and two to cause a critical with severity 2 plus one more per opportunity spent.
Great tech…This is a level 2 tech so a really good choice
The student then gets to pick one Shuji from
Whispers of Court – As a scheme action this allows a Courtesy (Air) check targeting everyone in the scene. TN being equal to lowest vigilance of all these.If successful a rumour can be created which everyone hears and anyone with vigilance less than bonus successes gives it credence and believes it. Opportunity can be spent to learn one other rumour currently spreading. This is a very strong ability in any non-military situation.
And ‘Sensational Distractions’ this is a Social Fire check targeting one or more characters allowing an opportunity spend of *+ this can alter a targets vigilance by 1 per point spent or can increase by one. Basically this allows the character to sneak past guards and such or deliberately to attract attention (perhaps to distract from Shenanigans elsewhere). Another wonderfully thematic technique
The School ability is ‘the Path of Shadows’ When making an attack action against a compromised character (Incapacitated, Unconscious, or unaware of presence) treat all damage and deadliness of a weapon as being increased by the school rank.
Starting Equipment is the usual duplicitous Scorpion wardrobe of Ceremonial Clothes, Common Clothes, Travelling Clothes, Daisho, knife and yuimi.
This is a very cool class though whether any pc would fit well into a standard ‘honourable’ Samurai group could require careful role play as using much of this ‘should’ cause the character to be distrusted and even attacked.
Soshi Illusionist School (Shugenja, Courtier, Shinobi)
Another Courtier school but this one uses magic and nasty shinobi tricks to trick and deceive and spy (as can be seen very well in the Scorpion Novella)
Ring increases are in Air and Water. Not void which shows that trickery is more important (perhaps) that spells directly.
As a partial Shugenja school new characters get to pick three skills from Courtesy, Fitness, Games, Performance, Skulduggery and Theology.
Starting Honor is a weak (for everyone else, but on par for Scorpion ) of 30. These are not well regarded people in Rokugan.
Upgrade Techs can be selected from Invocations, Rituals and Shuji
For starters they get to pick three!! invocations from the following list
Bo of Water - This creates a water weapon. When a TN1 Theology (Water) is successful made anywhere except perhaps a desert causes a staff to be summoned of water with the 'snaring' ability (which allows opportunity to be spent on attack to immobilise the target, allowing their vigilance is lower than yours). Every turn thereafter the weapon can 'turn' into any other weapon type until it is dropped or the scene ends - at this point it 'splashes' over the floor.
Cloak of Night - A lovely thematic Invocation. This is a Scheme/Support action using Theology Air targeting a person or object within close range (0-1 range bands). TN matches its silhouette so it gets harder with perhaps an Ogre...If it works then the person/object is hidden to the eye for one round plus bonus successes. It could be smelt or touched etc so some care is required. Two opportunity can also be spent to add another target of the same or smaller silhouette.
Nature's Touch - Another Air Support Theology TN1 action that, if passed and let's be honest TN1 is not 'hard' then you can go all Doctor Doolittle and talk to the animals. One * can be spent to understand them back but I suspect a lot of 'look bitch arse!' , 'oo stick', 'throw it throw it throw it', 'let me just pee on this Crab to make him 'mine'' would get tiring. Another * can be spent so that animal treats any request favourably though this would not include anything dangerous. Finally two opportunity can permit you to communicate with an otherworldy being though as the book states, this may not be useful, 'pain, sad, sad, pain'
Token of Memory- As a TN2 Theology Air (seems like air is important to this School) Scheme action the Shugenja can create an illusion of an inanimate object. It's size cannot breach the total bonus successes. Anyone seeing it must resist with a TN4 Artisan, Smithing or Design (Earth 5, Fire 2) to recognise this. The illusion lasts until the scene ends and opportunity can be spent to make the object a non-moving creature or person ( fun use's with surprise corpses!) and *+ to create additional objects per opportunity spent and finally two can be used to make these objects have 'mass' so can be handled. Many dodgy possibilities.
