Legend of the Five Rings Rules Archive Last updated 20 December 2003

General Rules

Actions and abilities | Allying | Ancestors | Attaching | Battle | Bonuses and penalties | Bowing | Canceling and negation | Costs | Death and destruction | Decisions | Discarding | Dishonor | Draw | Duels | Effects | Entering play | Events | Experienced | Faction affiliations | Family names | Fealty | Fear | Followers | Holdings | Honor | Honor requirements | Imperial Favor | Joining and changing controllers | Kiho | Losing the game | Naval | Political | Ranged Attacks | Redirection | Regions | Reveal | Search | Sensei | Seppuku | "Soul of..." | Spells | Tactician | Targeting | Terrains | Timing | Tokens | Traits | Versions | Winds | Yu

Specific Cards and Strongholds

Fate Cards: Actions | Ancestors | Followers | Items | Kiho | Rings | Sensei | Spells
Dynasty Cards: Events | Holdings | Personalities | Regions
Winds | Strongholds

Rulings are for the non-Experienced version of a card unless otherwise specified. Rulings for cards that are the "Soul of.." an earlier card are often found under the earlier card name (i.e., the one listed behind "Soul of...").

Sources | Legend of the Five Rings Home Page

General Rules

Actions and abilities

• The sequence to play an action is to announce the action, pick targets, pay costs, then generate effects. [Summary of other rulings]
• You may play Reactions that do nothing if they are otherwise legal (e.g., Rallying Cry after a battle where you have no units). [DW, 12/3/96]
• Performing an action on an attached card, a card from hand, or discarding for a Tactician bonus, are not abilities. [DW, 8/3/98, email, 17 December 1998]
• A card worded, "Do X. If Y is true, Z happens" can be played when Y is false. [JA, 5 October 2000]
• "Performing" and "taking" an action are synonymous. [VRD, 14 November 2000]
• The phrase "actions on cards" does not include actions allowed by card traits (e.g., Den of Spies). [JA, email, 7 December 2000]
• Whether an action is legal to try takes into account the known state of the game (i.e., ongoing effects, bowed status, placement of units in battle), not just the action's own effects (the so-called "Smart Cards" ruling). [JA, 18 April 2001]
  • Whether an action has a given keyword or targets is not affected by game state. [JA, 13 May 2001]
  • Game state does not include information that is not visible to all players (e.g., knowing information about cards face down or in decks). [JA, 23 May 2001]
  • The information must be publically visible, not calculated and inferred from other effects. E.g., a card focused face down in a duel has an unknown value, even if effects in play would raise it to some minimum or maximum value. [JA, 29 October 2003]
• Actions legally initiated by a Personality resolve normally, regardless of any Reactions that immediately affect the Personality (e.g., death, dishonor, etc.). [Summary of other rulings]
• An action is successfully performed after all costs are paid and giving other players the opportunity to perform Reactions to it. [JA, 26 April 2002]

Allying

• Cards responding to winning or losing a battle, or destroying a Province, cannot be played by, or to affect, allies. Only the Attacker and Defender can normally receive bonuses or penalties as a result of the outcome of a battle.
• If both the Attacker and Defender invite you as an ally and you have no units in the battle, an action that does not require a unit in the battle may be played with either army considered to be "opposing." After the first such action, the same army is always considered "opposing." [Summary of other rulings, JA, 18 March 2001]
  • Similarly, an action that brings another player's Personality into the current battle can only be played if that player is the Attacker, Defender, or invited ally. An invited ally can only pick which army the Personality joins if the player has not commited units to either side. [JA, 18 December 2001]

Ancestors

• Ancestors able to attach to a Personality due to the Ancestor's text (e.g., Yokai no Junzo) are not destroyed if that Personality loses a trait that allowed the Ancestor to attach (e.g., loss of Shadowlands trait). [Summary of other rulings]
• For Shadowlands Ancestors, the Shadowlands trait acts like a Faction trait for the purpose of meeting the Ancestor's Faction restriction. [ZF, 24 August 2003]

Attaching

• Attaching a card that "can only be attached to a (Keyword) Personality" is an action that targets (Keyword) cards only. [Extension from Kitsuki Kaagi's Journal]
• "Attached" is a two-way relationship. Personalities are attached to Followers, etc., and vice versa. [JA, ZF, 21 May 2000]
• Multiple cards are moved simultaneously, not sequentially, when transfered from one Personality to another. If some cards require that others be attached to the new Personality for their own attachment to be legal (e.g., Traveling Poet), they cannot be moved. [DW, email]
• The controller of a Personality controls all attached cards regardless of who owns or attached them.
• A card that can be attached to another player's Personalities is not "targeting with a card effect." Attaching a follower to a Personality is a rulebook effect; such cards just extend the number of legal targets. [JA, 5 October 2000]
• Attaching is not an action when allowed by a card trait. [JA, 14 December 2001]
• Treat, "will only attach [Keyword] [Card type]" as meaning, "[Card type] this Personality attaches must be [Keyword]." [ZF, 13 July 2002]

Battle

• Units involved in Attack Segments created by card effects (e.g., Ambush) are in armies. [JA, 8 January 2003]

Maneuvers Segment

• "Assign" and "commit" are synonyms and refer to unit placements made during a Maneuver Segment, or by Reactions that take place during or immediately after one. Cards that enter a battle via Battle or Open actions are never "assigning" or "committing," regardless of whether one of those terms is used on the card. [DW, email, 4/8/99]
• You may not assign or move troops into a battle unless you are the Attacker, the Defender, or an invited ally, or you use a card that specifically allows you to do so. [DW, email, 1/8/97]

Action Segment

• Cards with "Battle action phase" should read "battle action segment." [ZF, 6 June 2000]
• Reactions played before the Defender's first Battle or Open action are part of the Battle Action Segment, regardless of the exact wording of the card. [FAQ, VRD, 7 November 2000]
  • Reactions that happen "before the Battle Action Segment" do not occur during battle, and are not equivalent to "before the Defender's first action" or "at the start of the Battle Action Segment." [JA, 11 September 2001]
  • Reactions triggered by actions taken "before the Defender's first action" (e.g., Shiryo no Taisa) cannot be used after the Defender's normal first opportunity for that action. [ZF, 20 September 2003]
• If a player can take a Limited action during battle (e.g., Plans Within Plans), it must meet requirements for Presence and Relevance. [JA, 29 March 2002]
• A card leaving play (e.g., because it is destroyed) does not count as "leaving the battle." [JA, 3 July 2000]
• Switching units counts as moving the units, and is one effect. Preventing one unit from moving prevents switching. [VRD, 10 December 2000]
• If an attacked Province is destroyed during battle (e.g., Blackmail), the battle continues normally, except that the Province cannot be destroyed. [DW, 7/10/97] Effects that move cards into, out of, or between "Provinces" are legal until the battle ends. [Netnews, 7/1/99]
• Actions that move a Personality into the current battle as one of the effects can be used if he or she is in the current battle, (e.g., Experienced Matsu Hataki, Experienced 2 Daidoji Rekai). [JA, 11 January 2002] The movement effect does nothing (e.g., you may not play Slaughter the Scout). [JA, 22 January 2002]
• An action that ends a battle without resolution does not directly send units home (e.g., they do not trigger A Test of Courage); units go home after such an action because units always go home when a battle ends.
• Units sent home are not bowed unless the effect says so.
• Moving a card into a battle from elsewhere is not "affecting a card in that battle." [JA, email, 20 August 2003]
• Changing the destination of the movement is not the same as negating the movement. Thus, if a unit that was to be sent home bowed is instead moved someplace other than home (e.g., Suitengu's Uncertainty), the unit still bows. [JA, email, 25 November 2003]

Resolution Segment

• Reactions that require destroying the opposing army may be played if the battle is a tie, provided the card is not in the battle. [DW, 17 April 1996; ZF, 29 June 2003]
• Reactions that require destroying an army or Province can be played if the destruction was caused by a card effect during the resolution segment. (Note: Terrains resolve in the Battle Action segment, not the Resolution Segment.) [JA, 14 February 2001]
• During battle resolution, you do not get honor for cards whose destructions are prevented (e.g., Into the Heavens), or for cards that pre-emptively destroy themselves to prevent the destruction of other cards. [RD, 27 December 1996]
• If one of the Defender's Personalities (e.g., Hida Sozen) survives battle resolution at a battle where his Province is destroyed, he or she goes to the Defender's home after that battle ends. [JA, 22 October 2003]

Aftermath

• A resolved battle is still a battle until the Attack Phase ends. (Note that only defending units remain in battle after resolution.) [ZF, 8 June 2000]
• Units in a resolved battle are still part of an army. (Note that only defending units remain in battle after resolution.) [ZF, 8 June 2000]

Bonuses and penalties

• Cards with "*" as a stat are read individually to determine whether it has a bonus. Some refer to a "bonus" or "gain," in which case they have no (i.e., zero) printed stat. Others state a variable the stat is equal to, which is not a bonus. [Reversal, JA, email, 30 August 2000]
  • Similarly, the printed focus value for Fate cards is found in the circle at the bottom of the card. Special text that resets a card's Focus values (e.g., Burning Your Essence, Let Your Spirit Guide You) only affect the current Focus value. [Summary of other rulings]
• Effects that multiply, divide, or swap stats are still "increases," "bonuses," "penalties," etc. [Summary of other rulings]
• Bonuses from traits that switch on and off (e.g., "while attacking") are reapplied every time the relevent condition is met, if there is any intervening point when the bonus switches off and is not longer given. E.g., during an Ambush, a defending Hida Tampako's defensive bonus is reduced to 0; if he later defends during a normal Attack Phase on the same turn, he gains a new +2F defensive bonus. [VRD, email, 12 January 2001; JA, email, 17 January 2001]
• Attaching an Item or Follower that gives "+X" to a stat is not an action giving a force bonus. The force bonus comes directly from the attached card, not the action. [Reversal, JA, 5 July 2001]
• An action creating a "+X " token is not an action providing a bonus to a given stat. [VRD, 26 July 2001
• Increasing an existing bonus (e.g., the fluctuating bonus from a Celestial Sword) is not a new force bonus, and cannot be used for effects triggered by a Personality receiving a force bonus. [JA, 5 July 2001]

Bowing

• An effect that prevents cards from straightening "until" some future time prevents them from being straightened in any way during the meantime, even if they are only prevented from straightening "as normal." On the other hand, an effect that prevents cards from straightening "during" a particular period does not prevent those cards from being straightened during other periods. [DW, 10/18/96]
• Actions on Items that do not require the attached Personality to bow can be used when he or she is bowed if the Item is not. [DW, email, 2/7/97]
• Regions and Fortifications may be bowed. [DW, 27 June 1997]
• A card that is entering play bowed (e.g., holdings) or returning to play bowed (e.g., Glick) are not considered to "become bowed," because cards out of play or in the discard pile are not considered bowed. Thus, effects that respond to bowing (e.g., Corruption's Price) or prevent bowing (e.g., Inspiration) will not prevent a card from being bowed when entering or returning to play. [JA, 2 December 2002]
• All text saying, "until this card straightens" should read "while this card stays bowed." [JA, 21 May 2003]

Canceling and negation

• Page 72, paragraph 2 of the Diamond Edition rulebook should read in part, "If a card is 'sent home bowed' and the movement is prevented or negated, do not bow the card," not, "do not move the card." [Erratum, Diamond Edition rulebook]
• Traits that say "cannot" or "may not" and list an effect (e.g., "cannot be moved out of battle," "cannot be challenged," "cannot challenge," etc.) negate those effects. [Summary of other rulings]
• Although targeting occurs before costs are paid, if an action is canceled at the targeting step (e.g., Balance in Nothingness), all costs must still be paid. Variable costs may be chosen based on the knowledge that the action has been canceled. [JA, 15 May 2003, 18 December 2003]

Costs

• Anything that allows you to put a card into play for a gold amount other than the cost printed within the gold coin changes the cost, including hiring in-clan personalities at reduced cost. [Reversal; JA, 25 July 2000]
• For variable cost cards, as soon as you decide on a cost, any alteration after that point is a "change." [DW, 8 June 2000]
• Non-variable costs cannot be paid multiple times to generate multiple effects in a single action. [Extension from Gaijin Mercenaries, DW, netnews, 3/11/96]
• Putting a card into play directly, "without gold cost," or by "waiving" its cost do not reduce the cost to zero. You cannot gain honor for playing an aligned Personality this way. [DW, email, 2/4/99] This does not apply to Holdings that pay "the entire cost."
• Effects that occur instead of some effect (e.g., using Decoy instead of destroying a Personality) will not meet cost requirements, unless card text specifically states that it can (e.g., Acquiring Favor). [JA, 11 January 2001; 18 March 2002]
• "Full cost" means "current cost," not "cost before changes" or "printed cost." [ZF, 12 August 2000]
• For spells that destroy themselves or remove themselves from play, destruction or removal from play is always a cost. [JA, 8 October 2000]
• Altering the cost of a particular type of card only matters when you are bringing that card type into play from your hand or Provinces, not when you are using an action that creates a card of that type. [JA, 18 October 2000] E.g., costs of actions that generate followers (e.g., Farmlands) are not affected by things that pay for or reduce the cost (Hida Tsuru, non-Experienced) of followers. These costs can be reduced by effects that look for when particular effects occur; e.g., "when bringing a follower into play" or "when attaching." [Extension from Hida Tsuru, Experienced. Reversal, JA, email, 20 September 2000]
• You may always choose to pay the reduced cost of an aligned Personality to avoid gaining honor, even if you have produced enough to pay the full price [DW, 19 May 1997] or the Personality costs 0G [Partial Reversal, JA, 13 February 2002], unless you're using a Holding that "pays the entire gold cost." [DW, email, March 1999]
• "Once per turn" and similar phrases are restrictions, not costs. [JA, 7 October 2002]
• Cost changes or minimum cost stipulations are applied in the order they take effect. E.g., a continuous cost change that applies to all cards you own from a stronghold (e.g., Warrens of the Nezumi; Kyuden Agasha) applies before a cost change from an action (e.g., The Seppun Temples; Scroll Cache). [JA, 22 November 2002]
• Effects that reduce a card's cost do not affect the cost of abilities on cards already in play. [ZF, 31 December 2002]
• The 2 Gold discount for hiring a Personality of your Faction applies only to the current purchase, not until the end of the turn. [JA, 1 April 2003]
• For Reactions that occur "before" costs of a trigger action are paid, you must have a legitimate way to pay for the trigger action in order to perform the Reaction. [JA, 11 June 2003]
• If a Personality is destroyed while costs are being paid to attach a card (e.g., Corruption's Price), the full costs must be paid (if possible), and the card that was to be attached is discarded, because its announced target is not available. [JA, 1 July 2003]
• You cannot pay costs using another player's cards. [JA, 15 December 2003]
• Although targeting occurs before costs are paid, if an action is canceled at the targeting step (e.g., Balance in Nothingness), all costs must still be paid. Variable costs may be chosen based on the knowledge that the action has been canceled. [JA, 15 May 2003, 18 December 2003]
• If part of a cost of an action or of playing a card is prevented, all other costs must still be paid. Variable costs may be chosen based on this knowledge, as far as the card allows. [JA, 18 December 2003]

Death and destruction

• A destroyed card goes in the discard pile of whoever controlled it at the time. If someone else owns it, the card does not change piles when the change-of-control effect would normally wear off. [DW, 12/2/97]
• An attached card that grants you some bonus effect when destroyed (e.g., Lesser Oni) must be destroyed directly to collect the reward. Destroying it by destroying the Personality doesn't count. [DW, RD, email, 16 April 1998]
• Being removed from the game or discarded does not count as destruction. [24 May 1999; JA, 15 October 2002]
• The following causes of destruction are not card effects:
  • 0 Chi (rulebook effect). [JA, 29/30 November 2000]
  • Yu (rulebook effect). [JA, 18 April 2002]
  • Battle (rulebook effect, even if the battle was created by a card; e.g., Ambush). [ZF, 30 December 2002]
• The following causes of destruction are card effects (or Stronghold effects; etc.):
  • Losing a duel. [JA, 20 July 2002]
  • Ranged Attacks. [ZF, 30 December 2002]
• Whether a card in the discard pile is discarded, Honorable Dead, or Dishonorable Dead depends on the most recent time it was placed in the discard pile. [JA, 31 March 2003]
• When a Personality is destroyed, the Followers are considered to be attached to the Personality when the Followers are destroyed. [ZF, 13 November 2003]

Decisions

• Decisions are not actions. [Summary of other rulings]
• If a card effects forces you to make a decision, you may not choose an option that is known in advance will fail. You may, however, immediately respond with a voluntary effect that negates or cancels the action or effect you chose. [Summary of other rulings]

Discarding

• For cards printed prior to Diamond Edition: "Discard from play" means "remove from the game."
• Discards come from your Fate hand unless otherwise specified. [JA, 18 December 2001]
• A Dynasty card placed in the discard pile after a Province has been destroyed is not discarded "from" the Province (e.g., it is not a legal trigger for Bayushi Sharaku's Reaction). [JA, 25 February 2003]
• Although cards go to the discard pile after being played, this does not count as "discarding a card." [JA, 8 April 2003]

Dishonor

• If a dishonored Personality is shuffled into your Dynasty Deck, he or she will still be dishonored when he or she reappears. If aligned with your Faction, paying full price will gain you 0 honor and not restore him or her to honor. [Extension from Akodo Toturi, netnews, 15 July 1999]
• Honor loss caused by the destruction of a dishonored Personality is a rulebook effect. [Summary of other rulings]

Draw

• If you "draw and discard" a Fate card:
  • You must discard the card drawn. [28 May 1999]
  • The card goes to your hand before being discarded. (If text says to "reveal and discard", the Fate card is never in your hand.) [JA, netnews, 6 December 2001]
• "Draws" happen when you take the top card(s) off a deck, regardless of whether the term "draw" is used. Searching a deck to get a specific card is not "drawing." [DW, email] Revealing and returning cards to a deck is not "drawing." [JA, 20 August 2002]
• Each card draw is separate. You may take actions between them or give up individual cards that are part of multiple-card draws to pay for abilities such as Kyuden Hitomi. [Reversal, DW, email, 18 August 1998]

Duels

• When one Personality steps in for another in a duel, the duel's results apply to the new Personality as if he were the original. [DW, 3/11/97]
• Because focuses provide a stat bonus, effects that prevent bonuses affect focusing. [Reversal, JA, email, 30 August 2000]
• Everything that occurs after a challenge is accepted is "during a duel." [JA, 7 November 2001], including destroying the loser. Thus, if Reactions are not allowed during a duel, a Reaction played after the death of a Personality is illegal (e.g., Feign Death), unless the Personality dies before duel resolution. [JA, 28 August 2003; email, October 2003]
• An action creating a challenge must resolve before anything can happen "during" the challenge. E.g., the action can be canceled, even if reactions are not allowed during challenges. [JA, 16 December 2001]
• Anything that restricts your focusing choices in a duel based on Focus values (e.g., Blade of Truths) does so based on the cards' values before they're focused. [JA, 3 April 2002]
• If a stat (e.g., Chi) is changed during a duel by replacing a value from another stat (e.g., Personal Honor in Face Me!), the original stat (i.e., Chi) is still being used. Reactions affect the original stat, not the one the new stat value was based on. [JA, 3 April 2002].
• In a duel of Personal Honor, a dishonored Personality cannot raise his Personal Honor above 0 by focusing, because "dishonored = 0 Personal Honor" is always applied last. [JA, 26 November 2002, 5 December 2002]
• Honor gains occur after the destruction of the losing Personality. [PJ, l5r-fr, 14 March 2003]
• Chi bonuses last until all effects of the duel resolve, including honor gains. [PJ, l5r-fr, 14 March 2003]
• Replacing one Personality in a duel with another does not cause them to change locations. [JA, 25 March 2003]

Effects

• The source of an effect is generally where the effect is physically written in ink. Exceptions include cards or strongholds that grant actions to other cards (e.g., the ability of a Personalitiy controlled by a Yogo Towers player belongs to the Personality).
• Effects applying to all cards "in the game" or cards you "own" affect cards in decks. [JA, 18 December 2001]
• If a card's legality or effect depends on a particular stat value, it cannot be played or has no effect if that stat is unknown. E.g., during a duel of Force, because current Force is typically not known once cards are focused, you cannot straighten a Personality with Moto Technique or have a Personality gain a bonus from Dotanuki. [Extension from Moto Technique, 2 June 2003]
• Any effect with a duration of "until this card straightens" plays as though it read, "while this card remains bowed." I.e., if you are able to produce the effect without bowing the card, it ends immediately. [Extension from Kakita Atoshi, JA, 10 June 2003]
• The following are not "ongoing effects." [JA, 18 June 2003]
  • Creating something (e.g., a token or a Province).
  • Destroying something.
  • Bowing or straightening something.
  • Dishonoring or re-honoring a Personality.
  • Creating Honor.
  • Producing Gold.

Entering play

• Creating a card or token counts as bringing it into play. [JA, 5 October 2000]
• Any face-up Dynasty card can be purchased during your Dynasty Phase, including cards that weren't exposed until after your Events Phase. [DW, 25 October 1996]
• A Personality enters play before any side-effects of being played occur. [2/5/2000]
• Any single card or action that brings a card into play and gives it the Shadowlands trait is considered to be "bringing a Shadowlands card into play" regardless of the exact relative timing of the two effects.
• Playing a card from your hand counts as "bringing a card into play" and not as "discarding" it, even if that card just has an immediate effect and goes straight into your discard pile. [JA, January 2000; 3 December 2001]
• Honor can only gained for hiring Personalities during the Dynasty Phase. [The Spirit Wars rulebook]
• A player cannot gain honor from hiring a Personality of his or her faction who enters play dishonored (notwithstanding the rule that honor gains occur before a Personality enters play). [Summary of other rulings; JA, 13 August 2002]
• A card that enters play before or at the beginning of a game is entering play. [Extension of House of Tao ruling, JA, 7 November 2002]
• Strongholds and Winds are revealed rather than entering play. [JA, 26 November 2002]
• You must satisfy all restrictions and targeting requirements, then pay all costs before a card comes into play. [JA, 24 March 2003]

Events

• An Event that resolves but does nothing counts as having happened. [DW, 8/12/96]
• You are an event's controller when it is in your province. [JA, 14 September 2000]
• Events that affect all of a particular type of card in play do so simultaneously to all such cards (e.g., Iris Festival). [ZF, 27 June 2001]
• While resolving (but not after, unless they specifically say they enter play), Events are in play and can be targeted. [Extension from Martyr, ZF, 22 April 2003]

Experienced cards

• If you overlay, the less Experienced card's title is lost. [DW, 25 February 1997]
• A less experienced Personality need not be already in play when the Experienced version is first revealed in order to overlay. [FAQ]
• A non-Personality card that counts as some Personality for purposes of Uniqueness will preclude all Unique versions of that Personality from the deck, regardless of their Experience level. [RD, 24 June 1998]
• Experienced Fortifications (e.g., ____ Wall of Otosan Uchi) may be overlayed on an earlier version if the earlier version is in a different Province. [JA, 27 October 2000]
• An "Inexperienced" Personality is not "Experienced." [JA, 6 March 2002]
• When paying the cost to overlay a card by more than one Experience level, you can use "specialty" Gold production and cost reductions (e.g., The Hiruma Dojo) that are appropriate to the new card. [JA, 30 July 2002]
• Experienced and Experienced^KYD cards are separate cards. Both may be in a deck, and neither impinges upon the other's uniqueness. (Only one Experience "path" may be in play at a time, however, just as only one copy of multiple Experience levels can be in play at at time.) For overlaying, ignore the ^KYD completely. [JA, 27 September 2002, 30 October 2002]
• An Experienced card can be overlaid on a less-experienced card even if the title of the less experienced card does not match the trait on the Experienced card, as long as there is an unbroken chain along the experience levels. E.g., the Experienced 2 Ninja Mystic can be overlaid on either the Ninja Mystic (whose trait reads, "Experienced Hoskei") or Hoseki. [ZF, 10 April 2003]

Family names

• The list of family names does not change with tournament format. I.e., a family can be named regardless of whether there are any Personalities who can be legally played in that tournament format. [JA, 13 October 2000]
• "Tsuno" is a family name. [JA, 7 November 2001]
• Family names are determined by card title. [JA, 9 December 2002]
• A single name can be a family name (e.g., Yoritomo) if other Personalities have it as the first part of a two-part name. [JA, 9 December 2002]

Fealty

• "Cannot swear fealty" prohibits the use of any card with "Fealty" in the title or that mentions "fealty" as one of its effects. [ZF, 7 June 2001]

Faction affiliations

• The list of Factions does not change depending on the tournament format. I.e., a Faction defined in the rulebook is legal for all effects that look for a particular Faction, regardless of whether than Faction has a legal stronghold in a particular tournament format. [JA, 13 October 2000]
• "[Keyword] Personality" is synonymous with "[Keyword] Clan Personality." [ZF, 24 May 2001]
• A minor clan alignment (e.g., "Fox Clan") is seperable into individual words, because they are not Faction traits. [JA, netnews, 31 August 2001]

Fear

• "Fear number" refers to the current strength of a Fear effect, not just the numeral printed on the card. [JA, 20 July 2000]
• Always targets a Personality (though it normally only affects Followers), because Fear targets a unit. [JA, 13 October 2000]
• Personalities are not immune to Fear. Immunity is a card effect. [Rulebook]

Followers

• A Follower providing "+X Force" has "X" Force of its own.
• A Follower providing "+X Chi" cannot have its chi drop below zero. [Rulebook] It will not give a chi penalty. [ZF, April 2000]
• If a Follower gains a chi bonus, but does not have "+X Chi" written in the upper right corner, its chi adds to the chi of the unit, not to its Personality. [JA, ZF, April 2000]
• Followers that are allowed to attach to another player's Personality (e.g., Kolat Bodyguard) may do so even if an action is used that specifies a Follower must be attached to one of your Personalities (e.g., Animate the Dead, Yokatsu Sensei). [Summary of other rulings]

Holdings

• Holdings that provide extra gold based on the number of other holdings in play count every players' holdings. [Card text]
• A gold-producing holding is one that lets you do something to "produce X gold" (some old cards say "provide"). An honor-producing holding is one that lets you "gain X Honor." This is true even if X is sometimes zero or depends on outside factors.
• An effect that changes a holding's printed gold (or honor) production will change the number in the upper corner. [JA, 1 October 2000]
• Holdings that cause an honor loss when bowed to produce an effect (e.g., produce Gold) do not cause honor losses whan bowed for other reasons (e.g., as part of a cost for Asahina Handen or Yasuki Taka). [DW; JA, 25 September 2001]
• If a fortification is put directly into play from a deck or discard pile, you may attach it to any of your Provinces. [ZF, 18 April 2003]

Honor

• If you suffer multiple honor losses or gains simultaneously, do not merge them into one gain or loss. [Summary of other rulings]
• Negating an honor loss or gain does not count as reducing it to 0. The loss or gain no longer exists and cannot be modified. [Reversal, l5rinfo/netnews, January 1999]
• Reducing a loss or gain to 0 does not eliminate it. It is a 0 point loss or gain, which can be changed by other Reactions. Nevertheless:
  • A loss that "cannot be negated" may not be reduced to 0.
  • A 0 point gain will not rehonor a dishonored Personality.
• Honor gains or losses for players that cannot gain or lose honor (or gain or lose further honor) never occur and cannot be redirected.

