Warriors of Steel

"When you understand the path of the sword, your adversary can do nothing you cannot foresee."
   –Mirumoto’s Niten

For five days, samurai from all over Rokugan competed in a grand tournament hosted by the honorable Crane Clan. Now that regent Bayushi Shoju has bestowed the title of Shōgun upon one worthy samurai, Winter Court has formally come to a close. 

At the 2019 Winter Court World Championship, players came together from all over the world to meet at the Fantasy Flight Games Center in Roseville, Minnesota and fight for their clan's honor through spirited competition. But in Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game, only one can become the champion and attain the distinguished title of Shōgun. This year, that profound honor went to Jose Luis Saenz of the Phoenix clan.

After a series of challenging duels against formidable competitors, Jose faced off against a truly worthy adversary at the final table: Zachary Lowe of the Scorpion Clan. Despite having a significant card disadvantage throughout the match, Jose overcame this final trial and successfully defended the palace of Kyūden Isawa from the Scorpion threat. As the new Shōgun, Jose consulted with his Phoenix Clan advisors, and sparing no time, made a crucial decision that would shape the land of Rokugan forever, as detailed in the recent articles "The Cornered Lion" and "The Cornered Lion - Part II."

As Winter Court came to a close, the time-honored Roles of Rokugan ceremony was held, where the top representatives from each of the seven Great Clans gathered to choose which elemental Keeper or Seeker role their clan members around the world would be able to include in their decks until the next Winter Court. However, for the first time in Rokugani history, it was unanimously decided that the roles should be free for all to use. The new Imperial Law document reflects the absence of these role restrictions, which were immediately lifted.

Once again, congratulations to our new World Champion, Jose Luis Saenz! Now that the Winter Court festivities have concluded, it's time to take a look back at this momentous event and highlight some notable statistics.
 

A Legend Forged

It's unknown what the future holds for the Emerald Empire, as the Great Clans brace for all-out warfare. But today is a new day in Rokugan, and with the freed elemental Keeper and Seeker roles, new opportunities are abundant. Now, it's time to choose what part you'll play in the war.

If you missed out on any of the Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game action, you can catch up now and learn from the best players in the world by watching our archived streams on Twitch and YouTube!

Thank you to all of the players who competed in this year's World Championship and made the event so special. Your energy and passion inspire us to make bigger and better Organized Play programs and events. We're honored to serve the Great Clans and are already looking forward to the next Winter Court, hosted by the Phoenix Clan!​