With previews being rolled out (including here on Strange Assembly), I know that everyone’s focus has shifted to Ivory Edition. But we did just get a new Legend of the Five Rings expansion – Aftermath – and so (like I did for Gates of Chaos, except shorter this time) I think it’s worth taking the time to look at some of the really excellent art that makes it onto L5R cards. And not just because it annoys me how every year the art on CCGs get ignored by major boardgaming awards.

Best Art That I’ve Already Nit-Picked

You may recall that when previewing Find Your Center I took the time to note that I wasn’t sure why Shikei was carrying two katana in this image. Even taking that into account they, this piece by Calderon Studio is quite nice, with really great detail on Shikei’s tattoos and the mountains behind him.

Best Use Of A Plant As A Deadly Weapon

Thanks to the dual efforts of Adam Schumpert (for drawing the art, of course) and Adrian Burton (for getting the Gardener keyword preserved, even though the mechanical part of the card about that was gone), we get this rather testy Asahina choking a … well, let’s say it’s a Fudoist, rather than any modern expletives … with a vine.

Best Accessory

You’ve got to love the umbrella. Not another savage shugenja soaked to the bone or riding the storm. No, Edwin Stevens brings us a shugenja who’s going to crush you with the rain, and still stay nice and dry while she’s at it.

Best Just Cool Looking

I just like the detail in this one – the face, mask, armor edging and the background. Schumpert strikes again!

Best Background That’s Just Way Too Good

Now, solid work on a female character isn’t exactly something new for Mario Wibisono. But what really makes Doji Tatsuki’s art stand out to me isn’t the good work on Tatsuki herself, but all the great background detail. Each of the four guys sitting in the background, presumably enraptured by Tatsuki’s oratory, is very nicely done. And the screen/wall behind them is gorgeous.

Honorable Mentions: Ikoma Takakura (Brent Chumley), Into the Wastes (Nikolay Stoyanov), Jade Pearl Inn (Alayna Lemmer), Kitsune Kichi (Immar Palomera)