Token of Memory- As a TN2 Theology Air (seems like air is important to this School) Scheme action the Shugenja can create an illusion of an inanimate object. It's size cannot breach the total bonus successes. Anyone seeing it must resist with a TN4 Artisan, Smithing or Design (Earth 5, Fire 2) to recognise this. The illusion lasts until the scene ends and opportunity can be spent to make the object a non-moving creature or person ( fun use's with surprise corpses!) and *+ to create additional objects per opportunity spent and finally two can be used to make these objects have 'mass' so can be handled. Many dodgy possibilities.
They get one starting Ritual, the every popular 'Commune with the Spirits' So I will just repeat the other clan's text - A downtime activity that allows the character to gain information or relevant assistance dependant on the gift token i.e a water check taking an Elemental gift could allow the caster to use a water Kami to cross a small river, or to make it rain briefly. Lots of opportunities with all the results of this.
and one starting Shuji 'All in Jest' - with this when making a (water) commerce or Courtesy or Performance check the character can spend opportunity to regain one honor per opportunity spent. Naturally you need to have lost honor by carrying out the action.
Finally their School ability is 'The Kami's Whisper'. This is a great characterful ability! When performing an Invocation or channelling one then any character present with a lower vigilance is utterly clueless as to what the character is doing. Any Theology checks to 'notice' also have a TN increased by the School rank. Naturally they can see the 'results' (i.e someone explodes or is suddenly picked up by the wind and battered to death. etc.etc
Equipment covers only a tiny range of clothing so 'only' Sanctified Robes and inconspicuous garb (this perhaps ties into the fact that this school is often not functioning best in court but out and about). Wakizashi and knife make up the only weapons.
Yogo Wardmaster School (Shugenja)
At last a non-courtier school ! This is the family entrusted with the protection of the original Black Scrolls. That'll work out. They are masters of inscribing sigils onto little bits of paper that can then function as barriers or do other things. A bit like in 'Spirited Away' really.
Starting ring increases are in Earth and Water and the three skills can be selected from Composition, Fitness, Martial Arts Melee, Martial Arts Unarmed, Meditation and Theology.
Honor is 40, which is high for Scorpion so these are almost respected! Techs for upgrade can come from Invocations, Rituals and Shuji
Are those barbecue forks? Perhaps this is actually a lost chef
The starting techniques allow just two invocations from a small list of
Jade Strike As an attack TN 2 Theology Earth action targeting a single Otherworldy being at range 0-3 (note that you don't have to know if its an Otherwordly being you could smite whoever you fancy and see if you 'luck out' - if it is not Otherworldy then it does nothing). Success means it is both smited and purified suffering a critical strike with severity matching your Earth ring plus bonus successes. The affected creature can spend two opportunity from its critical resist check to hide the fact it has been affected (clever possible roleplay opportunities here). Finally the caster can spend extra opportunity to silence the being (if Otherworldy) which basically means it cannot cast Maho at you.
Grasp of Earth - Another fighty invocation. This is an Attack TN2 Theology Earth targeting a single peep at 0-2 range. On success cracks appear in the Earth and the target suffers supernatural damage equal to the Earth ring and gets to resist with a TN4 Fitness (Air2, Water 5) or be knocked prone. Prone makes the person much slower (1 range band a turn) and a little more at risk from some special attacks.
The Rushing Wave - The weird movement invocation that must be cast near lots of water or on water. If in a Skirmish then a TN2 Theology Water check at 0-1 causes the recipient to move one range band immediately plus additional for each bonus ( they are being moved about by a spout of water ). As a narrative or downtime action this can be used to speed a ship carrying the party around.
