Relative levels of power...
Yakuza:
No modifier bundle
Bundles of Locations, and two styles total. Two Dirty Tricks, One Sneaky Trick, 3 Poison Blades (not usuable on each other, can't even use it twice in the same round if you happened to have bought Fist of Fury on an item).
Against Light> Sneaky Trick is trumped (And thoroughly smacked around) by Holy Day (and Holy Warrior). Dirty Trick is trumped thoroughly because of Purity of Focus at Fourth Tier(when the Yak will have a second DT) which only slightly trumps Chi Strike (Chi Strike will guarantee that a move goes through at least, which is useful). Poison Blade is completely negated at the highest rank (Perfect Defense) and becomes necessary to even attempt to win without styles or locations although then the light is able to at least generate more multi-hit moves at will than the equivilant Yak with Cunning Defense, until then it is useful, but also negated by Chi Strike. Mastery at least guarantees that none of the lights moves will be either of the Yaks two styles. Overlord in itself isn't all too useful either unless the match is said to begin after the masters (and before their first move is generated) so they can gain the location of the day (But in all this would really just be trumped by the Holy Warrior power).
Against Dark> Sneaky tricks has no real advantage either way (matter of initiative, another Sneaky Trick). Dirty Tricks, only at the Second Tier does that Yak have more Dirty Tricks (at one) at every subsequent tier, the Dark either ties or has more (more starting at Dark Lord). Poison Blades are equal. Overlord is just thoroughly trumped by Unholy Warrior. Cunning Attack and Cunning Defense could be relatively equal, although I do feel the more aggressive is more useful in general, as most paths are able to generate multi-hit moves at will (with Yak being the only one limited down to the 2 hit at will max).
Against these two, the Yaks only plus is their huge selection of locations, which do lack immunity as styles. Also both of these are able to close the gap of the styles/locations by Tier 5 with their Right of Domain and Mind Thief powers. At least Mind Thief in its own would come into play more often (at least statistically, as there are alot more honored and light fighters than yak and dark). The Dark also has the added advantage of always winning insults.
Against Yen>
Dirty Trick is just trumped by Bribe Judges. While it does cost yen, the only consequence of not having yen, is that they go down in ranks like everyone else, unless it's at a 0 rank. At Tier 4 as well, they can generate at least 2 yen per fight to cover one Bribe Judges. Although yen does enter the system slowly except on special tournaments. Purchased Power also is slightly more useful than Poison Blade if only simply because you can choose poison blade or something else (like Fist of Fury) instead, but with a cost. However, if they've gotten to that rank in the first place, it does kind of have to assume that they've actually ... won some fights, so will probably have some yen. Sneaky Tricks is useful against a sash at least, although it may be trumped by a Bribe Judges. Also a typo warning in the rules page
Diamond Sash: Signature Style, Purchased power,
. I'm assuming that there isn't another power there. In all though, I feel that the Yakuza do stack up fairly well against the Yen path.
Against Honor>
For every sig loc a Yak gets, they get a sig style instead, for every gang member a Yak gets, they get a dojo style instead. Style > Location simply by pretense of immunity. The possibility to generate two locations in a move is actually twice as rare as generating a single modifier at all (which was also deemed insiginficant as a result from yb1)... I would like to actually change that possibility into an impossibility myself though (and to make the named locations actually used again). Fist of Fury is more aggressive than DTs, and is mirrored in acquistion rate. A yak either holds their DTs for the FoF (acting as a poor man's Chi Strike against Dirty Tricks for the Honored fighter) or uses them and risks getting smacked by the FoF. They are relatively balanced, although personal opinion would lead my to feel FoF was more powerful (except in strategy matches, where the boon of going last is it's only benefit). Chi Strike is more generally useful as it can guarantee a round won't be interfered with by Dirty Tricks at least or even for the opponent to give their move extra weight with Sneaky Tricks or poisoning thier blades. It suffers a fair bit in strategy matches resulting in it detering into uselessness because of being forced to go first. Mastery v Poison Blade. Mastery and FoF can be used to generate 4 point moves at will. Poison Blade at best, 2 point moves at will. Mastery also has the added benefit of negating the immunity benefit of opponent's signature styles. 5 Modifier Bundles > 0 Modifier Bundles I hope to be obvious
. Dojo Master v Overlord again is really minimal benefit for either case, Dojo Master has an added boon at least if it is after the Ancient Masters declaration of being more highly weighted.
Some thoughts at least.
The consequences of Chi Strike and the Tricks in a strategy match is that they tend to be more a hinderance for the hero, and much more the benefit to be sat upon by the villain for sake of initiative alone. It may be worthwhile to reconsider these powers so that they don't depend on initiative and that strategy balance and standard balance are at least more so the same.
With the number of sig styles a honored fighter gets, it may also be worthwhile to consider removing their immunity by default (would balance out my biggest qualm with Yakuza power level right there) and also make the fights more interesting and less likly to be won by round defaults.
Maybe also give the Yak at least one Modifier bundle so that they aren't the only path without one.