Honor requirements

• A Personality's honor requirement must be met before, during, and after paying costs. [Partial Reversal]
• Honor requirements are not checked if a Personality changes controllers. [VRD, 18 November 2000]
• Personalities' Honor Requirements need only be met during the Dynasty Phase. [JA, 27 September 2001]

Imperial Favor

• If a card is used to pay the cost of an Imperial Favor effect (e.g., Acquiring Favor), it is considered a use of the Favor in all ways. [VRD, 28 December 2001]
• Giving up the Favor to play a card is a non-gold cost and must still be done if you're playing the card "without gold cost." [DW, 5/7/97]
• For cards printed before Gold Edition: If the Imperial Favor must be discarded to pay for an action's cost, the action will always be Political, but the action's effects are not automatically Imperial Favor effects. [ZF, 1 August 2001]
• For cards printed before Gold Edition: Discarding the Favor to pay for an action's optional effect does not make the entire action Political. [JA, email, 7 September 2001]
• "This counts as a lobbying attempt" means an action counts against the number of lobbying attempts you can make in one turn, and may be responded to with Reactions to lobbying, but does not require you to have the single highest Family Honor and does not require that you bow an additional Personality with more than 0 Personal Honor to perform it. [JA, 1 December 2003]

Joining and changing controllers

• Only Personalities and Followers may "join" your Clan. [JA, 7 July 2000]
• "Creating" is not considered "joining." [JA, 10 October 2000]
• If you temporarily take control of another player's Personality, the Personality is not returned to the previous controller when the effect expires if the Personality is out of play. E.g., the Personality is destroyed and in your discard pile (see Death and Destruction), shuffled into your deck [JA, 18 April 2003], or placed under Pit of Blood [JA, 2 December 2003].
• If a card is supposed to be returned to a player (e.g., Otomo Ambassadors, Show of Good Faith) who cannot have a copy of that card (e.g., the Singular trait), the card stays where it is until it can be legally returned. [Summary of other rulings]

Kiho

• Kiho can be cast by bowed Personalities if the kiho or Personality does not require bowing (e.g., Togashi Satsu, Experienced). [JA, 15 September 2003]

Losing the game

• If an attacker is eliminated in the middle of a series of battles, the remaining player to his left determines the order remaining battles will resolve in. [VRD, 28 December 2001]
• Tokens and effects generated by eliminated players persist for their normal duration, including those that will wear off during some future turn of that player. Pretend it's that player's turn for a brief moment. [DW, 3/3/97]

Political

• For cards printed before Gold Edition: An action that can alter an honor gain or loss is always Political, even if it doesn't always do so (e.g., Legendary Victory). [DW, email, 27 June 1997; JA, 13 May 2001].
• For cards printed before Gold Edition: An action that discards the Imperial Favor as a cost is always Political, even if discarding the Favor is an optional cost. [VRD]

Ranged Attacks

• A Ranged Attack that cannot be modified may be combined with another Ranged Attack. [JA, 22 October 2000]
• A Ranged Attack that cannot be combined may have its strength increased or be otherwise modified. [Summary of other rulings]
• Combining Ranged Attacks must be announced when the action is announced, before targeting. [Reversal, JA, 8 December 2003]
• Combined Ranged Attacks gain any special features of the individual Ranged Attacks. E.g., if a Ranged Attack that is compared to Chi (e.g., Moshi Kekiesu) is combined with a regular Ranged Attack, the combined Ranged Attack targets Chi. (Note that text allowing you to target cards that normally could not be targeted will typically not be able to be combined with other Ranged Attacks, because targets are chosen before targeting.) [ZF, 10 November 2003]

Redirection

• An effect that has multiple targets can have one target changed by a single retargeting effect. [RD, 16 January 1997]
• Non-action effects that are redirected the redirected effect to have targeted the card / token / etc., in the first place. [DW, 29 January 1998]
• Substituting a Personality in a duel after the challenge has been accepted is not "redirecting" the duel. The target has been picked and the action is partway through resolving. The substituted Personality is not now the target of the duel. [JA, 16 June 2003]

Regions

• For regions printed prior to Diamond Edition: Unique regions remain Unique and are not Singular. [JA, 28 October 2003]

Reveal

• Looking at a face down card (e.g., Ninja Spy) is not the same as revealing it (e.g., for Sacred Tunnels). [JA, 28 February 2002]

Rings

• Dark Rings are Elemental Rings and each is considered the Ring of [Element] for effects the look for a particular Ring (e.g., Will of Air). [JA, 15 October 2002]

Search

• If a card lets get a particular type of card from your deck but does not require that you reveal it, you do not need to. Your opponent may call upon a neutral party to confirm its legality. [2/5/2000]
• When a card is retrieved from a deck with instructions to play it, it is discarded if it cannot be legally played. [JA, 27 November 2001]

Sensei

• You may not discard a Sensei without a card or Stronghold effect. [FAQ 3.10]
• Stronghold effects occurring after strongholds are revealed are done before Sensei are chosen. [JA, 26 June 2000]

Seppuku

• A Samurai can commit seppuku in response to honor losses generated by non-action effects. [JA, 29 November 2000]
• If a player opts to have a Samurai commit seppuku, the Samurai must commit seppuku as soon as it's known that an honor loss will occur. That may be immediately after being targeted by a card (e.g., Ambush), or after a decision is made (e.g., Iaijutsu Challenge). [VRD, 30 November 2000]
• Reactions responding to rehonoring a Personality cannot be played when a Personality commits seppuku, because a Personality committing seppuku "dies honorably," rather than being restored to honor, then dying. [Gold Edition rulebook]. Thus, the Personality is already dead and cannot use abilities (e.g., Toturi), and cannot be targeted because he or she is out of play. [ZF, 15 July 2001]
• Seppuku is a response to the cause of an honor loss, and thus can be performed before most Reactions to an honor loss itself (which is the effect generated by whatever the samurai has done). [JA, 25 August 2003]
• A Personality who commits seppuku becomes Honorable dead, but is not separately restored to honor while in play. If seppuku does not happen (e.g., Loyal Yojimbo), the Personality is not rehonored. [JA, email, 18 December 2003]

Soul of...

• "Soul of (Name)" is one inseperable trait. [JA, 19 June 2001]
• When used as proxies in tournaments, previously printed Personalities listed in the "Soul of..." traits on more recent legal cards are played as the later "Soul of..." Personality in all ways. [Tournament rules]

Spells

• Black Scrolls are Spells in every way (except The 12^th Black Scroll). [ZF, 1 August 2000]
• For spells that destroy themselves (or remove themselves from play), the spell's destruction is always a cost. [JA, 8 October 2000]
• A "Spell action" is an action on a Spell card. [JA, 14 March 2003]
• An effect occurring "before a spell is cast" happens after costs have been paid (i.e., Shugenja are bowed) but before effects resolve. [JA, 2 June 2003]

Tactician

• A Tactician can only use the rulebook action to raise his or her own Force, not another Personality's. [ZF, 26 October 2003; JA, 27 October 2003]
• For cards printed before Winds of Change:
  • An action that "counts as a use of Tactician" is a Tactical action. [JA, 31 July 2003]
  • An action with the "Tactical" keyword is not a Tactical action. [Erratum, JA, 4 August 2003]
• If a Tactician performs a Tactical action, loses the Tactician trait, then regains it, the Personality may not perform another Tactical action. [JA, 13 December 2001]

Targeting

• Effects that let you to search a deck for a particular card (e.g., Walking the Way) do not target the card. [JA, email, 19 January 2001; 23 July 2001]
• Actions with multiple effects cannot be performed if one of those effects targets and does not have a legal target, regardless of whether the other effects target or have legal targets. [JA, 16 January 2001]
• A Personality with an ability that requires bowing and targeting a Personality may use that ability on him- or herself.
• Effects referring to "face down" cards are not limited to the top card when targeting cards in decks.
• Effects targeting a card in a unit besides the Personality do not target the unit. [AH, 7 June 2000, DW, 8 June 2000]
• If an effect makes the announced target of an action illegal, the action has no effect. You do not pick a new target. [JA, 9 February 2001]
• Effects that target a token on a card may or may not target the card too. [Reversal, JA, 14 June 2002]
• If a Reaction that alters the targeting requirements of another action gets canceled, the original action is still announced and pending. A legal target must be chosen if possible. If not possible, the action is canceled. (Note that it is legal to try to play another Reaction that alters targeting requirements.) [JA, 2 May 2002]
• A card is targeted when some aspect of it is targeted (e.g., when copying a stat on another card). [Extension of Ninja Shapeshifter ruling, JA, 7 October 2002]
• Traits that say "cannot" or "may not" and list some effect (e.g., "cannot be moved out of battle, "cannot be challenged," "cannot challenge," etc.) may be targeted by cards with that effect, but relevent effects are negated. [Summary of other rulings]
• What is targeted is determined by what is affected or chosen. [JA, 1 July 2003]
• If a card forces an opponent to target cards, you must only meet your own targeting requirements to play a card legally. [JA, email, 18 November 2003]

Terrains

• An ability that lets you replace a terrain may not be used in a battle in which you have no units, because it cannot be shown beforehand that the Terrain can be played in a battle in which you have no units. [Reversal, JA, 12 September 2002]
• Terrains only affect cards in their battle.
• Force bonuses from Immediate Terrains (e.g., Kamoko's Charge) are continually recalculated. [ZF, 10 November 2003]

Timing

• If an effect happens "during" one of your Phases, you can have it happen any time in the Phase that you want. [DW, 12/9/96]
• A Reaction that can be used at any time "during" a phase, turn, etc., cannot be activated while another card or effect is resolving. [JA, 8 July 2003]
• Triggered responses, like Reactions, must be taken as soon as its trigger occurs. [ZF, 7 July 2003]
• Traits and continuous effects precede Reactions (e.g., Tetsubo vs. Kakita Technique). [ZF, 23 November 1999]
• Effects that occur between phases or segments resolve in the order of the phase or segment they refer to. E.g., an effect occuring "after the Events Phase" resolves before one occuring "before the Action Phase." [ZF, 10 August 2001]
• If a Reaction creates a situation that only one player can have (e.g., doing something first), the last one takes precedence (e.g., Take the Initiative, Toturi's Treatise, Kakita Technique). [Summary of other rulings]
• A Personality who gains a bonus when a Province is destroyed gains it when destroyed at the end of a battle in which both the losing army and Province are destroyed (e.g., Togashi Nyima). [JA, netnews, 17 January 2002]
• An honor gain that occurs at the start of your turn (e.g., A Soul of Thunder, Boastful Proclamation) may be added to your honor total before you check for an Honor victory or other effects that occur at the start of your turn (e.g., In Time of War). [Extension from A Soul of Thunder]
• Actions must be announced before playing Reactions that occur "before" the initial action occurs (e.g., Imperial Messenger), so that there is a known legal trigger for the Reaction. Once an action is announced, you may not voluntarily abandon it because a Reaction to it has been canceled or negated (unless costs or targeting requirements are no longer met). [ZF, 15 April 2003]
• Reactions played in response to an action (e.g., Faith In My Clan, Kyuden Ikoma) must be played before the action produces any effects (e.g., Fear, a Ranged Attack) or has one of its effects modified (e.g., The Face of Fear, Arrows From the Woods). [JA, 8 December 2003, ZF, 10 December 2003]

Tokens

• Follower and Item tokens are "on" the Personality they're attached to.
• Anything that refers to a particular type of token refers to all such tokens regardless of their source. [DW, 1/3/97]
• Treat references to "printed" force as "base" force for tokens. [ZF, 7 June 2000]
• Tokens do not have titles; only traits. [ZF, 2 August 2000]
• "Destroying" and "removing" tokens are equivalent. [JA, 31 January 2003]
• Tokens cannot be sent to your Fate hand, deck, or discard pile. [ZF, 4 October 2003; JA, October 2003]
• Only token Followers can bow. [Summary of other rulings]

Traits

• "Corrupt" and "Corrupted" are equivalent. [DW, email, 17 December 1998]
• "Tattoo" and "Tattooed" are not equivalent. [ZF, netnews, 26 July 2000]
• A personality targeted by a "(Keyword) Tattoo" card does not gain the "(Keyword) Tattoo" trait. [Reversal, JA, 30 August 2000]
• You may have multiple Unique cards in play or in your deck with the same trait (e.g., Oracle of Earth). [26 May 1999]
• Personal Honor is not limited to a maximum of 5. [DW, email, 1/9/99]
• The Champion trait does not automatically make a Personality a Clan Champion. [VRD, 7 November 2000]
• "[Keyword] Clan Champion" consists of two traits, "Clan Champion" and "[Keyword] Clan" or "[Keyword]", depending on which is a valid Faction or Minor Clan alignment. It is possible (e.g., Oath of Fealty) to acquire "a Clan Champion from your Faction" who does not have those printed traits. [JA, 2 May 2002]
• Samurai Followers:
  • Are legal targets for actions that target samurai. [JA, 8 April 2002]
  • Can be dishonored. [JA, 8 April 2002]
• Numerals can include letters. E.g., effects that change numerals can change "12^th" to "14^th." [Summary of other rulings, 5 December 2002]
• Effects from traits gain bold-faced keywords from the card they are printed on (e.g., Chi loss from Temples of the Snake is a Maho effect). [JA, 2 December 2003]

Versions

• Cards with multiple versions in their most recent printing are played as written.
• Cards and strongholds from "Siege of Sleeping Mountain," "Storms Over Matsu Palace," the TopDeck magazine "Learn to Play" promo booster, and the "L5R Experience" are legal for tournament play, but do not count as the most recent printing (unless they are the only printing). [Rulebook, AH; JA, 2 July 2002]
• Personalities with the "Soul of..." trait are not the most recent printing of the Personality listed in the trait. [JA, 9 June 2001]
• Changes made to the rulebook and card text via the "most recent printing" change take effect as soon as a set is officially released, and is in effect during a pre-release. [DW, RL, 3 July 2001; ZF, April 2003]

Winds

• You may only have one Wind with your play deck. You may not switch Winds between rounds in a tournament. [AH, 10 July 2001; JA, 18 July 2001]
• You may play without a Wind. [JA, 18 July 2001]

Yu

• Destroying the card is not a cost of using its Yu. [JA, 18 September 2001]
• Because Yu is used sequentially, if a card effect (e.g., Ashura) destroys a card with Yu during resolution before the Yu effect is applied, the card does not get to use Yu. [JA, 11 February 2003]
• Using Yu to destroy a dishonored attacking Personality during resolution can make an attacker lose before the defender's last Province is destroyed. [Reversal, JA, 2 July 2003]

Specific Cards

Actions

Accept With Honor

• May be played in response to an unrefusable challenge. [JA, 2 June 2003]

Accessible Terrain

• Reads, "Accessible Terrain 0G 1FV Immediate Terrain. You may play this card during a battle in which you have no units. Battle: The attacker and Defender each gain the ability "Battle: Move one of your units into this battle."" [MRP, An Oni's Fury, 10 December 2001]

Ambush

• Reads, "Ambush 0G 2FV Limited: Declare an additional Attack Phase. Target one of your units that can legally assign to attack and another player's unit to assign to defend (even if illegal). Units in this battle are neither at a Province nor at home. No other units may assign or move to this battle. Units cannot move into or destroy Provinces this battle. After this Attack Phase ends, lose 5 Honor and resume the previous phase." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• Reactions to the declaration of the attack happen before targeting which units attack and defend, and can affect which units are available for attack. A legal attacking unit must be picked if one exists. [JA, 29 October 2003]
• There are no battles at Provinces. [VRD, 21 December 2000]
• Because other units may not move into the battle, any action that would try to move in another unit (e.g., Tireless Assault) are not legal because they will not satisfy the Rule of Relevance. [JA, 11 August 2003]

Ancestors Possess the Living

• The phrase, "an Ancestor... that the Personality could legally attach if you controlled the Personality," includes Uniqueness restrictions. [ZF, 6 August 2000]

Ancestral Dictate

• The ability is gained permanently. [Erratum, JA, 7 November 2000]
• Your Personality need not be in the battle containing the target Personality to send him or her home (though you must have units in the battle). [VRD, 8 November 2000]

Another Time

• Reads, "Another Time 0G 0FV When you reveal this card as a Focus card for a duel, cancel the duel and discard all Focus cards without effect." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• Negates the effects of the duel. (Only actions can be canceled, not duels.) [ZF, 11 July 2002]
• Because it causes the duel to be negated as soon as it is revealed, it will nullify Kharmic Strike and prevent Poisoned Weapon or Judgement of Toshiken from being used. [Card text, DW, 11/8/96]
• Will not stop Shosuro Hametsu's poison token from giving -2C. [DW, 8/2/96] This penalty is applied when a strike is declared, which happens.
• If named by Hantei Sensei, it is considered to have a blank text box. [JA, 7 July 2000]

The Anvil's Blessing

• If used to reveal an Item you cannot afford, your opponent may choose to let you attach it. If so, you must try to pay the full cost. If you cannot pay, the Item returns to your hand. [JA, 5 December 2002]

Arrival of the Emerald Champion

• May be used in a battle in which you have no units. [DW, 12/11/96]
• Once created, the Champion acts like any other Personality. [DW, 12/11/96]
• Can be duplicated by Doji Yosai (Experienced). [Reversal, RD, 12/1/97]
• Champion is discarded from play at the end of the battle, not destroyed during battle resolution. [Erratum]

Arrival of the Unicorns

• Does not affect units already assigned. [DW, 3/2/98] It cannot be played during battle because it does not target or affect anything in it.

The Arrow Knows the Way

• Reads, "The Arrow Knows the Way 0G 3FV Reaction: Play this card when one of your Personalities with over 2 Chi bows for, or as part of, a ranged attack. The Ranged Attack can target a Personality who has Followers." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• May affect kiho that create Ranged Attacks. [ZF, netnews, July 2000]

Arrows From the Ranks

• You may not combine ranged attacks, because it must be "one Ranged Attack by one of your cards in play" [Card text].

Arrows From the Woods

• Reads, "Arrows from the Woods 0G 3FV Battle: Ranged 2 Attack. Reaction: When one of your units makes a ranged attack, raise the Ranged Attack strength by 2." [MRP, An Oni's Fury, 10 December 2001]
• Targets the Ranged Attack, not the card generating it. [JA, 11 June 2002]

Ashigaru Levies

• The force restriction is not a trait of the follower. It limits how big the follower can be made while being brought into play. Its force cannot be raised above the samurai's force as it is entering play (e.g., Kitsune Tsuke), but can be afterwards (e.g., Armory). [ZF, 18 June 2000]

Awakening Shakoki Dogu

• Should read, "All units at this battle may return to their fiefs..." [Erratum]
• Targets the units that stay and leave. A Test of Courage can cancel the terrain's effects when it resolves. [15 July 1999]
• The active player decides first which of his or her units leave the battle. The choice then goes clockwise around the table, once. [JA, 15 July 1999]

Avoid Fate

• Reads, "Avoid Fate 0G 3FV Reaction: Play before an Event resolves. The Event does not resolve. When the Events Phase ends, the Event's player shuffles it into his deck and refills the Province." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• Cannot be played in reaction to the second or later appearance of an Event that has already resolved [DW, 9/3/96], unless the Event can resolve more than once due to a card effect (e.g., Moon and Sun). [VRD, 26 January 2001]

Bane of the Bastard

• Should read, "Target any number of face-up Dynasty cards...". [JA, 7 April 2003]

Barren Fields

• The defender's bowing is based on his gold-producing Holdings, not all Holdings. [ZF, 29 August 2003; JA, email, 30 August 2003]

Battlefield of Shallow Graves

• Reads, "Battlefield of Shallow Graves 0G 1FV Immediate Terrain. Political Battle: Until the end of this battle, double all your opponent's Honor gains (cumulative with other modifiers), even if this card is destroyed. When Delayed Terrains resolve, lower the Force of each Personality in the opposing army to half his current Force, rounded up, until the end of the turn. Only the Attacker and Defender may play this card." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Be Prepared to Dig Two Graves

• Reads, "Be Prepared to Dig Two Graves 0G 3FV Reaction: When a Personality from your Faction is destroyed while in an battle, target a Personality opposing him. For the rest of the game, Personalities from your Faction gain +2F/+2C while facing the target in a battle or duel. This does not target the destroyed Personality." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Bend Like a Reed

• Is not a focus (although its focus value is added normally). It may be played by a Personality who cannot focus. [DW, 11/4/96]
• When played for effect, the bonus of 2 is changed by effects that alter the focus values of cards played "in a duel" (e.g., the Double Chi trait, Toshimoko Sensei). The bonus of 2 is not altered by effects that have already changed the card's actual focus value (e.g., Touch of Amaterasu). [Partial Reversal, 2/6/2000]

Betrayal

• Cannot be used if you have no units in the battle because it is not guaranteed to give you one there.

Blackened Sky

• Reads, "Blackened Sky 0G 1FV Battle: Take as many consecutive actions that make ranged attacks as you like, before the next player takes an Open or Battle action. You cannot take Reactions during this time unless they make ranged attacks." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• An action that produces a Ranged Attack and some other effect(s) is legal. [ZF, 2 August 2000]

Blackmail

• Reads, "Blackmail 8G 4FV Limited: Choose a Province and a holding of another player. Take control of that holding while Blackmail is in play. As an Open Action, the affected player may reveal the Blackmail, destroying it and the target Province. Also, the holding is returned, and you lose 10 Honor. If the Province is destroyed, Blackmail cannot be revealed." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]
• Revealing this card is an action taken by its original target, but the loss is caused by the Blackmail itself. [Card text] Thus, the blackmailer can avoid the loss with Defend Your Honor, and the revealer can double it with Court Jester. [DW, 31 October 1996]
• If you steal a Fortification, it stays attached to its original owner's Province, but you control its abilities. [Reversal, RD, email, 5/8/97]

Blazing Arrows

• Reads, "Blazing Arrows *G 3FV Battle: Blazing Arrows adds two to the strength of each of your cards producing a Ranged Attack for this battle. The gold cost of a Blazing Arrows is 1G per card in your army that is capable of producing a Ranged Attack." [MRP, Obsidian Edition, August 1997]

Bleeding the Elements

• You may bow any Bloodspeaker in play. [Card text, DW, email]

The Blood Feud

• The honor loss for refusing the challenge is written on Blood Feud, so Defend Your Honor can be played against it. [DW, email, 14 April 1997]
• A dishonored personality may refuse the challenge. [ZF, 6 June 2000]

Blood Oath

• Is considered swearing fealty. [DW, 12/9/96]
• Is played "after" the Personality comes into play, so you don't get the options of paying less gold or gaining honor.

Bloodied Ground

• If a unit leaves the battle after the terrain resolves, the force bonus to the army remains at the battle the province was in. [ZF, 20 August 2003]

Breach of Etiquette

• Reads, "Breach of Etiquette 0G 2FV Limited: The player (or players) with the most Family Honor commits a public breach of etiquette and loses 5 Honor." [MRP, Honor Bound]

Brilliant Victory

• Reads, "Brilliant Victory 0G 2FV Reaction: Play this card immediately after destroying an opposing army or Province as the Attacker or Defender. Gain an extra +3 Honor. Only one copy of this card can be played per battle." [MRP, Soul of the Empire]
• Is Political. [Reversal; JA, email, 31 October 2000]

Burn It Down

• Can be played when there are no opposing units. [ZF, August 2000; JA, 16 January 2001]

Burning Your Essence

• Reads, "Burning Your Essence 0G 0FV This card has a Focus value of 6 when focused in a duel, discarded for a Tactician force bonus, or used for its Focus value with an ability on a Personality. The Personality permanently has -2C after the duel or ability resolves." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• Chi loss also occurs after the use of Tactician. [DW, August 1999; JA, email, 1 July 2001]
• Treat the card's current focus value as a 6, when appropriate. This happens before any other changes. [JA, 19 November 2001]

By Will of the Wind

• Is not a Wind action. [Keyword rule exception, erratum, JA, 11 September 2001]

Carrier Pigeon

• Allows moving a unit into battle if the only reason it could not assign was that its Personality was bowed. [JA, 13 October 2003]

Change of Loyalty

• Feign Death will not save the original Personality, who will be unable to return to play because of Uniqueness conflicts. [DW, 24 April 1996]
• Cannot be used to destroy an existing Egg of Pan Ku-Personality in order to play a new Egg of P'an Ku. Can only be used to bring a Unique Personality into play [Card text], but until it's in play, the Egg is an Action card. It can be used to destroy an existing Egg if you're playing the False Hoturi, regardless of whom the Egg is copying. [DW, 6/5/96]
• If there are multiple conflicting Personalities with the same name and experience level (e.g., due to One Life, One Destiny), they are all destroyed. [DW, email, 13 February 1999]

Charge

• Renamed from Charge! [MRP, The Fall of Otosan Uchi, 9 December 2002]

Charge!: See Charge

Come One at a Time

• Reads, "Come One at a Time 0G 1FV Immediate Terrain. Battle: While there is only one defending Personality, that Personality may, as a Battle action, issue an unrefusable challenge to an opposing Personality, and each player may, as a Battle action, send one of his or her bowed or unbowed attacking units home bowed. The defending Personality, if there is one, may take one such challenge action immediately after this Terrain is played." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 July 2003]
• Hida Technique will not allow the attacker to benefit from this card. [JA, April 2000]
• The terrain does not target. It gives Personalities and players actions that they can perform. [JA, 22 October 2001]

Concealed Archers

• May be played in a battle in which you have no units. [DW, email, 23 June 1998]
• Cannot be used to play kiho that create a ranged attack. It looks for "one or more cards in a unit capable of a Ranged Attack" (a caster is not capable of a ranged attack until the kiho has been cast), then says, "Resolve this Ranged Attack..." (i.e., the one the card is capable of). [ZF, 31 May 2000]
• Can only be played if you are the attacker, defender, or invited ally, because Ranged Attacks target opposing cards. [Rulebook, ZF]

Concede Defeat

• In a result such as "If duelist A wins, X happens to the loser," effect X is an "effect of duelist A winning" and not an "effect of the other duelist losing." It will still happen.
• Has no effect on reactions to winning or losing a duel unless those reactions specifically modify the effects of losing (e.g., Fatal Mistake).

Contentious Terrain

• Reads, "Contentious Terrain 0G 1FV Delayed Terrain. Battle: Each Personality in your army gains +1F until the battle ends." [MRP, Winds of Change, July 2003]

Contested Holding

• Reads, "Contested Holding 5G 2FV Limited: Bow one of your Personalities and target another player's Holding to issue a challenge to that player. The player may accept the challenge with any of his Personalities. If he refuses, or loses the duel, bow the Holding and gain permanent control of it, but do not destroy the opposing Personality. If your Personality loses the duel, destroy your Personality." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• If the challenged player controls no Personalities, he or she must refuse the challenge and lose the Holding.
• If the duel is fought and tied, the challenger is still the only Personality who dies. [Card text; DW, email, 5/4/99]
• If played for a fortification, it remains attached to its province, but you now control any abilities it may have. [Extension from Blackmail.]

