Carpenter Mix

I posted this after a long series of tweaking on the original list of Carpenter Castle, in the C3 (Crab Clan Catastrophe). I am posting this here as well for more brainstorming. That's a list I have been thinking of, slightly meta'ing Honor runners. Since it's quite slow to boot.

Carpenter Castle
Border Keep exp
Bamboo Harvesters

1 Ryoshun's Guidance
1 Alter History

3 Iron Mine
2 Recruitment Officer
1 Imperial Treasury
3 Colonial Harbor
3 Indomitable Home
1 Chugo Seido
3 Fortifications
2 Traveling Peddler

1 Hida Kisada
1 Kaiu Iemasa
1 Hiruma Akio exp.
3 Kaiu Nakano
3 Kaiu Kawachi
3 Kaiu Esumi
3 Hiruma Nikaru
1 Hida Komatsu
1 Kuronada exp.2
1 Moto Xiao exp.
1 Daigotsu Hotako exp.3
1 Hida Fubatsu - exp
1 Yasuki Jin Kuen exp.2

3 Gold And Steel
3 Broken Alliance
1 Creating Order
2 Sundering Strike
3 Control The Board
3 Yojimbo's Duty
3 Game of Sincerity
3 Siege Volley
3 Know no Fear
3 Unorthodox Attack
1 A Game of Dice
2 Duty of the Crab

3 Nakanu Technique
3 Vigilant Riders
3 Gift Armor
Blade of Champions

1 Ring of Water

***List comments, copied directly from the C3****

Game of Sincerity, Know no Fear, Alter History, Broken Alliance, Duty of the Crab, Stronghold action and Siege volley's unperformed RA4 are the tools against dishonor. Also Game of Dice is amazing against other big unit decks, that are popular lately. GoS is maybe the only card that they can't do much about, unless they are running Fall Backs or have RoW in hand (or in play). Esumi, Nakano, the Recruitment officers and every personality with Vigilant Riders can play the GoSincerity quite effectively.

Alter History got the place of Imperial Gift. It's a nescessary evil as I've been told (and witnessed when faced Kitsu honor robot). Vigilant Riders can't be attached by Nikaru and Hotako, but there are attachments for those guys, so don't worry too much. After all, being 7F gets them well ahead of most Ranged attacks. Also Vigilant Riders is that good, as it has proven itself in testing.

The difference with this and the Berserker counterpart is that this list has many things to do against any matchup, and it's much easier to defend without even bothering being there. Printed 9 PS is a huge asset anyway you see it.

The rest of the ideas involved, running 1 additional straighten in the form of Honor never Falls, which is like an additional Yojimbo's duty most of the times (more than enough battle uniques), and running 2 copies of Heart of Darkness, to accompany Games of Sincerity. Although people tend to run at least 2x Brawls in every deck, that does not mean that they always have Brawls up and ready, so...maybe it's enough to boost those Vigilant Riders to 'hero' status. Anyway, the list came out as shown above, having 2 Duty of the Crab in the slot that I originally had Hearts. Duty is good enough to make it worthwhile, especially when it catches honor runners in surprise.
*****

Any ideas from you guys would be greatly appreciated

If you find you are having a problem with Honor might I recommend Rumors Travel? From the Kitsu Honor perspective they have a lot of little gains and a well timed Rumors Travel can easily swing the game by a turn or two which is all a Military deck really needs. A number of the Honor decks nickel and dime you for lot's of small gains so Rumors Travel works a lot better compared to Beloved of the Clan in CE.

I'm not that big a fan of Ring of Water these days. I find the extra utility you get off of strategies outweighs the off-chance of getting ROW in play.

I'd cut a copy of Broken Alliance and drop Water to go 2/2 on Broken Alliance/Rumor's Travel.

Ring of Water is the best movement in EE. It can send personalities from a battle to another, amazing for setting up armies for split province attack, it straightens the unit that moved, and it saves bowed people from lost battles. Plus it can be reusable if you draw it early on every military. I don't think it's going out for quite some time in every deck that I play.

Right now, honor runners are not tough to deal with that list. Although I don't know how comfortable I would be to throw away a potential 'anti-send home' just to ping them for some honor gains. Probably taking a province is better if you can 'counter' a send home.