This is a list of the card sets for the Legend of the Five Rings collectible card game ("L5R") published by AEG. L5R is marketed through base sets and expansion sets. Base sets are typically composed primarily of reprinted cards from prior sets with a smaller number of new cards. Expansion sets (which are smaller than base sets) are composed entirely of new cards. Cards are sold in 60-90 card semi-randomized starter decks and booster packs which have a smaller number (typically 11 or 15) of random cards. Starters feature a particular faction, including new fixed rarity cards and a Stronghold card for that faction. They also include cards from previous sets and are intended to be fully playable decks.
In addition to starters and boosters, there is also the occasional "learn to play" set containing two fixed decks and an expanded rulebook for new players and a fixed "direct to player" set unavailable except directly from AEG.
For the purpose of tournament format/legality and the storyline, L5R's sets are divided into "arcs". From the beginning of the game's second arc with Jade Edition, cards have featured a "bug" (a kanji approximation of the edition's name) in a lower corner of the card's text box showing that card's legality. The only cards legal at most official tournaments are those printed with the current bug (or earlier printings of those cards). These bugs are shown next to each arc's title.
Originally, sets were differentiated by the color of their borders. From Gold Edition on, cards have an expansion code, card number, and rarity symbol listed on their lower edge. The rarity symbols are circle for common, diamond for uncommon, star for rare, triangle for promo, hollow diamond for "premium" (bonus cards found in Emperor Edition and later boosters), and star within a circle for fixed cards.
Cards made available at GenCon prior to commercial release.
Imperial Edition
10/1995
Crab, Crane, Dragon, Lion, Phoenix, Unicorn
309
Yellow-Red broken line
First base set. Included "Ancestral Swords" for each clan.
Shadowlands
5/1996
Naga, Scorpion
155
Purple & Green swirls
Forbidden Knowledge
8/1996
-
150
Rust-colored swirls
Introduced Region card type and Ritual spells.
Emerald Edition
8/1996
Same as Imperial Edition
312
Black marble
Second base set. Included "Ancestral Armors" for each clan.
Battle of Beiden Pass
11/1996
Crab, Dragon
118
Black
"Learn to Play" boxed set.
Anvil of Despair
12/1996
Junzo's Horde, Toturi's Army
152
Blue swirls
Introduced Ancestor card type.
Crimson & Jade
4/1997
Brotherhood, Yoritomo's Alliance
161
Green
Introduced Kiho card type.
Obsidian Edition
8/1997
Same as Imperial Edition
312
Brown marble
Third base set. Included "Ancestral Standards" for each clan. Introduced actual cards for Strongholds, instead of using back of deck box.
Time of the Void
9/1997
Crab, Phoenix
229
Brown with white cracks
Included "story-backed" stronghold cards for the twelve factions at the uncommon rarity level.
Scorpion Clan Coup, Scroll 1
12/1997
Scorpion
53
Black with red cracks
"Prequel" expansion, released in 3 monthly installments as part of the "Rolling Thunder" campaign. These did not have rares.
Scorpion Clan Coup, Scroll 2
1/1998
-
50
"
Scorpion Clan Coup, Scroll 3
2/1998
Lion
52
"
Promotional Cards
Various
-
28
Golden waves
Hidden Emperor - "Jade" []
With Jade Edition, L5R introduced the concept of "arc legality". Newly printed cards were now marked with a "Jade bug". This allowed tournament rules to limit the card base allowed to be used: either "Strict Jade" in which only cards with the bug were legal or "Extended Jade" in which all Actions, Followers, Items, Kihos, and Regions were legal but all other types were required to have the bug.
Fourth base set. Included "Clan Charters" for each clan.
The Hidden Emperor, Episode 1
6/1998
Naga
52
Wood grain
The Hidden Emperor expansion was released in small monthly episodes as part of the "Rolling Thunder" campaign. These had two levels of uncommon rather than true rares.
The Hidden Emperor, Episode 2
7/1998
Dragon
52
Wood grain
The Hidden Emperor, Episode 3
8/1998
Monk
52
Wood grain
The Hidden Emperor, Episode 4
9/1998
Unicorn
52
Wood grain
The Hidden Emperor, Episode 5
10/1998
Mantis
52
Wood grain
The Hidden Emperor, Episode 6
11/1998
Crane
52
Wood grain
The Hidden Emperor: The Dark Journey Home
2/1999
Ninja, Phoenix, Toturi's Army
154
Wood grain
Pearl Edition
5/1999
Same as Jade Edition
364
Purple ripples
Fifth base set. First to feature revised card design. Included "Clan Weapons" for each clan.
