Transcending clan loyalty, the Emerald Magistrates of Rokugan uphold the laws of the empire. Led by the Emerald Champion, these magistrates uphold the stability of the Chrysanthemum Throne and maintain order. But with the position of Emerald Champion currently vacant and hostilities rising, who will have the honor of claiming the role of Emerald Champion and preventing Rokugan from coming apart at the seams? 

The Chrysanthemum Throne continues the journey of Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game into Otosan Uchi, the Imperial City, with cards full of magistrates, intrigue, and the characters who inhabit the very center of the Emerald Empire.

Honor and Glory

The Implacable Magistrate  (The Chrysanthemum Throne, 68) serves the Emperor above all, but has roots in the honorable Lion Clan. As such, whenever the Implacable Magistrate is attacking, only the magistrate and honored characters will count their skill toward the resolution of the conflict. Fortunately, the Lion Clan have plenty of ways to honor their own characters and to ensure they can participate in the conflict. Test of Courage  (Into the Forbidden City, 54) will not only bring a fresh character into a conflict, but automatically honor them, ensuring they can participate in whatever conflict the Implacable Magistrate finds themselves in. Furthermore, as a Bushi, Implacable Magistrate gets all the benefits of cards like For Greater Glory  (Core Set, 168), ensuring a successful offensive conflict will see her staying on the battlefield with extra fate.

While the Implacable Magistrate demonstrates honor befitting a member of the Lion Clan, the Haughty Magistrate (The Chrysanthemum Throne, 69) reinforces the importance of glory with the knowledge and wisdom of the Phoenix Clan. While the Haughty Magistrate is attacking, characters with lower glory than the Haughty Magistrate don’t count their skill. At only one glory, the Haughty Magistrate does not have many natural targets, but she can easily receive a boost from Phoenix stronghold Isawa Mori Seidō  (Core Set, 5) to bring her up to three glory. With this boost, Haughty Magistrate begins to target many more characters in the game, and allows high glory characters like the Serene Warrior  (Core Set, 88) and Shiba Tsukune  (Core Set, 93) to also contribute their skill to the conflict. With the Haughty Magistrate, the Phoenix can lock out other clans who pale in comparison to the glory of the Phoenix.

A Master Storyteller

While the Magistrates uphold the laws of the Chrysanthemum Throne, Doji Shizue  (The Chrysanthemum Throne, 64) holds a much different responsibility. The adopted daughter of former Emerald Champion Doji Satsume, Shizue acts as a master storyteller in the Imperial City of Otosan Uchi. Doji Shizue feels caught between her siblings—Doji Kuwanan, who believes their father was murdered, and Crane Clan Champion Doji Hotaru, who believes the Emerald Champion’s death was natural.

Doji Shizue enters Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game with an ability befitting her reputation. So long as you control the Imperial Favor, Doji Shizue cannot lose fate or be discarded from play during the fate phase. At a cost of two-fate to put into play, Doji Shizue can potentially be one of the best investments in the game, for so long as you maintain the Imperial Favor. The earlier you get Doji Shizue on the field, the more you can take advantage of her potential to remain a steadfast part of Rokugan's changeable courts.

Serve the Throne

Whether your magistrate excels in honor or glory, they all serve the Emerald Empire. Transcending clan loyalty, Otosan Uchi is the political center of Rokugan, and the intrigues revolving around the Chrysanthemum Throne send shockwaves throughout the Empire that affect all clans. Who will come out on top in the Imperial City? And what does that mean for the rest of the Emerald Empire?