Back to Table of Contents
Scorpion
Loyal Challenger
Overall Rating – 3.4/5
Johnny Shen(ful)
It takes quite a bit of honor to utilize this vs ideal targets as it will most likely be blocking military and causing you to lose an honor upon conflict resolution.Additionally, the Duel is only until the end of the conflict making characters like Tadaka still impact you for the rest of the turn. At the end of the day it’s a 1/3/0 Courtier for 2.
Rating: 3/5
Joe (From Cincinnati) Habes
I think “”zero downside” duels are really powerful. In this character’s case, there are two possible results from this duel. 1. You win and you blank one of your opponent’s characters. 2. You lose and you blank this character, who has already used its ability. So then you lose the double edged sword effect of gaining or losing an honor based on the outcome of the conflict. So, in practical terms, this card is very close to having no consequence for losing (It may even benefit you to lose the duel, if you’re about to lose the conflict and can’t afford to lose an honor haha). What also helps this card is the fact that it is the only challenger from this pack that has a printed 3 for its dueling stat. And it has a military stat, so it can still off-conflict bully duel. There are a ton of useful characters with relatively low political values, such as Lion’s Pride Brawler and the like. Scorpion’s propensity for dishonoring characters outside of conflicts also helps keep this duel active more often than most other challengers.
Rating: 4/5
Travis (Fights Dragons) McDaniel
This is a 2 drop 1/3/0 Courtier so it’s playable. The rest of the text box is pretty forgettable, to be honest.
Rating: 3/5
(Handsome) Dan Mui
Challenger issues rear their ugly head again with this card, as a seemingly powerful effect is counterbalanced by its attachment to a 2 fate, low stat body. Loyal Challenger’s benefit is that it actually has a 3 in its relevant stat, and is also a cheap(ish) Courtier. Outside of that, however, it’s likely that this card will have issues being relevant.
Rating: 3/5
Nicolas (Chuterêve) Simonpietri
This is a good challenger, mainly because losing a duel with it has no downside (and the “upside” to disable the first ability, making it only a small bonus). The stats are good for a 2 drop and while winning the duel with the Loyal Challenger might not always be possible, fully blanking a character range to quite good from an absolute necessity. I have a hard time thinking this won’t find room in the Scorpion decks.
Rating: 4/5
Midnight Prowler
Overall Rating – 1.6/5
Johnny Shen(ful)
Worse than the lion 2 drops that are reserved for new card proxies. Unplayable Forever.
Rating: 1/5
Joe (From Cincinnati) Habes
Mill decks may eventually become a thing. Until then, there’s no real reason to run this card unless you’re really hurting for more Shinobi. Looking at the top 2 cards of your opponent’s conflict deck and discarding one of them has no real effect on the game outside of mill, since your deck is (in theory) 40 blank cards until they are turned face up. This argument holds water for Satoshi’s discarding of facedown cards from your deck, Magnificent Lighthouse’s essentially blank text box and many other similar effects. I don’t see why this card would be any different. I guess you get to know what the next card your opponent draws is…? That’s assuming, of course, that you can manage to win a military conflict with him.
Rating: 1/5
Travis (Fights Dragons) McDaniel
I guess Scorpion is getting a mill theme to replace having good ones they lost to the RL. Bad stats, an ability that doesn’t matter until there’s a stupid amount of forced mill. Pass.
Rating: 2/5
(Handsome) Dan Mui
Scorpion get a taste of Lion design flavor with this card, as a 2 fate 2/1 character with poor keywords is nothing to write home about. Its ability is neat and unprecedented, but it’s also contingent on winning a military conflict–something Scorpion does not fare particularly well with. Leave this card in the binder, unless Shinobi becomes pushed. Even then, there will probably be some better cards to play.
Rating: 2/5
Nicolas (Chuterêve) Simonpietri
The best thing about that card is the Shinobi trait. Mill being bad unless you reach a critical number of milling in your deck, you can almost consider this card as a vanilla 2/1 Shinobi for now. Shinobi decks will probably try to fit it as a weak filler.
