A few - very few - Australians have been playing L5R since the days of Imperial Edition. L5R reached "critical mass" in larger cities considerably later. In Melbourne, the game took off around the release of Anvil of Despair, in Brisbane, L5R didn't achieve much popularity until Pearl Edition and The Hidden Emperor. Now, several large cities have a stronghold store (see list below), and players from outlying regions will often make journeys of a couple of hours to play in tournaments.

Melbourne is arguably Australia's most active L5R center (although Sydney players, following a long tradition of inter-city rivalry, will probably disagree!). Melbourne hosted the 1999 Australian Kotei Event, drawing well over 30 players, with some coming from Sydney and Canberra (including then Canberra resident Paul Nicholls, winning for Phoenix).

Although players discovered L5R at different times, some themes are consistent. Many players were introduced to Rokugan by way of the RPG. Even for non-roleplayers, the story-telling nature of the CCG is a major selling point. Players' love of the story made The Storming of Morikage Castle a high point for L5R play throughout Australia. Tournament organizers drew their best numbers ever, rivaling even the Australian Kotei Emperor tournament.

In general, Australian players have a small number of clans that they tend to play. They stick with those clans in competitive play, rather than abandoning them for the "flavor of the week.' It's not ignorance of tournament trends overseas that keeps player loyal; a good number of Australians participate on the l5rinfo discussion list.

L5R continues to grow in Australia. Although only one Australian made the long trip to GenCon in 1999, L5R's consistently increasing popularity means you can probably expect to meet a few more Aussies at GenCon next year.

A discussion list, aust15r, is available specifically for Australian L5R players. To join, go to http://www.one1ist.com

Australian Stronghold Stores

Australian Games Wizards 22a Currie Street Adelaide SA 5000 Phone: 61-88-410-4010

Alternate Worlds - Albury 1A/451 Swift Street Albury NSW 2640 Phone: 06-04-15-592

Alternate Worlds - Camberwell 744 Burke Road Camberwell VIC 3124 Phone: 03-98-82-03-48

Alternate Worlds - Windsor 76 Chapel Street Windsor VIC 3181 Phone: 03-95-29-22-55

The Hit Point PO Box 364 Nundah, QLD 4012 Phone: 07-32-56-75-60

Mind Games 244 Swanston Street Melbourne VIC 3000 Phone: 03-96-63-46-03

The Tin Soldier 1st Floor, 97-99 Argyle Street Parramatta NSW 2150 Phone: 02-96-89-35-22

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