Deck Name: Fox Oni Ratling Deck - FORD
Format: 40/40 Open
Date of Construction: May-June 2000
Stronghold: Kyuden Kitsune
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Dynasty (40)
- 3 Small Farm
- 3 Corrupt Stables
- 1 Oni no Kamu
- 1 Oni no Akuma
- 1 Oni no Akuma exp
- 3 Ratling Conjuror
- 3 Rik'tik'tichek
- 3 Tchickchuk
- 3 Ryosei
- 1 Ryosei exp
- 3 Kitsune Tsuke
- 3 Kitsune Shudo
- 3 Kitsune Diro
- The World Stood Still
- Solar Eclipse
- Enlistment
- Doom of the Dark Lord
- Desperate Measures
- Emmisary of the Ivory Kingdoms
- The Return of Fu Leng
- Winter Warfare
- Final Words
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Fate (40)
- Ak'tok'tuk Sensei
- 3 Chittachikkan
- 3 Ashigaru
- 3 Ratling Pack
- 3 Tattered Ear Tribe
- 3 Berserkers
- 2 Bandit Gang
- 2 Avoid Fate
- 3 Deadly Ground
- 2 Crushing Attack
- 2 Test of Courage
- 3 Sneak Attack
- 3 Take the Initiative
- 3 Superior Tactics
- 3 Storms of War
- 1 Confusion at Court
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Strategy:
This deck was originally posted on The Stronghold.
From the designer:
First off, we have nine free people in this deck. Tsuke, who has an awesome follower ability, Ryosei, who's just a spud, and Akumax2/Kamu, who are some of the best first turn people. You also have 8 free followers: Ashigaru x3, Ratling Pack x3, and Bandit Gang x2, all of which, coupled with a follower that costs, or a big free guy, will smush a province 2nd turn. As for the rest of the personalities, Shudo x3 and Ryosei exp cost one gold, which is how much all of your holdings produce. Diro x3 and the Ratling Conjuror are two gold each, and the Conjuror is free with a Tchick. And to round off the deck, Rik is 3 gold, and Tchick is 4. Tchick can also be considered a holding, if need be, to bring out the extra 1st turn ratling or the 2nd turn Rik. The cheap Rats on Tchick, just two of them, can take a 2nd turn province by themselves.
On a general first turn you get at least 2 guys. One of the nine free guys in the deck, and someone that costs. Everyone can be bought off your stronghold, with most being able to be bought with just a holding. A first turn holding can lead to an easy 2nd turn TET/Chit trick for a province. Often times, this deck, couple with two second-turn province attacking kills with the events, can win 3rd turn pretty easily. With a 1st Turn Tchick, you have a good chance of three guys 1st turn.
The gold in the deck, while there may be little of it, is all free. No more gold is needed in here. Most of the deck is free, or boxable. You generally don't need to use your box more than once a turn anyway, hence there is no One Koku in the deck. Small Farm is obvious, but why Corrupt Stables, do you ask? Simple enough: gold that costs just doesn't work in this deck. Large farm, Jade Works, whatever; none of them work. Black Market is the next obvious step, but a three-honor loss just to play it stings. I like to stay above two honor so I can still buy all of my guys. In fact, you get a guy first turn, and a free Ryosei or Tsuke, you can take the favor quickly to prevent the three big losses in the deck. Black Market does produce one more than Corrupt Stables, but most times when I tested with Black Market, I only needed one gold anyway. So that's why there's A) little gold, and B) it doesn't produce much. You could almost make this deck a No Moving Parts (NMP), but then TET isn't too strong.
As for the Events, they're pretty much mix and match. The anti-Shuggie stuff in in there for Mo5 speed, tho I did play this deck three times against one of the best Mo5 players there is an didn't have trouble, even aside from the events. Return of Fu Leng and Desperate Measures are required, but pretty much everything else is plug-N-play. Put in what you like. I went for a lot of anti-Rise/spell and card drawing events to keep my hand up. This deck dumps its hand rather fast.
On to the fate deck. The followers are pretty basic. Eight free followers, three that cost one (TET) and can go get either a free follower, or a big boxable one (RatPack/Chit) for 2nd turn beatings, and Chit/Berserkers, which are just insanely strong. Berserkers, of course, work particularly well on Shudo. If you're not attacking every turn and you have to let a Chit die, chances are that you're doing something wrong.
Your starting honor is four, which isn't that great. Chances are you'll go first a decent amount of the time, but Take is definately in there. Going first is one of the strongest things in l5r. Avoid Fate is just necessary in open. The rest of the fate is basic battle action denial.
The EJify this deck, Conjuror has to come out, but it can be easily replaced with someone like Hosigeru, or Ikudaiu. One more gold, but some force, and the ability on the Conjuror, while decent, isn't all that great. Or you can fit in Ropp'tch'tch who's an awesome first turner, and some of the other rats. Since the events are mobile anyway, pick-N-choose based on the metagame. Return of Fu Leng and Desperate Measures need to come out, but they're really just icing on the cake.
That's basically it. This deck is lightning. It's nearly impossible to get a bad draw, which is no guy first turn. Most of the time, you have enough force to attack 2nd turn and take a province, with maybe even an extra guy to take the favor. Try it out, sometime. I guarantee you'll turn some heads at your local card store.
Until next time,
--Chris Bergstrom