Siege of Sleeping Mountain
5/1999
Brotherhood & Dragon, Naga & Toturi's Army
64
Red-Green ovals
"Learn to Play" set including two pairs of decks.
Honor Bound
6/1999
Crab, Scorpion, Shadowlands
173
Red whorls
Introduced Sensei card type. Included "Clan War Saga" foils reprinting older cards.
Ambition's Debt
11/1999
Lion, Naga, Shadowlands
180
Dark blue whorls
Included "Clan War Saga" foils reprinting older cards.
Fire & Shadow
3/2000
Brotherhood, Dragon, Yoritomo's Alliance
186
Olive whorls
Included "Clan War Saga" foils reprinting older cards.
Top Deck Booster
3/2000
-
20
Black
Simplified cards included in demo booster for Top Deck Magazine.
Heroes of Rokugan
5/2000
-
27
Golden spheres
First direct to player set. Packaged in cloth covered box and binder. These cards also had the Gold bug.
Soul of the Empire
6/2000
Crane, Toturi's Army, Unicorn
200
Dark green whorls
Included token cards with red backs. Included "story-backed" stronghold cards for the thirteen legal factions at the uncommon rarity level.
Storms Over Matsu Palace
6/2000
Lion, Unicorn
55
Purple-red
"Learn to Play" set.
Spirit Wars
11/2000
Lion, Phoenix, Spirit
197
Thick red diagonal lines
Released as Spirit Wars but renamed due to copyright challenge. Some cards in this set also featured the Gold bug. First set to feature new card backs.
Promotional Cards
Various
-
51
Golden lines on black
Four Winds - "Gold" []
With the new Gold Edition, AEG reduced the number of factions in the game from 14 to 8 by removing the Brotherhood, Naga, Ninja, Spirit, Toturi's Army, and Yoritomo's Alliance factions. The Mantis and Ratling factions were then introduced in expansions later in the block, bringing the total to 10. All sets in this arc included random foil versions of rare cards.
Eighth base set. Included "Clan Swords" for each clan. All cards in the Crane starter deck were initially released separately in an all-foil deck to commemorate 2005 GenCon victory.
Path of Hope
1/2006
Crab, Crane, Shadowlands
156
PoH
Drums of War
5/2006
Dragon, Lion, Unicorn
156
DoW
Training Grounds 2
7/2006
Crane, Dragon
112
TG2
"Learn to Play" set.
Test of Enlightenment
7/2006
-
124
ToE
Direct to player set.
Rise of the Shogun
9/2006
Mantis, Phoenix, Scorpion
156
RotS
Khan's Defiance
1/2007
Crab, Crane, Ratling
156
KD
Cards also had Samurai bug.
Tomorrow
3/2007
Ratling
56
Tomorrow
Cards also had Samurai bug, All foil set including the 2006 World Championship deck and 21 new cards.
The Truest Test
5/2007
Dragon, Spider, Unicorn
156
TTT
Cards also had Samurai bug.
Promotional Cards
Various
-
92
Various
Race for the Throne - "Samurai" []
The Ratling faction was removed, and the Shadowlands faction became the Spider Clan, although not all Shadowlands cards transitioned. This brought the total faction count to 9, establishing the factions that have been in play since.
Ninth base set. Included unique armors for each clan.
Stronger than Steel
10/2007
Lion, Mantis, Phoenix
157
STS
Test of the Emerald and Jade Championships
12/2007
-
52
E&JC
Direct to player set.
Honor's Veil
2/2008
Crane, Dragon, Scorpion
156
HV
Words and Deeds
5/2008
Crab, Spider, Unicorn
166
W&D
Samurai Edition Banzai
Same as Samurai Edition
Tenth base set. Reprint of Samurai Edition with bonus rares from expansions. Cards had a 2008 copyright date instead of 2007; rares from other expansions included a star symbol but no set numbers.
The Heaven's Will
10/2008
Dragon, Lion, Mantis
166
THW
Glory of the Empire
1/2009
Crab, Crane, Phoenix
166
GotE
Dual Bug (Samurai & Celestial). First to feature revised card design.
