O-Ushi Sensei           Victory before Honour

The new sensei for the Crab, Lion, Mantis and Ratlings is a real boon to these clans.

O-ushi Sensei:When another players card effect, including a duel, targets one of your personalities and checks the personality's chi or personal honour you may have it check the personality's force instead.You cannot gain honour from duels.

Just a couple of things to note:

I  feel that this sensei will only see play in corrupt Lion and 1 or 2 Crab archetype decks, but anyway just imagine a Mantis player turning to a Shadowlands (They wouldn't really be a Mantis player - Ed.) option with impunity and a low risk downside (with Mantis gold this is not a bad choice)

Personal honor in the text for corrupt crab decks means that annoying cards like Force of Will and Test of Honor can be ignored. It also makes Frenzies drawback, being dishonored, less risky. Same goes for the personal honor reduction to 0 of Dead Eyes.

The other nice thing is you may use the ability but do not have to.

The cost at 0--0 makes this an almost no drawback sensei which is BRILL

 The list of cards to which are effected to some extent is impressive and I only list cards which see frequent use.

1)Honour's Cost

2)Crisis in Command

3)Iajitsu Duel

4)Betrayal

5)Daidoji Technique

6)Stand or Run

7)A Chance Meeting

8)Show me your Stance

9)Wounded in Battle

10)The Final Breath

11)Jiujutsu Duel

12)Kakita Technique

13)Rugged Ground

14)Iaijutsu Art

15)Rank Hath Privilege

16)Iaijutsu Challenge

17)Geisha Assassin

18)Kolat Assassin

19)Kolat Master

20)Piercing the Soul

21)Feeding on flesh

22)Force of Will

23)Test of Honour

People who benefit: AMORO is the most obvious, but with weapons it helps most people. I have started to use Ogre Outlaw in my Shadowlands Crab deck and with this sensei he is almost indestructible the only card to fear is poisoned weapon.

All in all I think O-Ushi sensei is the best Crab card from all the recent sets but thats not saying much as the only competition comes from Silence and Kitao. (and Empth Crevasse - Ed.)

Anyway roll on Gencon and Shadowlands Crab.

Jim Brophy.