Rating: 2/5
Attendant to the Emperor
Overall Rating – 2.2/5
Johnny Shen(ful)
Scorpion do not need more help in the political side. COTOH have Ignoble Enforcers if they ever want a beefy stat body. Combination of being non-unique / non-shinobi / Keeper duel printed in the same set makes it an extremely unlikely card to see play in Kyuden Bayushi.
Rating: 1/5
Joe (From Cincinnati) Habes
The inverse to the Crab commander card from earlier. While 5 political is definitely more valuable than 5 military, as political buffs are harder to come by, I am not sure it is good enough to justify slots. I could see it being a decent filler card though. Having a relevant trait helps.
Rating: 3/5
Travis (Fights Dragons) McDaniel
See Siege Captain out of Crab, but slightly better because it’s political and has courtier and it’s still not playable.
Rating: 2/5
(Handsome) Dan Mui
Five is a pretty big number in political, and this card also has the all-important Scorpion keyword of Courtier. Am’gam Rager is completely vanilla, so maybe this isn’t exactly what Scorpion players were looking for. Still, it seems moderately playable if Scorpion is really jonesing for a decent statted Courtier to run.
Rating: 3/5
Nicolas (Chuterêve) Simonpietri
I tend to think that higher Political is better than higher Military but that’s not enough to give this card an higher rating than Siege Commander. Core set days are over.
Rating: 2/5
Social Puppeteer
Overall Rating – 2.8/5
Johnny Shen(ful)
Composure in COTOH with this card will be extremely hard for a scorpion to accomplish unless you are willing to skip a box activation or giving passing fate. For KB decks they are more focused on breaking instead of cute combo tricks like this. While it does synergize with I can Swim, the amount of cards and fate to utilize this combo are usually on resource parity with the target you are killing.
Rating: 2/5
Joe (From Cincinnati) Habes
Below average stats on a 3 cost body makes this character awkward. You can play this character and force your opponent to target it with events (sometimes), or you can play a character that your opponent will feel compelled to target with their events, due to its value, perhaps at the same cost slot with better stats. The dial switch does offer some interesting possibilities though, especially in regards to triggering composure effects in general. I don’t know what deck wants to play this card, but the prospect of manipulating honor dials makes this card worthy of consideration in many cases.
Rating: 3/5
Travis (Fights Dragons) McDaniel
This card has very little targets in the meta that can redirect to it always. It’s basically just Banzai as a real catch-all, and other than that it can eat for shames, storms, and void fists in the conflict which it is participating as the only real meta targets. Crab and Unicorn events target friendly characters, Crane really only has Noble Sacrifice, Scorpion is non-existent on a competitive level. The main reason to run this card is dial fixing for other cards right now and not the flag-bearer effect.
Rating: 3/5
(Handsome) Dan Mui
One fate makes a big difference. Loyal Challenger has a good statline at 2 fate cost, but at 3 fate, Puppeteer’s stats of 1/3 become less than stellar. Her Composure ability seems strong in theory, but most cards will require her to be in the conflict to actually be chosen as a target. The action may allow for some neat tricks with cards like I Can Swim, but its application will likely be niche unless Composure proves to be exceedingly strong.
Rating: 3/5
Nicolas (Chuterêve) Simonpietri
You are clearly not playing that for stats. The second ability is here to help with composure/I can Swim assuming the bid are uneven in the first place. The first ability is potentially very strong but in reality does not work with that much event currently played. I am still hopeful about the potential of Social Puppeteer and if the card is not played now, it can be in the future with such interesting abilities.
Rating: 3/5
Shosuro Hametsu
Overall Rating – 3/5
Johnny Shen(ful)
In terms of card advantage, costs 3 more than a shrine maiden and statistically draws on average 1 less card. Does have shinobi trait and the tutor may be relevant at some point, but most likely u would just play the broken poison and leave this in the binder.
Rating: 2/5
Joe (From Cincinnati) Habes
A poor statline makes this character hard to work with. However, poisons are only going to get better, especially with the new poison in this pack, Kirei-ko. Paying an honor to fetch Kirei-ko will be a good play in a lot of scenarios. However, missing the courtier trait is a shame for any Scorpion deck and the nature of his ability means you have to build around it with many poisons. I don’t think we’ve quite reached that point yet. Like Yakamo, this is a card to consider as more cards come out.
