No, no more to the story. I have no idea. Because of malnutrition and expected lifespans in feudal societies, especially for farmers.

Post your stories, Gaffa! This was really good. I like your style. -Togashi Ikkyu

That is a welcome change to the Unicorn. I swear, twenty years of flavor text for them and almost all of it is some variation of "My sisters, act honorably but quickly and let our horses swiftly trample the Khan's enemies!" The ones that aren't are either shugenja describing magic that isn't going to function the same now or deathspeakers who possibly don't exist yet.

Nah, you're right. Better for the fourth quote to go.

I think I may replace the third quote with that, instead. I don't really want two pacifism quotes, and I like highlighting the Phoenix willingness to accept risk when risk leads them to where they want to be, which I think the fourth quote captures. Is there something about the fourth quote in particular you do not like or do not think highlights your clan appropriately?

Update 2: Added fourth quote to Phoenix and Crane, changed a quote in both Lion and Phoenix to ones I think cover their spectrum more fully. Still digging for good Unicorn quotes that are not either directly about horses or horse-related murdering.

Ha! So that was Prezi's fault. The Lion bubble touched the Crane bubble when I was moving it, which to Prezi meant that the Lion bubble needed to be before the Crane. I'll get that fixed. Didn't seem like a big deal, figured it would only bother me. EDIT: Fixed. The need for alphabetization has made me regret this whole thing. Clans are slightly in the wrong spots now so that the order is correct. What a mess to fix that was.

I made a quick clan overview for my friends who are new to Rokugan. Figured I would share it in case anyone else was looking for something like this. Yes, I modified some of the quotes to remove names in order to keep it less confusing. https://prezi.com/view/m/bk5AWhhQNy64MLozTEJ3/

