An Introduction to the Crane

"That's Crane strategy. Coax the Lion into a frenzy, question his courage, and get him to challenge you to a duel. The army is considerably weakened by the loss of their general. The Cranes offer them a chance to surrender. The Lions refuse and fight without their commander." - Ginawa, L5R RPG Rulebook

"Rarely do the Daidoji simply charge onto the field. Those are Lion tactics, used by clans who have the men to sacrifice in such bold attempts. Rather, it is the way of the Daidoji to maneuver their opponents into vulnerable positions. The fight would only last long enough for a clever general to surrender." - The Way of the Crane

Crane Strategy

Unlike the Crab, who have an incredible ability to absorb damage or the Lion, who can dish out tremendous amounts of damage, the Crane do not have a natural inclination toward close combat. They are capable and their generally good ATT makes them far from weak. But let's face it, the Crane never have been and never will be the winners of a toe to toe slugfest with anybody (except maybe the Phoenix). Players who chose to field a Crane army must realize this.

Strengths

The strengths of a Crane army lie in Ranged Attacks, Duels, and to a lesser degree, Magic. The Crane personalities commonly have the Iaijutsu skill and some even have innate abilities to start duels. While Duels can be risky propositions, they also can be devastating to enemy units by forcing Morale checks and eliminating the leader and his abilities. Ranged Attacks can soften enemy units before they are engaged. The Crane Elite Archers are very accurate and thus more effective at long range than other Clans. Lastly, the Crane have some good Shugenja. Utuko is inexpensive and Tomo has a Magic skill of 5. Kakita Shura is adaptable and may lead a combat unit. The flight spell, Borne by the Wind is cheaper for the Crane and can be very effective.

Weaknesses

The primary weakness for the Crane troops is their low DAM modifiers and mediocre TNs. This makes them more fragile in Close Combat compared to most other clans. Having most personalities and troops in Light Armor also makes them more vulnerable to damage in duels. Most Crane personalities have very low Water and DAM scores. This means that they are easily beaten in a Test of Might. A final weakness is their lack of combat related skills such as Charge, Counter-Charge, etc... The Crane are forced to rely on Tactical cards to use these abilities.

Units of Distinction

Several of my favorites include:

Daidoji Iron Warriors led by Doji Kuwanon

This is a strong unit with endurance and power. The Yari's allow for first strike and Kuwanon is a strong leader with a nice Earth ring.

Doji's Fan led by Doji Rimaki

This is a great cavalry unit with incredible ATT bonuses. A full unit is worth the price in any army.

Crane Elite Archers with Kakita Shura

The best archers in the game. +2 ATT means they are more effective at range than any other.

Using Shura as a leader gives them great flexibility and the benefit of a Shugenja for protection.

Magic

While the Crane do not have an overwhelming magical force, they have several useful Shugenja to assist them. As mentioned previously, the Flight spell has a reduced cost for Asahina Shugenja. While this spell gives a unit great mobility, be careful when using it against an opponent with lots of ranged attacks. The standard spells of Windborne Speed and Stagnant Air are very helpful in slowing down the enemy while increasing your own maneuverability. Because the Crane usually have a high Air ring, these spells are even more cost effective.

Tactical Cards

It goes without saying that any card that starts a Duel or helps in a duels will be very useful. These include; Iajutsu Duel, One Strike Duel, and Focus. Also include Another Time to avoid the Tests of Might.

Tactical cards that modify Ranged Attacks are also helpful among these are; Indirect Fire, Coordinated Fire, and The Arrow Knows the Way (to soften enemy leaders). All or Nothing is also nice but make sure your archers are well screened before using this card.

Key Tactical Concepts

Know the Terrain

It is essential that you assess the battlefield prior to placing your units. Find likely areas of conflict. This may include areas of restricted movement, such as passes, gates, bridges, etc... These are key areas that units will use. Other key positions will be high ground, cover, and objective related sites such as shrines, checkouts, etc... Make sure to look at where you and your opponent will be tying to get to...these will be areas in which you can set up archers and other units to control access to that part of the battlefield.

Control the Center

This is a carry over from the game of Chess. One of your main objectives should be to position your units such that key areas of the battlefield are controlled by you. For example, from their position on the hill, a unit of archers may be able to cover a nearby bridge in their close range LOS. This means that anyone coming across the bridge would be facing a lot of damage from ranged attacks. You in effect control the bridge without actually having a unit standing there. With Windborn Speed, you should be able to position your units in key tactical points very quickly.

Fire at Will

Don't be afraid to make ranged attacks. Your archers have an unlimited supply and it doesn't cost them anything to try firing at an enemy. Even if the range is extended, go ahead and let loose. The Crane Elite Archers basically ignore any range penalty. The more times you are able to fire at the enemy, the more you are able to whittle them down. It's only a fool that waits to fire until you see the whites of their eyes. You want to keep as much distance as possible between your fragile Archers and those nasty Heavy Elites.

Bait and Switch

Remember that you are honorable and your archers won't fire into an engagement involving your troops. As opposed to the Hammer and Anvil tactics of the Crab, you probably don't want your screening unit engaged with the enemy. Instead, use Retreats and maneuvers to draw the enemy into your archer's line of fire. Try and have a personality with a strong Leadership like Doji Yosai lead the screening unit so they can Break Away if caught. Even better, Kakita Disaru has the built in ability to disengage without making a roll. Remember to use Reactionary Fire whenever the opposing unit is closing in on (or declaring an intent to engage with) your screening unit and again whenever your unit breaks away. The Daidoji Iron Warriors are an excellent screening unit. They have 2 wounds and their Yari's effectiveness is maximized due to the likelihood of multiple engagements.

Target Opposing Personalities

As mentioned in the opening quote, the Crane way is more suited to individual combat than massive battles. You should try to eliminate opposing leaders whenever possible. This can be accomplished primarily through Tactical cards such as those listed earlier. By eliminating the opposing personalities, you weaken the army and gain victory points for yourself. While this is a nice complimentary strategy, balance the risk and the gain. By the way, don't even try and take out monsters like Hida Kisada. You are better off relying on the previous strategies to whittle down the opposing army.

-Chris "Daidoji Sasaki" Michalek