Rating: 3/5
Travis (Fights Dragons) McDaniel
Hametsu has too poor a statline and too high a cost right now to draw too mediocre of an allotment of cards. The best poison you can draw right now is Kirei-ko, but even that is a mostly fair card and it gets worse once they know you have it. If more good poisons come along, he’s worth a second opinion.
Rating: 3/5
(Handsome) Dan Mui
Much like most of the other 4 drops, Hametsu is a card that will likely be much better once more support for his archetype is released. Direct tutoring is always going to be a powerful effect, after all. However, unlike his 4 drop brethren, he has abysmal stats and very subpar keywords. Accordingly, he is unlikely to be playable until much further down the road when more poisons are available.
Rating: 3/5
Nicolas (Chuterêve) Simonpietri
4 drop stats are often in an awkward place as they are often quite inferior to the 5 drop and not a big upgrade compared to the 3 drop. Shosuro Hametsu even has under average stats for a 4 drop which means that the ability has to be very good.
Fortunately, it is already very good thanks to the decent to good power of current Poison cards and it might become way better in the future. With Scorpion conflict deck weakened by A Fate Worse Than Death going into Restricted List, maybe it might be time for Scorpion to experiment with poison they left behind like Fiery Madness and adding Kirei-Ko to the list.
Rating: 4/5
Infiltrator’s Tools
Overall Rating – 3.6/5
Johnny Shen(ful)
When better shinobi are printed this card will be considered for decks. For now it stays in the binder until the card pool expands.
Rating: 3/5
Joe (From Cincinnati) Habes
In shinobi decks, this is a free Tattooed Wanderer. Covert is great. Not sure why you need that many blades though…
Rating: 4/5
Travis (Fights Dragons) McDaniel
An insanely strong shinobi payoff. The arguably better half of Tattooed Wanderer for 1 less fate cost is insanely strong and this card will see tons of play when the Shinobi count gets there.
Rating: 4/5
(Handsome) Dan Mui
In-house Covert options are very welcome in the Kyuden Bayushi Shinobi playstyle, which surprisingly lacks this rather thematic keyword. Because this card can only be played on Shinobi, it pales in comparison to a more versatile card like Tattooed Wanderer (though that may be an unfair comparison), but this should be a good supplemental card for Shinobi decks once more/better Shinobi get printed.
Rating: 3/5
Nicolas (Chuterêve) Simonpietri
Straightforward and thematic. I like elegant design like this. Shinobi decks are not quite here yet but this very good payoff talk a step in the right direction.
Rating: 4/5
Kirei-ko
Overall Rating – 3.6/5
Johnny Shen(ful)
This card is a trap and suffers from the same rating inflation as Aramaro did. Useless vs Lion and Crab while being mediocre vs Phoenix and Unicorn. Cannot bow stand triggers such as Prodigy of Waves and Witch hunter can just stand someone else. Very easy to play around.
Rating: 2/5
Joe (From Cincinnati) Habes
Bows are great. 1 fate to bow a character after they do a thing is really good, especially if the ability is used outside of a conflict. Triggering Satoshi and then not getting to use him in a conflict that round is annoying as hell. That said, the cost is fair, so I can’t give it a 5. Good card. Will see plenty of play.
Rating: 4/5
Travis (Fights Dragons) McDaniel
A solid control card that takes a character out of commission for the turn. Due to timing, it doesn’t currently work against characters with abilities that unbow them or bow as a cost of their ability. Despite this, the card is solid and I expect a couple of copies of eyeliner to be in a majority of scorp lists for at least a little while.
Rating: 4/5
(Handsome) Dan Mui
While I do think that this card is powerful and usable, Scorpion players (and folks complaining about this card) should temper their expectations, as the scope of this card’s application is not quite as large as it seems. Additionally, Kirei-ko does not cancel the action that was used, and so this does nothing to stop those actions when used while bowed or when already losing a conflict. However, there will still be plenty of situations where this card can bow a key character or otherwise act as a deterrent from using impactful abilities.