The farmer watched the massive muscular hulk approach cautiously. “Good day, noble Dragon samurai.” “Good day to you. I am Togashi Yokuni, champion of the Dragon clan.” The farmer raised his eyebrows. “And I am Ginjiro, farmer of this field.” Togashi Yokuni nodded wisely, his oddly glowing eyes travelling towards Ginjiro’s water well. “Tell me, Ginjiro the farmer… I have had a long journey. Might I bother you for a drink from your well?” Ginjiro couldn’t stifle his scoff. “Might you bother me for a drink from my well?” “Yes.” The farmer squinted suspiciously. “How old are you, noble champion?” “Older than you, dear farmer. Much older.” “Older than thirty, then?” “Yes.” “Forty?” The champion sighed, still eyeing the distant well. “How old are you?” “I am twenty-nine. And you… You might be twice my age. But I look three times your age. My wife… My lovely wife… She died of old age at twenty-seven. Twenty-seven, my liege! She died of old age at twenty-seven!” “I am so sorry you lost your beloved at such a young age, but-“ “Young age? Why, in three years I’ll have to go sit on the village council of elders. Because I’ll be one of the few who reaches such a lofty set of years. I was lucky to have had so long with her.” “Please might you fetch me but one drink of water, kind farmer?” Ginjiro’s wrinkle-wrapped eyes narrowed. “Is this a test?” “A… Test?” “Answering questions with questions is a specialty of yours. Truly, you are the champion of all Dragons. Is this a test, mighty samurai? If I refuse, will you cut me down for my lack of hospitality?” Togashi Yokuni paused, shoulders seeming to slump as he stared at the distant source of water. The farmer grunted. “Well? It is then, isn’t it?” “No. I was just considering the wisdom of the idea. But no. I will not cut you down for lack of hospitality.” “So then you’ll curse me. Turn me into the monster that is within my own heart?” “No.” “Make me as ugly as my actions towards you have been?” “No.” “But this is some sort of test then. Are you a shugenja? Do you command powerful kami?” The massive champion’s attention turned fully on the farmer. “I… Why would that influence your answer?” The farmer laughed bitterly. “Ah-ha! I knew it! I knew it! You ARE a shapechanger! You present me with this form to confuse me deeply about why you can’t just go get your own water! The well is right there! I couldn’t stop you if I wanted to! You could take all of my water and I would be able to do nothing more but watch and cry. Perhaps my tears would refill my well! But you refuse to! Is this your true form, shapeshifter?” A loud groan emerged from underneath the massive champion’s helmeted face. “Why would I shapeshift to bother you for a drink?” “Again with the question in response to my question! You would do so because this IS a test! You’re testing the kindness of my spirit!” “Wouldn’t I choose some vulnerable form to do that if that is in fact what I was doing?” “Oh, you’d like me to think that, wouldn’t you? You’re a tricky one, shapeshifter! So you choose a form that obviously doesn’t need help getting water from my well! Fine, I’ll take my old and fragile body over there and get you a bucket of water that you could more easily get yourself with those ridiculous arms!” The farmer set off at a quick pace towards the well, the Dragon champion following and watching. Just as Togashi Yokuni was about to say something, the farmer continued his tirade. “You know, noble lord, in the future you might wish to choose individuals to trouble with less pain in their lives! You know what happens if you turn me into a hideous beast that none can stand to look at?” “I do not, no.” “I likely die this next winter! And do you know what happens if you curse me with a voice that drives all who hear it away?” “No.” “I likely die this next winter! And if you make it so that all food that hits my mouth tastes as bitter as my soul?” “You likely die this next winter?” “Right! And if you put upon me no curse at all?” “You likely die this next winter?” “Very good! As clever as you are enormous! Here we are. Let me, a tiny scrawny stick of beans who toils in a field for twelve hours a day just fetch you, a massive muscular behemoth more than twice my size, a drink of water from my well!” The champion silently watched the farmer bring up the water. The farmer silently watched the samurai drink his water. “All done, shapeshifting magical intruder? Or shall you punish me for my unkind treatment? Shall you place a curse upon me because I dared to wonder why you, so large, couldn’t get your own drink?” “I cannot imagine a way to punish you further, honestly.” “Oh, you could promise me twenty more years of farming! That’s what you could do. Twenty more years of sun and heat and leeches and loneliness and random samurai asking for drinks! Twenty more years of eating rice and beets and, when I’m particularly fortunate, the tiniest portions of fish! Twenty more years of my neighbor being unable to keep even just one damned oxen out of my fields for one damned season!” “…” “You wouldn’t dare.” The champion sighed and placed the bucket on the ground. “No. No I would not. That would make me a poor guest indeed. Thank you for the drink. Next time, though, let me haul the bucket up. I was more than willing to do so this time but I am unable to stop a good rant once it gets going.” “Do I get a gift then, giant shapeshifting shugenja?” The champion’s eyes went to the horizon, deep in thought. After several long moments, the massive samurai nodded. “I shall give you a gift in return, yes.” “Is that gift death by katana? If so, keep it.” “The gift is not death by katana.” “Is it death by any other means?” “No, farmer.” “Is it a curse?” “A better question, and one I cannot answer.” Before he could stop him, the samurai leaned over close and began to whisper into the farmer’s ear. Ginjiro’s eyes got wider and face paler with each word uttered. The samurai stood tall once more. “Good fortune to you and your harvest, kind farmer.” The champion then strode off, towards whatever was drawing him in that direction. The farmer frowned, a small tear forming in the corner of his eye as he himself continued to stare into nothingness, considering the dragon’s words. And then the farmer laughed. And it was loudest and the longest and purest laugh he had ever had. And it felt good.

I like the idea of Yoritomo and Tsuruchi (and Toku even) being unaligned "surprise!" cards that can be included in any deck at the cost of influence. Yoritomo as a mercenary wrecking machine seems fun and still true to character. I also hope the story revolves around the waxing and waning Imperial ambitions of the big Seven and less upon surviving the next great evil.

