InQuest 20 - 59 - Game Breakers
SHADOWFIST
Fox Pass
Type: Feng Shui Site
Power/Body: 1/5
Text: Limited. Turn to change the
target of target attacking character's attack
to any character or front-row site you control.
Fox Pass is a nifty reusable
Feng Shui site that lets you
change the target of an attack-
ing character.
So, when your opponent
comes after you with a hulking
monstrosity of a warrior, you can
change his target from your most
valuable possession to something
that isn't so important. Or, send
him over to a well-defended area
to be chopped to bits
Fox Pass
Type: Feng Shui Site
Power/Body: 1/5
Text: Limited. Turn to change the
target of target attacking character's attack
to any character or front-row site you control.
Fox Pass is a nifty reusable
Feng Shui site that lets you
change the target of an attack-
ing character.
So, when your opponent
comes after you with a hulking
monstrosity of a warrior, you can
change his target from your most
valuable possession to something
that isn't so important. Or, send
him over to a well-defended area
to be chopped to bits
While this is a nice power all
in itself, a couple of card combi-
nations work quite nicely.
Destroyer is a warrior that comes
back if he dies, so your opponent
generally won't attack him - but
combine it with Fox Pass and your
opponent has no way of making
an effective attack. Heroic Con-
version is another great card to
use with Fox Pass; if a warrior with
Heroic Conversion attacks you,
you get control of him after the
attack. While this generally means
you'll lose a character in the attack,
afterwards, you'll have a nice new
character to replace him.
The best part about Fox Pass
is your opponent might have a
tough time getting rid of it -
you can defend it like any other
site, and you can always make
the toughest attacker go "some-
where else."
NETRUNNER
Loan From Chiba
Type: Resource
Cost: Zero
Text: Gain 12 bits when Loan
from Chiba is installed. At the start of each
of your turns, lose one bit. If Loan from
Chiba leaves play, pay 10 bits or lose the
game. You may trash Loan from Chiba at
the end of any of your turns.
in itself, a couple of card combi-
nations work quite nicely.
Destroyer is a warrior that comes
back if he dies, so your opponent
generally won't attack him - but
combine it with Fox Pass and your
opponent has no way of making
an effective attack. Heroic Con-
version is another great card to
use with Fox Pass; if a warrior with
Heroic Conversion attacks you,
you get control of him after the
attack. While this generally means
you'll lose a character in the attack,
afterwards, you'll have a nice new
character to replace him.
The best part about Fox Pass
is your opponent might have a
tough time getting rid of it -
you can defend it like any other
site, and you can always make
the toughest attacker go "some-
where else."
NETRUNNER
Loan From Chiba
Type: Resource
Cost: Zero
Text: Gain 12 bits when Loan
from Chiba is installed. At the start of each
of your turns, lose one bit. If Loan from
Chiba leaves play, pay 10 bits or lose the
game. You may trash Loan from Chiba at
the end of any of your turns.
Netrunning, as a profes-
sion, is pretty expensive.
You've got programs to buy,
hardware to install, body-
guards to pay off, officials to
bribe. Still, if you don't mind
Yakuza watching over you,
there's a way to make some
scratch in no time.
A Loan From Chiba means
12 bits, instantly, at no cost.
That's more than enough to
take care of expenses for a
while. Paying off the inter-
est - one bit per turn - is usu-
ally not a problem once you
get going. And if you run out
of money, guess what hap-
pens? Nothing! There's no
penalty for an outstanding
Loan, so it's possible to rack
up four or five without a
hitch - unless they get
trashed. So, whatever you do
with your cash, make sure you
don't stay tagged.
sion, is pretty expensive.
You've got programs to buy,
hardware to install, body-
guards to pay off, officials to
bribe. Still, if you don't mind
Yakuza watching over you,
there's a way to make some
scratch in no time.
A Loan From Chiba means
12 bits, instantly, at no cost.
That's more than enough to
take care of expenses for a
while. Paying off the inter-
est - one bit per turn - is usu-
ally not a problem once you
get going. And if you run out
of money, guess what hap-
pens? Nothing! There's no
penalty for an outstanding
Loan, so it's possible to rack
up four or five without a
hitch - unless they get
trashed. So, whatever you do
with your cash, make sure you
don't stay tagged.
DARK AGE:
FEUDAL LORDS
Shade
Type: White Reaver
Life/Control/Skill/Weapons: 2/4/1/0
Distance Fire Strength: 5-8-10-12
Close Combat Hits: 10
Close Combat Blocking: 11
In FPG's Dark Age: Feudal
Lords combat provides two of the
three roads to victory. It's not sur-
prising, then, that character cards
are crucial to your deck. Says Luke
Peterschmidt, the game's
designer, one of the most kickass
characters in the game is a femme
fatale by the name of Shade.
