Hopefully the exact rules for "limit" and "max" and so on will explained in detail in the rulebook. Got to play a game today where I was able to make use of Kazue as an attachment to move the last fate off of Hotaru to my bowed out (and zero fate) Yokuni, which set me up for a win the next turn. But it was only one game, so it still may turn out her ability is too situational to run her regularly in a competetive deck.

I'm confused about your response. Are you saying that FFG has said you can declare 1 military and 1 political conflict each turn and thus you assume this is how it works, or are you saying that FFG has already answered specifically how Mori Kuroi (or other effects that change the conflict type) interacts with what type of conflict you will be able to declare for your second conflict?

@WHW's post was probably pretty close to the mark; I assume Tsukune's ability will be flavorful but ultimately clearly not as good as the abilities on the other champs. But I would be glad for FFG to prove me wrong!

I see what you're getting with regarding the wording of "attached card", but if they meant Ancestral Daisho it would make more sense for them to say "this card."

In practice, does having to reference the chart appreciably slow the game down? Or does it get pretty quick / automatic after a while?

I would have preferred a compromise with names with titles like "Mirumoto Kazue, Ninten Master" But that has clunkiness / card real estate issues.

Right, I understand that they don't give the ability unless they are an attachment (and even at 3-fate, Kazue's attachment ability is super good), and my gut is that they don't add their stats once they become an attachment, but I'm hoping they clarify that on Friday.

So do characters played as attachments provide any stat bonuses? Or just the ability within the quotes?

Mirith wants to hear the game designer's opinion on the matter. It's a perfectly valid question, and there's no reason to berate him over it.

So are we looking at Genesys as the "core" book with the L5R setting as a "supplement" possibly? I played the Star Wars RPG for a bit and, on the whole, was not super impressed with the "narrative" dice for many of the reasons that other posters have brought up here. But my playgroup already has the Star Wars dice, and as long as the faces are the same other than the flavor of the triumph symbol (I think it's a lightsaber/Jedi symbol in SW) that would make it easier to get my group into L5R. While I think roll and keep is fine as a system, I'm not particularly wedded to it. The real question will be if FFG can use the narrative dice system and still make the game "feel" like L5R mechanically. But if I'm running the game, I'll probably modify the system a bit for my tastes (I'll probably make Triumphs and Despairs cancel each other, for example.)

The second kanji definitely looks like 説 to me, so I think you're right. I wonder if the flip side of the token is "Five Rings."

There is always time to change that.

The "I take frequent naps and always run to places" justification was a bit lame, but back when it was portrayed as a mystical ability I quite liked it. Personally, I'd like to see a non-unique Ujimitsu as a nod to the old storyline, but to each their own.

I was hoping to see Tsukune gain experience and grow over time to become a character worthy of the championship, but it looks like the choice of her as champion mirrors the way that the Crane and the Lion champions are also being presented as inexperienced and primed to grow into their positions as champions over time. Or, in this alternate storyline maybe she has already been groomed for the championship for years now and is already a strong and sure leader for her clan, and in the process of redefining the relationship of the Shiba champion vis-a-vis the elemental council. Guess we'll have to wait for the Phoenix fiction.

As for the OP's original question (bascially, "Does Toturi fit into Swarm?") the answer may in fact be "no," but that could very well be a deliberate game design choice; by making a champion fit specifically into one theme, that can sometimes preclude the champion from being useful at all in decks that focus on other themes. Perhaps Toturi is meant to just be a good card in general (as his stats and ability are still quite decent) so that he can see play in other deck themes down the road, too.

There are a few Glory zero characters, too. Do dishonored characters count as glory zero, or am I making an Old5R assumption?

Nobody ordered an omelette. But we are getting off track for this thread.

I'm not sure where "slowly infiltrate, kill off, and replace the samurai of a minor clan" equates to valuing personal freedom. SPARROW CLAN NEVAR FORGET

Edit: I see the point you are making now. Ignore this comment.

Right, that was the point at which I really thought the inspiration from Pure Land Buddhism seemed very clear.

They were polite enough to name the sect Perfect Land instead.

Also, best fiction so far is also the only one without Hotaru. I'm just sayin'.

This! Though to be fair, champions like Hotaru are supposed to be fresh, unsure, and flawed characters, while Yokuni is older, more experienced, and mysterious.

I get that vibe from Pure Land Buddhism myself, oddly enough. I'm no expert on the subject, but if I recall correctly Pure Land Buddhism teachers that if you chant a prayer to the Amida Buddha (as its known in Japan) at least 10 times in your life you go to the Pure Land (a paradise / heaven) when you die, though I think there is a caveat about how long it takes your soul to go their being based on how good a life you lead. But I could be mixing some traditions up.

I think one could make a distinction between the saying of a prayer and the giving of a speech intended to sway others, but regardless of where you draw the line it appears the Phoenix aren't big on personal freedom (but who is in Rokugan?)