Secret HQ
art (c) Mike Trap
Not only am I mildly disappointed with how the Seven Masters themselves turned out, there are a couple of cards that really grate on me (cough swords cough). I don't like the idea of the Seven Masters being a regular faction with foundations -- Stand Together and Secret Pact have shown that you can have more generic resource requirements. I envisioned the Seven Masters as fitting in any and every deck -- not as a slow big thug faction where you really have to work for your reward (sort of like the ReAscended).
If I were designing the cards, here's how how I would have tweaked the costs to make them more playable:
Boundless Heaven Sword
State
Cost: 
X
Unique. Weapon. This card's cost cannot be reduced by other effects, even
when
returning it to play. Subject Character's printed Fighting is 11 and its damage
cannot be reduced or redirected. Turn to give subject Superleap until the end of
the turn. X = 7 - Subject's cost.
Invincible Earth Sword
State
Cost: 
X
Unique. Weapon. This card's cost cannot be reduced by other effects, even
when returning it to play. Subject Character's printed Fighting is 11, takes no
damage from Sites, and is not affected by Sites' effects. Turn to give subject
Toughness: 3 until the end of the turn. X = 7 - Subject's cost.
Ghost Wind
Master of the Liquid Sword
Cost: 4
Fighting: 6
Provides:
Unique. You must have at least one resources from two different factions
in your pool to play this card. When you smoke an opponent's Character and
Ghost Wind is not smoked at the same time, gain 1 Power. You cannot gain more
than 2 Power per turn this way. May be played at no cost if an opponent controls
5 or more Characters.
Gold Lion
Master of the Wah-Shan Clan
Cost:
5
Fighting: 9
Provides:
Unique. Superleap against opponents who have Power in their pool. Once
per turn, you may discard a card to heal X damage on him. X= the cost of the
discarded card.
Ho Chen
Master of the Flawless Strike
Cost: 5
Fighting: 7
Provides:
Unique. You must have at least three resources from a single faction in
your pool to play this card. Superleap against opponents who have 3 or
more cards in their hand. Once per turn, you may discard a card to do X damage
to target Character about to enter combat with Ho Chen. X= the cost of the
discarded card.
Li Mao (Promo)
Young Master
Cost:
4
Fighting: 6
Provides:
Unique. When Li Mao enters play, choose a resource. He is not affected
by Events that require that resource. Discard a non-Character
or
card to
give him Superleap until the end of the turn.
Red Bat
Master of the Kunlun Clan
Cost:
5
Fighting: 4
Provides:
Unique. Independent. +1 Fighting for each Event in your smoked pile. May
be played at no cost if any opponent has 8 or more Events in his or her smoked
pile.
Sky Dragon
Master of the Invulnerable Stance
Cost: 7
Fighting: 8
Provides:
Unique. Takes no combat damage.
Wu Man Kai
Master of Wudang Mountain
Cost:
5
Fighting: 9
Provides:
Unique. Once per turn, you may discard a card to
cancel a Character until the end of the turn. Once per turn, you may
discard 2 cards to cancel a Site, Edge, or State until the end of the turn.
More to come...
