A Season of War

“If you are fighting only the present battle, you have already lost the war.”
   –Kitsu Motso

A short time ago, samurai and noble Hatamotos from the Great Clans of Rokugan gathered in Crane territory for the festivities of Winter Court. With Jose Luis Saenz of the Phoenix clan now bestowed with the prestigious title of Shōgun, this monumental tournament has formally concluded. But in Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game, the pursuit of glory and honor doesn't end upon the conclusion of the Winter Court World Championship. For those samurai looking to sharpen their skills and prove their clan loyalty, a new opportunity is looming on the horizon—the Tides of War Kotei series.

For samurai all over the Emerald Empire, Kotei tournaments are battle-tested trials, offering a path of greatness that leads to Winter Court. Some of these tournaments will be recognized as Grand Koteis, which feature even more generous prizing and an exclusive set of spot gloss cards of each clan's champion. Grand Koteis are truly inspiring events, offering the highest level of competition in Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game that players can find outside of the Winter Court World Championship.

Whether a Kotei or a Grand Kotei, these multi-day events host a main tournament for players to participate in as well as fun side events to experience Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game in other ways while gaining extra rewards. At Kotei events, you can win a wide assortment of prizes, the prestigious title of Hatamoto, and an invitation to the next Winter Court!

The Tides of War series provides a story impact with wide ramifications. Each event will represent a clash between the clans as they engage in open warfare at the boundaries of their provinces, and occasional clan letters will track the results of these skirmishes. When daimyō vie for each other's dominions, the ancestral territories of Rokugan may change hands along with vital resources.​

War has always been an essential element of the Emerald Empire. While there is honor in slaying an opponent in combat, it creates a ripple effect that can change the very shape of Rokugan. War is a bloody harvest, and you can never be sure what the crop will yield. Peer into the war-torn climate with “Bloody Harvest” by Josiah “Duke” Harrist, a new story which can be downloaded here (4.5 MB) to set up the new Kotei season!

Read on to learn about all of the new changes that the Tides of War Kotei season brings to the Kotei series and to see a preview of the riches that await those who rise to meet the challenge. 

The Tides of War

During the Tides of War series, players will compete to influence the outcome of the war by scoring wins for their clan. As the war rages on, three special event cards can be won—each awarded to one of the seven Great Clans of Rokugan. Each of these prize cards has its own unique criteria for how it is awarded at the end of the Kotei series, by using Tides of War points and Dissension points, which are determined by the clan's win rates and matchups during Kotei top cuts—the size of which is dependent on the number of players in the event. 

The first prize card is Tides of War, an event card given to the clan with the most Tides of War points, which are earned by winning games during the top cut of Kotei events. The second prize card is Fiery Vengeance, an event card given to the clan with the fewest Tides of War points, due to having the greatest representation in the top cut but the fewest Kotei wins. The final prize card is Dissension, an event card given to the clan with the most Dissension points, which are earned by having the greatest number of mirror matches in the top cut of Kotei events.

At the start of the series, each clan will begin with a total of 40 Tides of War points, and every time a player defeats another player in the top cut, the winning player’s clan takes one point from the losing player’s clan. In the semifinals, the stakes are raised to three points, and in the finals, the stakes are raised to five points. Therefore, the winning clan of any given Kotei will earn many points for their clan, while the clans who do well in the top cut but fail to secure victory lose the greatest number of points for their clan.

Dissension points represent the infighting that's unfolding within each clan amidst the Clan War. Each clan gains one point for each instance of a mirror match for that clan in the top cut of a Kotei, so the clan that competes against itself the most will earn the Dissension event card. If a clan is receiving Dissension points, it is neither gaining nor losing Tides of War points because it is not fighting the other clans—this allows the clan that performs well but is not given the opportunity to progress toward earning Tides of War or Fiery Vengeance to still earn a coveted prize card.

Kotei and Grand Kotei events still award Hatamoto status to the top player from each of the seven Great Clans, as well as both players at the final table. These players are also rewarded with Hatamoto game mats as well as an invitation to the next Winter Court World Championship! However, during the Tides of War season, you do not need the title of Hatamoto to make an impact on your clan's standings. Any samurai on the battlefield can change the course of the war. 

Elemental Challenges are being replaced with Proving Grounds tournaments for the Tides of War season. Previously exclusive to Grand Koteis, these side events begin shortly after the Day 2 elimination rounds at each Kotei event. As before with the Kunshu season, players in Proving Grounds will compete for koku (prize vouchers), and those who go undefeated will win a reserved seat for the next Winter Court World Championship. Players who are eliminated from the main event during the elimination rounds before the Top 8 may still join the Proving Grounds tournament, entering with a bye for each game they've missed. With Proving Ground side events, Koteis and Grand Koteis offer players who were unable to secure their seat at Winter Court one last chance to do so.