I will throw this out there. I'm not sure if FFG even knows he exists, but Zen monk Ikkyu is a very interesting source to explore. He was an amazing poet, an iconoclast, a rock star, and reviled by many. A monk who hated temples, refused to be celibate, enjoyed getting drunk, and achieved enlightenment. Any of his poetry books are good. His open disdain for much of Japanese society provides an excellent insight into how it all functioned. Here is the wiki page outlining his incredibly interesting life. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikkyū

Nani Aoshi’s pace slows as they approach the edge of the small village located deep within Crane territory. She had heard that the damage from the great wave was severe, that the suffering of the lower classes was growing with each passing moment. But hearing the description of something and experiencing the actual truth are often very different things. Aoshi’s heart would have preferred to remain only in possession of that fanciful abstract her imagination had constructed, but it was not meant to be. Even Nani Aoshi’s travel companion, the Dragon monk Tamori Enko, cannot hide the concern in her voice as her eyes travel over the throngs of the malnourished, the sick, the broken that seem to be streaming towards the unheard song of the Void. “Why did you bring us into this, Aoshi?” The small Phoenix shugenja feels absolutely tiny before all of this. Her voice seems even smaller as it exits her body. “Because there are answers here.” The Dragon nods and shuts her eyes, retreating into herself. “There are a great many answers to a great many things here. You believe that somewhere buried in all of this is an answer to the question we ask? How do you plan to find it?” Nani Aoshi frowns and spots the man she seeks. “I plan to start by talking to him.” Along the edge of the busy dirt road sits a small man with thin stringy hair on both the top of his head and across his face. Like the rest of the travelers, he has seen better days. His clothes are stained and tattered, his body gaunt. Unlike the rest of the travelers, though, he was like this before the great wave came. Aoshi leads Tamori Enko towards him, making sure to avoid being a menace towards any of the people just seeking peace somewhere down this road. The man scratches his beard, yawns, and looks up at the approaching women with annoyance. “Nani Aoshi. Come to learn all you can about starvation? Or perhaps you are here to make sure these lands are reborn from their soggy ashes?” Nani Aoshi bows. “Ikketsu-noshin. I am here seeking you, actually.” Ikketsu shrugs. “If you brought this Dragon with you so that you might find enlightenment by being near one blessed with it, then I fear I have nothing but bad news for the both of you. That isn’t how enlightenment works.” “No, Ikketsu-noshin. I was drawn here by… By the Kami, I think. I am… Following something that feels like… Like ripples in waves. I don’t know how else to describe it.” Ikketsu nods. “Sounds to me like you seek a pebble or a fish, not this lecherous monk. While I might drink like a fish, I doubt my thrashing about caused these ripples. No matter. I enjoy your company. The local lord has heard of my presence in his lands, and has invited me to a very important dinner gathering tonight. And now that the travelling Phoenix and Dragon know about this, they must also attend.” The dirty monk pauses for a moment to scratch his backside, then continues. “Would be very unwise and impolite to decline an invitation to a Crane social gathering. So we shall all suffer through being trapped inside of that prison of objects and honor together. Come, I must get changed into my finest robes.” Nani Aoshi and Tamori Enko follow the aging man towards a nearby inn. Aoshi tries to hide her smile as she watches her bald Dragon companion regard the Brotherhood monk with deep confusion. Ikketsu notices the attention, too, and addresses it as they walk. “Yes, yes. I found enlightenment. How marvelous. They even made me the master of a temple here in Crane lands. Stuck me in there with the knucklebone they say comes from a man who once touched Shinsei. They think if they stick enough enlightened things together behind four walls, they’ll find the ends of their own paths. Fools!” Aoshi tugs on the ends of the sleeves of her kimono. “How did your temple fare with… With all that has happened?” The Brotherhood monk scoffs. “Spared. When so much beauty was not… How is that for justice?” Ikketsu stops in the doorway of the inn. “You two can wait here. I need to go bathe and change into my finest. My beloved would be quite upset if I had to explain to her why I was spending time alone in my private room with two other women.” Tamori Enko waits for him to disappear before speaking. “So that is the infamous Ikketsu in the flesh? And what lessons do we hope to learn from one such as he?” Nani Aoshi pauses, collecting her thoughts. She met Ikketsu several years ago while seeking an answer to something else, something already unimportant. Despite his numerous obvious flaws, the enlightened monk is regarded by many as the greatest living poet in all of Rokugan. Aoshi wholeheartedly agrees with that assessment. She sought him out to try to learn how his words and his enlightenment intertwined, to try to find how he created such beauty. Aoshi had heard the stories. They were commonly told by everyone of all classes in all lands. Ikketsu, roughly translated to “One Flaw,” a name given to him upon his attainment of Kenshō. His one flaw, his mentor liked to say, was everything about him. A monk who hates being trapped in temples. Who refuses to turn down any offer of alcohol. Who cannot stand civil society. A monk