They get one auto Shuji in Shallow Waters - This helps out social water checks targeting characters and allows opportunity to be spent to either learn one item or thing the target desires or for two to learn the targets Ninjo.
and two starting rituals - oh look 'Commune With the Spirits' lets just repeat that text again - A downtime activity that allows the character to gain information or relevant assistance dependant on the gift token i.e a water check taking an Elemental gift could allow the caster to use a water Kami to cross a small river, or to make it rain briefly. Lots of opportunities with all the results of this.
and Threshold Barrier - Success in a downtime activity can bar a threshold (gate, entrance, prayer gate) etc to a creature type dependant on the ring. Those types can still try to enter (TN3 void meditation check) but the caster gets informed. I like the fact you can choose what to block so we have
Air - Otherworldly beings
Earth - Tainted Beings
Fire - Undead beings with corporal form
water - wild animals
void -humans
Time blocked is one hour plus bonus success but if an opportunity is spent then the caster also gets involved if any of the blocked creatures passed in the last 24 hrs.
Air - Otherworldly beings
Earth - Tainted Beings
Fire - Undead beings with corporal form
water - wild animals
void -humans
Time blocked is one hour plus bonus success but if an opportunity is spent then the caster also gets involved if any of the blocked creatures passed in the last 24 hrs.
The School ability is Mystical Script which allows the character to have several wards with prepared invocations up to the school rank (so 1 at start). Other people can use your wards (presumably with your permission most of the time) but that takes a Theology Void check with a TN equal to your school rank. Probably either the character spelling gets worse as he progresses, - 'what's this 'cast a furball spell?' or they just get more suspicious of other people using their stuff.
Equipment covers Sanctified robes with concealed armor a wakizashi, knife or Bo (staff), plus three Shuriken. Seems a little exact on the throwing stars. Quite a militant little Shugenja really. This might be why the honor is higher as they don't appear to be pretending to be something they are not.
Yogo Preserver School (Shugenja)
The Shadowlands book added another branch of the above Yogo School. These are almost the dark equivalent of Shrine Guardians. Except they will do anything to protect powerful evil magic (such as the Dark Scrolls) held in Scorpion Lands.
Starting ring increases are in Fire and Void and the three skills can come from Aesthetics, Courtesy, Martial Arts Melee, Sentiment, Skulduggery, Theology
Starting honor is a more Scorpionony 38 and the upgrade tree is the normal Shugenja one of Invocations, Rituals and Shuji.
No choice on starting tech. They just get the following.
Invocations
By the Light of the Lord Moon - This is almost an investigator spell. It is a Scheme TN 2 Theology Air check aimed at an area at range 0-2. Success shows hidden items, people and traps that have not been concealed by Supernatural means. One+ opportunity can then be spent to reveal a magical concealed object per point spent. Two+ allows another character at close range (0-1) to see the same concealed items. Which is cool.
Embrace of Kenro-Ji-Jan - This is a TN2 Theology Earth Support Action targeting the caster. Success allows the caster to do a spider man and climb vertical surfaces of earth and stone. The time limit though is one round plus one for each bonus success so this could make an amusing race against time before the character suddenly plummets off a rock face. Opportunity can be spent to make it last until the end of the scene (shame), or even better another single point can allow the caster to move through earth as if it was water when moving and grants supernatural resistance against Earth Invocations, Kiho and Maho equal to earth ring. In practical terms this means the caster is probably popping out of the ground like an undead skeleton rising from the dead. Certainly an amusing party trick. Two opportunity can finally be spent to do the same with metal though this is more of use in protection against damage from metal weapons (equal to earth ring).
Yari of Air - As a Support Tn1 Theology Air check the caster can summon a spear made out of air that only has a slight wispy outline so counts as concealed. When using it the caster can also add a (kept to above your ring count) black ring dice with an opportunity result to their result set. The spear lasts until dropped or the end of the fight where it just disappears. Opportunity can be spent as follows. * this can be any sort of melee or ranged weapon, * this is nice, after summoning the weapon (remember its a support action) the caster can instantly take a guard action so they are not wasting a round arming themselves in a surprise encounter. Finally two opportunity can be spent to summon two weapons!