As before, each Kotei and Grand Kotei will be accompanied by additional side events, which may include three-round Skirmish Pods, multiplayer Enlightenment Pods, and a Costume Contest. Each of these events yields koku, which can be redeemed at the Prize Station.

For more information about Kotei events, head over to our event page, or continue reading to discover the prizes you can win at these events.
 

Prize Station

During Kotei events, you can spend the koku you earn at the Prize Station for a variety of prizes fit for an accomplished samurai. Among these offerings is a spread of spot gloss character cards, including Ancient Master, Ikoma Reservists, and Hantei Daisetsu. Also available on the Prize Station are minimalistic role cards, and for just five koku, you can get one of each of these role cards (Air, Earth, Fire, Water, and Void). Supplementing this assortment of cards are metal Mon tokens and unique acrylic honor dials for each of the seven Great Clans. Some Prize Station items will have a limited quantity per event, so be sure to spend the koku you earn wisely!

Top 16, Top 8, and Top 4

Players who cut their way into the Top 16 will be rewarded with a beautiful 2020 Kotei series deck box. Then, players who manage to finish within the Top 8 will take home a game mat with the same striking art and secure an invitation to the next Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game World Championship! Finally, the Top 4 players will receive an acrylic honor dial of Akodo Toturi, the former Emerald Champion. 

Hatamoto

After each day of Swiss, the top player from each of the seven Great Clans will receive Hatamoto status, along with one of the clan-specific Hatamoto game mats below, a commemorative Hatamoto pin, and an invitation to the next Winter Court World Championship! Players may also earn a triumph pin during a Kotei for defeating a Hatamoto.

Top 2

After the elimination rounds, both the winner and runner-up will be bestowed with Hatamoto status (if they did not earn it earlier during the Kotei) and will further be rewarded with a Hatamoto game mat signifying their coveted status and as well as a set of wooden ring tokens. 

Champion

In addition to every other prize earned, and any rewards gained from the Prize Station, a 2020 Kotei Champion will receive a game mat and a scroll with featuring an illustration of Akodo Toturi.

Prize Station

Like standard Kotei events, you may spend koku at the Prize Station for a number of different rewards. You'll find the same spread of role cards, Mon tokens, honor dials, and character cards including Daidoji Uji, Ethereal Dreamer, Matsu Tsuko, and Utaku Tetsuko. Some Prize Station items will have a limited quantity per event, so be sure to spend the koku you earn wisely!

However, exclusive to Grand Koteis are spot gloss cards of the renowned clan champions like Akodo Toturi, Hida Kisada, Bayushi Shoju, and Doji Hotaru. At Grand Koteis you can get these cards from the Prize Station or through participating in side events during Grand Koteis, where at the end of a side event, the top player from each clan will receive a copy of their clan's champion card. ​

Top 32, Top 16, and Top 8

After each day of swiss, the Top 32 players will be rewarded with a 2020 Kotei series deck box. Then, the players in the Top 16 will additionally receive this season's game mat. Lastly, the skilled players who make it into the Top 8 will earn an invitation to the next Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game World Championship.

Hatamoto

After each day of Swiss, the top player from each of the seven Great Clans will receive Hatamoto status along with one of the clan-specific game mats below, a commemorative Hatamoto pin, and an invitation to the next Winter Court World Championship! Like Koteis, players may also earn a triumph pin for vanquishing a Hatamoto in battle.

Top 4

At a Grand Kotei, each player who makes the Top 4 cut during the elimination rounds will earn Hatamoto status if they did not earn it earlier in the event. On top of receiving this prestigious title, these players are also rewarded with a Hatamoto game mat. Lastly, the Top 4 players during the elimination rounds will also receive a set of wooden ring tokens.

Champion

In addition to every other prize earned, and any rewards gained from the Prize Station, a 2020 Grand Kotei Champion will receive a game mat and scroll featuring illustrations of the renowned Emerald Champion. But a Grand Champion is not only rewarded with physical prizes, they also receive a free flight to the next Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game World Championship! 

Fight for Your Clan

You can take part in the Tides of War Kotei series all around the world, beginning with a Grand Kotei in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from December 6–8 at PAX Unplugged. Check back on the Kotei Series page soon as we begin to add dates and locations for these exciting events!