[Shujin]

Lupines are inferior to their Felidae counter parts.
Thats something many agree on.
1.) One of the main arguments is how The instincts of the Felidae are Arguably better than the Instinct of the Lupine.

Str, Wil, Def, Res for the Lupine
Ski, Cel, Luc, Guile for the Feliade

Both good but the fact that they count to the maximum limit of stats boosts you can have quickly reduce the effectiveness of both (Str and Will buffs are universally more common aswell from items and skills. Making it much sooner not even apply the full bonus and making building San less desireable.) if they happen to use any other buffs. With a 40 San build both gain 10 in each stat, which is already half of the maximum you can have. I'd argue that both could need their instincts be adjusted to work like Vampires stats, and not count to the maximum 20 points of buffable stats you can have, as its technically racial stats.
However Felidae is universally more useful with their stats as almost every build needs Ski or Luc, while Str and Wil can be missing entirely and Def/Res are at a certain thereshold only "Nice to have" and a rather minimal boost.


2.)
What makes Felidaes however undiniably better is Fleetfoot. Movements is an insanely powerful as a stat. War cry absolutely pales in comparision. Not only does War Cry cost a valuable skill pool slot (Make it a trait instead and not cost a skill pool slot). Its effects are underwhelming and still costs 10FP even with 40 San (it costs 50-Scaled San FP, which also makes it unuseable for new players.)
The level of hunted in can maximally apply is less than bloody palm does passively for dealing magic damage. That alone makes it super unattactive but it also needs an infliciton check so you have to actively build for it, for a minimal effect and minimal damage. Over all? Warcry is in an insanely bad position and can't hold its candle to the what the Felidaes get.

While instincts are just arguably better and kinda depend on their user, their secondary skill is without a doubt better for Felidaes....So I was thinking to maybe give the Lupines something that seems to fit their offensive and long living nature more...

Could they maybe get instead something that increases their armor and magic armor, in the same way the instincts raise stats? (1+10% San at 50% HP and doubles at 25%)
This would give them a little edge again and make them a bit more tanky.


3.) The Prayer for the Lupines also lost a bit of it's appeal now that it's buffed physical resisatnce got lowered to effectively just 2% instead of 5% and War Cry is still terrible even with it. So could the Lupine part of the trait maybe increase the Lupines Instinct level or if we get the added Armor/Magic Armor added, increase that instead? I think this would lift Lupines up a bit again to make them able to compete with their counter parts again.


Bonus: Grimalkins should get their own instinct, which is like Felidaes just that they get Wil instead of guile.