To the south of Rokugan lie the blighted Shadowlands, a dark realm under the sway of Fu Leng and the corrupted armies from the realm of Jigoku. The only safeguard between the Shadowlands and Rokugan is the mighty Kaiu Wall and its constructers and defenders, the Crab Clan.
To those who look upon the Crab kindly, their strength is impressive and their determination honorable. But to those who do not—those who benefit from the protection of the Wall without knowing the sacrifices it requires—the Crab are impolite brutes, too pigheaded to comprehend the intricacies of court decorum. Regardless of how others might view them, the Crab cannot mire themselves in bickering and intrigue. They present their back to the court only so they may more fully face the true enemy in the Shadowlands beyond.
As rugged, stoic, and tenacious defenders of the Empire, the Crab are at their best when they are defending against attacks and reacting to an opponent’s aggression, weathering your opponent’s best attacks, and retaliating when your foe is most vulnerable. As builders who excel at living off the land, holdings are important to the Crab to protect their provinces and power their characters.

To the rest of the Empire, the Crane are a study in contrasts. They are both respected and hated for their achievements, both admired and envied for their elegance and grace. They are the makers of beauty and beauty itself, devotees of peace and civility who nonetheless wield lethal blades. From the Crane’s impeccable garments, which set the standards for style in the Empire, to the sprawling beauty and wonder of their Fantastic Gardens, to their seemingly limitless talent for artistic accomplishments and political dominance in Rokugan’s courts, the Crane don’t simply define what it means to be a civilized Empire—they are the very civilized essence of Rokugan.
The Crane are known throughout the Emerald Empire as a political powerhouse, with wise and honorable courtiers guiding the clan and protecting themselves from external threats. In the game, you must leverage this political might to devastate your opponents during conflicts, keeping your characters honored to increase their skill and controlling the board by pushing your opponent’s characters away.

In contrast to the conformity that permeates the land of Rokugan, the Dragon Clan chases individual enlightenment. Secluded in the northern mountains, the Dragon rarely focus on the internal politics of Rokugan, instead turning their eyes to the future and the mysterious visions of their founder, the Kami Togashi. Indeed, few can truly say they understand the Dragon. Some insist their beloved paradoxes and puzzles are no more than a game, triviality masquerading as depth. To this accusation, the Dragon quote a common saying of their monks:
“What is wisdom?” one asked.
“What is not wisdom?” the other answered.
The Dragon are a mysterious and individualistic clan. The use of attachments is one of this clan’s greatest strengths, and it’s wise to invest in a few powerful characters with plans to give them multiple attachments. The concept of balance is also important to this clan, and they are well suited for both military and political conflicts. You must take advantage of this flexibility and strike wherever you opponent leaves an opening.

Sitting opposed to the Crane’s political skills is the pure military might of the Lion Clan. Every samurai who lives in Rokugan measures courage, honor, and duty against the standard set by the Lion Clan. With the largest standing army in Rokugan, the Lion have earned their place as the Right Hand of the emperor. Above all, the Lion Clan lives, breathes, and dies for the Emperor and Rokugan. Should the interests of the Emperor and the welfare of the Empire diverge, toward what deadly paths or dishonorable fates would the Lion march?
The Lion are a proud, aggressive, and violent clan that leverages its strong military skill to win conflicts. Lion decks frequently aim to swarm the play area with characters, strengthening their presence through numbers. However, Lion characters with political skill are harder to come by, so it’s important to have some extra fate to keep your few courtiers and politicians in play.

The Phoenix is a symbol of contradictions: explosive power and great restraint, vast intelligence and deep humility, immolating self-sacrifice and glorious rebirth. These entwined virtues illuminate the path of Rokugan’s most mystical Great Clan, the keepers of the Tao of Shinsei and caretakers of the Empire’s soul.  
The Phoenix are the masters of magic in Rokugan, but they are also staunch pacifists with little interest in warfare. Wise players will use the clan’s shugenja to trigger powerful effects against your opponent from the safety of your home area. The clan’s mastery of the elemental rings will also help to deny your opponent the effects they aim to use against you while ensuring you can use the rings you need to win. This clan’s distaste for violence can also be used as a calming influence upon your opponent, making overt aggression and military conflicts much less effective against you.

With six terrible words, the Kami Bayushi set his followers in the newly founded Scorpion Clan on a dark and dangerous path. Enemies loomed beyond Rokugan’s borders, but they also lurked within them. Bayushi swore to protect the Empire by any means necessary. Where the Code of Bushidō tied the Emperor’s Left and Right Hands—the courtiers of the Crane and the mighty legions of the Lion—the Emperor’s Underhand could still reach. To combat the liars, the thieves, and the traitors within the Great Clans, Bayushi’s followers would have to lie, steal, and cheat in turn. The weapons of the Scorpion became blackmail and poison and sabotage. The Scorpion dirtied their hands so that others’ could remain pure.
Yet in spite of—and perhaps because of—the clan’s fearsome reputation, there is none more loyal than a Scorpion. In a clan of deceivers and manipulators, trust is a hard-earned treasure to be cherished and guarded. Such fierce loyalty is a small consolation, at least, given the dangerous but vital role the Scorpion have played in the Empire from the moment their Kami spoke his fateful words: “I will be your villain, Hantei.”
While playing the Scorpion Clan, you’ll want to make high honor bids in order to draw extra cards and surprise your opponents with potent tricks and traps. Yet you must always maintain your deepest loyalty, lest you lose all honor and the game. Dishonor is also a powerful tool when turned against your foes to keep their skill low and their hopes of beating you in conflict even lower.

For 800 years, the Ki-Rin Clan journeyed beyond Rokugan’s borders, in search of external threats to the Emerald Empire. In these foreign lands, the clan learned to adapt, to do whatever it took to survive. The clan eventually returned to Rokugan, rechristened as the Unicorn Clan, its members speaking foreign tongues, wielding strange weapons, and drawing upon the kami using sorcery known as meishōdō.
The Unicorn’s return was greeted as a barbarian invasion, carving a place in Rokugani society by breaking through the defenses mounted by the Crab and Lion clans. Reintegration has not been without difficulty, but there are lights in the darkness. An ancient treaty with the Crane was honored, providing the Unicorn a strong ally within the Empire. The Phoenix watch Unicorn magic with equal parts interest and concern. The Dragon perceive the wisdom of Shinjo’s children, the Scorpion see the advantage in a pliable ally, and all Rokugan marvels at the speed and might of their magnificent steeds. Perhaps they are, finally, where they belong.
The Unicorn are an aggressive, practical, and nomadic clan that has mastered the arts of mobility and warfare. You must use the clan’s powerful cavalry characters to outmaneuver your opponent during conflicts, brining your characters into and out of conflict to keep your opponent on edge. The Unicorn are strongest when they are first to act, and much more comfortable attacking than defending, so be sure to play aggressively and get to your opponent before they get to you.