Crab Ratling Deck

This was the first deck I took to a tournament and the first really fearsome deck I ever played. This was just before the arrival of the ratling sensei just post HB. Since then the ratling deck has evolved until now, it stands at the pinnacle of its power, post SotE.

Here is my current Ratling Deck Stronghold: The Great Walls of the Kaiu.

Dynasty:44

Holdings:12
Iron Mine 3
Empty Crevasse 3
Ratling Nest 3
Small Farm 3

Personalities: 24
Ratling Conjurer 3
Mack’uk 3
Ruantek 3
Tchickchuk 3
Rik’tik’tichek 3
Zorr’tek 3
Mac’tek 3
Ropp’tch’tch 1
Hiruma Osuno exp. 1
Hida Kisada inexp

Regions: 3

Ratling Villages 3

Events: 5

Iris Festival
Kolat Dupe
Winter Warfare
Enlistment
Inheritance

Fate

Take the Initiative 3
Sneak Attack 3
Deadly Ground 3
Stand Against the Waves 3
Storms of War 2
Test of Courage 3
Rallying Cry 3
Counterattack 2
Dead Eyes 3
Ring of theVoid
Chittican 2
Ratling Pack 2
Ratling Scout 3
Ratling Bushi 3
Tattered Ear Tribe 3
Kitsuki Kaagi`s Journal
Ak’tok’tuk Sensei

The Players

Mack’uk

The cavalry maker. One Mack’uk and one Tchickchuk make a powerful attacking force in the early game. He can give you late game flexibility by allowing you to launch limited attacks if rally’s are in short supply.

Ruantek

Many pour scorn on him because of his low force but with Ratlings that’s not a problem. He can act as the cavalry heavy lifter of the rats. No limit on the number of followers allows him to use Ratling Bushi to their fullest extent.

Ratling Conjurer

The auxiliary force boost to Tchickchuk and the cheapest useful rat. Also a shugena handy for Ryoshuns final gift.

Tchickchuk

Possibly the most broken personality in L5R. Tchickchuk in the right deck does it all. Early speed, huge force boosts and gold and people production. The likely target of all your opponents PD.

Rik’tik’tichek

The foot slogger of the rats and at his best when counterattacking.

Ropp’tch’tch

The Osugi of the rats, usually a 2/4 tactician in this deck.

Da New Boyz

Zorr’tek

3/2 -/5/2

He probably has an ability I’ve never bothered to read it. That statline is good enough for me.

Mac’tek

2/2/-5/2

Also excellent his ability is useful both as a force booster and for sticky situations against Ninja or duellers.

These boys both provide some badly needed muscle for the early game for Ratling decks.

Why Crab? : Up until shortly this ran far better out of Mantis or Scorpion but the addition of Empty Crevasse has made this deck wealthier than the mantis equivalent and more honourable than the Scorpion. Dead eyes is also excellent for the early game boost and for the weedy cavalry. Osuno and Kisada provide some heavy support though Yasamura or O-Ushi would also do.

Options. Ratling Hordes is the best force booster money can buy.

Ryoshuns Final Gift takes care of Rise and other naughty spells.

Entrench can fetch you your favourite holding, in this way you can start the game with 7 gold.

Return of Fu-Leng and March of the Alliance are both excellent events space mainly keeps them out.

Play notes:

Nibbling around the edges: Use your cavalry to avoid battles against tricky decks like Scorpion military and Crane anything.

Hordes Charge: Smash him early on with huge force.

The Masses swell. A slow build for a battle which is inevitably Sneak/Stand.

Next time: The New Akasha

And the weapons deck!!!!!!