Rating: 4/5
Nicolas (Chuterêve) Simonpietri
I must say that even if AFWTD on restricted list was a big punish for Scorpion, the cards they get in Children of the Empire are far from set fillers like some were worrying about. Kirei-Ko is the closest replacement from A Fate Worse Than Death Scorpion are getting and it’s a lower power level but still strong. 1 fate bow has proven really efficient in the past even conditional and I don’t expect Kirei-Ko to be an exception.
Rating: 4/5
Unmask
Overall Rating – 2.4/5
Johnny Shen(ful)
This card is probably the hardest scorpion card to rate. Versatile card but ultimately with the high bid dial clause it is unlikely to see competitive play.
Rating: 2/5
Joe (From Cincinnati) Habes
Setting effects are very nice. Scorpion cards that give your opponent honor (if you choose to use it on one of your opponent’s towers) are less ideal. Especially if it means you have to discard their dishonor token. Removing an honor token would be nice though…Of course you could use it on your own character and then gain a few honor too. I know Kyuden Bayushi decks can feel a little honor pressed at times since they no longer have the warm refuge of City of the Open Hand to hide under. The role lock, fate cost (in addition to a possible honor cost) and honor dial requirement make this card feel a bit too situational to really leave a mark on the meta as a whole. At least for the foreseeable future.
Rating: 2/5
Travis (Fights Dragons) McDaniel
Setting to base stats is a strong thing both to negate a buffed enemy character or to work alongside Kyuden Bayushi to increase the stats and remove the dishonor off your own guy after you’ve readied them with the SH. It does have one weird caveat where you are giving your opponent honor if you are neutering their tower, which might make it awkward in traditional decks. I honestly don’t know how this one will play out, but I’m slightly optimistic.
Rating: 3/5
(Handsome) Dan Mui
“Set” is a powerful effect, and so this card could be a potential anti-tower tech card for Scorpion. However, it does bear the burdensome requirement of requiring your honor dial be higher than your opponent’s. This becomes a little easier later in the game once honor totals start to dip, but Scorpion also needs to alleviate the honor pressure in order to enable this card. As is, I don’t think this card is online enough to run more than 1x.
Rating: 3/5
Nicolas (Chuterêve) Simonpietri
Aside of the Void locked clause, it requires the unfamous “Higher bid” who -at least in all the meta we encountered so far- is very hard to pull off. The effect in itself and its versatility might be worth it but unless Children of the Empire critically change the way we bid, it won’t be on until late game.
Rating: 2/5
Miyako’s Undertaking
Overall Rating – 1.2/5
Johnny Shen(ful)
Nerfed version of spiritcaller activation that costs 1 less fate in a conflict deck that is very tight on slots.
Rating: 1/5
Joe (From Cincinnati) Habes
Pay 2 fate to make your character another character. I sure hope you turned a 1 cost into non-unique 4 coster or something, because outside of that, it’ll be difficult to make up the fate cost of the card in its effect. The fact that it only lasts for the conflict makes this card extra awkward because you can’t even really copy a card like Steadfast Witch Hunter, whose ability is more often useful after a conflict is over to ready the biggest character that was just in that last conflict. On top of that, you got an honor restriction printed on this card. Just seems bad to me.
Rating: 1/5
Travis (Fights Dragons) McDaniel
This card is probably the least useful card in the pack. Being entirely dependant on non-unique characters in your opponent’s discard pile just so you can “upgrade” one of your characters into it for 2 fate and only for one conflict makes this all too clunky to ever see any play beyond the kitchen table.
Rating: 1/5
(Handsome) Dan Mui
This card’s effectiveness is entirely contingent on the quality of your opponent’s dynasty discard, and on top of that it can only be used when at 6 honor or lower. Accordingly, this card does not reach peak effectiveness until much later in the game. Miyako’s Undertaking allows for some pretty neat and unintended combos, but it just seems too niche and inconsistent to see play as more than a 1x at best.
Rating: 2/5
Nicolas (Chuterêve) Simonpietri
2 fate is really terrible for an effect that is already quite hard to get good leverage from.
Rating: 1/5
Back to Table of Contents