Rituals
Yogo Preserver School (Shugenja)
The Shadowlands book added another branch of the above Yogo School. These are almost the dark equivalent of Shrine Guardians. Except they will do anything to protect powerful evil magic (such as the Dark Scrolls) held in Scorpion Lands.
Starting ring increases are in Fire and Void and the three skills can come from Aesthetics, Courtesy, Martial Arts Melee, Sentiment, Skulduggery, Theology
Starting honor is a more Scorpionony 38 and the upgrade tree is the normal Shugenja one of Invocations, Rituals and Shuji.
No choice on starting tech. They just get the following.
Invocations
By the Light of the Lord Moon - This is almost an investigator spell. It is a Scheme TN 2 Theology Air check aimed at an area at range 0-2. Success shows hidden items, people and traps that have not been concealed by Supernatural means. One+ opportunity can then be spent to reveal a magical concealed object per point spent. Two+ allows another character at close range (0-1) to see the same concealed items. Which is cool.
Embrace of Kenro-Ji-Jan - This is a TN2 Theology Earth Support Action targeting the caster. Success allows the caster to do a spider man and climb vertical surfaces of earth and stone. The time limit though is one round plus one for each bonus success so this could make an amusing race against time before the character suddenly plummets off a rock face. Opportunity can be spent to make it last until the end of the scene (shame), or even better another single point can allow the caster to move through earth as if it was water when moving and grants supernatural resistance against Earth Invocations, Kiho and Maho equal to earth ring. In practical terms this means the caster is probably popping out of the ground like an undead skeleton rising from the dead. Certainly an amusing party trick. Two opportunity can finally be spent to do the same with metal though this is more of use in protection against damage from metal weapons (equal to earth ring).
Yari of Air - As a Support Tn1 Theology Air check the caster can summon a spear made out of air that only has a slight wispy outline so counts as concealed. When using it the caster can also add a (kept to above your ring count) black ring dice with an opportunity result to their result set. The spear lasts until dropped or the end of the fight where it just disappears. Opportunity can be spent as follows. * this can be any sort of melee or ranged weapon, * this is nice, after summoning the weapon (remember its a support action) the caster can instantly take a guard action so they are not wasting a round arming themselves in a surprise encounter. Finally two opportunity can be spent to summon two weapons!
Listen to the 'hand' as I am going to pretend you are not there.
Rituals
Craft Shikigami - A rank 2 Ritual from the Shadowlands book this is a downtime action that uses a small object of size 0 or smaller (so paper is a common object) along with an Artisan Void check to create a Shikigami with the TN being chosen by the caster. On success the caster chooses a number of invocations known up to the TN of the check which need recording and naming. Once done these are sealed and cannot be used by the Caster BUT the Shikigami can. One Shikigami a a time can be used by the caster and on destruction its essence returns to be added to a new form (apparently retaining memories!). Pages 114-155 of the Shadowlands book give more detail on these items, it is well worth a read.
Threshhold Barrier - Same as above School so I will just repeat - Success in a downtime activity can bar a threshold (gate, entrance, prayer gate) etc to a creature type dependant on the ring. Those types can still try to enter (TN3 void meditation check) but the caster gets informed. I like the fact you can choose what to block so we have
Air - Otherworldly beings
Earth - Tainted Beings
Fire - Undead beings with corporal form
water - wild animals
void -humans
Time blocked is one hour plus bonus success but if an opportunity is spent then the caster also gets involved if any of the blocked creatures passed in the last 24 hrs.
The School ability is the cool 'Warded Shikigami' - this allows the caster additional Shikigimi up to their school rank. Once per turn after an action this can be ordered to perform an action.