who also has been, for many years, in a relationship with the widowed blind Crane musician Doji Madoka. Makoda was, long ago, invited to play at the temple, and there during her performance Ikketsu fell so deeply into her voice and song that he attained full enlightenment. The resulting poem written by Ikketsu about love-making session between the two that followed his attainment is widely regarded as perhaps the most perfect romantic piece ever penned. Aoshi speaks slowly and carefully. “Ikketsu’s beautiful poetry, combined with his status as enlightened, makes him welcome throughout Crane lands. This is his home. Sometimes I find, in his words, knowledge that I don’t think even he is aware of. He is honest. He is perceptive.” The Dragon nods. “He was not what I was expecting. I have met other Noshin before. I have never met one such as he.” Nani Aoshi frowns. “There is no other like him.” A few minutes of silence follows, and then Ikketsu returns. The scrawny man is decked out in the finest Brotherhood robes that Nani Aoshi has ever seen. It is the first time, in fact, that she has ever seen him in dress robes. He carries himself different, oddly, incorrectly. The poet monk leads them towards the pale blue palace on a nearby hill. Untouched by any of the effects of the great wave, the massive house stands above the petty concerns of food and shelter that plague those outside of its walls. As they walk, Ikketsu talks of all he has seen. The horrors, the beauty, the humanity, the futility. They are greeted at the front gate by a servant who leads them in. As they approach the parlor of their host, Ikketsu shoots Nani Aoshi a look that spells nothing but trouble. With much bowing, the servant invites them in and seats them. “Honored guests, the master and his other guests will be here shortly. Please, allow me to serve you tea while you wait.” Ikketsu visibly bounces with anticipation as they drink the tea they have to drink as part of the formalities of such an invitation. Aoshi shoots her tattooed companion a look of warning. The Crane noble enters with other important Crane clan members and the ritual of bowing profusely to one another and doing introductions begins in earnest. The noble holding this party is likely no more important than either Nani Aoshi or Tamori Enko, but being a Crane means always having to be as important as any situation allows. Ikketsu’s presence has allowed for quite a bit of importance tonight. Iwasaki Futoshi smiles the correct amount at his three guests, his eyes flicking nervously back to Ikketsu as he talk. “I was hoping only to meet this fine poet, but I see he has blessed me with even more than I ever could have hoped! I am sorry for the delay I caused you, and am proud to have representatives of the Phoenix and the Dragon here on my family’s ancestral lan-Ancestral lan-Ances…“ Every person in the room watch Ikketsu-noshin as he stands, their mouths open in shock. This is not a part of the formalities. Causing the Crane to not finish his niceties is an incredible insult. But Ikketsu isn’t done. No. The Brotherhood monk slowly begins to untie the fabric holding his formal robes together in just the right way. While all of the guests watch in stunned silence, he places the belts onto the ground at his feet. He then removes, one by one, the layers of his outfit, folding them and gently placing them next to the belts. The Crane blushes and stammers as Ikketsu stands naked before him. “Noshin, why have-why have you-?” Ikketsu glares down at Iwasaki Futoshi. “Given how I was treated last night, it is these robes you wish to have at your party. And so you shall.” “But I-I did not know that you were-I couldn’t possibly have guessed!” The monk ignores the Crane and exits the room. Nani Aoshi and Tamori Enko stand and silently follow, making sure to avoid eye contact with anyone. Ikketsu storms out of the house, through the courtyard, and down the hill with purpose. The naked Noshin growls out his words as he quickly strides away from the chaos he has created. “I came here last night dressed as I was when you two met me today, asking for food for myself and those in desperate need. I was turned away by Iwasaki Futoshi himself. He dismissed me as someone who was below his notice. Turned me away like I had no value. This is how he views these poor people just trying to survive. This is how he chooses to greet suffering. I have repaid his kindness in full, I think.” And so the mad monk has. Nani Aoshi thinks she can feel the lord’s shame radiating off of the building behind her even now. She dares not look back. Dares not add to his failures. Ikketsu doesn’t stop striding with purpose until they are once more outside of the inn. Hands on his bony hips, unashamed by his nakedness, he turns to face the Dragon and the Phoenix. “Nani Aoshi, it has been a pleasure to see you once more. This is where we part. Whatever answers you seek, I do not have. I do not care whether you find your answers. If you find that food is the answer to your question, you should share it with these people all around you. If food is not the answer you find, then what good is it? Thank you for your assistance tonight. Until we meet again, if we ever do.” Tamori Enko laughs for the second time Nani Aoshi has ever heard as Ikketsu strides away. “The Noshin has a point.” The Phoenix shugenja smiles sadly. “He always does. But what choice do you and I have?” The tattooed Dragon nods. “It is unwise and futile to fight against fate. This is our path.” “Then we should continue walking it. I do not know how welcome we will remain here.” The two women continue against the flow of humanity pouring out from the deeper horror and suffering of the coastlands.