Cornered

• May be used even if the battle which the target unit it leaving is not the current battle, because it's a Reaction. [DW, email, 23 April 1997]

Cornering Maneuver

• Can be used if there is no opposing army. [JA, 14 July 2000]

Corrupted Ground

• Reads, "Corrupted Ground 0G 1FV Immediate Terrain. Battle: Each Shadowlands Personality and Shadowlands Follower in this battle gains +1F." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Corruption's Price

• Cannot be used if only one target is in play (i.e., cannot destroy a Shadowlands holding alone). [Rulebook, JA, 19 August 2002]

Counterattack

• Reads, "Counterattack 0G 4FV Reaction: Play this card after an Attack Phase in which another player was the Attacker and you were the Defender. Create an Attack Phase in which you are the Attacker and that player is the Defender." [MRP, The Fall of Otosan Uchi, 9 December 2002]
• Cannot be played in response to Fu Leng's Horde, because there is no attacker. [JA, 14 September 2000]
• Does not change who is the active player. [Card text, ZF, 11 July 2001]

Counterfeit

• When used to destroy an item, the "cost of the item" is the cost to its player. E.g., the cost of the Ancestral Weapon of the Mantis includes the extra costs for any upgrades. [DW, email, 30 July 1997] Exception: an item brought into play "without gold cost" still has its full cost. [Partial Reversal]

Court Jester

• Is Political. [Rulebook]
• May not double honor loss from a refused Iaijutsu Challenge, because the loss is written on Iaijutsu Challenge. [FAQ]

The Coward's Way

• Opponent may focus or strike first, not just focus. [DW, 16 September 1996]
• The second Personality only contributes a Chi bonus and shares the consequences of losing. He or she is not a participant in the duel nor entering a duel, so effects that apply to duel participants or are triggered when "entering a duel" cannot be used on him or her. [DW, 21 March 1997]

Cowardly Conscripts

• Although it self-destructs before any costs or effects occur, the Personality created is a valid target for actions, and locks in the targeting selection. [JA, 25 March 2003]

Crane Tattoo

• Reads, "Crane Tattoo 0G 3FV Limited: Target one of your Personalities with the Tattooed trait and without a Crane Tattoo. For the rest of the game, the Personality has a Crane Tattoo, your actions cannot target the Personality, and the Personality gains the ability "Reaction: When this Personality is destroyed during a battle or duel, return the Personality to you play in your home, bowed, after discarding him or her." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2002]
• May be used any time a battle is occurring, whether the Personality is in it or not. [JA, 30 July 2002]
• Ability cannot be used when bowed. [JA, 30 July 2002]

Crushing Attack

• May not be played if there are no opposing units. [Reversal]

The Daimyo's Command

• A minor clan Champion may bow. [Card text]

Dark Lord's Favor

• The honor negating Reaction is Political; Shadowlands players cannot use that action. [DW, email, 28 August 1997]
• Can be played if you are tied for lowest honor. [FAQ 3.8]

A Dark Moment

• A Personality in a Province affected by A Dark Moment is not a Shadowlands card until after it enters play. [ZF, 17 May 2000]
• Gives the Shadowlands trait to cards that were brought into play from that Province earlier that turn. [Card text]

Dead Eyes

• Reads, "Dead Eyes 5*G 1FV This card costs 5 less Gold if it targets a Crab Clan Personality. Limited: Permanently lower to 0 the Personal Honor of one of your Personalities without the Berserker trait and permanently give the Personality the Berserker trait and the ability, 'Battle: Once per turn, gain +3F. When the Resolution Segment ends, destroy this Personality unless his or her army had more than twice the opposing army's force if there was an opposing army when the Resolution Segment began.'" [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Death-Seeker Technique: See Deathseeker Technique

Deathseeker Technique

• Renamed from Death-Seeker Technique. [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Debt of Honor

• Reads, "Debt of Honor 0G 3FV Reaction: Put this card into play immediately after a battle in which you have sent allying units to aid the target player. Later, destroy this card before the Assignments Phase of a battle to request that this player must assign the unit you request to the specified battle, or lose 8 Honor. You may not request an illegal assignment of a unit." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Deadly Ground

• Prevents the playing of all non-terrain-destroying actions within the Battle Action Segment and Resolution Segments [Card text], including Reactions played "when" or "after" a card is destroyed. Does not prevent Reactions played "after resolution" or "after the Attack Phase." [Partial Reversal, DW, email, 6/2/97]
• For an action to be legal, it must directly destroy Deadly Ground. Actions that destroy the terrain in a roundabout way (e.g., ending the battle without resolution) are not legal. [DW, 10 October 1996]

Deeds, Not Words

• Reads, "Deeds, Not Words 0G 2FV Political Open: Target another player and "call his or her virtue into question." Until the turn ends, the player gains 1 extra Honor for each duel his or her Personalities win and 1 extra Honor for each opposing card he or she destroys during the Resolution Segment of battle, and whenever the player would gain Honor in another way, the player loses the Honor instead." [MRP, Broken Blades, 8 August 2002]
• The honor loss retains its source and any restrictions against being canceled or redirected. [15 July 1999]
• The affected player gains 1 honor from winning duels with no stated honor gain. [ZF, May 2000]
• May be played against an opponent if you cannot cause your opponent honor losses. [JA, 9 July 2000]
• A redirected honor gain from one of your won duels will cause an opponent targeted by Deeds, Not Words to lose honor. [JA, 31 May 2002]

Defend Your Honor

• Reads, "Defend Your Honor 0G 2FV Political Reaction: Play this card when another player's action makes you lose honor. Negate the Honor loss. One of your unbowed Samurai Personalities may then "challenge the player's honor." The player may either target one of his or her unbowed Personalities to accept the challenge, or refuse the challenge. If the player refuses the challenge or his or her Personality loses the duel, the player loses an amount of Honor equal to the amount you negated." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• If an opponent has no personalities in play, they cannot accept the challenge and must lose the honor you were about to lose. [FAQ]

Defensive Duty

• The Personality is discarded at the end of the battle regardless of where he or she is (e.g., in play). [Card text; JA, email, 4 December 2002]

Delicate Calculations

• Reads, "Delicate Calculations 0G 3FV Limited: You may attack two players at once this turn. Each player may ally with only one other Player. Each Maneuvers Segment occurs only once. During each battle, only the Province's controller is the Defender. Effects that move cards into or out of battles may move them into or out of any battles in the attack." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• Will not allow you to attack on someone else's turn when combined with Plans Within Plans. [DW, 25 September 1997]
• The two Defending players do not have adjacent Provinces. [JA, 8 January 2003]

Dispersive Terrain

• Reads, "Dispersive Terrain 0G 1FV Delayed Terrain. Battle: Each defending Personality in this battle gains +2F until the battle ends." [MRP, Winds of Change, July 2003]

Double Agent

• The action is retargeted as though you had played it. [DW, 28 July 1998]

The Dragon's Heart

• May freely duplicate challenges arising from actions that may only be used a limited number of times per turn/battle (e.g., Experienced 3 Hitomi). [Reversal, DW, email, 21 August 1998]
• Costs are also duplicated (e.g., Experienced Hitomi Kokujin). [DW, 26 August 1998]

Dragon Tattoo

• Reads, "Dragon Tattoo 0G 3FV Limited: Target one of your Personalities with the Tattooed trait and without a Dragon Tattoo. For the rest of the game, the Personality has a Dragon Tattoo and gains the ability "Open: Place one to three 1F/1C Fire tokens on this Personality. This Personality cannot have more than three Fire token and cannot straighten by any means if he or she has any Fire tokens. Remove a Fire token from this Personality instead of straightening him or her during the Straighten Phase." [MRP, An Oni's Fury, 10 December 2001]
• The effects, "cannot have more than three Fire tokens," "cannot straighten by any means if he or she has any Fire tokens," and "remove a Fire token... instead of straightening him or her during the Straighten Phase" are permanent side effects of making Fire tokens. They last for the rest of the game upon using the ability once, even if the ability to add Fire tokens is lost. (Treat Dragon Tattoo's ability as if it said, "For the rest of the game, this Personality cannot have more...") [Reversal, JA, 29 March 2002]

Dragonfly Tattoo

• Does not prevent targeting by actions that might send the personality home (e.g., Stand or Run). [24 July 1999]

Draw Them Out

• Should read, "Draw Them Out 0G 3FV Political Reaction: Play before a player who has already drawn Fate cards this turn draws one or more Fate cards due to that player's own card or Stronghold effects. The next five Fate cards that player draws this turn (including the ones about to be drawn) are discarded immediately after being drawn. Lose 1 Honor." [Erratum, JA, 20 August 2002]

Duty to the Clan

• Reads, "Duty to the Clan 0G 3FV Reaction: Play this card after a battle Resolution Segment in which one of your Personalities of your Faction was destroyed. Permanently lower the Gold cost of one of your Faction's Personalities that is face up in one of your Provinces to 0." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

The Egg of P'an Ku

• Reads, "The Egg of P'an Ku 9G 4FV Unique. Limited: Target a Personality, including a Unique Personality or one who will not join you. After entering play, this card becomes a copy of that Personality's printed card plus all permanent changes in effect on it. None of the Personality's costs need to be paid and no entering-play effects are produced." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• Once played, it:
  • Is a Personality permanently [DW, netnews, 4/5/96], even if destroyed. [RD, 4/8/96]
  • Loses its status as a Unique action. [JA, email, 18 November 2003]
• If sent back to your Dynasty Deck, it actually goes in, despite being a Fate card. [DW, 14 November 1997] When it appears in a Province, it follows normal requirements and restrictions.

Emperor's Protection

• The loss of 7 honor is in addition to any other duel results. [DW, 19 December 1996]

Encircled Terrain

• Reads, "Encircled Terrain 0G 1FV Delayed Terrain. Battle: The Attacker and Defender each target one of their own units in this battle. You decide which player targets first. Send all other units in this battle home without bowing." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• Units that may not be sent home with your actions (e.g., Armor of the Mountain) will stay in the battle. [JA, 19 August 2002]

Engage the Enemy

• Last sentence should read, "This may not target an opposing Personality with attached unbowed cards." [JA, 8 July 2003]

Enough Talk!

• Renamed from "Enough Talk!" [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

"Enough Talk!": See Enough Talk!

Entrapping Terrain

• Reads, "Entrapping Terrain 0G 1FV Delayed Terrain. Battle: This battle ends without resolution. All units go home without bowing." [MRP, Dark Allies, 8 April 2002]

Entrench

• Increasing the fortification's gold cost is an effect, not a cost. [ZF, 1 August 2000]
• Its Battle action can be used if you are the attacker or an ally. If a fortification is placed on another player's province, you control its abilities. [Reversal, JA, email, 30 August 2000]

Evil Portents

• Reads, "Evil Portents 0G 3FV Open: All Shadowlands Personalities and Followers currently in play gain a 1F/1C bonus until the end of the turn. All other Personalities suffer a -1F/-1C penalty." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]
• May be played during battle if you have a unit in the battle and this action affects the stats of a card in the battle. [JA, 30 January 2000]

Explosives

• Reads, "Explosives 8G 2FV Limited: Destroy a Holding." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Face Me!

• Kills a Personality with zero Personal Honor entering the duel. [JA, 3 April 2002]
• Does not create a duel of Personal Honor; it resets Chi values to equal Personal Honor. [JA, 3 April 2002]

The Face of Fear

• Because it causes a Personality to be affected by Fear "as if he were a Follower," it will have no effect on a Personality belonging to a unit or Clan whose Followers are immune to Fear.
• Does not target the card causing the Fear effect. [JA, 9 January 2003]
• Is played when the Fear effects is created, and cannot be canceled by Reactions to targeting or the beginning of the action's resolution. [JA, 8 December 2003]

Faith in My Clan

• Reads, "Faith in My Clan 0G 3FV Reaction: Cancel an action. Play this card only if a Clan Champion from your Faction is in your army in the current battle." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Fall On Your Knees

• Cancels Reactions played before the Defender's first normal Open or Battle action (e.g., Sneak Attack) [VRD, 6 November 2000], but not those occurring during or after the Resolution segment. [Card text]
• Cannot cancel Shiryo no Shoju's reaction, because it happens before the battle action segment. [VRD, 10 January 2001]
• Can cancel a Reaction on any card, not just an Action card. [JA, 24 July 2002]

False Alliance

• Reads, "False Alliance 0G 2FV You must be an ally invited by both the Attacker and the Defender to play this card. Battle: Move all of your units in this battle from the attacking army to the defending army, or vice versa. Lose 4 Honor." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• Changes your role from attacking ally to defending ally (or vice versa) for the duration of the current battle only. You retain your original role in all other battles. Any of your units moved from the current battle to another will move into the army on your original side. [JA, 3 April 2002]

Familiar Surroundings

• Reads, "Familiar Surroundings 0G 1FV Reaction: Play this card after the last Maneuvers Segment of the Attack Phase. Until the Phase ends, the Defender selects the order in which battles resolve instead of the Attacker." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Fatal Mistake

• Kills Personalities who normally cannot be killed by a duel (e.g., Isawa Tsuke). [DW, email, 17 October 1997]

Feign Death

• Reads, "Feign Death 0G 2FV Reaction: Play after a Personality is destroyed to return the Personality to play, bowed, in his previous controller's home, ignoring all costs and restrictions. (Entering-play effects occur. Cards attached to the Personality are not returned to play.) Dishonor the Personality. Lose 2 Honor." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Feint

• Reads, "Feint 0G 0FV Play Feint as a Focus card in a duel. After Focus cards are revealed, you may choose any other card in you hand to add as a Focus." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Field of Glorious Slaughter

• Creates additional Honor gains for destroying Regions and Fortifications. [JA, 19 August 2003]
• Only increases Honor gains for the player who put it into play.

Fight to the Setting Sun

• Reads, "Fight to the Setting Sun 0G 2FV Reaction: Play this card when a Resolution Segment in which you had units ends. All units in the battle will bow as if they were attacking units." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• Does not bow units, but changes the rules governing if they bow. E.g., Rallying Cry can prevent bowing. [DW, 18 February 1997]

The Final Breath

• Should read, "Play after the Resolution segment of a battle in which one of your Personalities was destroyed. Destroy an opposing Personality..." [Pearl Edition rulebook erratum to MRP, Honor Bound foil]

Final Charge

• Cannot save Followers from an effect that destroys the entire unit, because it gets played "when" the leader is destroyed, not immediately before. [DW, email, 2/7/97]
• The unit has no Personality. Effects that target or affect Personalities may not be played on it. [Reversal, DW, email, 1/10/98]

Fires of Retribution

• When reacting to an innate ability, the -2C does not occur until after the ability is fully resolved. [DW, 20 February 1998]
• Cannot be used to destroy a kiho, because it destroys a "spell card." [Card text, FAQ 3.8]

The First Shout

• Will still force the opponent to focus again when played as a striking focus with a Garrote. [DW]
• Takes priority over Iaijutsu Art. [DW, 1/29/98]
• The random focus is picked only from those cards that can be legally focused. [FAQ 3.2]
• Does not fulfill the requirements for subsequent Shouts if used in some way besides its printed effects (e.g., discarded for Tactician). [ZF, 12 June 2001]

Flattery

• Reads, "Flattery 0G 3FV You must have cards in your hand with total Focus values greater than the opposing army's force to play this card. Battle: Discard cards from your hand one at a time until the total discarded Focus values exceed the opposing army's force, to end the battle without resolution and send all units home without bowing. You may take this action during a battle in which you have no units." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• To play this card without a unit in the battle, you must be either the Attacker, the Defender, or an invited ally. Allies may play it against either side if, and only if, they've been invited by both the Attacker and Defender and have not assigned any troops anywhere.
• You may not play this card if there are no opposing units. [Reversal]
• The total Focus values in hand excluding Flattery must be greater than the opposing army's. [ZF, 11 July 2001]

Flight of Dragons

• Reads, "Flight of Dragons 0G 3FV Battle: All Dragons in this battle fly away (are destroyed). No Honor is lost or gained. This does not refer to Dragon Clan Personalities unless they are considered to be a Dragon." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

For the Empire

• Reads, "For the Empire 0G 3FV Limited: One of your Samurai issues an unrefusable challenge to a Shadowlands Personality, or one of your Shadowlands Personalities issues an unrefusable challenge to a Samurai. If the Samurai wins he permanently gains +1 Personal Honor and his controller gains 3 Honor, and if the Shadowlands Personality wins he permanently gains +1F/+1C." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• A Shadowlands samurai may challenge either a samurai or a Shadowlands Personality, with the appropriate results. If the challenged Personality also has both traits, you decide who gets which bonus upon winning when you play the card.

Forced March

• Bowing cannot be prevented by Rallying Cry, because it is an effect of Forced March, not battle. [Card text]

Forest Fire

• The forest may belong to any player. [Card text]
• Destroying the forest is a cost. [Erratum]

Forgotten Lesson

• While in effect, you may use A New Teacher to put a second Sensei on one stronghold. [ZF, May 2000]

Fresh Horses

• The Stables you bow do not generate gold. You must produce the 3G by other means. [DW, 30 April 1997]

Frenzy

• Reads, "Frenzy 0G 1FV Battle: Give a Crab Clan Personality +3F, or give a non-Crab Personality +2F. Either way, dishonor the Personality. When the turn ends, destroy the Personality's Followers. Lose 2 Honor." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Frontal Assault

• Because it is played before the battle action segment, it is always played before cards played "at the start of a battle" or "before the Defender's first action." [JA, 12 December 2001]

Geisha Assassin

• If 0-1G is spent, the 0 Chi Personality dies and the duel is aborted without resolution. [DW, 18 April 1998]

A Gift of Honor

• Both players lose 1 honor in a tie. [RD, 15 January 1997]

Gift of the Emperor

• Can be played during battle if the personality who survived the duels is in the battle. [JA, April 2000]

A Good Day to Die

• May be put into play using Armor of Sun-Tao or Oracle of Earth, though you must still bow an appropriate shugenja. [DW, 17 October 1997]
• There must still be an army on both sides for the battle to be a tie. An unopposed army will not be destroyed. [DW, 4/8/98]

Hazardous Ground

• Applies to extra actions granted by such cards (e.g., Sneak Attack, Kitsu Motso). [Card text, DW, email, 25 September 1997]

He's Mine!

• Does not redirect the action causing the duel. [JA, 10 October 2001]

His Most Favored

• The original player of this card loses the honor when the targeted Personality is destroyed. This may not be the controller of the Personality at that time. [RD, 22 September 1996]
• Causes no honor loss if the targeted Personality is removed from play without being destroyed (e.g., shuffled back into the deck). [JA, 16 October 2000]

Honorable Seppuku

• Reads, "Honorable Seppuku 0G 3FV Political Reaction: Play this card after one of your samurai creates, or is targeted by, or is affected by an effect that dishonors him or her or causes you to lose Honor. Lower the loss (if any) to 0, the Samurai commits seppuku, and then you gain Honor equal to the Samurai's Personal Honor." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• Can be used in response to bringing a samurai into play who causes an honor loss. [DW, 25 October 1996]
• Cannot be triggered by an honor loss caused by the death of a dishonored samurai, because the samurai is already dead.

I Believed in You

• Renamed from I Believed in You... [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• Will work on Personalities whose honor requirements were ignored for purposes of coming into play (e.g., Toturi's Army stronghold) but not those ignored continually (e.g., Naga strongholds). [Reversal, DW, email, 4/7/99]

I Believed in You...: see I Believed in You

Iaijutsu Art

• Reads, "Iaijutsu Art 0G 1FV Limited: One of your Personalities issues an unrefusable challenge to a Personality with equal or higher Chi. Each Personality focuses exactly once, if possible, and Reactions taken "instead of focusing" cannot be taken. The winner's controller gains 4 Honor. Dishonor the loser." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• If your opponent must strike, the duel resolves immediately and you do not get to focus. If you never got a chance to focus, you weren't "able." [Card text, FAQ]
• You may not use a Reaction that gives you another focus if you have already focused. [Card text] Reactions that only add as though they were focused are legal (e.g., Bend Like a Reed).

Iaijutsu Challenge

• Reads, "Iaijutsu Challenge 0G 2FV Limited: One of your Personalities challenges another player's Personality. If the challenge is refused, Iaijutsu Challenge dishonors the other player's Personality and causes the other player to lose 7 Honor. The winner's controller gains 5 Honor." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Iaijutsu Duel

• Reads, "Iaijutsu Duel 0G 2FV Battle: A Personality in your army issues an unrefusable challenge to an opposing Personality. You need not control either Personality. If the Personality in your army is not yours and the challenge gains a cost, the controller of the Personality may choose to not pay the cost and send this card back to your hand. The winner's controller gains 5 Honor." [MRP, Broken Blades, 8 August 2002]

Iaijutsu Lesson

• Although they create no effects, Items are still present and may be used to trigger effects that look for those items (e.g., Mirumoto Zenko, Unprepared). [JA, 22 October 2002]
• Effects of actions on items that give bonuses or penalties before a duel begins (e.g., Corrupted Jade Sliver) are not negated. [JA, email, 1 August 2003]

Impassable Terrain

• You are not forced to discard cards to make up the difference if you have fewer than three unbowed Personalities or Followers in the battle and allow them all to become bowed. [DW, 29 May 1996]
• If you want to keep any of them unbowed, however, the number of cards you do bow, plus the number of cards you discard, must equal three. [DW, 26 July 1996]
• Starting with the active player, each player makes bowing/discarding decisions in turn, before the next player makes any.

Imperial Scrutiny

• May be used on an honor loss redirected to its original player. [JA, 14 December 2001]

Imperial Taxation

• Payment is not mandatory. The Holding's controller may destroy it even if he or she can afford the cost. [DW, 5/1/97]

In Search of the Future

• Reads, "In Search of the Future 0G 3FV You may play this card during a battle in which you have no units. Battle: Lower all Force bonuses for cards currently in this battle to 0 for the rest of the turn, except bonuses from cards in the same unit. This does not affect bonuses gained after this card is played." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• See Bonuses and penalties.

Infantry Charge

• Does not automatically cause Fear to bow Personalities. It overrides immunity, not the rule that Fear only affects Followers. [VRD, 16 November 2000]

Intersecting Highways

• Reads, "Intersecting Highways 0G 1FV Battle Terrain: All allied Personalities in this Battle gain a 2F bonus until the end of the turn." [MRP, Scorpion Clan Coup]

Investigation

• Reads, "Investigation 2G 3FV Reaction: When an Assassin action, Ninja action, or Kolat action targets you, your Stronghold, or any of your cards or tokens, negate all of the action's effects except Honor losses to the player taking the action and make the player lose 5 Honor." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Judgement of Toshiken

• Reads, "Judgement of Toshiken 0G 2FV Reaction: Play this card after players reveal Focus cards in a duel. Resolve the duel only by the Chi (or other stat noted on the card creating the duel) of the dueling Personalities before the challenge, plus the Focus cards' printed Focus values. The Double Chi trait works as usual. If either Personality has not focused, each can focus an extra time, starting with the challenged Personality." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• Applies for the entire duration of the duel. Cards played after it are subject to its effects.
• Reactions and other card effects may still be legally played during a duel, and will have their full effect for their normal duration after the duel resolves (e.g., Poisoned Weapon). [VRD, 3 July 2001]
• Cannot prevent Another Time from taking effect, because it resolves as soon as it is revealed.
• Prevents automatic win from Unprepared, because revealing Focus cards is part of duel resolution. [JA, 30 July 2002]
• Applies to effects that change who wins/loses/ties a duel, not those that alter what happens when a Personality wins/loses/ties. [JA, 26 September 2000] Thus, it will not beat the "win instead of losing if tied" trait of Doji Reju and Hitomi Reju. [Reversal, JA, 23 September 2000]
• Neither Personality may strike in place of focusing again. [JA, 10 December 2001]
• Whether one Personality focuses does not affect whether the other may focus. [JA, 14 December 2001]
• There is a "reveal focus cards" step after any extra cards are focused. Cards that have an effect when revealed operate normally (e.g., Another Time). [JA, 2 May 2002]
• Restores the working of Double Chi if a card suppressed it (e.g., Shreiking Mujina). [JA, email, 16 September 2002]
• Restores the ability to focus if it was prevented. [JA, 15 July 2003]

Kakita Technique

• The last one played takes precedence.

Karmic Strike: See Kharmic Strike

Kharmic Strike

• Renamed from Karmic Strike. [MRP, Reign of Blood, 8 December 2003]
• Doesn't necessarily kill both duelists; it makes both suffer whatever would normally happen to the loser. [Card text]
• Changing one duelist's Chi (e.g., Poisoned Weapon) will not break the tie (although it could kill one of them prematurely). [Card text]
• If named by Hantei Sensei, it is considered to have a blank text box. [JA, 7 July 2000]

Know the Enemy

• May cancel any Action card with a Battle action on it, even if the Battle action was not used. [JA, email, 22 March 2002]

Know the School

• Only cares about the name on the card in question, not the names on more or less Experienced versions. [Reversal, DW, 31 August 1998]

Kolat Assassin

• Reads, "Kolat Assassin 10G 3FV Limited: Destroy a Personality with under 5 Chi. Lose 4 Honor. Limited:Destroy a Retainer. Lose 4 Honor." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Kolat Master

• Reads, "Kolat Master 10G 2FV Limited: Take control of another player's Personality with under 4 Chi for the rest of the game. Destroy each of the Personality's Followers with an Honor requirement over 0. Lose 4 Honor." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• You cannot make a Samurai who has just joined you commit Seppuku, because Kolat Master meets none of the requirements for Seppuku (i.e., the Samurai does not perform the action, Kolat Master does not target your cards, etc.). [JA, 9 May 2003]

Kolat Recruiter

• You are bound by all restrictions and requirements of the Personality, including minimum honor. [DW, email, 18 March 1999]
  • The honor loss caused by Kolat Recruiter itself does not occur until after the Personality is in play. [Card text]
• Coming into play effects are not waived. E.g., Oni no Akuma destroys its Province. [Card text]
• You do not gain honor if the Personality belongs to your clan. [6/9/99]
• When used on a face-up card, targets a particular card type. Thus, a response to targeting a card type (e.g., Way of Shadow) can be played (provided that the response does not require the targeted card be in play; e.g., you could not use a response that triggers when one of "your" cards is targeted). [9/10/99]

Kyudo

• If used with a Jade Arrow or Crystal Arrow, the strength of the second attack is based on the ranged attack you selected to enable the use of the Arrow. [DW, 5/6/98]
• Allows two Jade Arrows and/or Crystal Arrows to be fired. [DW, 18 May 1998]

Legendary Victory

• Reads, "Legendary Victory 0G 2FV Battle: Play Legendary Victory as the Attacker or Defender when your opponent's army has a higher total Force than your army. Double your total Honor Award if you win this battle (after other bonuses). You may only play one Legendary Victory per battle." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]
• Is Political. [Rulebook]

Lessons from the Past

• Should read, "Lessons from the Past 0G 4FV Limited: If you have a later version of a Personality in play and an earlier version face-up in your Province, play the earlier version under the later version as if the later version were brought outto 'update' the earlier version." [Fire & Shadow rulebook erratum to MRP, Ambition's Debt foil]

Lessons of Honor

• Causes an unconditional honor loss until certain events happen. Thus, cannot be used by Shadowlands players. [JA, 21 July 2000]

Let Your Spirit Guide You

• Reads, "Let Your Spirit Guide You 0G 0FV When you play this card as a Focus card in a duel or use its Focus value for a Tactical action performed by a Personality, set its Focus value to the Personality's Personal Honor plus 3." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• The card's text resets its Focus value, which applies after other changes if it is the latest one. [Reversal, JA, email, 6 December 2001]

Levy Troops

• The Ashigaru tokens' Gold cost cannot be lowered. [Erratum, Fire & Shadow rulebook]
• You only lose 1 honor the first time a token is removed. [DW, 29 May 1996]

Lies, Lies, Lies...

• Reads, "Lies, Lies, Lies... 0G 2FV Political Limited: If you have less than your starting Family Honor and you control no Kolat, Ninja, or Shadowlands cards, or cards that cause you an Honor loss when played, either gain 8 Honor or raise your Family Honor to your starting Family Honor, whichever gains you less honor." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• Events that cause an ongoing honor loss (e.g., Suspicions) are not necessarily in play. They need to say "this card remains in play." [DW]
• Once the size of the honor gain is determined, it is not recalculated if it is redirected to another player.