Eleventh base set. Included heavenly weapons for each clan.
The Imperial Gift 2
8/2009
-
82
IG 2
Free expansion.[2] Packaged as two unaligned decks, with some cards reprinted from other Celestial-legal expansions, designed to be played against each other.
Path of the Destroyer
8/2009
Scorpion, Spider, Unicorn
166
PotD
Introduces Celestial card type.
The Harbinger
1/2010
Dragon, Mantis, Phoenix
176
TH
Celestial Edition 15
3/2010
Same as Celestial Edition
154
CE 15
Twelfth base set. Reprint of Celestial Edition including bonus rares from earlier expansions, a non-legal "Flashback" reprint of an earlier card, and a "Celestial Mempo" for each clan.
Thirteenth base set. Included new family House Guards and a Celestial for each clan.
Embers of War
5/2012
Lion, Spider, Unicorn
159
EoW
The Shadow's Embrace
7/2012
Crab, Crane, Phoenix
159
TSE
Factory Set
Seeds of Decay
10/2012
Dragon, Mantis, Scorpion
159
SoD
Honor and Treachery
12/2012
Phoenix, Scorpion
84
HaT
"Learn to Play" set
Emperor Edition: Gempukku
1/2013
Same as Emperor Edition
18
EE Gempukku
Reprinted cards from BtD, SC, EE, EoW, SoD. Boosters contained rares only. Starter decks included an Experienced Personality for each clan, decided upon by a player vote from the Emperor Edition starters, as well as a card-draw Holding for each clan.
Torn Asunder
2/2013
-
156
TA
The first expansion not to include featured clan starter decks since Forbidden Knowledge.
Coils of Madness
5/2013
-
147
CoM
Dual Bug (Emperor & Ivory), switches to new Emperor bug. Factory set includes all cards (including Emperor-legal only) except nine Premium rarity Personalities. Booster packs include only Ivory-legal cards, including full-bleed art versions of non-Unique cards, and foil versions of Unique cards.
Gates of Chaos
9/2013
-
150
GoC
Dual Bug (Emperor & Ivory). First expansion to include foil rares since The Heaven's Will.
Fourteenth base set. Reintroduced Sensei card type. Included experienced "Ancestral Armors" for each clan. Marks the switch from expansions using 11-card booster packs to 16-card booster packs, to foster L5R Draft tournament environment.
The Coming Storm
06/09/2014
-
185
TCS
A Line in the Sand
09/28/2014
-
156
ALitS
The New Order
12/01/2014
-
156
TNO
The Currency of War
01/05/2015
Crane, Mantis
57
TCW
"Learn to Play" set
Twenty Festivals
03/27/2015
Same as Ivory Edition
372
20F
Fifteenth base set.
Thunderous Acclaim
07/21/2015
-
156
THA
Evil Portents
11/09/2015
-
165
EP
Other[]
Set
Release date
Featured Factions
Size
Code
Notes
War of Honor
6/2011
Dragon, Lion, Phoenix, Scorpion
127
WoH
Self-contained multiplayer L5R variant. Some cards in this game had the Celestial and/or Emperor bugs.
Siege: Heart of Darkness
9/2014
Dark Naga, Mantis, Phoenix, Scorpion
41
S:HoD
Self-contained cooperative L5R variant, with multiple players opposing a challenge deck piloted by another player. The Dark Naga challenge deck includes new cards with no arc legality; the three pre-constructed decks include cards legal throughout the Ivory arc, from Coils of Madness through A Line in the Sand. Introduces Clock and Territory card types, which are only relevant to the Siege format.[4]
Siege: Clan War
9/2015
Yogo Junzo, Brotherhood of Shinsei, Toturi’s Army, Yoritomo’s Alliance
77
S:CW
Another Siege variant. Yogo Junzo deck includes new cards with no arc legality; the three pre-constructed decks include cards legal throughout the 20F Arc, from Ivory Edition through Evil Portents, 9 new cards and one reprinted card, Productive Mine, with Onyx legality only. Also contains Clock and Territory card types, which are only relevant to the Siege format.[5]
References[]
^"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-09-10. Retrieved 2014-09-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-09-09. Retrieved 2014-09-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-09-10. Retrieved 2014-09-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-09-10. Retrieved 2014-09-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-09-21. Retrieved 2015-11-04.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)