"Shade has the singularly most
effective distance fire in the game,"
Peterschmidt explains. "She usu-
ally allows you to kill opponent's
characters before they have a
chance to react."
FEUDAL LORDS
Shade
Type: White Reaver
Life/Control/Skill/Weapons: 2/4/1/0
Distance Fire Strength: 5-8-10-12
Close Combat Hits: 10
Close Combat Blocking: 11
In FPG's Dark Age: Feudal
Lords combat provides two of the
three roads to victory. It's not sur-
prising, then, that character cards
are crucial to your deck. Says Luke
Peterschmidt, the game's
designer, one of the most kickass
characters in the game is a femme
fatale by the name of Shade.
"Shade has the singularly most
effective distance fire in the game,"
Peterschmidt explains. "She usu-
ally allows you to kill opponent's
characters before they have a
chance to react."
Combat in Feudal Lords con-
sists of one round of distance fire
followed by two rounds of close
combat. "Close combat hits can
be blocked, whereas distance fire
cannot," says Peterschmidt.
"There's usually very little your
opponent can do when her char-
acter is hit by distance fire."
Most characters in Feudal
Lords can take one or two dis-
tance fire shots per round. Shade
can get off as many as four.
What's more, her already
formidable skill can be enhanced
through some deadly combos like
Quick Shot and Flamethrower.
"Quick Shot allows her to
make her distance fire die rolls
twice and take the better of the
two," says Peterschmidt. "The
Flamethrower causes that char-
acter's distance fire to hit all of
your opponent's defending com-
batants rather than just a single
target character... one good hit
from Shade with the
Flamethrower can take out your
opponent's entire defense."
sists of one round of distance fire
followed by two rounds of close
combat. "Close combat hits can
be blocked, whereas distance fire
cannot," says Peterschmidt.
"There's usually very little your
opponent can do when her char-
acter is hit by distance fire."
Most characters in Feudal
Lords can take one or two dis-
tance fire shots per round. Shade
can get off as many as four.
What's more, her already
formidable skill can be enhanced
through some deadly combos like
Quick Shot and Flamethrower.
"Quick Shot allows her to
make her distance fire die rolls
twice and take the better of the
two," says Peterschmidt. "The
Flamethrower causes that char-
acter's distance fire to hit all of
your opponent's defending com-
batants rather than just a single
target character... one good hit
from Shade with the
Flamethrower can take out your
opponent's entire defense."
LEGEND OF THE
FIVE RINGS
Ninja Shapeshifter
Type: Personality
Force/Chi: 2/2 Cost: 10 gold
Text: As an open action, Ninja
Shapeshifter may, once per turn, copy the
Force, Chi, Personal Honor or one ability of any
Personality in play until the end of the turn.
According to Mindy Sher-
wood-Lewis of Five Rings Pub-
lishing Group, there are no
game breakers in Legend of
the Five Rings. They've made
every card as balanced as bal-
anced can be.
But that'd leave a big hole
in the article. So we asked her
what card is most commonly
perceived as a game breaker,
even if the enlightened folks
who manufacture the game
know better. That answer
came easily - the Ninja
Shapeshifter.
FIVE RINGS
Ninja Shapeshifter
Type: Personality
Force/Chi: 2/2 Cost: 10 gold
Text: As an open action, Ninja
Shapeshifter may, once per turn, copy the
Force, Chi, Personal Honor or one ability of any
Personality in play until the end of the turn.
According to Mindy Sher-
wood-Lewis of Five Rings Pub-
lishing Group, there are no
game breakers in Legend of
the Five Rings. They've made
every card as balanced as bal-
anced can be.
But that'd leave a big hole
in the article. So we asked her
what card is most commonly
perceived as a game breaker,
even if the enlightened folks
who manufacture the game
know better. That answer
came easily - the Ninja
Shapeshifter.
Why are players packing
three Ninja Shapeshifters into
their decks despite the steep
cost of 10 gold? Because the
ability to copy the best traits
of other Personalities rocks.
Do you covet the huge force
of the Crab Clan Oni? It's
yours. How about Isawa
Tsuke's ability to force a per-
sonality into a duel that can't
be refused, then survive it no
matter the outcome? No
problem at all. The versatility
of the Ninja Shapeshifter
knows few boundaries.
Jeff Hannes, Rick Moscatello, Jason Schneiderman and Allen Varney are InQuest
editors and freelancers who believe that a thousand pens are worth at least one sword. En garde!