Loyal Yojimbo

• Reads, "Loyal Yojimbo 0G 4FV Reaction: Play before one of your bowed or unbowed Personalities is destroyed by a duel or by another player's card effect to negate the destruction. Bow the Personality. Dishonor the Personality if the destruction was the result of a duel. You cannot play this Reaction during battle." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Make a Wish

• You may not add new copies to replace destroyed ones during a tournament. [JA, 26 March 2003]
• If you take control of another player's copy, you cannot destroy it to pay its cost without that player's permission. [JA, 17 July 2003]

Makoto

• If only one personality is bowed, nobody gains honor. [Card text, JA]
• You may only bow your own personalities. [ZF, 20 May 2000]

Martyr

• Reads, "Martyr 0G 3FV Reaction: Play this card after the death of your Personality, targeting the card that destroyed him, or her. That card's controller loses 5 Honor. In a battle, the target may be any Personality in the opposing army." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]
• Multiples may be played in response to a single death. [DW, 6/6/96, and card text]
• May not be played against an opposing Personality after a tied battle or duel, because it is played after your Personality dies, at which point the card that killed him is no longer in play either. [DW, 26 February 1997 & 3/11/97]
• If your Personality died as a result of a battle or duel, Martyr's only legal target is an opposing Personality. [DW, email, 14 July 1997]
• Can be used if the Personality is killed by an action, other than a duel-causing one, that is discarded (e.g., Kolat Assassin), because actions are discarded after they resolve. [Reversal, JA, email, 3 December 2000]
• In the case of a Spell or Item, this is generally the Personality holding that card and not the card itself. [Reversal, DW, email, 1/10/98]
• May be used if the action created or moved a token that killed the Personality [DW, email, 29 March 1999], if it did so by some means other than changing a card's stat. [JA, 30 November 2000]
• May be used if an event killed the Personality. [DW, April 2000]
• May not be used if the action killed the Personality by generating a Chi penalty (or other stat change). [JA, 30 November 2000]

Master's Tactics

• The phrase "this card" in the second-to-last sentence refers to the terrain card, not Master's Tactics.
• Will not override an effect that prohibits you from playing terrains (e.g., Secluded Ravine). [DW, 28 July 1998]
• Will make the terrain uncounterable by generic card-countering effects (e.g., Mujina Tricks). Master's Tactics can usually be countered instead, however.

Mercy

• If Mists of Illusion has been used, nothing can be "spared" for Mercy because nothing is going to be destroyed. [DW, netnews, 3/11/96]
• Attacker has the option of sparing the defending Province.
• Multiples are not cumulative. [DW, 12/2/97]
• Is not Political. [Reversal, DW]

A Moment of Truth (Time of the Void expansion)

• Is distinct from the Anvil of Despair card of the same name. [DW, 16 September 1997]
• Cannot be played along with another card with an illegally low focus value to make it legal. [Reversal, DW, email, 10 October 1997]

Moto Technique

• If played during a duel of Force, your Moto Personality may not straighten if the opposing Personality has played any face-down focus cards. [VD, email, 18 April 2003]

Mujina Tricks

• Is not a Creature card. [ZF, 11 June 2000]

Mushin

• Reads, "Mushin 0G 2FV Battle: Take two consecutive Open or Battle actions after this one." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Musubi

• Bowed cards provide their full Force because Musubi refers to "Personality," not "unit," Force.
• May target any appropriate Personality, not just your own. [REVSERSAL, JA, email, 30 August 2000]

Nemesis

• Reads, "Nemesis 0G 2FV Limited: Target one of your Personalities without a "nemesis" and another player's Personality. The other Personality is your Personality's nemesis until the other Personality leaves play. While your Personality faces the nemesis in battle or a duel, your Personality gains +2F/+3C." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

A New Teacher

• May be played while Forgotten Lesson is in effect, allowing two Sensei to be on one stronghold. [ZF, May 2000]

Nightmare

• Does not automatically cause Fear to bow Personalities. It overrides immunity, not the rule that Fear only affects Followers. [VRD, 8 November 2000]

Ninja Kidnapper

• Is eliminated if the kidnapped Personality is destroyed. [DW, 19 November 1996]

Ninja Thief

• Can steal item tokens. [DJ; RD, 21 April 1996]

"No More Games, Yasuki"

• May not be used to force a focus from anywhere except the player's Fate hand, even if the player has a card effect that would allow him or her to do so. [JA, 29 October 2002]

Oath of Fealty

• Reads, "Oath of Fealty 0G 3FV Limited: Your Personalities "swear fealty" to you. Each of your Personalities without your Faction's trait permanently gains +1F/+1C and your Faction's trait and permanently loses any other Faction traits (except Monk, Naga, Ninja, Ratling or Spirit) and the Unaligned trait." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• If a more Experienced Personality is overlaid over a less Experienced version that has been affected by Oath of Fealty, any Faction traits possessed by the earlier version that were removed by Oath of Fealty are still gone. Any new Faction traits of the more Experienced version are kept. [ZF, netnews, 8 March 2001]

Occupied Terrain

• Reads, "Occupied Terrain 0G 1FV Battle: Terrain During the resolution phase, if the Defender's Province is being destroyed, the Attacking Player may select one of the Defender's holdings which is destroyed instead of the Province." [MRP, Scorpion Clan Coup]

Offer of Fealty

• "A duel where the loser is killed" refers to the actual outcome of the duel, not the normal outcome. Cards such as Fatal Mistake, e.g., will affect whether this card can be played. [DW, email, 17 October 1997]

One Life, One Action

• "Any copy" includes the original card, should it be recycled somehow. [JA, 22 August 1999]
• Will not prevent the attaching of a kiho to a Personality by Blessings of Isawa, nor its use once attached, because that does not involve "playing" the kiho again. [JA, January 2000]
• Does not target the Action card. [JA, email, 26 August 2002]
• May be triggered by an Action card when an effect due to its trait resolves (e.g., Kharmic Strike). [ZF, 1 January 2003]
• Second sentence should read, "cannot play any copy of that Action card for effect." [ZF, 1 January 2003]

One Life, One Destiny

• Does not destroy any Personalities in play. It just makes them all Unique. [DW, email, 11/3/98]
• "(Players may not bring a Personality with that name into play)" is just a reminder of the effects of Uniqueness. If all copies of the now-Unique Personality leave play, a new one may be brought in. [DW, email, 11/3/98]
• Multiple Unique Personalities may not be overlayed independently with different Experienced versions. [Reversal, JA, 31 August 2000]

Open Arms

• Raises the requirements for an Honor Victory for all players. [JA, 25 June 2002]

Overconfidence

• Reads, "Overconfidence 0G 2FV You may play this card during a battle in which you have no units. Reaction: After a Personality gains a Force bonus greater than or equal to his or her printed Chi, bow the Personality. The Personality cannot straighten during his or her controller's next Straighten Phase." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• Is legal for Diamond Storyline Simulation tournaments. The card was accidentally not printed in Diamond Edition. [JA, 29 October 2003]
• May be played if the force bonus has no net effect (e.g., Matsu Domotai). [JA, 21 February 2002]
• May be played during a duel of force if it is known that a focus is sufficiently large enough to be a legal trigger. [JA, 21 February 2002]

Overwhelmed

• Reads, "Overwhelmed 0G 2 FV Battle: As a cost, destroy your Personality in this battle with the highest Force, who must be unbowed. (In the case of a tie, choose one). The opposing player chooses either to destroy one Personality with the highest Force in his army or send two units in his army home without bowing. He must choose to destroy a Personality if he cannot send two units home." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• The last line refers to the Personality in the army with the highest Force, not any Personality. [JA, 17 November 2003]

Passage of Time

• Only Personalities in play receive the bonus.

The Perfect Gift

• Is not Political. [Rulebook]

The People's Champion

• The reduction of honor to 39 is an ordinary, preventable honor loss. [DW]
• The reduction of honor occurs after any honor-gaining Reactions played during the duel.
• Can be used by Shadowlands players because it only causes an honor loss if the challenge is refused or lost.

The People's Hero

• If an effect cancels the movement of a unit into the battle, the chosen Personality is shuffled back into the Dynasty deck. [DW, 22 June 1998]
• Is not restricted to the current battle. [27 July 1999]

Personal Sacrifice

• Only Personalities in play receive the bonus. [JA, 20 September 2001]

Pick Your Battles

• The one Personality destroyed is destroyed by the battle, not by Pick Your Battles. [ZF, 3 September 2003]

Poisoned Honor

• Personality may not take actions causing an honor gain for any player. [VRD, 4 December 2000]
• Personality may take actions that might cause an honor gain (e.g., Iaijutsu Challenges) [VRD, 4 December 2000]

Poisoned Weapon

• Reads, "Poisoned Weapon 0G 2FV Reaction: Play this card during a duel after players reveal Focus cards (if any) and before the duel resolves. Lower the Chi of the other player's Personality by 3. (If a Personality in a duel is destroyed before the duel resolves, the duel ends without resolution.) Lose 4 Honor. This action does not target the Personality." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• Is not an action taken by the Personality in the duel. E.g., you cannot react with Honorable Seppuku. [DW, 24 September 1996]
• The player clockwise from the active player has the first chance to play this card, because "after players reveal focus cards" is not triggered by any one player's decision or action. [JA, 27 September 2002]

Political Distraction

• Effects in which honor loss is a cost cannot be used while Political Distraction is in play, unless the effect says the loss can't be canceled or changed. [DW, 13 February 1998]

Pressure

• Negates costs of refusing (e.g., the discard to refuse Facing Your Devils). [DW, email, 3 August 1999]
• Does not force players to accept challenges (e.g., Defend Your Honor). [ZF, 6 August 2000]

A Pure Stroke

• If the Weapon is providing any bonus beyond what's printed at the top of the card, A Pure Stroke has no effect.

Rally Troops

• Rally Troops can respond to any effect that would kill the leader, even one that would kill the Followers as well (e.g., Heart of the Inferno). All Followers moved to a surviving Personality are saved. [Netnews, 25 February 1996]
• Ignore the "this turn" restriction on the card. You can move the Followers to any unbowed unit(s) not currently assigned to a battle. [DW, email, 25 April 1997]

Rallying Cry

• Does not straighten cards bowed before battle resolution (e.g., from using an ability, being sent home bowed).

Ratling Hordes

• Is not a Creature card. [ZF, 17 June 2000]

Refugees

• Reads, "Refugees 0G 2FV Battle: Send a Personality in the current battle with no Followers home bowed. Then, the Personality's controller may pay 1 Gold to attach a 1F Ashigaru Follower token to the Personality. If you are the Defender, you may play this card during a battle in which you have no units." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Refuse Advantage

• Reads, "Refuse Advantage 0G 3FV Battle: You may only play this card as the Attacker or Defender when your army is facing an army (with units) with a lower total Force than your army's total Force. Apply a penalty until the end of the battle to your Army's Force sufficient to reduce the Force total of your Army to equal that of the opposing army. You gain 8 additional Honor if you win the battle." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]
• Is not Political. [Rulebook]

Relief

• If targeting your own opposing Ninube Ogoku, units replacing her cannot move into the opposing army, because that would be illegal for them. Relief says units go into / out of "this battle," and nothing about which army. [ZF, May 2000]

Rend the Soul

• If used with a Personality who wins ties (e.g., Doji Reju):
  • If the Personality is ahead in Chi (or whatever stat is used in the duel), Rend the Soul makes it a tie, then the Personality turns it back into a win.
  • If, however, it's truly a tie, then the Personality turns it into a win, then Rend the Soul turns it back into a tie. [JA, 31 March 2003]

Retreat

• Reads, "Retreat 0G 2FV Battle: Any one of your units is removed from this battle bowed. The Personality is Dishonored if your army had a higher total Force when this card was played. This action can target a bowed Personality." [MRP, Pearl Edition]

Revealing the Ancient Wisdom

• If a Personality with Double Chi is substituted for the challenging Personality, the new Personality may use Double Chi. [Reversal, JA, 14 March 2003]

Ride Until Dawn

• Should read, "is not currently assigned." [DW, 18 February 1997]

Salute of the Samurai

• Is Political. [Rulebook]

A Samurai's Fury

• Reads, "A Samurai's Fury 0G 1FV Reaction: Play this card after a delayed terrain resolves. Take an Open or Battle action." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• If used to take a terrain-replacing action (e.g., Go Master), the new terrain will not resolve since the time for terrain resolution has passed. [RD, email, 31 May 1997] It counts as playing a terrain for that battle, however. [FAQ 3.5]
• If you take an action that gives you extra actions (e.g., Mushin), you get those too. [26 May 1999]
• May be used after a terrain that produces no effects (e.g., nullified by Advanced Scout) resolves. [JA, 5 March 2002]

Scorn

• Is Political. [Rulebook]

Scouting Maneuvers

• Multiples played on one unit are not cumulative, because all result in the controller being allowed to cancel an action exactly once. [ZF, 20 April 2003]

Scroll Cache

• Cost reduction only applies to Spells put into play with Scroll Cache. [JA, 2 June 2003]

The Second Shout

• Any number may be played after just one First Shout. [FAQ 3.2]
• May not be played even as a face-down normal focus if the First Shout requirement is not met. [FAQ 3.2]
• Does not have to be played the same way the First Shout was. [FAQ 3.2]
• Does not fulfil the requirements for subsequent Shout if used in some way besides its printed effects (e.g., discarded for Tactician). [ZF, 12 June 2001]

The Shadow's Claw

• Targets you and not your Personality. [JA, 6 February 2003]
• Is a Reaction taken instead of focusing [Erratum, JA, 19 March 2003].
•  
• Does not allow you to add to your focus or to focus two cards. [JA, email, 10 February 2003, 20 March 2003]

Shadowlands Sickness

• Reads, "Shadowlands Sickness 0G 2FV This is not considered a Shadowlands card. Open: Bow a Shadowlands Personality." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• You may bow any Shadowlands personality. [ZF, 20 May 2000]

Shady Dealings

• Can only pay for the cost in the Fate card's center gold coin / grey diamond. [ZF, January 2000]

Shallow Victory

• Is Political. [Rulebook]

Shame

• Reads, "Shame 0G 3FV Limited: Make a Dishonored Personality's controller lose 7 Honor, as "the shame stains the family honor." A Shame cannot target the Personality again unless the Personality is restored to Honorable status and becomes Dishonored again." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Shinobi

• Its effect ends when the ninja action begins. [DW, email, 16 September 1998]
• Because targeting precedes taking the action, a ninja affected by Shinobi can target a personality that could normally not be targeted by ninja (e.g., Experienced 2 Bayushi Kachiko). [ZF, netnews, 4 September 2000]

Shosuro Technique

• Targets your Personality but not the opponent's Personality when used in a duel. [JA, 5 February 2003]

Show Me Your Stance

• Reads, "Show Me Your Stance 0G 1FV Iaijutsu Battle: One of your Human Personalities issues an unrefusable challenge to an opposing Human Personality to a duel of Personal Honor. The winner gains 2 Honor. Dishonor the loser and send him home bowed." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Show of Good Faith

• The prohibition on declaring an attack remains if you take control of the Personality permanently (e.g., Loyalty Renewed). [JA, 12 May 2003]

Sign of Weakness

• May not be played in response to Sensei effects, because they are considered to be printed on the stronghold. [VRD, 8 November 2000]

Slaughter the Scout

• Read, "Slaughter the Scout 0G 2FV Reaction: After a target unit moves into a Province opposing one of your target Personalities, bow your Personality to destroy that unit." MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• If two units move into a battle together (e.g., with Luring Tactics), neither one counts as moving into the other's battle. [JA, 12 December 2001]

Sneak Attack

• Reads, "Sneak Attack 0G 3FV Reaction: Play when the Battle Action Segment begins. The Attacker has the first opportunity to take an action or pass during this battle, and play proceeds in turn order from him." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• Changes who gets the first normal Battle or Open action. Other players may still use Reactions that occur before the first Battle or Open action (e.g., Purusha). [FAQ 3.10]

Snow Crane Tattoo

• Only affects Focus values during duels. [VRD, 18 November 2000; JA, 8 June 2001]

Soul's Sacrifice

• Is performed by the Personality. [JA, 9 June 2001]

Spider Tattoo

• Only the Personality adds to the force of the unit when the Personality is bowed; unbowed Followers do not. [Reversal, JA, 1 August 2003]

Stand Against the Waves

• The attacker / defender may bow allied units. [FAQ]
• Initially targets another player, not their cards (Card text). May be played if you are a Yodin Sensei player, but if played against you in a multi-player game, you may not bow allied Personalities. [JA, 4 December 2001]
• The first effect always occurs (or attempts to) and always targets Personalities (i.e., Reactions to an action targeting a Personality are always playable). It does not sometimes skip to the second, untargeted effect. [JA, 18 December 2001]

Stand Or Run

• Reads, "Stand Or Run 0G 2FV Iaijutsu Battle: One of your Samurai Personalities issues a challenge to an opposing Personality. If the challenge is refused, send the opponent home bowed. A bowed Personality cannot refuse this challenge." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Stern Reprimand

• If it targets a token follower, the Follower's controller can opt to have Stern Reprimand try to send it into his or her hand, which removes it from the game instead. Because Stern Reprimand produces all of its effects no matter which option is chosen, the general rule (i.e., that a player forced to do something by another player's card cannot try to do so in an impossible or useless way) does not apply. [Reversal, JA, 23 October 2003]

Storm of Arrows

• Can increase the strength of ranged attacks that do not target cards (e.g., Burn it Down). [ZF, April 2000]

Storms of War

• The additional bowing is not a cost of the action to be performed. E.g., Steep Terrain will not prevent it. [DW, email, 18 March 1999]
• The additional bowing is done prior to any aspect of the action it precedes, including targeting. [Card text]
• Multiples are not cumulative. [JA, December 1999]

A Stout Heart

• Only counters one use of Fear. [DW, 20 May 1996]

Street to Street

• Reads, "Street to Street 0G 1FV Immediate Terrain. Battle: All Followers at this battle detach and are no longer in units. When this Battle Action Segment ends or this Terrain is destroyed, each Follower's controller must attach the Follower to one of his or her Personalities in this battle. Destroy any Follower that any player cannot legally attach." [MRP, An Oni's Fury, 10 December 2001]
• Lone Followers do not contribute to your army's total Force. [15 July 1999]
• A Personality who cannot be targeted with actions (e.g., Kitsuki Kaagi's Journal) cannot re-attach Followers. [JA, 29 October 2001]
• Bowed Personalities controlled by the player who put Street to Street into play cannot re-attach Followers; bowed Personalities controlled by other players can re-attach Followers. [JA, 29 October 2001]
• Followers in units entering a battle with the terrain already in play do not detach. [JA, 22 February 2002]

Stress

• May not be played during Test of the Jade Champion. [Netnews, 16 July 1999]

Strike at the Tail

• Reads, "Strike at the Tail 0G 2FV Battle: Bow one of your units to destroy a number of opposing Followers with total Force less than or equal to the Force your unit had before bowing. If a Unicorn Clan Personality leads your unit, the unit gains +2F for this effect." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Strike of Flowing Water

• Reads, "Strike of Flowing Water 0G 3FV When you focus this card, double the Focus value of the next card you focus in this duel. Reaction: When one of your Personalities would focus, instead discard all cards focused by both Personality's controllers for the duel and negate the discarded cards' effects." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• Is cumulative with the Double Chi trait. [DW, email, 5/7/97]

Strike Without Striking

• You can only return cards that came from your hand. [DW, October 1997]
• You cannot retrieve cards that only add as though focused. [Netnews, 24 June 1999]

Summoning the Moon

• Its effects end if the targeted personality dies. [ZF, 2 June 2000]

Superior Strategist

Reads, "Superior Strategist 0G 3FV Tactical Battle: Search your Fate deck for an Action card with a Battle or Open action. If you find a card, gain an additional action after this one and play that card for a Battle or Open action." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Surrender

• Reads, "Surrender 0G 3FV Reaction: Play this card during the Resolution Segment of a battle you have lost. Your opponent loses 1 Honor instead of gaining 2 Honor for each card he or she destroys this segment. Your opponent may "spare" and not destroy any of your units to gain 2 Honor for each card in those units as if he or she destroyed them." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• Cannot be played during a tied battle. [JA, 14 June 2002]

Suspended Terrain

• Units that leave during the Resolution Segment (e.g., Pick Your Battles) are not affected. [JA, 12 May 2003]

Tactical Maneuvers

• Allows complete rearranging of all your assigned Tacticians. [DW, 27 November 1999]
• Moves units into and out of battles. [ZF, 19 June 2001]

Tattoo of the Void

• If you need to know whether you have units in the battle (a yes/no question between "zero" and "more than zero"), ignore a unit led by a Personality with a Void Tattoo. If a particular number of units matters (e.g., "one" for Come One at a Time), do not ignore the unit. [JA, 30 May 2003]

A Test of Courage

• Reads, "A Test of Courage 0G 2FV Reaction: Play when an action is moving one or more of your Personalities out of a battle. Target one of them. Cancel the action. You cannot bow the targeted Personality to pay action costs or target the Personality with actions until the end of the turn." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• May not be used when a Personality is removed from a Maneuvers Segment (e.g., Daidoji Ekiken) [JA, 20 January 2003]

Test of Honor

• Reads, "Test of Honor 6G 2FV Limited: Target a Personality, who must undergo a Test of Honor. That Personality's controller must draw and discard the top card from his or her Fate deck. If the Focus value of the discarded card is greater than the Personal Honor of the Personality, the Personality is Dishonored, then destroyed. This card has no effect if the target's controller has no Fate deck left." [MRP, Pearl Edition]

The Third Shout

• Any number may be played after just one Second Shout. [FAQ 3.2]
• May not be used as a face-down normal focus if the Second Shout requirement is not met. [FAQ 3.2]
• Does not have to be played the same way the Second Shout was. [FAQ 3.2]

To Avenge Our Ancestors

• Is Political. [Rulebook]
• Doubles all honor gains and losses that occur during, or are triggered by, resolution (e.g., Kakita Shijin). [DW, 12/2/97]

To Do What We Must

• Reads, "To Do What We Must 0G 3FV Battle: Destroy one of your units in this battle led by an unbowed Personality to destroy an opposing unit with total Force less than or equal to your unit's total Force, plus your Personality's Personal Honor, plus 2 if your Personality is Crane Clan." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• If the unit's Followers are moved away with Rally Troops, they won't count towards the strength of the effect since they're removed before the leader is destroyed. [DW, email, 2/7/97]

To The Last Man

• Requires the winning player to destroy cards and tokens with a total Force no less than half that of the defeated army, not every individual card / token with that Force or higher. [DW, 19 June 1997]
• Allies' cards and tokens may be destroyed. [Card text]
• Does not force any destruction if the losing army's total Force was 0, because half of 0 is 0.

Today We Die

• Reads, "Today We Die 0G 1FV Limited: Target a Samurai Personality. For the rest of the game, that Samurai cannot lobby, and at the end of each of his controller's Action Phases, if he is able to attack, his controller must declare an attack and assign him. The Samurai permanently gains +1F/+1C after each time he is in a battle during its resolution. Only one Today We Die may be played on a Personality per game." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Torii Tattoo

• If a Personality with this tattoo uses it during a duel he or she entered via He's Mine!, He's Mine! is canceled, causing the Personality not to enter the duel or bow, while the Personality originally in the duel stays bowed. [JA, 13 March 2002]

Touching the Void

• Reads, "Touching the Void 0G 2FV Limited: If you have no cards in your hand after playing this card, permanently lower your maximum hand size by one, and draw four extra cards during your End Phase this turn." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Traversable Terrain

• Reads, "Traversable Terrain 0G 1FV You can only play this card if you have one or more units in this battle.Battle Terrain: Move one of your units into this battle from the Province it is attacking or defending." [MRP, Soul of the Empire]

Treacherous Terrain

• Effects that give a bonus based on how many of a certain type of card is in play gives its full bonus under this Terrain (e.g., Ancestral Sword, Crab Clan Oni). All that matters is that the card providing the bonus is in the unit; the cards that the bonus is based on may be anywhere. [DW, email, 4/9/97]

Tribute to Your House

• Reads, "Tribute to Your House 0G 1FV Political Limited: As a cost, destroy your rightmost Province. Until the beginning of your next turn, the player or players with the highest Family Honor are considered to have Family Honor equal to their starting Family Honor. This is not considered an Honor loss. Honor gains and losses occur as usual during this period and affect the player's true Family Honor." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• Checks for what player(s) has the highest Honor only when first played. [JA, email, 10 November 2003]

Tsudao's Challenge

• Units led by bowed Personalities do not contribute force to their army's total Force, regardless of what stat the Personality would add to the army's Force total if he or she were unbowed. [JA, 15 October 2001]
• Should say, "Unit's force," not "army force." [JA, 27 September 2002]

Twist of Fate

• You may not attach cards from your Fate hand using an action on a card in play, unless it waives attachment restrictions (e.g., Kitsu). [ZF, netnews, 28 February 2001]

The Unclean Cut

• Is Political. [Rulebook]

Unrequited Love

• Reads, "Unrequited Love 0G 2FV Political Open: Target an unbowed Human Personality during his controller's Action Phase. His controller may bow the Personality to gain 1 Honor. If he does not, dishonor the Personality and cause his controller to lose Honor equal to the Personality's printed Personal Honor." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• Bowing is an effect of Unrequited Love as well as a cost of Honor gain. [ZF, 7 December 2003]
• If bowing is negated:
  • A player can to continue trying to pay the cost of 1 Honor gain. [JA, 5 December 2003]
  • Dishonor and honor loss do not happen, because the player tried bowing the Personality for honor. [JA, 5 December 2003]

A Vision of Truth

• Players are limited to one of each Ring in their deck but not to one of each in play, so you may play A Vision of Truth if a player satisfies a Ring condition an additional time after playing the Ring earlier.

Volcanic Fields

• A player does not need to have a unit in the battle to destroy a Personality or Follower. [ZF, 20 April 2003]

Wanted

• "Target samurai's controller" in the second sentence should read, "wanted Personality's controller." [JA, 21 March 2003]

Wave Tattoo

• If played on a Personality only straightens during your straighten phase (e.g., Kukojin (Experienced 2 Hitomi Kukojin), a Personality with Spider Tatoo), he or she can only straighten during the target player's straighten phase. [JA, 31 January 2003]

Way of Air / Earth / Fire / Water

• Each of these cards can counter the playing of further instances of itself since each contains its own target keyword in its text. [RD, email, 6/11/97]
• When a Personality is performing an action via an action card, the words on the action card are the only ones that matter. [DW, email, 5/6/98]
• The Personality gains the "Adept of (Element)" trait.