I'll go in reverse, I guess. So in the early core, there was a problem with big armor clad musclemen of varying shades being in charge of and featured a whole lot: Hida Kisada, Yoritomo, Togashi Yokuni. Just different shades of the same armored dude. Kisada is in, and I like that. That seems correct to me. Yoritomo will also show up eventually because you don't ignore the posterboy. So... I'd like the see anyone but Togashi Yokuni as the Dragon Clan champion, or at least an altered version to make the Dragon champ distinct. Old feeble looking man, bald monk woman, anything. Let the other two own the "fully decked out monster" space and find something more philosophical and wise for the Dragon.

And I'll go first... This is something I whipped up as I imagined the reaction and perception of the Dragon and Phoenix clans to a change in the fate of the timeline. A lifetime of relentlessly seeking knowledge behind her, and yet still Nani Aoshi finfs herself profoundly curious about what, exactly, Dragons find so fascinating with staring off aimlessly into the void. At least this one has the sense to do so in the beautiful surroundings of the Garden of Juramashi’s Honor. Many seem to get lost in such a way on whatever street corner is nearest, oftentimes staring blankly at the sides of tea houses or buzzing piles of refuse. Tamori Enko, the Dragon in question, doesn’t seem to notice her. Or, more likely, just doesn’t care to. She is more than two hands taller than Aoshi, even with her head shaved clean. Aoshi, while many things, has never been physically imposing. A state of being she has come to fully accept over the years. What she lacks in height or natural ability, she has always made up for in curiosity and eagerness. Unlike Aoshi, the lithe monk seems supremely comfortable in her own skin, consistently relaxed in a way that Aoshi likely never will experience. The bald monk speaks calmly, eyes still unfocused on the very air. “A Phoenix has risen from her studies in the Kuroka Library, reborn into this fickle world of politics and rumor. Has she finally found the enlightenment she so desperately searches for?” Aoshi grimaces, in no mood for the offhanded glibness that is the true natural mastery of seemingly all born into the Dragon clan. “I will only stop searching when I stop drawing breath. Even then…” The monk nods almost imperceptibly. “Even then…” The taller woman finally turns her eyes onto Aoshi, brown eyes sparkling with something almost bordering on curiosity. “What draws you to me in this moment? It cannot be the mere curiosity of a Dragon in the capital. Surely you have seen such rarity before. What causes a pacifist such as yourself to seek the destruction of my peace?” The smaller woman frowns. “I apologize for interrupting your in-depth study of the void, Tamori Enko. If there is a better time for us to speak, I shall-“ “The moment has passed, Nani Aoshi. There is no time of concern other than this present moment.” Nani Aoshi pulls nervously on the edges of her long sleeves. “I respectfully disagree. The past holds many secrets worth knowing. But I am not here to debate the nature of time with a monk today.” The Dragon smiles coyly. “I must have misinterpreted your visit, then. I assumed it was that exact purpose that brought you to me.” “Hm. I suppose it is. So you Dragons feel it, too. Something has changed. The Kami are restless.” The bald-headed monk sighs, her eyes returning to the natural splendor of the quiet park. “A great many things have changed, even since the beginning of this conversation. They will continue to change.” Aoshi chooses her words carefully, unwilling to share too much. “But something about this change is… different. Wrong. I am not surprised to see the Crane continue to preen