Kotei Season is here! TIME FOR A MONTAGE!

It's that magical time of the year when it is still cold as hell and the time is just right for sitting and playing a collectable card game based on asian stuff. 

This is actually my first kotei season where I've technically started this arch with the base set and only took a few hiatuses...

Anyways at the end of December I finally broke free of my post gencon funk that happens every year where I sorta vanish from the game for a bit to persue other activites after burning myself out for the gencon grinders.

My original deck concept was a variation of Salman Barakat's castle deck, with some minor changes. Unfortunately for me, I am unable to net deck due to some sort of mental retardation. I blame my mother. I ended up building my own deck with some similarities to the Castle Deck.
Heading into this weekend's Kotei in Ohio I'll be fielding:

Strong Hold: Razor of the Dawn Castle

Dynasty: 40

Holdings: 15
3x Iron Mine
3x Castle Barracks
2x Castle Walls
2x Seiden Sanzo
1x private Trader
1x Seat of Power
1x Front Gate
1x Castle Gate
1x Shrine to Fuk

Events: 1
1x a New Wall

Regions: 2
1x Valley of Heroes
1x Sekitsu Mountains

Personalities: 22
1x Hida Daizu (Experienced) 
3x Hida Haruko 
3x Hida Kaoru
1x Hida Kuon (Experienced 5) 
1x Hida Rikyu (Experienced)
1x Hida Sozen (Experienced 2) 
1x Hida Fujiki 
1x Yasuki Jinn-kuen (Experienced)
1x Hida Otoya 
1x Hiruma Aki (Experienced) 
2x Hida Dayu 
2x Hida Tatsuma 
3x kaiu Taru 
1x Yasuki Miliko (Experienced)

Fate: 40

Actions: 29
3x Draw Your Blade 
2x Hummingbird wings 
3x unwavering assault
2x Rapid Deployment 
2x Doomed Intentions
2x Desperate wager
2x Knowledge 
2x Stay your Blade
3x Ordered Retreat
2x Justly Earned Victory 
2x Few Against Many 
2x Three Stone River 
2x Caught in the Act 

Followers: 10
1x Brothers In Arms Experienced
3x Taoist Archers
3x Wandering Badoka
3x Rampart Sentries

Rings: 1
1x Ring of Water

In this deck's Current incarnation is has currently showing the following record:
Spider Breeder Hybrid: 1-0
Crane (Shizuka Toshi Dishonor Defense) 1-0
Crane (Kyuden Kyotei) 2-0
Mantis (EHP Scouts) 1-0
Phoenix Blitz/Enlightenment switch (2-1[enlightenment])

Before adding the doomed's to the deck it was 
Play test Summary: 9-5 
Phoenix Military: 3-0
Mantis Scouts: 2-2
Crane Honor: 1-2
Spider Breeder Hybrid: 3-1

This deck has gone through 9 total revisions when it originally started as a shattered peaks castle deck that sort of took on a life of it's own. I'm now starting to get more comfortable and I can honestly say that in my odds years of playing the game, i've never gone into a tournament setting feeling more confident about my deck.

I think it mainly has to do with the fact that my people have not only battle actions, but somewhat to very useful battle actions.I remember the days when Crab had force and a gold cost and that was about it. Now I have people who move people in, make other people better at battle. it's fucking amazing to say the least. I am sad that the new base set will probably lead to the end of this glorious era to be a crab player. 

As I look towards this weekend, I must say it's a daunting task to live up the crab name as we've already made the entire country of ireland our bitch. We'll see how this weekend turns out, if anything I'm fairly certain I'll be representing the Crab Clan Drinking team something righteous.