Way of Death

• Renamed from The Way of Death. [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

The Way of Death: See Way of Death

Way of Deception

• Reads, "Way of Deception 0G 2FV Battle: Switch the locations of two of your units led by unbowed Personalities. These units are not considered to be moving." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• May be played during an Ambush. [DW, 25 December 1996, MRP, Pearl Edition]

Way of the Void

• Cancels actions, and negates non-action effects. [ZF, 6 August 2000]

Wedge

• Reads, "Wedge 0G 2FV Battle: Target one of your units in this battle. You cannot target that unit or cards in it with actions until after the battle ends. Destroy the unit when the battle ends. If the unit is still in this army at the beginning of the Resolution Segment, double the Force of the Personality and each Follower in the unit." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• Multiples are not cumulative.
• The unit is destroyed regardless of whether it is still in the army. [Card text]

When Darkness Draws Near

• Reads, "When Darkness Draws Near 0G 3FV Battle: Send an allying unit home from this battle, bowed. If the unit's controller no longer has any units in any battle and has had no units in armies during any Resolution Segment this turn, he or she loses 2 Honor." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• May not be played by a Shadowlands player if the ally has no other units in any battle, because it would cause an unconditional honor loss. [JA, email, 5 July 2001]

White Shore Plain

• Reads, "White Shore Plain 0G 1FV Delayed Terrain Battle: Each Tactician in this battle who has not performed a Tactical action this battle gains Force equal to his Chi. This is considered a Force bonus from a Tactical action." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Wide Terrain

• Once played, destroying it does not undo any of its resolved effects. [VRD, 18 December 2000]

Will of the Emperor

• The "if able" clause applies to both assigning a unit and declaring the attack. [JA, 27 January 2000]

Winning Kachiko's Favor

• You may pay gold to increase your honor as often as you wish during the lobby attempt. [DW, 6/3/97]

Witch Hunter's Accusation

• A player loses honor equal to the Personal Honor of the Shugenja immediately before he or she is dishonored. [JA, email, 7 November 2002]

Wounded in Battle

• Reads, "Wounded in Battle0G 2FV Battle: A target Personality in this battle has -2C until the end of the turn. If the Personality is reduced below 1C and is a Samurai, he or she does not die unless his or her Chi is still below 1 at the end of the Resolution Segment. Only one Wounded in Battle can be played on a Personality per turn." [MRP, Fire & Shadow]
• A 3C+ Samurai survives until the end of battle if Wounded in Battle is used first, then some other action reduces his Chi below 1. [DW]

Ancestors

Dairu no Shiryo

• May not repeatedly target the same Personality of the same player. [JA, email, 8 March 2002]

Gaijutsu no Shiryo

• Does not require bowing the Personality he moves onto using his ability. [JA. 12 December 2001]
• Does not gain stat and trait bonuses from Tattoos, because he may not "use" Tattoos. [JA, 12 December 2002]
• Cannot be targeted by a Tattoo action that requires a particular type of Personality (e.g., monk or shugenja for Moth Tattoo). [JA, 13 December 2002]

Natsune no Shiryo

• Only once a Spell is on his Personality will Natsune no Shiryo reduce the costs of all your Spells with that title. [JA, 10 January 2002]

Shiryo no Hantei

• Is Unaligned; thus, is not destroyed if its Personality loses the Toturi's Army or Imperial trait. [Reversal, ZF, netnews, 2 May 2001]

Shiryo no Ikoma

• The honor requirement of the Personality is waived, not of the Ancestor. [DW, 2/3/98]

Shiryo no Isawa

• Does not override non-Chi limits Shugenja have for attaching Spells (e.g., Isawa Osugi). [DW, 12/9/96]

Shiryo no Kakita

• Effects that depend upon the order of focusing (e.g., Strike of Flowing Water) will not benefit from this ancestor, because both cards are focused simultaneously. [VRD, 15 November 2000]

Shiryo no Kaiu

• Ability may not be used if any cards in the unit are bowed, because the cost requires you bow the entire unit. [VRD, 3 July 2001]

Shiryo no Osano-Wo

• Does not count as Hida Osano-Wo for purposes of Uniqueness.
• A Personality with an item that counts as Weapon and Armor (e.g., Armor of the Monkey Clan) gains +1F/+1C. [JA, 2 June 2001]

Shiryo no Shoju

• May name any card with an Open or Battle action, but prevents any use of the card described in the text, not just the Open or Battle action itself. [ZF, 12 June 2001]
• The named card may be used for its focus value (e.g., for duels, Tactician). [ZF, 11 June 2001]
• Action happens before the entire Battle Action Segment, so is not affected by anything that:
  • Refers to "this battle." [JA, 8 March 2002]
  • Prevents Reactions "before the first normal Battle or Open action" (e.g., Naval invasion) [JA, 5 December 2002]

Shiryo no Taisa

• Cannot cancel actions that occur before the Battle Action Segment (e.g., Shiryo no Shoju's ability). [JA, 11 September 2001]
• If you are the attacker, ability can cancel actions taken by the Defender before the first normal Battle or Open action. [JA, 30 April 2002]

Shiryo no Togashi

• If the attached Personality issues a challenge to a player rather than to a Personality, that player must accept the challenge with one of his legal Personalities if he has any. [DW, 1/3/97]
• Makes the challenge a "normal" unrefusable challenge. [January 2000]

Shiryo no Tsuko

• If a battle created by Shiryo no Tsuko is Counterattacked before the original battles are completed, players can reassign their units. Once Counterattack resolves, the original attack resumes where it left off. Surviving units return to the battles they were in when the series of Reactions started. Bowed cards are not straightened. [JA, 14 February 2001]

Yokai no Junzo

• Counts as Yogo Junzo for Uniqueness. [Erratum]

Followers

Apprentice

• Reads, "Apprentice 0F/+1*C 0HR 0G -PH 2FV Apprentice adds an additional two to the Chi of this Shugenja for the purposes of bringing spells into play or when bowing to use a spell or innate ability." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Ambush Strategist

• Does not give a Force bonus to cards with a variable strength ranged attack. [VRD, 21 October 2000]
• Gives a Force bonus to items capable of ranged attacks (e.g., Jade Bow). [VRD, 27 October 2000]

Ashigaru

• Reads, "Ashigaru *F/0C 0HR 0G -PH 3FV Ashigaru gain +1F for each of your Farms in play. If Ashigaru are destroyed, lose 2 Honor." [MRP, Fire & Shadow; ZF, 1 June 2000]

Ashigaru Archers

• Reads, "Ashigaru Archers 0F/0C 1HR 2G -PH 1FV You may draw an additional Fate card in your next End Phase after bringing Ashigaru Archers into play from your hand. Battle: Bow Ashigaru Archers for a Ranged 2 Attack." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Ashigaru Spearmen

• Reads, "Ashigaru Spearmen 1F/0C 1HR 2G -PH 1FV You may draw an additional Fate card in your next End Phase after bringing Ashigaru Spearmen into play from your hand. Battle: Bow Ashigaru Spearmen for a Ranged 1 Attack." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Bayushi House Guard

• Reads, "Bayushi House Guard 2F/+1C 0HR 5G -PH 4FV Unique. Only a Scorpion Clan Personality can attach the Bayushi House Guard. All cards in this unit are immune to Fear. Effects that last until the turn ends or shorter do no lower the Chi of the Bayushi House Guard’s Personality." [MRP, Gold Edition; 1 July 2001]

Berserkers

• Only check for self-destruction if their ability has been used. [DW, 4/9/98]
• Do not self-destruct if unopposed. [JA, 28 November 2000]

Byoki no Oni

• Renamed from "Oni no Byoki." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Clay Soldiers

• Has the Nonhuman trait. [Erratum, JA, email, 7 November 2000]

Courier

• Reasd, "Courier 0F/0C 1HR 0G -PH 2FV Limited: If this Personality is unbowed, bow Courier to move Courier and any number of unbowed Items and/or Spells from this Personality to another of your unbowed Personalities. (All new attachments must be legal.)" [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Cultists

• Will make a Ritual they bow to participate in Maho. [JA, 8/3/99]

The Damned

• Reads, "The Damned 3F/0C 1HR 7*G -PH 3FV Shadowlands. A Crab Clan player may ignore Stronghold restrictions against bringing the Damned into play. A Crab Clan Personality can attach the Damned for 2 less Gold. Battle: Once per Battle, if opposed by one or more Shadowlands cards, the Damned gain +2F. Battle: Destroy the Damned to give their Personality +5F." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Diplomatic Apprentice

• Cannot bow to pay costs other than bowing its Personality. [JA, 14 December 2001]

Elemental Vortex

• Has the Nonhuman trait. [Erratum]

Enlightened Tutor

• Overrides restrictions on Personalities who may not refuse duels (e.g., Kakita Toshimoko). [DW, email, 17 February 1999]

Fire Breather

• Reads, "Fire Breather 2F/0C 0HR 8G -PH 3FV Battle: Bow for a Ranged 4 Attack. Battle: Bow to destroy a Fortification attached to the Province that Fire Breather is attacking." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Foxwife

• Reads, "Foxwife +1F/+1C 0HR 5G -PH 1FV Nonhuman. Creature. Raises the Personal Honor of the attached Personality to five (and restores to honor if dishonored). Foxwife is destroyed if the Personality performs any dishonorable act (either causing a loss of family honor, or if the Personality becomes dishonored)." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Goblin Sneaks

• May return to play if they have ever been previously destroyed in the game. [VRD, 22 August 2001]

Heavy Infantry

• Reads, "Heavy Infantry 5F/0C 0HR 8G -PH 2FV" [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Hunting Tiger

• If an action allows another action to be played as part of its effect (e.g., Superior Strategist), the imposed cost must be paid for each action. [Reversal, JA, 14 June 2002]

Inkyo

• Should read, "Inkyo *F/+2C 1HR 2G -PH 2FV Monk. Inkyo's Force equals the number of Elemental Rings in play. Inkyo cannot cast Kihos." [Erratum, JA, 26 October 2000]

Jester

• "All players may use this ability" only allows players other than the controller to use it, and does not override any other restriction. [JA, 10 January 2003]

Kenku Teacher

• Reads, "Kenku Teacher 0F/0C 1HR 1G -PH 1FV Creature. Open: Bow the Kenku Teacher. Give this Personality a 1F bonus. Open: Bow the Kenku Teacher. Give this Personality a 1C bonus. Open: Bow the Kenku Teacher. Raise the Personal Honor of this Personality by 1." [MRP, Pearl Edition]

Kolat Geisha

• When more than one is placed on the same Personality, the most recent one takes priority. [DW, email, 10/6/98]
• Her Personality must be involved in the creation of an honor gain. [JA, 10 June 1999]

Lieutenant Sukune

• May bow instead of his current Personality to move himself onto another. (The second Personality must still bow.) [29 May 1999]
• May not bow instead of his Personality if the entire unit is being bowed. [29 May 1999]

Lost Souls

• Is a distinct card from the event (in Dark Allies) of the same name. [JA, email, 17 December 2002]

Mantis Bushi

• Reads, "Mantis Bushi 2F/0C 2HR 6G -PH 3FV Naval. Battle: Bow Mantis Bushi to bow an opposing Follower or opposing Personality without Followers." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Marsh Troll

• Reads, "Marsh Troll 4F/0C 0HR 5G -PH 3FV Shadowlands. Creature. During your endphase, Marsh Troll destroys (devours) one other card in its unit (your choice). If the Troll devours the attached Personality, the player to your right may attach him to one of his Personalities. If declined, the next player to the right may attach the Troll, and so on. If no player wants the Troll, it is destroyed." [MRP, Obsidian Edition, August 1997]

Minor Oni Servant

• You must lose honor when attaching spells to its shugenja. [DW, 31 May 1996]

Minor Shugenja

• Reads, "Minor Shugenja 1F/0C 1HR 3G -PH 1FV Minor Shugenja have +1C while participating in a Ritual that this Personality also participates in. (Followers cannot cast Kihos.) Battle: Bow Minor Shugenja for a Ranged 1 Attack." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Mounts

• Reads, "Mounts 0F/0F 0HR 2G -PH 2FV Creature. Cavalry. All Followers attached or being attached to the Mounts' Personality gain the Cavalry trait while Mounts are attached." [MRP, Fire & Shadow]

Naga Spies

• Must be in the current battle to use their reaction. [ZF]
• May be used to perform Ranged Attacks from kiho. [ZF, April 2000]

Oh-chi'chek

• Has the Ratling trait. [Erratum]

Omoidasu

• Ability may be used before units bow from battle. [ZF, 29 November 2002]

Peasant Levies

• Has the Ashigaru trait. [Erratum]

Personal Champion

• Reads, "Personal Champion 0F/+2C 2HR 6G -PH 4FV Reaction: When a Personality challenges the Personal Champion's Personality, bow the Personal Champion to have him duel instead of his Personality. The Personal Champion has 3 Chi and counts as a Personality during the duel." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• If he loses a duel started by Show Me Your Stance, he becomes bowed and his unit is sent home. [DW, 9/11/98]

Rikugunshokan

• Actions that create an attack and assign its unit (e.g., Ambush) fulfill the requirement for avoiding honor loss. [JA, 29 July 2002]

Scout

• Enables the Attacker to use any effect that puts a terrain into play. [DW, 6/10/96]
• The Scout's effect may be used after a Sneak Attack, because the Defender still has not taken his first action. [Card text, and DW, 3/11/97]
• Refers to itself, not all "scout" cards. [Reversal, DW, email, 13 February 1999]
• A canceled Terrain played by a Scout counts for the Attacker's opportunity to act (i.e., play a Terrain); a second Terrain may not be immediately played. [ZF, 6 July 2003]

Scouting Team

• Must be in the battle to use its abilities. [Erratum]

Scribe

• Reads, "Scribe +1F/+1C 0HR 7G -PH 2FV Scribe can only be attached to a Shugenja. Reaction: Bow Scribe and pay the gold cost of any spell as it is being destroyed to attach that spell to the Scribe's unbowed Shugenja rather than destroying it. This may only be done once per spell per Scribe." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]
• Can save spells that are being destroyed in any way, not just by being cast. [DW, 27 August 1996]
• Can save any spell, regardless of ownership. [DW, 27 August 1996]
• Cost to re-attach a spell with the Scribe is affected by everything that would affect the cost of attaching it from your hand. [Summary of other rulings]
• The cost of destroying the spell is still considered to be paid. [JA, 9 April 2002]

Shinjo House Guard

• Its unit can assigned to a Province where units cannot assign during the Cavalry Maneuvers Segment (e.g., Earthworks). [Card text]

Shireikan

• Cannot attach cards that cannot be moved (e.g., Ancestors). [DW, 28 July 1998]
• When he becomes a Personality, he stops being a Follower.
• The transition from Follower to Personality is not considered "bringing a Personality into play," because the Shireikan is never out of play when the transition occurs. [ZF, 10 August 2000; JA, 10 October 2000]

Spirit Hounds

• Has the Creature trait. [Erratum, JA, 16 November 2000]

Temple Guard

• Is not a Temple. [Keyword rule exception]

Untested Troops

• Reads, "Untested Troops 4F/0C 2HR 6G -HR 1FV Bow Untested Troops after each Fear effect resolves that targeted or affected anything in their battle." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Wasp Archers

• Any change to their ranged attack is an alteration (e.g., bonus from Tsuruchi). [DW, email]

Wyrm Riders

• Reads, "Wyrm Riders 2F/0C 0HR 6G -PH 2FV Cavalry. Creature. Lose 2 Honor. Battle: Bow for a Ranged 2 Attack." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Zokujin

• Reads, "Zukojin 2F/0C 0HR 3G -PH 2FV Creature. Limited: Bow the Zukojin to destroy a Copper Mine. No cards in this unit can straighten during your next turn." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Items

The 12^th Black Scroll

• Ends the battle without resolution. [Netnews, 20 September 1999]

Ancient Spear of the Naga

• Receives bonuses from effects that boost "Naga cards." [DW, 10 October 1996]

Ancestral Sword of the Hantei

• Does not reverse upper or lower limits on Force or Chi, just bonuses and penalties. [December 1999]
• Does not affect focusing in a duel. [Erratum]

Ancestral Weapons of the Mantis

• Cloak of Night does not pay the gold costs for the extra features, though you can pay for them when it is revealed. [DW, 28 September 1997]

Armor of Earth

• Can cancel Encircled Terrain, but not Entrapping Terrain. [DW, 2 February 1998]

Armor of Sun-Tao

• Reads, "The Armor of Sun Tao +0F/+0C 3G 1FV Limited: Place any number of terrains from your hand face down under the Armor of Sun Tao. If the Armor is moved or destroyed, the Terrains move or are destroyed with it. Battle: Play a Terrain from under the Armor of Sun Tao. The Terrain destroys any Terrain in play and cannot be destroyed." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• Ability can only be used if the Armor is in the current battle. [Erratum, JA, 31 May 2002]
• A terrain is out of play and "played" (e.g., for Hantei Sensei) when taken from underneath the Armor. [JA, 26 September 2000]
• Placing a Terrain under the Armor is not "attaching" a card. [ZF, 6 July 2002]

Armor of the Ebony Samurai

• Is not a Samurai. [Keyword rule exception]

Armor of the Golden Samurai

• In determining whether a card can be legally focused, use its focus value prior to focusing (e.g., don't apply effects like Double Chi or Strength of Flowing Water). [17 May 1999]
• Is not a Samurai. [Keyword rule exception]

Atarasi's Armor

• Ability cannot be used twice in a turn, even if moved to a second Personality. [JA, 8 January 2003]

Basher's Club

• Does not include bonuses received by attaching an Item or Follower. [DW, email, October 1998]

Bitter

• Destroys a dishonored Personality before he or she can commit seppuku. [VRD, 8 November 2000]

Blackened Claws

• Reads, "Blackened Claws +1F/+1C 4G 2FV Shadowlands. Cannot be moved. May only attach to a Shadowlands Personality without Blackened Claws. May attach to a Personality regardless of restrictions on the Personality. Reaction: When this Personality enters a duel, bow Blackened Claws to give two -1C Corruption tokens to the opposing Personality." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Blade of Truths

• Reads, "Blade of Truths +0F/+3C 6G 3FV Weapon. Unique. Reaction: After this Personality enters a duel, name a Focus value. The opposing player cannot play Focus cards or Reaction Action cards with that Focus value during the duel." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Bo Stick

• Determine if a card can be legally focused by using its focus value before focusing (don't apply, e.g., Strike of Flowing Water). [17 May 1999]

Climbing Gear

• Reads, "Climbing Gear 0G 3FV The Climbing Gear can only be attached to a Ninja Personality. All effects of Fortifications at the defender's Province are negated while the Climbing Gear is in an attacking army." [MRP, Pearl Edition]

Crystal Arrow

• Can target a Personality with attached Followers. This still counts as a Ranged Attack; Reactions and traits involving Ranged Attacks apply. [Clarification, Fire & Shadow rulebook]
• Can be used by any Personality with any Ranged Attack. The characteristics of that Ranged Attack are irrelevant; only those of the Arrow are used. [DW, 25 September 1996]

Crystal Katana

• Reads, "Crystal Katana +0F/+2C 3G 1FV While this Personality faces a Shadowlands Personality in a battle or duel, the Crytsal Katana gains +2C." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Crystal Nagamaki

• Has the Weapon trait. [Erratum]

Dai Tsuchi

• Renamed from Die Tsuchi. [MRP, Reign of Blood, 8 December 2003]

Daikyu

• Reads, "Daikyu +0F/+0C 3F 1FV Only Cavalry Personalities may attach Daikyu. Battle: Bow Daikyu for a Ranged 3 Attack." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Dark Covenant

• Dark Covenenant's Personality is dishonored and destroyed despite being bowed. [JA, 2 May 2003]

Die Tsuchi: see Dai Tsuchi

Draft Notice

• You may only reduce the gold cost once, because there is only one point when you are "attaching a Follower." [ZF, 1 August 2000]

Dragon Helm

• Reads, "Dragon Helm 0F/0C 3G 2FV Open: Bow the Helm to force any target Dragon to bow. (This does not refer to Dragon Clan Personalities, unless they are considered to be a Dragon.)" [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Dragon Pearl

• Reads, "Dragon Pearl +0F/+0C 10G 3FV Unique. Before Dragon Pearl enters play, target an Item, including a Unique Item, that this Personality can legally attach. After entering play, this card becomes a copy of that Item's printed card plus all permanent changes in effect on it. None of the Item's costs need to be paid and no entering-play effects are produced." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Dragon's Tooth

• Can be used to bring dragons into play who are Dragon Clan Personalities. [JA, 9 February 2001]

Dripping Poison

• Once you've placed a poison token on a Personality, you lose honor if any effect kills that Personality by reducing his Chi to 0, even if he has no poison tokens on him at the time. [DW, 9/12/96]

Drum of Water

• Reads, "Drum of Water 6G 3FV Reaction: When an army containing this Personality destroys an opposing army after you have played a Terrain for the battle, play the Ring of Water from your hand. Elemental Battle: Destroy the Drum of Water to move this Personality to another of the Defender's Provinces." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

The Eye of Shorihotsu

• Can only add +4 to one Ranged Attack. [DW, email, 29 April 1997]

Fan of Command

• Reads, "Fan of Command +0F/+0C 4G 2FV This Personality gains Tactician while Fan of Command is attached." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

The False Tao

• The Ring is completely ignored. It does not count towards an Elemental Victory, Prayer Shrine gold production, etc. [11/27/99] It cannot be targeted. [DW, 2/5/2000]
• A Ring targeted with The False Tao is still in play, so no "leaving play" effects are triggered (e.g., Kolat Chambers). [ZF, 1 August 2000]

Garotte

• Ability is Political. [Rulebook]

Hojatsu's Blade

• Has the Weapon trait. [Erratum]

Honorable

• Destroys a dishonored Personality before he or she can commit seppuku. [VRD, 8 November 2000]

The Imperial Standard

• Reads, "The Imperial Standard +1F/+2C 5G 4FV Unique. Putting this card into play from your hand is a Political action. You must use and discard the Imperial Favor to bring the Imperial Standard into play. Gain 4 Honor. Each Follower in this unit gains +2F and is immune to Fear while Imperial Standard is attached." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Isawa's Last Wish

• Your opponent's destruction of one of your cards:
  • Is a case of targeting with an action, which can be canceled (if all other conditions required for the cancelation apply). [JA, 13 December 2001]
  • Can destroy a Wind. [JA, 13 December 2001]

Jade Arrow

• Can target a Personality with attached Followers. This still counts as a Ranged Attack; Reactions and traits involving Ranged Attacks apply. [Clarification, Fire & Shadow rulebook]

The Jade Hand

• Reads, "The Jade Hand +1F/+3C 8G 3FV Unique. The Jade Hand may not be removed, stolen or destroyed. This Personality gains a 3F/2C bonus when opposed by any Shadowlands card in a battle or duel." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

The Jade Throne

• Does not affect lobbying for the Imperial Favor at all under Imperial Favor rules since Gold Edition, because it only affects family honor after a lobby attempt has begun. [VRD, 22 August 2001]

Kitsuki Kaagi's Journal

• Attaching cards from your hand is an action. You may not attach cards to someone with the Journal unless they are cards that can only attach to ninja (e.g., Shuriken).
• Bowing to exchange cards among two or more Personalities is an action targeting every card being moved and every Personality receiving one or more cards. Thus, no cards can be moved from the Journal's unit, and no cards can moved to it except ninja only cards.
• Holder may be targeted to perform actions that say "bow one of your ninja Personalities to..." (e.g., Night of a Thousand Fires).
• Cannot be selected for an action by any player [Card text], including cases where the Personality is not chosen by the player taking the action (e.g., Encircled Terrain, The 12^th Black Scroll, Yogo Asami). [DW, email, 12/2/98]

Lord Moon's Blood

• Its Unique trait only interacts with other Unique cards that count as the Obsidian Mirror. You may have one Lord Moon's Blood and three original, non-Unique Obsidian Mirrors in your deck. [DW, 13 February 1999]
• Only copies the initial focus values (e.g., before Double Chi). [JA, 5 September 2000]
• Do not apply bonuses until focuses are revealed. [JA, 18 February 2003]

Lord Moon's Bones

• Do not apply Chi penalties until focuses are revealed. [JA, 11 February 2003]

Mantis Fleet

• Does not affect the Cavalry trait of any individual cards in the unit. [JA, 27 November 1999]

Mantle of the Jade Champion

• Reads, "Mantle of the Jade Champion +2F/+3C 8G 4FV Unique. Only a Shugenja can attach the Mantle of the Jade Champion. The Jade Champion attaches the the Mantle of the Jade Champion without Gold cost. Lower the Gold cost of each Spell for this Personality by half of the Spell's Gold cost, rounded down." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Mask of the Oni

• Which ability gets duplicated is not set until it's actually used. [DW, email, 4/7/99]

Nagamaki

• Is a Weapon. [Erratum, JA, web, 9 September 2001]

Night Medallion

• Reads, "Night Medallion 0F/0C 6G 3FV Unique. The Night Medallion can only be attached to a Kolat or a ninja. The Night Medallion adds +2 to every numeral printed on this Personality's card. This bonus does not apply to copied abilities." [MRP, Pearl Edition]
• Losses are not automatically negative numbers: a number is only negative if there's an actual "-" sign on the card. [FAQ 3.4, 4 April 1997]
• Will raise the base strength of ranged attacks that cannot be increased. [DW, 26 November 1996]
• Does not affect Roman numerals. [VRD, 27 November 2000]

Nogoten's Bow

• The Chi penalty of the tokens is not affected by cards that change the strength of ranged attacks.
• Kyudo allows the Bow to place two -2C tokens.
• When giving a -2C token, you may target a Personality with Followers. [Card text]

O-Ushi's Hammer

• A Personality may not have O-Ushi's Hammer and another weapon attached by any means [ZF, 7 August 2000] except stronghold effects (e.g., Shiro Mirumoto) [JA, 3 December 2001]

Poison Dartgun

• The ranged attack originates from the Dartgun, not the Personality. It may be combined with other Dartguns or a ranged attack from the Personality. [DW, email, 19 February 1999]

Porcelain Mask of Fu Leng (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Porcelain Mask of Fu Leng +*F/+*C 8G 2FV Unique. Shadowlands. Lose 4 Honor. Place a number of +1F/+1C Porcelain tokens on the Porcelain Mask of Fu Leng equal to this Personality's Chi. This Personality gains the Shadowlands trait and the ability "Battle: Fear 3" while the Porcelain Mask of Fu Leng is attached. The Porcelain Mask of Fu Leng cannot be moved among Personalities. When the Porcelain Mask of Fu Leng is destroyed, destroy this Personality. During each of your Events Phases, remove a Porcelain token.When you remove the last Porcelain token, destroy the Porcelain Mask of Fu Leng." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• Destroys itself if it is ever in play with zero Porcelain tokens, not only when it changes from one to zero tokens. [JA, 31 March 2003]

Prophecies of Uikku

• Does not save Provinces from Doom of the Dark Lord, as they are neither "you" nor "your cards." [JA, 8 March 2002]

Riding Yari

• Has the Weapon trait. [Erratum, JA, 14 July 2000]

Shuriken

• Discarding is a cost of the ability. [JA, 7 November 2000]

Shuriken of Serpents

• Its ranged attack is an ability of the Shuriken and not the Personality. [Card text] Thus:
  • Its attack can be combined with one from the Personality and/or with other Shuriken.
  • Having a Shuriken will not let a Personality use (e.g.) Jade Arrow or The Arrow Knows the Way.