their fine plumage even when they should be seeking food and shelter, but not even a slumbering Dragon ignores the moving of the earth.” “What is, is. The earth cares nothing for the rightness or the wrongness of those affected when it moves. How we feel about the changes around us do nothing to stop those changes, Nani Aoshi.” “I do not come here seeking knowledge of how to stop the changes around us, Tamori Enko. I hold no false assumptions regarding my ability to resist what is. I come here seeking knowledge about the nature of the change itself. I seek to understand, nothing more.” “Why seek out me?” Nani Aoshi pauses, tugging on the hem of her sleeves once more as she forms an answer. “I am afraid. Not of the changing. I fear that our knowledge is incomplete because of nothing deeper than simple human failings. I fear that we Phoenix are too focused on understanding the effects of the change. My peers desire to shape this into something they can control because they are afraid. These changes have not been easy for most. “And I believe you Dragons are attempting to understand and accept the cause with too little concern for the effects. Your people can sense all of this, too, but I fear you seek nothing more than where to set your foot next on your paths. It seems to me that perhaps both the Phoenix and the Dragons will succeed in our separate understandings, but ultimately will find ourselves unprepared and ignorant because of our narrow desires. I refuse to be ignorant, Tamori Enko, so I seek out you.” The Dragon exhales and frowns. “Afraid. Yes. We’re all so afraid right now. The one thing that will forever unite this Empire is our collective fear. The Crane fear that their humanity will be exposed naked for the rest of us to judge, and so they flap about seeking reasons to peck out the eyes of all who might see. The Lion fear that their duty and their honor are on differing courses, so they roar mightily to keep all as it is. The Crab fear the very isolation that they have sought for so long, unsure that their great strength and hardened exterior is enough. The Unicorn fear the future they fought so hard to achieve, racing to and fro to avoid a fate of being either outsiders existing free from our ways or accepted members of a society that is so foreign to their own history. The Scorpions lash out viciously at the shadow of their own successes, unsure of how to proceed now that they are basking so boldly in the sunlight. You Phoenix are afraid of terrified of burning inside of the very flames you sheathe yourselves in. And we Dragons are afraid that our years of peaceful slumber must soon end. “There is wisdom in your concern, Nani Aoshi. My own fears brought me here today. I will always struggle with the humanity inside of myself, it seems. Perhaps this does warrant an investigation. And if it does, then it must be done together, mustn’t it? I seek the comfort of the void at my own peril. In this time of high walls, there will still need to be wide bridges.” Nani Aoshi smiles. “Building bridges has always been below the notice of the mighty. So we of little power must get to work.” She pauses, staring sadly at the bottom of her orange robe. “I, lacking the vast knowledge of those above me. And you, lacking the deep wisdom of those beyond you. I do expect us to fail.” Tamori Enko laughs, the unnatural sound causing the Phoenix to jump in startlement. “If you promise to focus more on where to put your foot next on this path, I will promise to use my eyes to seek more than just mere acceptance. For a time, at least.” “Agreed.” “So tell me Aoshi, what besides fear have you found within the walls of the great library? And, in return, I will tell you what I have learned by staring so intently into the void…”