Equipment - These peeps get out and about so Travelling Clothes, Sanctified Robes and Concealed Armor along with a Wakizashi and Bo (Staff)
LCG
The Scorpion have always had a strange position in L5R historically. Much like Crane honor running if the Scorpion have a ‘strong’ deck then every other clan has a NPE (the infamous negative play experience). That means that a lot of time Scorpion decks are hard to put together and hard to win with. When the LCG started it looked like the Scorpion was due for more of the same but gradually it became obvious that FFG (and it should be noted several of the storyteam and lead designers at start ‘liked’ scorpion the best and still apparently do) had given them perhaps the best skill set of all the clans. The Scorpion had everything. They could cancel, they could control attachments, they could control people. They could force fast dishonour pressure which then translated to hand dominance. Any question your deck asked the Scorpion had an answer. Then it got worse. A card that was initially laughed at as unplayable (A Fate Worse than Death) was released in the first cycle and around January 2018 a strong Scorpion player came to the realisation that he could play a deck of weenies and play a one cost char first turn and essentially just wipe out the opponents characters. It was fabulously successful and though harder to play well than some would think - it led to a huge raft of Scorpion EC, Kotei and other Championship wins.
This led to the not entirely unexpected results that firstly their Clan pack (the dominant clan got the second clan pack… this was for storyline reasons, but I suspect but felt like a slap in the face to the other clans at the time) was lack lustre. Partially it is that the Clan packs are intended to introduce a new deck archetype and not (really) support the existing and partially it was that the primary Scorpion deck was so strong it needed no more cards.
This was followed by a very aggressive Scorpion flavoured restriction list which failed to rail back Scorpion dominance. It was only really the increase in power of the Phoenix once they worked out how to use their earlier clan pack that started to impact Scorpion who have just received another nerf with their best Stronghold being made slightly less efficient.
Advantages – They can still do everything but have to play a little more now.
Disadvantages – You have to go wide versus Scorpion or be able to counter their dishonour control ethos. It’s possible but hard. The Stronghold nerf means players can apply their own dishonour pressure on Scorpion now making ‘Duty’ more important. Scorpion is hard to pilot ‘well’ so can feel impossible to beat versus an elite player but wins can be dragged out versus lesser ones.
LCG
The Scorpion have always had a strange position in L5R historically. Much like Crane honor running if the Scorpion have a ‘strong’ deck then every other clan has a NPE (the infamous negative play experience). That means that a lot of time Scorpion decks are hard to put together and hard to win with. When the LCG started it looked like the Scorpion was due for more of the same but gradually it became obvious that FFG (and it should be noted several of the storyteam and lead designers at start ‘liked’ scorpion the best and still apparently do) had given them perhaps the best skill set of all the clans. The Scorpion had everything. They could cancel, they could control attachments, they could control people. They could force fast dishonour pressure which then translated to hand dominance. Any question your deck asked the Scorpion had an answer. Then it got worse. A card that was initially laughed at as unplayable (A Fate Worse than Death) was released in the first cycle and around January 2018 a strong Scorpion player came to the realisation that he could play a deck of weenies and play a one cost char first turn and essentially just wipe out the opponents characters. It was fabulously successful and though harder to play well than some would think - it led to a huge raft of Scorpion EC, Kotei and other Championship wins.
The mask would have been scarier if he hadn't chosen the 'gurning mouth' option.
This led to the not entirely unexpected results that firstly their Clan pack (the dominant clan got the second clan pack… this was for storyline reasons, but I suspect but felt like a slap in the face to the other clans at the time) was lack lustre. Partially it is that the Clan packs are intended to introduce a new deck archetype and not (really) support the existing and partially it was that the primary Scorpion deck was so strong it needed no more cards.
This was followed by a very aggressive Scorpion flavoured restriction list which failed to rail back Scorpion dominance. It was only really the increase in power of the Phoenix once they worked out how to use their earlier clan pack that started to impact Scorpion who have just received another nerf with their best Stronghold being made slightly less efficient.
Advantages – They can still do everything but have to play a little more now.
Disadvantages – You have to go wide versus Scorpion or be able to counter their dishonour control ethos. It’s possible but hard. The Stronghold nerf means players can apply their own dishonour pressure on Scorpion now making ‘Duty’ more important. Scorpion is hard to pilot ‘well’ so can feel impossible to beat versus an elite player but wins can be dragged out versus lesser ones.
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