Sword of the Sun

• Gives +2F/+2C to a personality with a Lion Tattoo, regardless of whether it's attached to the Tattooed Personality. [ZF, 12 May 2000]
• Gives +2F/+2C to all appropriate personalities in an army if affected by Hitomi Bujun's ability. [ZF, 12 May 2000]

Terrible Standard of Fu Leng

• Reads, "Terrible Standard of Fu Leng *F/0F 7G 4FV Shadowlands. Unique. Lose 5 Honor. The Standard gains a +1F token for each opposing unit destroyed in the resolution phase of this battle. Battle: Fear 2. Limited: Once per game, destroy any Hida Sukune in play to give a +4F to the Standard until the end of the turn." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Tetsuya's Bo

• Focus value is 4. [Erratum]

Togashi's Daisho

• Should say "Dragon Clan Personality," not "Dragon Personality." [27 September 1999]

Token of Jade

• Will prevent a less-Experienced personality from gaining the Shadowlands trait if a more experienced Personality with the Shadowlands trait is overlaid on it. [DW, email, 16 September 1998]

Tonfa

• A Personality who can attach two Weapons who has a Tonfa and another Weapon attached may attach a second Tonfa. [JA, 28 October 2002]

Toturi's Treatise

• Does not alter an army's force; rather, it tells you how to resolve a battle. [JA, 29 June 2000]
• Can be used to destroy a province with 0 Province Strength and 0F defending army, as "winning by 1F" is what is required to destroy it. [JA, 29 June 2000]

Wakizashi

• Reads, "Wakizashi +0F/+1C 0G 2FV Weapon. A Personality who has one Weapon can attach the Wakizashi. This Personality can have two Weapons." [MRP, A Perfect Cut, 4 September 2001]

Writ of Conscription

• Ability is used after attachment is announced but before the attaching card enters play, either before or after gold is produced. [JA, 7 August 2003]

Writ of Peace

• Any player (including one that cannot lose Honor) may choose either option. This is an exception to the general rule that players cannot choose an option that is known in advance will fail. [JA, email, 29 September 2003]

Kiho

Blessings Upon the Land

• Is not cumulative with An Exhibition. [ZF, 13 May 2000]

Catching the Wind's Favor

• Ranged attacks with no printed strength have strength 0. [FAQ 3.8]

Facing Your Devils

• If the caster gets Chi bonuses for casting spells/kiho, they apply to the duel. [DW, email, 11 November 1998]

Finding the Harmony

• Reads, "Finding the Harmony 0G 4FV Kiho Limited: Bow one of your Monks or Shugenja to permanently switch an Elemental Ring in your hand with one you have in play. This is not considered playing a Ring. The new Ring does not count toward an Enlightenment Victory." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• "The new Ring does not count toward an Enlightenment Victory" is a permanent effect. The same physical copy of the Ring will not count for an Enlightenment victory if it is taken out of play and re-played. [ZF, 14 July 2001; JA, 18 July 2001]

Fist of the Earth

• Reads, "Fist of the Earth 0G 3FV Kiho Battle: Bow one of your Shugenja or Monks to bow an opposing Follower or an opposing Personality without Followers." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 July 2003]

Flee the Darkness

• Reads, "Flee the Darkness 0G 1FV Kiho Reaction: When another player targets one of your Personalities with a Battle action or with an Open action during a battle, bow one of your Shugenja or Monks to cancel that action." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Freezing the Lifeblood

• Reads, "Freezing the Lifeblood 0G 3FV Kiho Open: Bow one of your Shugenja or Monks to put a Sleep token on a bowed Personality. The token has the trait, 'Each time this Personality tries to straighten, remove one Sleep token instead of straightening him.'" [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Fury of the Earth

• Reads, "Fury of the Earth 0G 2FV Kiho Elemental Battle: Bow one of your Monks or Shugenja in this battle. Reduce this Province's Strength by the caster's Chi (to a minimum of 0). Kiho Elemental Battle: Bow one of your Shugenja or Monks in this battle. Destroy a Fortification at this Province with a Gold cost equal to or less than the caster's Chi." [MRP, Pearl Edition]

Gift of the Wind

• Reads, "Gift of the Wind 0G 2FV Kiho Elemental Open: Bow one of your Monks or Shugenja to give the Cavalry trait to a number of cards in a unit up to the caster's Chi." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

A Glimpse of the Soul's Shadow

• Reads, "A Glimpse of the Soul's Shadow 0G 3FV Battle: Bow one of your Shugenja in this battle for Fear equal to his or her Chi." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Grasp the Earth Dragon

• May not retrieve cards that were in play, only those that were directly discarded. [ZF, 19 June 2001]

Jurojin's Touch

• The card is removed from the game in addition to being destroyed, not instead of. [DW, 2/9/98]
• Will not negate effects of cards that leave play or destroy themselves when used (e.g., Events, some Spells). Their effects have already resolved. [DW, 13 February 1998]

Kaede's Tears

• Reads, "Kaede's Tears 0G 3FV Kiho Limited: Target a Unique Personality in your discard pile. Bow one of your Shugenja with Chi greater than or equal to the Personality's Chi and remove this card from the game to shuffle the Personality into your Dynasty deck." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Master of Destiny

• May be used on your own event, even one appearing in your rightmost Province (i.e., the event may "replace" itself). [JA, 12 September 2000]

Mizu-do

• Reads, "Mizu-do 0G 2FV Kiho Elemental Battle: Target one of your Personalities in this battle and bow one of your Monks or Shugenja to take this action. From now until the battle ends, whenever any opposing card gains a non-Mizu-do Force bonus, the target Personality gains an equal force bonus until the turn ends." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Nature Provides

• Does not have to be cast when you are producing gold by other means. [JA, 25 August 2000]

One With the Elements

• Should read, "...bow one of your non-Shugenja Monks with Chi greater than the Spell's or Kiho's gold cost...." [Erratum to MRP, Fire & Shadow]

Palm Strike

• Reads, "Palm Strike 0G 3FV Kiho Battle: Target one of your unbowed Monk Personalities with no Weapons to bow an opposing Personality with no Weapons." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

The Path Not Taken

• Copies only the text of one particular action, not the whole card. [Card text] Restrictions, costs, and traits outside the copied action's description do not apply.
• When copying from a card with more than one action on it, one must be choosen when the original Path Not Taken is cast. [DW, email, 3/1/99]
• May be used if you forced your opponent to discard, even if the discard is from a deck, not the Fate hand. [JA, 13 February 2002]

Playing With Madness

• Bowing your Shugenja is a cost. [JA, 21 February 2003]

Private Augury

• Compares only the Personal Honor of Personalities who share the relevent trait(s) with the caster, not all Personalities with any of the listed traits. [JA, 5 November 2002]

Root the Mountain

• Is both an Immediate and a Delayed Terrain. [JA, email, 18 April 2003]

Shield of Blood

• The affected Personality returns to the home of the current controller, not the original caster (if different). [JA, email, 8 December 2003]

Shurin Storms

• The Province is destroyed after all cards are. Reactions on cards in the battle cannot be used to save the Province (e.g., Mystic Ground). [25 September 1999]

The Sight of Death

• Reads, "The Sight of Death 0G 1FV Kiho Limited: Bow one of your Shugenja or Monks and target one of your Personalities with a Chi less than or equal to that of the caster. Until the beginning of your next turn, the first time this Personality is destroyed, he or she is returned to play in your fief bowed, immediately afterwards. This does not protect a Personality who is destroyed by a card effect on one of your cards." [MRP, Pearl Edition; DW, 2/3/98]
• The stipulations that "your" cards will still kill the target and that he'll return to "your" fief are set when the kiho is cast and do not change if the Personality changes control. [DW, email, 19 February 1998]

Stars Scatter

• May produce an indefinite number of 0 strength Ranged Attacks, if the original strength was more than 0. [DW, email, July 1999]
• Can only modify one Ranged Attack if several are produced simultaneously. [Netnews, 7/12/99]

Stepping Between the Cracks

• Does not negate effects that occur after it is cast. [JA, ZF April 2000]

Suitengu's Uncertainty

• If you cannot pick an alternate destination, you cannot have the unit move there instead of where it was going. [JA, email, 10 December 2003]

Touching the Soul

• Bowing a Shugenja or Monk is a cost. [Erratum, ZF, 2 November 2003; JA, 3 November 2003]

The True Lands

• Second action is a Reaction. [Erratum, DW, 29 January 1998]

Void Strike

• The revealed card is discarded. [DW, 29 September 1998]

Walk Through the Mountains

• May be played if the action doesn't send units home immediately (e.g., Show Me Your Stance). Only effects of that action from that point on are canceled.

Will of Air

• Bowing one of your Shugenja or Monks, removing the kiho from the game, and revealing the Ring of Air from your hand if you don't have it in play are all costs. [Extension from Will of Earth, 8 April 2003]
• Revealing the Ring of Air is not playing it. Does not allow you to play the Ring of Air. [JA, email, 6 May 2003]

Will of Earth

• Bowing one of your Shugenja or Monks, removing the kiho from the game, and revealing the Ring of Earth from your hand if you don't have it in play are all costs. [JA, 8 April 2003]
• Revealing the Ring of Earth is not playing it. Does not allow you to play the Ring of Earth. [JA, email, 6 May 2003]

Will of Fire

• Bowing one of your Shugenja or Monks, removing the kiho from the game, and revealing the Ring of Fire from your hand if you don't have it in play are all costs. [Extension from Will of Earth, 8 April 2003]
• Revealing the Ring of Fire is not playing it. Does not allow you to play the Ring of Fire. [JA, email, 6 May 2003]

Will of Water

• Revealing the Ring of Water is not playing it. Does not allow you to play the Ring of Water. [JA, email, 6 May 2003]

The Wind's Truth

• Reads, "The Wind's Truth 0G 4FV Kiho Elemental Political Reaction: When any player gains or loses Honor, bow one of your Monks or Shugenja with Chi greater than or equal to the gain or loss to redirect the gain or loss to a different player." [MRP, A Perfect Cut, 4 September 2001]
• The source and amount of the gain / loss are unchanged. [7/12/99]
• Targets the honor gain / loss and the new recipient. [JA, 26 April 2002]

Written in Blood

• Reads, "Written in Blood 0G 2FV Kiho Maho Open: Bow one of your Shugenja to give a Personality -2C. Lose 3 Honor." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Yakamo's Smile

• The Provinces destroyed need not belong to the same player. [Card text, VRD, 8 November 2000]

Rings

Dark Ring of the Void

• Benefit may only be used once per turn. [JA, 2 October 2002]

Ring of Air

• Reads, "Ring of Air 0G 4FV Play Ring of Air after casting three or more Spells and/or Kiho in one turn. Elemental Reaction: After one of your Shugenja or Monks bows to cast a Spell or Kiho, bow Ring of Air to straighten that Shugenja or Monk." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• May not be used to straighten the Personality who cast the third Spell or Kiho, because bowing occurs when paying costs and before the action has successfully resolved. [JA, 7 October 2003]

Ring of Earth

• Reads, "Ring of Earth 0G 4FV Play Ring of Earth after an army containing your units wins a battle against an opposing army at a Province. Elemental Limited: Bow Ring of Earth and target one of your Personalities. Until the beginning of your next turn, other players cannot move that Personality into or out of battles." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• Prevents effects requiring other players to target and move your Personality. Does not prevent effects generated by other player's cards that require you to target and move your own card (e.g., Overwhelmed). [JA, 18 November 2003]

Ring of Fire

• Reads, "Ring of Fire 0G 4FV Play Ring of Fire after winning two or more duels in one turn. While Ring of Fire is in play, your Focus cards gain +1 Focus value when focused in a duel. Elemental Reaction: Bow Ring of Fire after a duel involving one of your Personalities ends to draw a number of cards equal to the number you focused from your hand in that duel." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• Ability can be used after the second duel. [JA, 5 October 2003]

Ring of the Void

• Reads, "Ring of the Void 0G 4FV Play Ring of the Void after performing the action: 'Limited: Reveal Ring of the Void from your hand and bow one of your Personalities,' three or more times in one turn. Elemental Limited: Bow Ring of the Void and one of your Personalities with more than 3 Chi to draw a Fate card." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Ring of Water

• Reads, "Ring of Water 0G 4FV Play Ring of Water after taking four or more Battle actions in one battle. Elemental Battle: Bow Ring of Water to move one of your units into the current battle from another battle or your home or from the current battle to your home." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Sensei

Akodo Sensei

• Personalities who already have the Tactician trait may use it to gain Force bonuses. [VRD, 8 November 2000]
• Continually checks that a Personality is both over 2C and does not have Tactician trait for any reason before adding it itself. [JA, 23 November 2000]
• Personalities with the Tactician trait from Akodo Sensei may gain force bonuses from cards that look for the presence of Tactician (e.g., White Shore Plain), because the force bonus is from the card, and is not a use of the Tactician trait. [VRD, 6 January 2001]

At'Tok'Tuk Sensei

• Ratling Personalities acquire your Factions's trait. [Reversal] This:
  • Applies continually to Ratling Personalities you control and in your deck, Provinces, and discard piles. A card that changes controllers or traits may gain or lose your alignment.
  • Is not considered swearing fealty.
• Does not allow a Heart of the Shinomen Forest player to build a deck with 4 copies of Ratling cards.

Dark Moto Sensei

• A personality in a province affected by A Dark Moment is a non-Shadowlands card. [ZF, 17 May 2000]

Hantei Sensei

• Treat "use" as "play." Its ability does not affect cards already in play. [DW]
• Its effect continues if a copy leaves play. [ZF, May 2000]
• Cards "nullified" by Hantei Sensei may be played if its effect is suppressed (e.g., Amnesia, Forgotten Lesson). [ZF, May 2000.]

Hiruma Sensei

• Does not allow defending players to ignore their actions' own legality, costs, and listed playing conditions. It only overrides other card effects that prohibit or impose additional costs or requirements on otherwise legal actions. [ZF, netnews, October 1999]
• Applies to all extra requirements placed on actions, not just costs (e.g., Storms of War). [ZF]
• Applies to restrictions and costs imposed by a defending player's own cards. [Card text]
• Does not override targeting restrictions. [January 2000]
• Defenders' actions can be canceled or modified.
• Takes precedence over Moto Gaheris, March of the Alliance, etc. [ZF, 1 August 2000]
• Does not take precedence over a terrain played with Master's Tactics. [DW, 6 June 2000]

Hoshi Sensei

• You are prevented from bringing all Personalities with "-" Honor Requirement into play, not just Human ones. [Reversal, DW/JA, 13 September 2000]

Ikoma Sensei

• Does not affect Technique cards that look for the Clan alignment of a personality (e.g., Shosuro Technique). [Card text.]
• You must still bow a Monk to play Dharma Technique. [ZF, 21 November 1999]
• Takuan Technique requires the Samurai be Unaligned, but there is no force restriction. [ZF, 31 May 2000]

Kaede Sensei

• Once the ability is used, your Honor Victory is gone. Destroying or discarding Kaede Sensei will not restore it. [August 1999] Effects that prevent a Sensei card from affecting play, however, will restore it briefly. [Reversal, netnews, September 1999]

Kage Sensei

• Kolat Personalities acquire your Clan's trait. [Reversal]. This:
  • Applies continually to all Kolat Personalities you control and in your deck, Provinces, and discard piles. A card that changes controllers or traits may gain or lose your alignment.
  • Is not considered swearing fealty.

Kaiu Sensei

• If two copies of the same fortification are attached to different Provinces, their trait effects are cumulative. [JA, 6 November 2000]
• Cards that look for the number of fortifications to a Province (e.g., Fortified Ground) will only count those actually attached. [VRD, 13 November 2000]
• Abilities of Unique fortifications can only be used at their own province. [Card text, JA, 6 April 2001]

Kuro Sensei

• A cost for refusals is not a "penalty." If you refuse a challenge with a cost for refusal, you must lose honor and dishonor your Personality even if you successfully paid the cost. [JA, 1 November 2002]

Lady of the Forest Sensei

• Honor loss occurs when any player's Creature is destroyed. [JA, 28 March 2001]

Nio Sensei

• Gold production is the value printed in the gold coin / grey diamond on a stronghold. [ZF, 5 August 2000] The Shadowlands Horde stronghold has zero gold production. [Stronghold text, ZF]
• Multiple copies are cumulative, but will never reduce a player below the lowest gold-producing stronghold. [Reversal, JA, July 2000]

Norikazu Sensei

• Affects Events that modify existing victory conditions. [ZF]

O-Ushi Sensei

• During a duel, focusing can add to your Personality's force (if you choose) instead of chi or personal honor. [Reversal; JA, 20 July 2000]
• Announce if you are using force in a duel before you focus, because focusing adds to the relevent stat when played. [JA, email, 15 February 2001]
• Cannot change effects from tokens. [JA, 21 July 2000]
• Does not prevent Kakita Technique from allowing an opponent to strike or focus first: it has already been played, you are not canceling it, and the action does not have any affect on your Personality. [JA, 11 June 2002]

Otomo Sensei

• Cannot force discards for effects let you draw several top cards, then put one in your hand (e.g., Banish All Shadows). [ZF, 23 July 2000]

Satsume Sensei

• Can prevent followers from attaching if they receive a bonus when "entering play" (e.g., Kitsune Tsuke). [ZF]

Seppun Sensei

• Should read, "... voluntarily changed." [Erratum] Prevents effects that would make any aspect of honor gain / loss different from what would happen if it were allowed to occur with no voluntary interference. [Reversal; JA, 24 June 2000] Thus:
  • Prevents effects occurring after the honor gain or loss, including any and all Reactions triggered by an honor gain or loss (e.g., Hantei Naseru).
  • Does not prevent ongoing effects which change honor losses automatically (e.g., Deeds, Not Words).
• Reactions (and samurai committing seppuku) responding to an honor gain or loss may still be played, but the honor gain or loss is unaffected. [JA, ZF, 31 May 2000]
• If an entire action is canceled, rather than the honor gain or loss being negated, you do not keep any honor you would have gained / lost. [JA, 24 June 2000]
• Does not affect the initial calculation of a gain or loss. [DW, April 2000]
• Does not prevent honor-producing holdings from having their numbers changed (e.g., Blessing Upon the Lands). [ZF, May 2000]
• You can take actions that might cause an honor loss (e.g., Iaijutsu Challenge). Treat "would" as "will." [ZF, April 2000]

Shirasu Sensei

• Gaining your Faction's trait also applies to magistrates in your provinces. [JA, 18 July 2000]

Shoju Sensei

• Effect ends if the target Personality leaves play, even if he comes back immediately (e.g., Feign Death). [15 July 1999]
• Does not prevent canceling actions that target the selected Personality. [Card text]
• Does not remove an Honor Victory from any player. [Netnews, September 1999]
• Its effect does not end if it is destroying or discarded. Effects preventing a Sensei from affecting play will suppress it. [Netnews, September 1999]
• Does not waive a card's own restrictions preventing targeting (e.g., Chi requirement for a Kolat Assassin). [ZF, 2 August 2000]

Toshimoko Sensei

• If you combine Kuro Sensei and Toshimoko Sensei on one stronghold, you must still accept challenges. Kuro Sensei gives you the option to refuse challenges. Toshimoko Sensei does not make all challenges unrefusable; it says you take them anyway. [ZF, May 2000]

Uona Sensei

• You may look at your top card in response to effects that let you search your deck to see if it's legal. [VRD, 8 November 2000]
• You may not get cards from your discard pile at all. The "except the top" clause refers only to your decks. [VRD, 14 November 2000]
• You may get multiple cards from the top of your deck (e.g., Banish All Shadows). [VRD, 26 November 2000]

Yodin Sensei

• Checks for all Personalities entering play, including created Personalities (e.g., Egg of P'an Ku). [Reversal, JA, 5 October 2000]
• You may not bring a second Personality into play if the first you bring into play causes you to be tied for "the most" Personalities. [JA, 8 October 2000]
• You may redirect other players' targeted actions. [JA, 22 February 2001]
• Does not prohibit targeting unhired Personalities in Provinces, who are generic "Dynasty cards." [VRD, ZF, netnews, 30 May 2001]

Yokatsu Sensei

• The Follower must be from your hand. [VRD, 24 October 2000]

Yokuni Sensei

• Delayed events may not be voluntarily discarded in the Dynasty Phase. [Netnews, 29 July 1999] They may be discarded using other card effects. [Netnews, 19 August 1999]
• Only delays Events that actually resolve. [Card text] Will not delay an Event that was prevented by Avoid Fate or otherwise did not resolve. [Netnews, 30 July 1999]
• Affects all Events that "discard" or "destroy" themselves the turn they resolve (e.g., Inheritance).
• Does not affect Events that stay "in play" (e.g., Monsoon, Sacrifices For Our Futures), or that get reshuffled back into the deck upon resolving. [Netnews, 23 August 1999]
• Delayed Events do not resolve again next turn. [December 1999]

Yori Sensei

• May be played to full effect by a Clan that cannot gain honor, because the sensei changes your fundamental benefit from winning or tying battles. [DW, email, January 2000]

Yoritomo Sensei

• Only cards whose gold cost was reduced have a minimum cost of 1. It does not make 0G holdings cost 1G. [ZF]
• The minimum gold cost refers to how cheap Yoritomo Sensei makes cards. Holdings' costs may be further reduced by other means. [ZF, 31 May 2000]
• Reduces the amount of gold produced when a stronghold is bowed, regardless of whether the gold is generated as the stronghold's base production, ability, or trait. [ZF, 1 August 2000] E.g., it reduces the amount of gold produced by Sacred Temples of the Phoenix for shugenja (but not spells).

Yoshi Sensei

• Affects the gain from just the Personality. I.e., if honor loss also occurs (e.g., from using corrupt holdings), do not add those losses and the Personality's gain and then apply the one-point maximum to the total. [January 2000]

Spells

Animate the Dead

• Reads, "Animate the Dead 3G 2FV Limited: Bow this Shugenja to bring a Follower back into play from any discard pile and attach it to any of your Personalities. Lose 2 Honor. This Follower permanently gains Shadowlands, and the ability Battle: Fear 3." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]
• Can attach a Follower to an opponent's Personality if the Follower normally allows it. [DW, email, 9/8/97]
• Cannot retrieve discarded followers, only those that were in play and destroyed. [FAQ]

Amnesia

• Reads, "Amnesia 2G 2FV Ritual Limited: Bow this Shugenja and at least one of your other Shugenja, and destroy this Spell, to target another player's Stronghold or Sensei. Until your Events Phase a number of turns from now equal to the number of Shugenja in this Ritual, the target Stronghold's or Sensei's actions cannot be used, and its traits have no effect, except those traits involving victory or elimination conditions or changes to that player's Family Honor." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Asahina's Blessing

• A Personality affected by this spell will be moved to the caster's deck first, then Reactions can be played (e.g., Kisada's Shrine, which will take the Personality off the deck and put it into play). [JA, 29 April 2003]

Capturing the Soul

• Has the Ritual keyword. [Erratum, ZF]

Celestial Gift

• You use this card's focus instead of the discard's focus but you must still make the discard. [Card text, 24 January 2000]

Cloak of Night

• Reads, "Cloak of Night 4G 2FV Limited: Bow this Shugenja and destroy Cloak of Night to attach a Spell, Follower, or Item from your hand to one of your Personalities, face-down and without cost. While face-down, that card is not in play and does not affect play. As an Open action any time later this game, you may turn the card face-up to bring it into play. If the card is not a legal attachment at that time, discard it; otherwise it enters play without cost." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Earthquake

• Reads, "Earthquake 5G 4FV Elemental Earth Battle: Bow this Shugenja to bow an opposing Personality." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Elemental Ward

• Reads, "Elemental Ward 0G 1FV Reaction: Bow this Shugenja to negate the effects of one Elemental action (spell or other cards) which is targetting you or any of your cards in play." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Emergence of the Masters

• Earlier effects are not cumulative multiple times. E.g., bowing three shugenja does not let you give two followers +3F and three Personalities +1F. [3/9/99]

Essence of Air

• Allows you to purchase more than one card from a Province during your Dynasty Phase. [DW, 2/3/98]
• Once you've started discarding unwanted Dynasty cards, you can no longer purchase any. [Rulebook]
• Only cards replaced face-up due to Essence of Air's own effect count towards its limit. [Card text]

Eternal Darkness

• Should refer to "controller's fief," not "home." [JA, 26 June 2000]

Fire and Air

• Reads, "Fire and Air 2G 2FV Elemental Battle: Bow this Shugenja for a Ranged 2 Attack. Elemental Battle: Once per turn, without bowing, move this unit to an adjacent Province." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

The Fire From Within

• Reads, "The Fire From Within 5G 3FV Elemental Battle: Bow this Shugenja for two consecutive Ranged Attacks with strengths equal to his Chi. (Consecutive ranged attacks are targeted and resolved one at a time.) Elemental Battle: Bow this Shugenja for a Ranged Attack with strength equal to twice his Chi." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

The Fires that Cleanse

• Reads, "The Fires that Cleanse 6G 2FV Elemental Battle: Bow and destroy this Shugenja and destroy this Spell to destroy an opposing Personality." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Flight of Doves

• Is not Political. [Rulebook]

Follow the Path

• Targets Personalities involved as well as Followers. [JA, 14 December 2001]

Gust of Wind

• The new target must be legal, as though the attack had come from your army. E.g., you can't redirect a normal attack to a Personality with Followers attached. [DW, 6 June 1996]

Heart of the Inferno

• Reads, "Heart of the Inferno 4G 3FV Battle Elemental: Bow this Shugenja and destroy this spell to cast a fiery bolt at the opposing army that targets then destroys all Personalities and Followers that have a Force of 2 or less." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]
• Because it targets "all Personalities and Followers," it cannot be redirected. [RD, 6/9/97]
• "Fiery" counts as "fire" (for, e.g., The Way of Water). [RD, email, 6/11/97]
• All targeting occurs simultaneously, as does all destruction. I.e., you cannot target and destroy a card providing a Force bonus to other cards to make the other cards small enough to destroy. [VRD, 3 July 2001]

Hiruma's Last Breath

• Reads, "Hiruma's Last Breath 1G 4FV Only a Crab Clan Shugenja can attach this Spell. Limited: Bow this Shugenja and destroy this Spell to have one of your units begin an attack against another player's unit containing a Shadowlands card. No other units can be assigned or move to the battle, and the battle cannot destroy a Province. The units cannot move to other Provinces from the battle. This does not replace your Attack Phase." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Immortal Steel

• Reads, "Immortal Steel 5G 4FV Limited: Bow this Shugenja and destroy this spell. Target weapon has all Force and Chi bonuses doubled for the rest of the game. Only one Immortal Steel can affect a weapon. If the weapon's bonuses change, refigure the doubled amount." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]
• Doubles bonuses due to tokens, and bonuses affecting Personalities other than the one with the weapon. [DW, 3/11/97]

The Iron Citadel

• Your Stronghold is considered to have a blank text box. [RD, 9/8/96]
• Functions normally on a Scorpion player who temporarily dipped to -20 Honor and had his base Province Strength reduced to 0, but has since brought his honor above -20. [DW, 26 November 1996]
• Negates effects of attached Sensei when cast, but not Sensei attached after it is cast. [JA, April 2000]

The Kami Watch Over Me

• Reads, "The Kami Watch Over Me 5G 3FV Ritual Limited: Bow this Shugenja and any number of your other Shugenja such that their combined Chi is greater than 10. Take all cards in your discard piles that have not resolved or been in play this game and shuffle them back into your decks." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Kuro's Fire

• The limitation of total strength includes effects that modify Ranged Attack strength. [ZF, July 2001; 1 December 2003]

Kuroshin's Prayer

• The retrieved card is placed in your province face up. [ZF, 11 June 2000]

The Masters Imprisoned

• A Unique card cannot re-enter play if another copy entered play in the meantime. [JA, 12 December 2001]

Mists of Illusion

• Reads, "Mists of Illusion 4G 2FV Open: Bow this Shugenja to add 5F to one Personality you control until the end of the turn. Opposing units and Provinces cannot be destroyed by an army containing this Personality when Mists of Illusion is used." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]
• Only prevents units from being destroyed by the resolution of the battle. [Reversal, DW, 12/9/97]

Mystical Terrain

• Is not a Terrain [Keyword rule exception]. Thus:
  • May not be combined with the Armor of Sun-Tao.
  • The spell may not be destroyed by cards such as Superior Tactics. [DW, 4/9/98]

The Phoenix Is Reborn

• Will not restore an Honor Victory to someone who renounced it to Return of Fu Leng. This is a one-time change and not an ongoing effect. [Reversal, DW, email, 25 September 1997]
• Will stop someone from gaining honor from A Soul of Thunder. [15 July 1999]

Plains of Desperate Evil

• "Destroy this card" refers to each Shadowlands card itself, not the spell or the terrain it creates.