Time to make a story thread, where we can turn our excitement at returning to Rokugan into fiction to pass the time. I really like what the clans have come to mean to their players, and I think the universe and its lore is pretty great. Feel free to post your own and join in on the fun. Nobody else can really capture what your clans, and this setting, mean to you better than yourself. Feel free to throw up stuff related to the classic timeline as well, as anything and everything can help new players and fans find the clan that fits their own personality and philosophy, even if the details change moving forward.

Initiative doesn't actually switch during a game. Whoever has initiative (or is first player) at the beginning of the game will remain with initiative until the end of turn 6. The "learn to play" game uses alternating initiative, which has only led to lots of confusion as people transition to playing the full game. Yeah, you're right. Wow. That actually changes everything. So I guess try not to make that mistake, everyone, as it makes you spend time learning lessons that are wrong. Thanks for the reply.

I have played four games now, so I am no expert. However, I have learned some lessons the hard way in those four games. It seems that Rebel players, myself included, go too fast. The speed difference makes it seem like the rebels should always be going faster than the Imperials. This is painfully not true. The speed difference should be exploited during turns with initiative to disengage and get out of range prior to the Imperial initiative turn, but running the ships at full blast all of the time leads to bad maneuvers that leave the Imperial fleet with deadly shots during the Imperial initiative turn. It is easy to overvalue the flashy damage-centric upgrades and undervalue the less flashy upgrades. Engine techs is perhaps the best upgrade in the game for either side. Demolisher + engine techs is truly terrifying. A corvette with engine techs is much, much better than a corvette without engine techs. Engineering teams are also not very exciting and don't get the girls, but when you need them they are worth every point. Overload pulse is probably the best weapons upgrade available to the rebels, especially on the cheaper corvette. Exhausting all of a ship's defense tokens is beyond powerful, especially as a first attack in a turn. The B-Wing is not as bad as you think it is in your head. The speed 2 actually causes the B-Wing to miss the initial scrum of X-Wings, Y-Wings and TIE fighters as the B-Wings slowly lumber out of the deployment area. While every other ship is engaged, the B-Wing is not. This allows it to actually attack ships. Navigate commands are very important for both the Imperial and Rebel player. Extra yaw is nice. Being able to control speed is critical. A well thought-out and lined up shot without Concentrate Fire is going to do a lot more good than a poorly planned one with Concentrate Fire. Initiative changes everything. Often, the last ship you move on the turn where do not have initiative should be the first to go on the turn you do, as it will be in the best position to shoot before moving. Understand that the Victory is a lumbering giant. Get into it's path after it has moved, take a shot on the next turn, navigate your speed up, and escape it's arcs before it has time to respond.

I have played with a corvette with engine techs. It is, in my opinion, worth it. 1. Engine techs is optional. You can run the corvette at a slower speed and then go the extra 1 when you need it. And when you really need to disengage, you can burn a navigate token to boost the speed by 1, and then engine tech to get another 1. 2. Engine tech allows a speed 1 manuever. This allows the corvette to make a 2 yaw turn on that extra 1 manuever. You can line the vette up, take a shot the next turn, and then blast past/through/around the enemy ship. 3. The cheaper corvette with overload pulse upgrade is maybe an option. Using the vette to exhaust all of the defense tokens first in a round is a pretty good way to start the round.