Legend of the Five Rings has just released a new edition. Samurai edition features a set of over 350 cards and brings back some cards from other sets, making those cards legal in sanctioned tournaments. Legend of the Five Rings (L5R) is a card game set in a fictional feudal Japan setting where different clans fight it out to protect the Emperor.

The new set streamline the L5R rules, making it a little easier for the new player to catch onto how to play this complicated but fun game. There are many different phases to a player's turn that once a new player gets down pat, the game can be a lot of fun.

Players have two decks (Dynasty and Fate) plus a stronghold. You begin the game with your stronghold in play. You draw your hand from your fate deck and place four cards from your dynasty deck face down to represent your four provinces. During your turn, you will turn over your four cards. To bring a card into play, you must pay its gold cost. Your stronghold produces gold, so your first turn you will be limited as to which cards you can bring in by the gold produced by your stronghold.

There are four ways to win L5R: military victory, dishonor victory, honor victory, or enlightenment. A military victory happens when an opponent destroys all four provinces of a player. A dishonor victory happens when a player reaches negative 20. An honor victory is when a player reaches 40 honor. You win instantly if you control five rings with five different elements (Air, Earth, Water, Fire, and Void).

L5R can be complicated since it each turn consist of several phases like when you can play cards from your hand or when you can bring personality and other cards into play. Attacking a province can only be done during the battle phase. You can also ask for allies but also can your opponent. Resolution of an attack can take a few minutes since each player has a chance to play cards in response to the battle.

Samurai edition does restrict card play more than in previous expansions. The new rules are simpler so it works out really well for new players. Also all the cards in Samurai edition are the legal cards that can be played. So, new players will have equal footing, so to speak, when it comes to available cards that can be used to building decks.