Shoju's Duty

"Are we not meant to be the kuroko, dressed in black and largely ignored, arranging and shaping the events of the Empire, while all eyes are fixed elsewhere?”
   –Bayushi Shoju, "The World, A Stage"

Duty above all else. This is the creed of the Scorpion, and it has served them well. Slowly gathering power over the decades, the Emerald Empire’s most deceptive clan found themselves in the spotlight of Otosan Uchi. Now, as the Empire is thrown into chaos, it falls to the ever-loyal Scorpion Clan to hold Rokugan together, and once more put themselves in the spotlight.

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Shoju’s Duty, the final dynasty pack in the Inheritance cycle for Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game!

Shoju’s Duty introduces a new version of the Scorpion Clan Champion, as well as new tools for every Great Clan to find their place in the new order of Rokugan.

Furthermore, if you pre-order Shoju's Duty from the Fantasy Flight Games website, not only will you get free shipping within the continental United States, you’ll also receive five double-sided province backers. These province backers sit behind your province in the same sleeve to show off beautiful art by Diego Gisbert Llorens and Pavel Kolomeyets while the card is facedown!

A Sense of Duty

Overnight, Bayushi Shoju (Shoju’s Duty, 121) became the most powerful man in the Empire. He even has the power to deny your opponent the Imperial Favor, keeping it just out of their reach while you have Shoju on the field. Furthermore, Bayushi accelerates conflicts by providing all players with additional cards after the conflict phase begins. Bayushi Shoju effects the momentum of the entire game, and is sure to be a target for the other Great Clans now that he finds himself in the spotlight.

Although Bayushi Shoju has long planned for his clan to scale back their role in the Forbidden City, allowing them to slink back into the shadows where they can be the most effective, performing their duty away from the prying eyes of the other Great Clans, some in the clan resist this change. Many have grown accustomed to the power the spotlight provides and would see the Scorpion remain there.

The Chrysanthemum Steward (Shoju’s Duty, 120), for example, holds a great deal of influence over your opponent, manipulating what they can draw from their conflict deck while participating in conflicts. With the Imperial trait, the Chrysanthemum Steward also allows you to Castigate (Shoju’s Duty, 129) your opponent’s characters. Though this attachment comes with several restrictions, it can be used to discard a character regardless of the amount of fate left on them. This is a powerful effect, and can completely shift the momentum of a game, but takes backhanded tactics and strategy to properly execute. Inflicting a character with a Fiery Madness (Core Set, 183) can be a sure way to set up a castigated foe, and passing along Tainted Koku (Tainted Lands, 38) can be just as effective.

With unlimited power in their hands, the Scorpion’s path is becoming clear, will you join them on their journey in a new era of Rokugan? 

Dutiful Sacrifice

The Scorpions aren’t the only ones who put duty above all else. The Crab tirelessly defend the wall, sometimes sacrificing glory, honor, and their very lives in an unyielding fight against the darkness. What role will these stalwart defenders play in this new version of Rokugan?  

The Gallant Quartermaster (Shoju’s Duty, 111) understands that her own personal safety is of no concern to the greater fight. Offering her own life in service of the Crab, the Gallant Quartermaster is the perfect target for the ability of cards like Funeral Pyre (Core Set, 39), giving you two extra fate when she makes the ultimate sacrifice for her clan.  

Other members of the Crab sacrifice their honor in order to ensure the clan have the supplies they need to win their war. Yasuki Hatsu (Shoju's Duty, 112) allows you to search the top five cards of your deck for an attachment and add it to your hand, provided you are less honorable than your opponent. With three political skill and the Courtier trait, Yasuki Hatsu is well versed in political conflict, and can shore up the Crab’s weaknesses in the political realm.

Sacrificing honor for victory is a slippery slope for the Crab, lest they fall to the taint and become the very thing they swore to destroy. When this happens, the Crab Clan must Root Out Heresy (Shoju’s Duty, 124) wherever they find it. During a political conflict, this event both discards a card from your opponent’s hand, and potentially lowers the strength of an attacked province depending on the cost of the discarded card.

Through sacrifice, the Crab perform their duty to the emperor. They care little about the changing state of politics in Rokugan, only the defense of the wall. But with all eyes turned inward, will the Crab be able to stem an encroaching darkness on their own? 

Selfless Sacrifice

Duty courses through the veins of the Crab and Scorpion. But as these clans face the greatest challenge of their lives, will they do what must be done for the good of the Empire? Will Bayushi Shoju fulfill his duty, and will he be able to hold the Empire together?  

Discover the end of the Inheritance cycle with Shoju’s Duty (L5C24), available now for pre-order from your local retailer or our website with free shipping in the continental United States!