Possession

• The phrase "Personality you control" applies to both the oni and the non-oni. [DW, 3/11/97]
• The phrase "all abilities and attached cards remain" means what it says. Attachment restrictions are not checked because the cards are being retained, not re-attached. This will allow multiple weapons, spells on a non-shugenja, and so forth. [Card text, DW, email, 16 May 1997]
• Neither Personality leaves play. [DW, 29 March 2002]

Purity of the Seven Thunders

• Reads, "Purity of the Seven Thunders 3G 3FV Ritual Limited: Bow this Shugenja and any number of your other Shugenja such that their combined Chi is greater than 14, and destroy this Spell and this Shugenja, to destroy all Shadowlands cards. The Shugenja in this Ritual cannot straighten during your next turn." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Reflective Pool

• The duplicated action need not be specified until it is used. [Reversal, extension from Mask of the Oni]

Renewed Energy

• Straightening a Personality only occurs once for each player. [ZF, JA, 8 December 2003]

Return of the Fallen Lord

• Has the Ritual keyword. [Erratum]

Rise From the Ashes

• Is Political. [Rulebook, DW, email, 2/4/2000]
• Does not stop effects targeting a:
  • Stronghold (e.g., Kolat Servant) [ZF, 28 April 2000]
  • Deck (e.g., Hate's Heart). [ZF, May 2000]
  • Province (e.g., Soshi Jomyako). [ZF, 20 June 2000]
  • Discard pile. [JA, 28 March 2001]
  • Player (e.g., Yogo Asami) [ZF, 10 August 2001]
• Does not stop players from taking actions on opponent's cards that are self-referential; e.g., destroying Den of Spies or paying a Ninja Kidnapper. [ZF, May 2000]

Secrets on the Wind

• Reads, "Secrets on the Wind 3G 3FV When this Spell enters play, it gains a number of tokens equal to this Shugenja's Chi. Elemental Limited: Bow this Shugenja and destroy a token on this spell to dishonor a Personality. A Scorpion Clan Shugenja need not destroy a token to take this action." [MRP, A Perfect Cut, 4 September 2001]

Smite the Blood

• Bowing occurs after other Ranged Attack effects. [ZF, 12 December 2003]

Soshi's Curse

• Reads, "Soshi's Curse 2G 2FV Battle: Bow this Shugenja and destroy this Spell to "freeze" an opposing unit. The unit's controller cannot target cards in the unit with actions, and those cards cannot use abilities, until your next turn. Any player with only frozen units in his or her army is considered to have no units in the battle." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Soul Sword

• The Weapon token is an item. [ZF, 21 April 2003]

Strength of the Dark One

• All its Fear attacks are altered by effects that modify a Fear attack (e.g., The Face of Fear). [17 May 1999]

Summon Faeries

• Reads, "Summon Faeries 1G 2FV Open: Bow this Shugenja to bow (if necessary) a target Shugenja. If the Shugenja using Summon Faeries is a Phoenix Personality, then the target Shugenja does not straighten during that player's next straighten phase." [MRP, Scorpion Clan Coup]

Summon Undead Champion

• Reads, "Summon Undead Champion 3G 2FV Limited: Bow this Shugenja and destroy this spell to summon an Undead Champion. Undead Champion has a Force of 5, a Chi of 2, and a Personal Honor of 0. Undead Champion is considered a Shadowlands Personality card when summoned. Lose 4 Honor when summoned." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]
• Is not a Shadowlands card. [ZF, 17 June 2000]
• Casting the spell counts as "bringing a personality into play," because the Spell card does not become the Personality. [JA, 10 October 2000]
• Does not check honor requirements, because it does not have an honor requirement until after it is brought into play. [JA, 16 October 2000]

Sympathetic Energies

• Reads, "Sympathetic Energies 2G 2FV Open: Bow this Shugenja to move a target token from one target Personality to another target Personality who can legally have it." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Torrential Rain

• Reads, "Torrential Rain 4G 4FV Elemental Battle: Bow this Shugenja and destroy this Spell to end this battle without resolution. All units go home bowed." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Turn of Fate

• If cast on a Personality who cannot join you, you still discard all cards attached to the shugenja, but the Personality does not enter play. Unless the Province has less than its maximum number of Dynasty cards, the shugenja does not move into the Province either. [JA, 19 November 2001]

Wholeness of Self

• Negates modifiers in effect both before and after it is cast. [JA, 20 May 2003]
• Does not apply to focusing in duels. [Erratum, 1 August 2003, Diamond Edition rulebook]

Wind Born Speed

• Reads, "Wind Born Speed 2G 2FV Open: Bow this shugenja to give all cards in one unit the trait: Cavalry until the end of the turn." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Events

Abandoning the Fortunes

• If your Dynasty deck is not empty, its effect doesn't trigger. [DW, email, 12/2/98]
• If your deck is empty, every unfilled Province counts regardless of why it's unfilled. [DW, email, 12/2/98]

The Agasha Join the Phoenix

• All existing alignments are kept. [DW, email, 13 February 1999]
• Should read "All your Personalities from that family in your deck and Provinces swear fealty to your Faction." [Erratum]
• Will not remove restrictions against joining your Faction. [19 August 1999]
• Nothing that happens to alignments of Personalities during the game (e.g., becoming members of a given clan due to a Sensei) affects what family can be named. [JA, 16 February 2001]
• For a name to legally chosen, there need only be one Personality who has a printed alignment (including multiple alignments) to a clan other than yours. [JA, 24 February 2001]

Annexation

• You must make the decision to purchase the extra Province as soon as this Event resolves.
• You only need to discard the Favor if you buy the Province. [DW, 12/4/96]

Alliance

• If a dual aligned personality is aligned to your Faction and than named for Alliance, you may pay 4G less than printed gold cost for no honor gain or pay 2G less than printed gold cost to hire the personality and gain his or her personal honor. [FAQ]
• If it resolves twice for a single player (e.g., Moon and Sun) and the same Faction is named, you may hire affected Personalities for 4 less gold. [JA, 10 October 2000]

Architects of the Wall

• Resolves every time it appears, including for multiple players. [DW, email, 25 September 1997]
• Its reduction of the Fortification's cost applies before all other cost-reducing effects. [FAQ 3.5]

Are You With Me?

• Reads, "Are You With Me? All Followers in the game cost 6 less Gold, to a minimum of 1, until the start of your next turn." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

A Black Scroll is Opened

• The Chi penalty is continually recalculated for the rest of the turn. [Reversal, DW, 25 December 1997]

Birth of the Wolf

• You can only choose to have both effects try to resolve, or neither. I.e., you can increase you hand size if you have 0 or 1 cards in hand and "discard" them, but you cannot if you have 2 or more cards in hand and do not discard 2. [ZF, 12 April 2003]

Bitter Vengeance

• One of the two effects must happen if possible. I.e., a player who cannot lose honor must discard Fate cards. [JA, email, 25 April 2002]

Blessings of Isawa

• The ability keeps the keywords of the kiho, including "Kiho."
• If the attached kiho is destroyed, the ability is lost. [DW and ZF, email, January 2000]
• If a kiho has multiple actions, only the action used is gained by the Personality. [DW, email, 19 August 1999]
• The ability gained is considered an innate ability if the Personality is a shugenja. [Netnews, 13 August 1999]
• The kiho can be cast only by the Personality it's attached to. [22 September 1999]
• The kiho is attached instead of discarded. A kiho that is not discarded (e.g., because it is removed from the game) cannot be attached and will waste the Event's effect.
• A kiho that is canceled will not attach, because it was not performed. [January 2000]
• The attached kiho's title is not a trait of the ability. [ZF, 6 August 2000]

Celestial Alignment

• Read, "Celestial Alignment Until the beginning of your next turn, Shugenja Personalities need not bow to cast Spells or Kihos or to use innate abilities. Until the beginning of your next turn, no action on each Spell and Kiho card can be used more than once and no innate ability can be used more than once." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

The Celestial Pattern

• The negated event can be saved with Avoid Fate. [Reversal, VRD, 14 August 2001]

Creating the Monkey Clan

• Affects the next two Personalities turned face-up in your Provinces who have the Unaligned trait, regardless of whether they have your alignment. Those aligned to you are unaffected, but count as a use of the Event. [Netnews, 8/11/99]

Chrysanthemum Festival

• Reads, "Chrysanthemum Festival Each player gains a Province to the left of their leftmost Province." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Court Intrigue

• Reads, "Court Intrigue If you control the Imperial Favor, you may discard it to give each of your Courtiers the following ability until the beginning of your next turn: 'Political Open: Bow this card during the Action Phase to bow a non-Unique Personality with lower Personal Honor." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

The Dark Daughter's Caress

• A Personality who can cast Spell or Kiho as if he or she was a Shugenja do not gain the Shadowlands trait. [JA, 26 August 2002]

The Darkest Magics

• When it resolves, every player who currently has seven or more Black Scrolls either currently attached or successfully cast earlier is flagged to win when his next turn starts. [FAQ]
• Destroying some Scrolls before a player's turn won't stop him or her winning. [FAQ]
• The easier win condition is checked once. If your count isn't up to seven when it resolves, you must use all twelve to win. [FAQ]
• Spells must be cast successfully to be "used." ("Cast" isn't used because one Black Scroll isn't a Spell.) [JA]

Dead Walk the Earth

• Reads, "Dead Walk The Earth Until your next Events Phase, all Shadowlands Personalities and followers have a 4F bonus. At the beginning of your next Events Phase, all Shadowlands cards in play are destroyed." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]
• Affects cards put into play after it resolves. [VRD, 27 October 2000]

Death of the Ki-Rin

• Prevents players from destroying an opponent's last Province if the player himself does not meet one of the three criteria.
• Whether a clan is "normally unable to win an honor victory" is judged by printed Stronghold text.
  • Notwithstanding the above, a player who has cast The Iron Citadel is not affected by this event. [JA, 8 March 2002]

Desperate Measures

• If it appears in your last Province, you lose immediately and no more effects are generated. [RD, 19 May 1997]
• If an opponent plays Defenders of the Realm for his or her own Province, it does not save your Province, because that effect has already resolved. [JA, 18 March 2003]

Doom of the Alliance

• While in effect, personalities swearing fealty to Yorotimo's Alliance gain the "Mantis Clan" trait. [2/5/2000]

Doom of the Brotherhood

• Any Rings affected are irrevocably gone. [Rulebook, DW, email, November 1999]

Doom of the Dark Lord

• Defenders of the Realm stops it from destroying Provinces for the current turn. [Reversal, DW, email, 6/5/98]
• Won't trigger if a player can manage to avoid drawing from his Fate deck (e.g., using Kyuden Hitomi's ability). [DW, 19 August 1998]

Doom of the Dragon

• Does not affect dragons (unless they are also Dragon Clan). [JA, 13 December 2001]

Earthquake at Otosan Uchi

• You may only discard cards you control. [ZF, 30 May 2001]

Enlistment

• Lets you draw one card per Follower attached. [FAQ]

An Empty Victory

• Forces a player to declare an attack, because there is no Attack Phase otherwise. [JA, 5 May 2003]
• Does not force a player to ensure he or she has a unit to assign during the Attack Phase. [JA, 5 May 2003]

Evil Feeds Upon Itself

• The Spirit Wars version should not have the Gold kanji in the lower right corner. [Erratum, JA, 16 November 2000]

The Fallen Lion Fortress

• A Lion player who has brought Shadowlands cards into play loses 6 honor, not 12. [FAQ 3.10]

Finding the Balance

• A stat of 0 can be chosen to be reduced. (see Bonuses and penalties). [DW, 9/3/98]

The First Scroll is Opened

• Reads, "The First Scroll is Opened Each Shugenja is play must destroy one attached Spell. Any Shugenja without a Spell attached permanently loses 2C." [MRP, Honor Bound foil]

For the Clan

• If a player has a Champion personality who cannot be challenged, you may challenge any personality, because For the Clan requires an actual challenge be started (not just targeting) "if able," and it's known you will not be able to challenge such a Personality. [ZF, 12 September 2003]

Fu Leng's Horde

• Counts as an army once assembled. [DW, 12/9/96]
• Forces of individual units are not checked until the Horde is formed. [DW, 12/11/96]
• Horde units removed from the battle return to their controller's Fief. [DW, 12/11/96]
• Sending a unit to the Horde is not "assigning" it. [Card text] Units that have restrictions on attacking can be sent freely.
• Cannot be prevented by cards that prevent declarations of attack (e.g., Emperor's Peace), assignment (e.g., Ki-Rin), or assignment at a particular province (e.g., Clan Heartland). [JA, 14 September 2000]

The Heavy Shadow of Fear

• Fear effects that can be used more than once give one force bonus. [DW, email, 19 September 1997]
• Its effect is continuous. The bonus is recalculated if the strength or number of Fear effects changes.

The Hidden Emperor

• Prevents troops from assigning during a Counterattack. [DW, 14 June 1998]

Hurricane

• Reads, "Hurricane Starting with you and going clockwise, each player destroys a Holding of the player to his or her right." [MRP, A Perfect Cut, 4 September 2001]

Imperial Census

• Checks Personalities' current gold cost. [VRD, 12 January 2001]
• Compares costs to printed stronghold Gold production (i.e., the value in the gold coin / grey diamond), not any traits or abilities that cause a stronghold to produce more or less gold for Personalities. [JA, 9 September 2002]

Imperial Funeral

• Should read, "Imperial Funeral Starting with you and going clockwise, each player may bow any number of his or her Personalities and gain 1 Honor for each Personality he or she bows. Each player loses 3 Honor for each of his or her unbowed Personalities who does not or cannot bow, and those Personalities become Dishonored." [Erratum to MRP, JA, web, 9 September 2001]

Imperial Quest

• Reads, "Imperial Quest Target a Personality with more than 2 Chi. Bow that Personality, who may remain bowed by his controller. Until the Personality straightens or leaves play, the Personality's controller gains 2 Honor each time he chooses not to straighten the Personality during his Straighten Phase. Dishonor the Personality if he straightens before his controller's third Straighten Phase from now." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

In Time of War

• Reads, "In Time of War For the rest of the game, no player's Family Honor may rise over 5 points from what it was when the turn began. This applies only to total Family Honor, and does not modify individual losses or gains." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• Does not limit changes in honor total for increases that are not considered Honor gains (e.g., Experienced 2 Bayushi Yojiro). [Reversal, JA, 16 December 2001]
• If you exceed the maximum Family Honor allowed, your Family Honor becomes that maximum at the end of the turn. [JA, 1 October 2002]

Inheritence

• Reads, "Inheritance Inheritance produces 5 Gold to put a single card into play. Inheritance is then destroyed. Inheritance is destroyed at the end of the turn if unused." [MRP, Pearl Edition]

Kachiko's Kiss

• The second effect happens the second time this event appears for any player, not just the original revealer. [DW, 5/10/98]
• Only causes an honor loss the first time it resolves. [March 1998]

Kaneka's Blockade

• The dicarded cards must come from the top of the Fate deck. [JA, 18 March 2002]

Kisada's Funeral

• Adds additional conditions to winning an Honor Victory, rather than making players unable to achieve it.

Lions Attack the Crane

• Has no effect if revealed during Emperor's Peace. [DW, email, 29 January 1998]

The Longest Night

• Prevents non-Experienced Mamoru's ability. [DW, email, 29 September 1997]

Lost Souls

• Is a distinct card from the follower (in Soul of the Empire) of the same name. [JA, email, 17 December 2002]

March of the Alliance

• Does not prevent actions printed on Strongholds (including those granted by Sensei). [Erratum]
• Prevents the default use of the Tactician trait, because the action is in the rulebook, not on the card. [JA, ZF, May 2000]
• Prevents actions that are permitted by traits of cards in play (e.g., Den of Spies, Hantei XVI). [JA, email, 7 December 2000]

The Master of Five

• A canceled action does not count. [14 July 1999]
• All "Oracle" cards count, including Dark Oracles and Oracle Personalities. [Keyword rule]
• Should read, "...any player who produces an Earth, Air (or Wind), Fire, Water, and Void action..." [Netnews, 26 August 1999]
• See Traits.

A Matter of Pride

• Does not affect a player who cannot lose honor (e.g., Dark Path of Shadow, Shadowlands Horde) under any circumstances. [JA, 25 March 2002]

Moon and Sun

• Reads, "Moon and Sun Each player may search his Dynasty discard pile for an Event, show it to all players, and shuffle it into his deck. Each Event reshuffled this way that has not already had its maximum number of resolutions changed by other effects may resolve two times this game instead of once." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Moto Ride to the Shadowlands

• Does not enter play (card text). E.g., may be used under the Great Walls of Kaiu stronghold and will not force a House of Tao player to discard Rings. [VRD, 21 December 2000]

New Emerald Champion

• Ability affects any Emerald Champion, not just the one created by the event. [JA, 18 December 2001]

The New Order

• The increased total for an Honor Victory lasts until the end of the game. [ZF, 26 September 2003]

New Year's Celebration

• One player discards then draws, then a second player discards then draws, then a third player, etc. The order is chosen by the active player. [JA, 20 August 2002]

No Mercy

• Will eliminate a player using a stronghold that can normally go below -20 honor (e.g., Sepulchre of Bone) if he or she is below -14 Family honor. [VRD, 8 August 2003]

Norikazu's Ravings

• Effects from destroyed spells persist for their normal durations. [DW, 27 August 1998]
• Spells are destroyed by the event, not themselves. [Card text]
• The spell's effects on itself (e.g., self-destruction) occur first. Norikazu's Ravings take effects after the entire casting if the spell is still there. [Card text, 13 July 1999]

Not this Day!

• The ability is gained by shugenja who come into play later. [DW, 9/12/96]

Peasant Revolt

• Reads, "Peasant Revolt Each Personality and Follower with over 2 Force bows. No Personality or Follower with over 2 Force can straighten before your next turn." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• The bowing effect only happens when Peasant Revolt is revealed. Cards brought into play or raised to 3F+ while the Revolt is active do not automatically become bowed as well. [Card text]

Plague of Locusts

• Destroys all Holdings that entered play with a gold cost of 0, regardless of their current cost, why their cost was 0, or whether gold was paid anyway. [FAQ 3.10]
• Will not destroy a Ninja Stronghold brought into play by another Ninja Stronghold. [DW, email, November 1999]

The Price of War

• Reads, "The Price of War For the rest of the game, Personalities cost 2 more Gold during the Dynasty Phase." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Pulse of the Black River

• A Personality does not gain the Shadowlands trait if there were no Shadowlands cards involved in the duel or battle. [JA, 12 May 2003]

Rain of Emeralds

• Effect only occurs when the event is revealed, and is not continuous. [ZF, 21 May 2002]

Rampant Plague

• You may destroy "all" your plague-bearing Personalities if you have none. [FAQ 3.0.1]

Regions of Rokugan

• Any costs of the Regions retrieved must still be paid. [JA, 4 December 2003]

Restoring the Doji Treasury

• May not retrieve School of Wizardry or Monasty. [FAQ]
• May not retrieve an Empty Crevasse, because it could not attach to a Province from which it entered play. [Reversal, JA, email, 16 January 2001]

The Return of Fu Leng

• Any player unable to win an Honor Victory must destroy a Province to this event. Any player who can win an Honor Victory can renounce it to spare a Province, even if he is a clan listed on the event. [29 September 1997]
• Does not destroy a player's Province if:
  • Honor Victories are temporarily prohibited for all players (e.g., Shoju Sensei). [DW, email, 29 January 1998]
  • There are additional conditions for achieving an Honor Victory (e.g., Kisada's Funeral) [DW, 30 July 1998]
• A player must react with Defenders of the Realm immediately after "All players have their rightmost Province destroyed." If played, no one loses a Province and no one can give up their honor victory to avoid losing a Province. [DW, 19 February 1998]

Return of Thunder

• Only affects the cost of bowing a Personality to which an Ancestor is directly attaching. Abilities requiring bowing that involve attaching an Ancestor in some other way (e.g., Kitsu) are not affected by this event. [VRD, 3 May 2001]

Revering the Past

• You only need to get an Ancestor from your deck to avoid the honor loss. [JA, 25 January 2001; 18 July 2001]
• If you get an Ancestor, you must attach it if possible. [ZF, 10 July 2002]

Sacrifices For Our Future

• All draws during your End Phase may be refused, not just one. [DW, email, 21 September 1998]
• Its effect continues if a player using the Kyuden Hitomi stronghold retrieves a card from under the stronghold instead of drawing. [VRD, 20 July 2001]

Selection of the Chancellor

• If some of the Personalities voted for have died, the chancellor is chosen from those still living. [DW, 24 July 1998]

Severed from the Emperor

• Can be used by a Clan that cannot win an Honor Victory. [DW, 15 April 1997]

Solar Eclipse

• Any spell that produces an ongoing effect or permanent modification to the game or a card in play (e.g., Immortal Steel) is suppressed while the Eclipse is in effect. The results of spells that create, destroy, or replace things are unaffected (e.g., The Iron Citadel). [RD, 4/8/96, 19 May 1997]
• Changes in state are not supressed (e.g., bowed or dishonored status), but permanent and "until end of game" changes to stats and traits are. [DW, email, 29 May 1997]
• Suppresses spell effects from Kiho. [JA, 8 October 2002]

Taking the Wall

• Two versions exist; play each as written. [JA, 12 December 2001]

Test of Stone

• Reads, "Test of Stone One of your Personalities issues an unrefusable challenge to another player's Personality. The winner's controller gains 4 Honor. The loser is Dishonored." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Test of the Emerald Champion

• Reads, "Test of the Emerald Champion One of your Personalities "becomes your champion" and issues a challenge to each player in turn. Each player may target one of his or her bowed or unbowed Personalities to duel. The controller of each duel's winner gains 3 Honor. If none of the challenges destroys your champion, gain a Province to the left of your leftmost Province and remove your Personality from the game." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• Your challenger needs to "survive" all the challenges to gain the extra Province. Any method of achieving this will successfully complete the Test, including abandoning a duel without resolution, prevent the death of a Personality (Feign Death does not do this), or allow one Personality to duel in another's place. [Card text, summary of other rulings]

Test of the Jade Champion

• Effects referring to duels or opponents are not usable (e.g., the Double Chi trait). [Reversal, rulebook glossary]
• Refers only to a Personality with the Jade Champion trait due to itself. [JA, 18 December 2001]

Time of the Void

• If you hire a Personality who will put you over 10 honor, you gain the full amount. [Card text, DW, email, 28 August 1997]

Toturi's Last Stand

• All Personalities who were not able to be committed survive, not just those who were bowed. [Erratum]

Troll Raiders

• Prevents resolution of events that can normally resolve more than once (e.g., Architects of the Wall). [VRD, 21 December 2000]

Twenty-Seven Days of Darkness

• Limits all gold-producing Holdings to 3G production, even variable ones (e.g., Merchant Caravan). [ZF, netnews, October 1999]

Unexpected Allies

• Reads, "Unexpected Allies Starting with you and going clockwise, each player reveals his or her Dynasty deck's top card. If the card is a Personality, the player brings it into play, ignoring Honor requirements, waiving the Gold cost, and negating entering-play effects. If the card is not a Personality, the player discards it." [MRP, A Perfect Cut, 4 September 2001]
• You may not overlay the revealed Personality atop a less-experienced version. That option is only available during the Dynasty phase. [DW, 1/3/96]
• Effects that happen "when" a card is brought into play are prevented.
• Non-gold costs and other restrictions (e.g., "will not join") are not waived.
• If a Personality cannot legally enter play (e.g., due to Uniqueness conflicts, you are unwilling or unable to pay non-gold costs), the Personality goes back to the top of your Dynasty deck. [Partial Reversal, JA, 5 April 2002]

Unexpected Assault

• A revealed Personality enters play, and all entering play effects happen as normal. [JA, email, 10 January 2003]

Using the Wish

• Force and Chi increase by their respective stat, not the sum of printed Force plus printed Chi. [JA, 2 June 2003]

Vengeful Dead

• "Another player's card effect" should read, "another player's Ninja, Kolat, or Assassin action." [Erratum, JA, 26 February 2003]
• May be reshuffled if it did not destroy a Personality. [JA, 4 December 2002]
• "For all players" means that when the event recurs in any player's deck, it resolves for that one player. [ZF, 1 January 2003]
• Continues to resolve when it appears regardless of whether it is reshuffled or discarded. [JA, 9 January 2003]
• Does not resolve if turned over and revealed outside the the Events phase. [JA, 14 January 2003]

The Wave Men

• Looks for people with no Clan alignments at all, not those with the "Unaligned" trait. Unaligned Personalities who belong to a Clan are not eligible. [Card text, rulebook, 15 July 1999]

Winter Warfare

• Negates "send home" effects rather than canceling actions. [ZF, 1 August 2000]

Holdings

Akodo Hall of Ancestors

• Negates only dishonoring and / or gaining the Shadowlands trait. [Reversal, DW, email, 12/2/98]
• If multiple Personalities are dishonored and / or given the Shadowlands trait at once from a single effect (e.g., Stale Wind), all of the Personalities will be spared.

Akodo's "Leadership"

• Is usable before Mercy Shrouds the Earth but not the Ancient Halls of the Lion stronghold. [JA, December 1999]

Ancient Sage

• You may wait until you see the card's focus value before deciding whether to use the Sage. [Netnews, 7/12/99]

Barbican

• Reads, "Barbican 6G Fortification. Each Personality gains +1F while defending this Province. Double the strength of each defending card's ranged attacks at this Province after applying all other Ranged Attack strength bonuses." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• Ranged Attack strength is doubled before applying Reactions that modify the Ranged Attack in any way besides increasing its strength (e.g., Stars Scatter), because traits precede actions. [JA, email, 11 December 2000]

Barracks

• May attach a follower during battle (e.g., Yokatsu Sensei), even in a battle in which you have no other units, because it brings a unit into battle. [ZF, April 2000]
• The Attacker gains 2 Honor for destroying Barracks in battle, because it acts as a defending unit, including being destroyed like one. [VRD, 4 December 2000]
• Under Kaiu Sensei, the Barracks' unit is present in every battle during the Attack Phase, and will be destroyed if the attacking army's force at any province is larger than the defending army's force at that province. [JA, January 2001]

Basecamp

• Reads, "Basecamp 3G Bow the Basecamp to produce 2 Gold. If you are a Toturi's Army player, bow the Basecamp to produce 4 Gold when paying for a Follower, an Unaligned Samurai, or a Toturi's Army Personality." [MRP, Soul of the Empire, 9 July 2000.]

Battlements of Matsu Castle

• Allows actions that target attacking cards to be played on defending Lions. [DW, 16 September 1996]

Bayushi's Labyrinth

• Honor loss is a cost of the ability. [DW, February 1998]

Black Market

• Honor loss when producing gold is an effect, not a cost. (The card predates the uniform style indicating costs.) [ZF, 2 August 2000]

Blacksmith

• Gold production for Weapons and Armor is not affected by Corrupt Iron Mines, because Corrupt Iron Mines make Blacksmiths produce one less gold "instead of" one more, and there is no mine-based increase on the second production. [JA, 5 May 2003]

The Bronze Gong of the Hantei

• Cannot be used if you have no units in the battle. The phrase "during any battle" does not override the normal restrictions on Battle Actions. [DW, email, 2/7/97]

Bushi Dojo

• Reads, "Bushi Dojo 3G Bow the Bushi Dojo to produce 6 Gold when paying for a Follower or an action that creates a Follower token." [MRP, A Perfect Cut, 4 September 2001]

Charter of the Dragon Clan

• Cards focused in a duel are discarded from hand. [DW, email, 4/7/99]
• Only produces Gold for Dragon Clan Personalities. [VRD, 4 December 2000]

Charter of Toturi's Army

• Is destroyed if the effects of the Imperial Favor are negated. (The card predates the distinction between "cancel" and "negate.") [ZF, 31 May 2000]

Clear Water Village

• Should have the Gold kanji in the lower right corner, and is Gold legal. [Erratum, JA, 11 April 2002]

Construction Crew

• Should have the Gold kanji in the lower right corner, and is Gold legal. [Erratum, JA, 11 April 2002]

Corrupt Geisha House / Corrupt Gold Mine / Corrupt Stables

• Honor loss when producing gold is not a cost. (The card predates the uniform style indicating costs.) [ZF, 2 August 2000]

Corrupted Copper Mine

• Honor loss when producing gold is not a cost. (The card predates the uniform style indicating costs.) [ZF, 2 August 2000]

Corrupted Dojo (Fire & Shadow)

• Using multiple copies to pay for a single personality causes multiple chi penalties. [JA, 14 September 2000]
• Is distinct from the Winds of Change holding of the same name. [JA, 11 August 2003]

Corrupted Dojo (Winds of Change)

• Is distinct from the Fire & Shadow holding of the same name. [JA, 11 August 2003]

Corrupted Iron Mine

• Reads, "Corrupted Iron Mine 0G Shadowlands. Lose 3 Honor. Each Blacksmith produces 1 less Gold instead of 1 extra Gold when bowed. Bow the Corrupted Iron Mine to produce 2 Gold. If you are a Crab Clan player, bow the Corrupted Iron Mine to produce 3 Gold. Either way, lose 1 Honor." [MRP, An Oni's Fury, 10 December 2001]

Corrupted Silver Mine

• Reads, "Corrupted Silver Mine 0G Shadowlands. Lose 3 Honor. Bow the Corrupted Silver Mine to produce 2 Gold. If you are a Phoenix Clan player, bow the Corrupted Silver Mine to produce 3 Gold. Either way, lose 1 honor." [MRP, Winds of Change, July 2003]

Dark Oracle of Water

• Does not target Personalities; it provides an extra assignment step during the Maneuvers Segment. [DW, 23 June 1997]

Deep Earth Sanctum

• Should have the Gold kanji in the lower right corner, and is Gold legal. [Erratum, JA, 11 April 2002]

The Edge of Shinomen Forest

• Reads, "The Edge of Shinomen Forest 1G Battle: Shuffle the Edge of Shinomen Forest into your deck to make a player other than the Defender with one or more units at this Province bow one or more of his or her units at this Province." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Emperor's Under-Hand

• Targets a card it discards. [VRD, 14 August 2001]
• Second-last sentence should read, "You may discard the Emperor's Under-Hand to discard one of those cards." [JA, web, 9 September 2001]

Famous Poet

• Reads, "Famous Poet 3G Retainer. Reaction: When you destroy an army or Province as the Attacker or Defender, bow the Famous Poet to gain 3 Honor." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• Ability is not Political. [Rulebook]

Festering Pit of Fu Leng

• Reads, "Festering Pit of Fu Leng 2G Unique. Shadowlands. Reaction: When paying for a Shadowlands card, bow the Festering Pit of Fu Leng to lower the card's Gold cost by 5 until the turn ends. Lose 2 Honor." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Forest

• Reads, "Forest1G Bow the Forest to produce 1 Gold. Bow the Forest to produce 2 Gold when paying for a Personality with the Nonhuman or Creature trait or a Follower with the Nonhuman or Creature trait." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Forgotten Tomb

• Reads, "Forgotten Tomb 4G Shadowlands. During your Dynasty Phase, you may place any number of Shadowlands Personalities and Shadowlands Followers face up under the Forgotten Tomb from your hand or Provinces. You may bring cards under the Forgotten Tomb into play without Gold cost during one of your Dynasty Phases after a number of turns equal to each card's force, paying all non-Gold costs. If the Forgotten Tomb is moved or destroyed, the cards move or are destroyed with it." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• Honor requirements must still be met. [JA, 6 June 2002]

Fort on a Hill

• Reads, "Fort of a Hill 10G Fortification. Provides a 1F bonus to each defending Personality and a 1F penalty to each attacking Personality in this Battle." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Fortress of the Dragonfly

• Only affects Personalities in play. [JA, 16 June 2001]

Garrison

• Reads, "Garrison 1G Fortification. You are considered to have a defending unit at this Province for taking actions during battle. Bringing the Garrison into play during battle is considered bringing a unit into the battle." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• Only acts as a unit for the Rule of Presence. [ZF, 28 April 2002]

Gifts and Favors

• Reads, "Gifts and Favor 2G Bow Gifts and Favors to produce 2 Gold. Reaction: During your End Phase, if you've brought no Gold-producing Holdings into play this turn, bow your Stronghold to search your deck, then face-down Provinces, for this card. Put the first Gifts and Favors you find into play bowed. If you find none, you lose the game." [MRP, Reign of Blood, 8 December 2003]
• If you find a copy in your deck, you may not search your Provinces. [ZF, 15 April 2003]

Heartbeat Drummers

• The +1C action can be used during either the Action Phase or the Attack Phase, but only lasts until the end of that phase. [Card text, DW, 12 February 1998]

The Hidden Heart of Iuchiban

• A Personality does not get returned if it loses the Shadowlands trait. [Card text]
• The Personality returns to the player it was taken from (if different than the player who brought it into play). [ZF, 7 August 2000]

Honor's Lesson Dojo

Reads, "Honor's Lesson Dojo 4G Unique. Reaction: After all players pass consecutively in a battle but before Delayed Terrains (if any) resolve, bow Honor's Lesson Dojo to take one Battle or Open action." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

• If the action granted is canceled, another cannot be taken, because canceled actions count for purposes of a player's chance to take an action or pass. [JA, 17 July 2002]

House of Contracts

• Cannot "repay" Shady Dealings. [ZF, May 2000]

Imperial Messenger

• May be used in response to an event. [ZF, 22 April 2003; JA, email, 23 April 2003]

Intelligence Agent

• If you are a Yodin Sensei player, you may target a Personality with the Intelligence Agent, but this does not allow you to target that Personality with other actions, because Intelligence Agent overrides card effects, while Yodin Sensei is considered printed on the stronghold. [VRD, 29 December 2000]

Island Wharf

• Gold production is reduced by Black Markets and Bandit Hideouts. [DW]

The Kaiu Forge

• Its tokens do not count as cards. [Reversal, DW, email, 19 July 1999]

Ki-Rin's Shrine

• Reads, "Ki-Rin's Shrine 2G Unique. While Ki-Rin's Shrine is in play, the Chi of your Personalities cannot be lowered below their Personal Honor, unless the loss is caused by your cards or Stronghold or by tokens they created." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• Exchanging Chi and Personal Honor will kill someone with a pre-swap Personal Honor of zero, because Chi drops briefly to this value. [Netnews, November 1999]

Kitsuki Iyekao

• May reshuffle a destroyed card. [DW, email, 17 February 1999]

Kolat Agent

• Is a gold- and honor-producing holding. [ZF, netnews, 29 July 2000]

Lion Scout

• Because it is played "when" the Tactician trait is used, it allows a Tactician using Superior Strategist to perform a Tactician-requiring action retreived by Superior Strategist immediately. [JA, 8 March 2002]

Market Place: See Marketplace

Marketplace

• Renamed from Market Place. [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Master of Bushido

• Reads, "Master of Bushido 3G Retainer. Political Reaction: Bow Master of Bushido to negate an Honor gain. This cannot negate a gain resulting from winning a battle or duel or a gain belonging to a player who has less than his starting Family Honor." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Master of the Tea Ceremony

• Reads, "Master of the Tea Ceremony 6G Retainer. Political Reaction: Before you lose Honor, bow the Master of the Tea Ceremony to lower the loss to 1." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Master Smith

• Reads, "Master Smith 8G Retainer. Bow the Master Smith to produce 3 Gold. Limited: Bow the Master Smith. Put a +2F/+2C Weapon token on any one Personality. No Personality can have more than one Weapon token at a time. The token is a Weapon and an Item." [MRP, Honor Bound]

Merchant Caravan

• Effects that raise gold production (e.g., Golden Sun Plain) allow it to produce gold without a discard. [ZF, 2 August 2000]

Moat

• Reads, "Moat 5G Fortification. Each Personality and Follower has -1F while attacking this Province." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• Effect begins when units are assigned, so applies before any modifications during the battle (e.g., Terrains). [JA, 30 January 2002]

Moneylender

• The number of coin tokens gained is set by the amount of gold paid, and is unaffected by cost reductions. [Card text, JA, email, 16 January 2003]
• Gold cost is 0. [Card text]

Ninja Stronghold

• Ninja players do not gain honor for bringing a Ninja Personality into play using this holding. [FAQ]

Noh Theatre Troupe

• Is Singular. [Erratum, 1 August 2003, Diamond Edition rulebook]

Oni no Yamoso: see Yamoso no Oni

Oracle of Fire

• The Imperial Edition Oracle of Fire counts as the Oracle of Water for deckbuilding and play purposes.

Oracle of Water

• The Imperial Edition Oracle of Water counts as the Oracle of Fire for deckbuilding and play purposes.

Otomo Ambassadors

• You cannot give a holding to a player (and thus cannot meet the cost of Otomo Ambassadors) if he or she is allowed only one copy. [JA, 28 May 2003]

Pearl Divers

• Reads, "Pearl Divers 1G Retainer. Bow Pearl Divers to produce 1 Gold, plus 1 Gold for each Port in play." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Philosopher

• Its action can be performed in any battle in which you have units. [Erratum]

Pitch and Fire

• Reads, "Pitch and Fire 2G Fortification. Battle: If your opponent does not have Higher Ground in play, destroy Pitch and Fire for two consecutive Ranged 3 Attacks that target one unit. You can combine the ranged attacks, but other cards cannot raise the ranged attacks' strength. If you have a Fort on a Hill at this Province, the ranged attacks each have 6 strength." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Plum Tree Training Ground

• A Samurai may only get one bonus, regardless of how many copies of Plum Tree Training Ground are in play. [JA, 14 September 2001]

Private Dojo

• Must bow to use its ability. [Erratum, RL, 17 May 2003]

Quarry

• Cannot straighten during a turn in which it bowed to produce gold. [Erratum, Fire & Shadow rulebook]

Reserve Commander

• Bypasses attachment requirements and restrictions, because it says the new Personality is created "leading that unit." [ZF, 26 August 2003]

Ronin Dojo

• Is not swearing fealty. Shadowlands players may use it. [DW, email, 10/9/98]
• May give either "Yoritomo's Alliance" or "Mantis Clan."

Sacrificial Altar

• Is a gold-producing holding. [DW, email, 10/6/98]

School of Wizardry

• Reads, "School of Wizardry 7G Bow the School of Wizardry to pay the entire Gold cost for any one Human Shugenja. Variable-cost cards cannot be paid for this way." [MRP, Pearl Edition]

Scorpion Distracter

• Renamed from "Scorpion Distractor." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Scorpion Distractor: See Scorpion Distracter

Seer

• An Event may be delayed several turns by multiple copies. [DW, 12/2/97]
• If an Event is sent back into the deck after being delayed, you cannot use the same Seer on it when it reappears. [DW, email, 1/10/98]

Shrine of Osano-Wo

• No Ranged Attack can be redirected, not even with an effect that allows redirection back to the firer's army, because there is never "another" legal target.

Shrine of Reverse Fortunes

• Should have the Gold kanji in the lower right corner, and is Gold legal. [Erratum, JA, 11 April 2002]

Shrine of Stone

• Reads, "Shrine of Stone 3G Singular. Open: Bow Shrine of Stone during another player's Action Phase to straighten one of your bowed Personalities." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Shrine to Daikoku

• May increase its own production. [JA, 17 March 2003]

Simple Huts

• Reads, "Simple Huts 1G Bow Simple Huts and one of your Farms to produce 5 Gold." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

South Wall of Otosan Uchi (Experienced)

• The active player chooses its Gold cost if controlled by a Kosaten Shiro player. [JA, 9 November 2000]

Spy Network

• The player performing the action chooses the penalty, not the Spy Network's controller. [ZF, 3 August 2000]
• The penalties become new costs for the action. [ZF, 3 August 2000]

Storehouses

• The amount "necessary to bring a card into play" depends on how you're playing it. E.g., you only count the 2G discount for an aligned Personality if you're not gaining honor. [DW, 29 January 1998]

Temple of Blood

• Can be used on cards that react to, or are played after, the resolution segment of its battle (e.g., Rallying Cry). [ZF, 14 August 2000]

Tomb of Iuchiban

• Can be used when a Personality card is created or returned to play under your control (e.g., Summon Undead Champion). It does not include Kolat Master or overlaying an Experienced Personality. [Reversal, FAQ, 11/7/97]
• Can be used when The Sacred Temple of the Phoenix Stronghold gives a Personality the Shadowlands trait. [Reversal, 1/10/99]
• May be used multiple times on a Personality who enter play more than once. [Card text, DW, email, 2/7/97]

The Towers of Isawa Castle

• This trait applies to any shugenja using a spell or innate ability during a battle at this Province. The shugenja need not be defending, or even in the battle at all. [Card text, DW, email]

Trusted Advisor

• Should have the Gold kanji in the lower right corner, and is Gold legal. [Erratum, JA, 11 April 2002]

Tunnel System

• Reads, "Tunnel System 2G Fortification. Battle: Send one of your bowed or unbowed defending units home from this battle, bowed." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Tutor

• Each Tutor bowed allows you to replace a single card draw, including one from a multiple draw effect (e.g., another Tutor), with a "draw three/keep one/discard or return" sequence. [Card text] Thus, you can bow multiples, even if you're only expecting one draw in that End Phase, and they will all have some effect. (No matter how many you use, you'll never end up keeping more cards than if you'd used no Tutors at all.)

West Wall of Otosan-Uchi

• Prevents force bonuses that Personalities give to themselves. [DW, 4/9/98]

West Wall of Otosan Uchi (Experienced)

• Shadowlands players using any stronghold get the discount. [Reversal, JA, 23 July 2002]

Writings of Kuni Yori

• "Fear: 0" is the same as no Fear at all. [DW, email]

Yamoso no Oni

• Renamed from Oni no Yamoso. [MRP, Gold Edition]

Yasuki Trader

• Should read, "Yasuki Trader 2G Retainer. Bow Yasuki Trader to produce 2 Gold. Limited: Bow Yasuki Trader to search your Fate discard pile for an Item. Show it to all players, then shuffle it into your deck." [Erratum, JA, 5 December 2003]

Personalities

Agasha Hamanari

• Ability cannot cancel actions that, when played, give the controller multiple kinds of targets to choose from (e.g., Too Much Too Soon). [JA, email, 26 August 2002]

Agasha Mumoko

• The phrase, "if there are Shadowlands cards in the opposing army," is a restriction on when her ability can be used, not a restriction of the bonus. [JA, 9 February 2001]

Agasha Tamori

• Reads, "Agasha Tamori 1F/2C 0HR 5G 2PH Dragon Clan Shugenja. Agasha Tamori has a 3C bonus when bringing Spells into play and when bowing to use Spells." [MRP, Pearl Edition]

Akasha

• Bows to perform her Ranged Attack. [Rulebook, ZF, 11 July 2001]

Akodo Ieshige

• Force bonus is gained after action is announced, targeted, and costs paid without being canceled. [JA, 4 November 2003]
• "An opposing player" means "a player who controls a card opposing Ieshige in the current battle." [JA, 4 December 2003]
• Must be in the current battle to gain his Force bonus. [JA, 4 December 2003]

Akodo Kage (non-Experienced)

• Token-moving effects will not allow a Personality to have more than 2 Sensei tokens. [FAQ]

Akodo Kage (Experienced)

• If given the Night Medallion and overlayed on a non-Experienced Kage:
  • He generates +3/+3 sensei tokens, up to 4 on each Personality. [FAQ]
  • Existing sensei tokens don't change to +3/+3. [FAQ]

Akodo Toturi: see Toturi

Alhundro Cornejo

• Reads, "Alhundro Cornejo 1F/2C 0HR 8G 2PH Unaligned Explosives Master. Limited: Bow to destroy any Fortification. Limited: Bow to permanently reduce the strength of a Province by one (minimum zero). Reaction: Bow when bringing an Explosives card into play to reduce the gold cost to zero." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Asahina Dorai (Experienced)

• Chi loss is a cost of his ability.

Asako Hosigeru

• Because each attack's target is mandated, none of them may be redirected, not even with an effect that allows redirection back to the firer's army. There is never "another" legal target.
• May be combined with his own Followers or using Coordinated Fire.
  • Normal ranged attacks will only combine with single attacks of his.
  • With Coordinated Fire, may combine with other copies of Hosigeru for stronger attacks against everything.

Asako Misao (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Asako Misao 1F/3C 1HR 5G 2PH Phoenix Clan Shugenja. Limited: Bow Misao and one of your Personalities with the Ninja, Shadowlands, or Bloodspeaker trait to permanently remove the Ninja, Shadowlands, or Bloodspeaker trait from the Personality." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• A Personality with multiple traits can only have one removed by Misao at a time (your choice). [JA, 5 April 2002]

Asako Sagoten

• Ability may be used if all honor totals are tied, because nobody is "lower" than you. [Card text, ZF, 23 August 2000]

Asako Togama

• Cannot retrieve spells that cannot be copied by Scribes (e.g., Wheel of Fate). [DW, email, 25 September 1997]
• Retrieved spells go through the usual coming into play effects. [DW, 25 November 1997]

Asako Yasu

• Treat beginning the duel as issuing a challenge that cannot be refused.

Ashlim (non-Experienced)

• The removal of the Shadowlands trait is permanent. [Fire & Shadow rulebook erratum to MRP, Ambition's Debt foil]

Ashura

• If more than one is destroyed in battle resolution, their effects occur simultaneously (i.e., you cannot use the destruction of one card to make a second card a legal target). [JA, 31 January 2003]

Bakeneko

• Ability is usable once per battle. [Erratum]

Baku no Oni

• If brought into play by a Spawning Grounds player, gains the stronghold's bonus after the printed Force and Chi values are set. [JA, 15 April 2002]

Bayushi Aramoro (non-Experienced)

• His first ability affects cards in the Province, not cards attached to the Province. [16 March 1999]
• Targets the card, not the Province. [Card text]

Bayushi Aramoro (Experienced 3)

• The Soul of the Empire version should be Experienced 3, not Experienced 2. [Erratum, JA, 14 July 2000]

Bayushi Baku

• Cannot be used as the attacker in Ambush. [DW, 20 September 1996]
• Two or more copies can be assigned together, without any other Personalities. [DW, 20 September 1996]

Bayushi Goshiu (non-Experienced)

• Can be used to duplicate any of your honor losses, even if you caused the loss. [Card text, DW]
• Does not duplicate any special restrictions of an honor loss, just the amount. [DW, 13 June 1996]
• Does not count as changing the original loss.
• You cannot duplicate an honor loss, then reduce your honor loss, because Goshiu works "after you have lost family honor." [FAQ]

Bayushi Goshiu (Experienced)

• When an honor loss is redirected away from a player, that player is no longer losing honor and so cannot be affected by further loss-modifying effects. E.g., you cannot use Goshiu and a Ninja Shapeshifter to copy a loss from Player A to Player B twice.

Bayushi Goshiu (Experienced 2)

• His effect is permanent, and continues if Goshiu leaves play. [DW, email]
• He can do it every time he enters play. [Card text]
• The loss comes from Goshiu, because that's the card the text is written on. [ZF, netnews]

Bayushi Hisa (non-Experienced)

• Is distinct from Hisa. His trait only prevents including more than three copies of Hisa and Bayushi Hisa, total, in a deck.

Bayushi Hisa (Experienced 2)

• His ability removes all Dynasty cards in the province, if there is more than one. [ZF, 8 August 2000]

Bayushi Kachiko (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Bayushi Kachiko 0F/2C -HR 10G 1PH Scorpion Clan Seductress. Unique. Limited: Bow to put a -1C seduction token on any Personality. Add a seduction token each turn she chooses not to straighten. If Seductress straightens or is destroyed, all seduction tokens are removed. May remain bowed." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Bayushi Kachiko (Experienced 2)

• If you have renounced (e.g., The Return of Fu Leng) or are prevented from winning (e.g., Shoju Sensei) an Honor victory, bringing Kachiko into play restores it.
• If a Clan that can't win by honor brings her into play, that Clan may renounce the right to The Return of Fu Leng.
• "All Shadowlands cards have their gold costs increased by two" applies to the cost in the central gold coin / grey diamond.

Bayushi Kwanchai (Experienced)

• During battle, can only use his ability during battle resolution. [JA, 18 September 2003]

Bayushi Kyoto

• Targets a Province, not a face down card. [Card text]

Bayushi Paneki (non-Experienced)

• Being dishonored nullifies his bonus for attaching followers, because dishonored status is always applied last. [VRD, 23 July 2001]

Bayushi Paneki (Experienced)

• May bring another player's Scorpion Personality into his battle. [JA, 18 December 2001]

Bayushi Ryo

• An army cannot destroy a Province when his trait forces a tie, because an army in a tied battle cannot have its force exceed the opposing army's force plus Province strength. [ZF, 23 October 2003]

Bayushi Shoju (Inexperienced)

• Ability may only be used against players who have opposing units in the battle. [FAQ]
• Cards played by him go into their owner's discard pile. [DW, December 1997]
• Cards played by him that stay in play do so until they're destroyed or removed normally. [FAQ]
• The honor loss applies to every card that leaves your hand to produce or pay for some effect. [FAQ]
• You re-swap your entire hands after the battle, even if hands contain cards of mixed ownership. [Card text, DW, email, 14 September 1998]

Bayushi Shoju (non-Experienced)

• Cannot normally be overlayed over Bayushi Shoju (Inexperienced) because he is discarded when turned face up. [DW, 16 December 1997]

Bayushi Tangen

• You need not control the Scorpion you want Tangen to substitute for, but it must be legal for Tangen to be present (e.g., he cannot be an univited ally in an battle).

Bayushi Togai

• Reads, "Bayushi Togai 2F/3C -HR 7G 1PH Scorpion Clan Samurai. Poison cards can be attached to Togai without paying their gold cost. Poison cards or tokens targeting Togai have no effect." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]
• Togai can attach any Poison card regardless of that card's restrictions. You must still pay any non-Gold costs. [Erratum, Fire & Shadow rulebook]

Bayushi Tomaru

• There are two versions of this card. One has 1 Personal Honor (Shadowlands Scorpion starter decks), the other has 0 Personal Honor (Shadowlands booster packs). Play as written.

Bayushi Yojiro (Experienced)

• If brought into play while your family honor is below zero (e.g., Hoshi Sensei), he is not immediately destroyed, but is destroyed if your family honor ever decreases while below zero. [Extension from The Yoritomo Alliance, ZF, netnews, 24 April 2001]

Bayushi Yojiro (Experienced 2)

• Reads, "Bayushi Yojiro 3F/5C -HR 10G 2PH Scorpion Clan Champion. Samurai. Experienced 2. Unique. Yojiro will only join a Scorpion player. Each Scorpion Clan Personality you control gains +1 Personal Honor while Yojiro is in play. Open: If you have no Shadowlands cards in play, permanently lower Yojiro's Chi by 1 to raise your Family Honor to your starting Family honor. This is not considered an Honor gain." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Bayushi Yokuan

• Reactions cannot be played against the results of refusing a challenge. [DW, 18 December 1997]
• Reactions played after the resolution of a duel are legal (e.g., Nunchaku). [DW, 18 December 1997, ZF April 2000]
• Reactions played in response to targeting, before or with the action causing the challenge are legal, e.g., those that cancel it.
• Bowing to refuse his challenges is an additional cost, not an alternate way of refusing his challenges.
• No Personalities need to bow to refuse a challenge made against a player (e.g., Defend Your Honor). [16 May 1999]

Bog Hag

• May steal multiple copies of the same ability. [FAQ 3.2]

Chithith

• May not cast kiho or particpate in Rituals unless he has a non-Ratling follower, because these target the caster. May cast spells when he has a non-Ratling follower. [JA, 10 November 2003]

Daidoji Megumi

• Does not regain her Chi bonus if her Focus cards are discarded; she still focused. [JA, 22 October 2001]

Daidoji Rekai (Experienced)

• Has the Samurai trait. [Erratum]

Daidoji Rekai (Experienced 2)

• Reads, "Daidoji Rekai 4F/4C 0HR 11G 3PH Crane Clan Archer. Daidoji Daimyo. Samurai. Cavalry. Experienced 2. Unique. Battle: Once per turn, move Rekai into the current battle and have her make a Ranged 3 Attack that cannot combine with other ranged attacks, without bowing." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• May use her ability if she is in the current battle (i.e., she may shoot without moving, but cannot move without shooting). [JA, 11 January 2002]
• If she is not in the current battle when she begins her action, actions cannot be used that require a card be in the battle (e.g., No Hiding Place, Not Another Step). (Not Another Step changes the allowable target, so must be played when targeting occurs. If Rekai is not in any battle when she targets, no battle is "adjacent.") [JA, 20 June 2002, 7 October 2002; ZF, 12 July 2002]

The Daini (Experienced 2 Mirumoto Daini)

• His Human trait overrides the Nonhuman trait that Naga normally have.

Dairya (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Dairya 4F/5C 10HR 10G 4PH Unaligned Samurai. Toturi's Army. Cavalry. Unique. Battle: Bow Dairya for a Ranged 3 Attack." [MRP, Imperial Herald promo]

Damesh

• His effect is continous, constantly resetting his Province's strength to the lowest of any in the game as long as he's in the battle. Effects that raise Province strength will be immediately overridden (though they will be seen if Damesh is killed or removed from the battle, raising Province strength as they normally would have). Effects that reduce Province strength will have full effect since it will still be the lowest of any in play. [Netnews, 21 September 1999]

Dashmar (non-Experienced)

• Ability does not grant an Honor Victory. It is a similar, but seperate, victory condition. [FAQ]

Doji Hoturi (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Doji Hoturi 3F/5C 15HR 12G 5PH Crane Clan Champion. Samurai. Unique. Will only join a Crane Clan Player. Reaction: Change a duel Hoturi is entering to a Duel of Personal Honor. Winner merely survives, loser loses 3 Honor and must either commit seppuku (even if not a samurai) or be dishonored. These results replace the original results." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Doji Hoturi (Experienced)

• If overlayed on Doji Hoturi (non-Experienced), he may not react to his own challenge and make it a duel of personal honor, because he is bowed. [Reversal, DW, email, 12/2/98]

Doji Jiro

• Ability cannot be used if you are using Toshimoko Sensei. [ZF, 1 August 2000]
• Ability can be used with the Double Chi trait, because it causes the focus value to add twice. [VRD, 9 December 2000]

Doji Kuwanan (Experienced)

• Reads, "Doji Kuwanan 4F/5C 5HR 10G 3PH Crane Clan Champion. Samurai. Experienced. Unique. Tactician. Doji Kuwanan will only join a Crane player." [MRP, Pearl Edition]

Doji Reju (non-Experienced)

• Should read, ""If Reju is tied in a duel, he wins the duel instead of losing." [JA, 23 September 2000]
• If two Reju face each other in a duel and tie, they both win. [Card text, DW, 15 May 1997]
  • If they tie in the duel started by Fight for My Favor, the Favor stays where it is.
• Reju's traits alters the rulebook's directions about what happens to the participants in a tie, rather than altering the duel's outcome. [JA, 23 September 2000]

Doji Satsume

• Has the Samurai trait. [Erratum]

Doji Shizue (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Doji Shizue 0F/1C 0HR 4G 1PH Crane Clan Storyteller. Political Reaction: Bow Doji Shizue when another player is gaining or losing Honor. The Honor gain or loss in increased by 1 point. You gain 1 Honor." [MRP, Pearl Edition]

Doji Yosai (non-Experienced)

• Will not prevent The Perfect Gift. [DW, email, 9/8/97, and exemption of game terms from Keyword rule]

Dragon of Fire (non-Experienced): see Fire Dragon

Earth Dragon (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Earth Dragon 7F/4C 10HR 11G 4PH Unaligned Creature. Shugenja. Cavalry. Unique. Cannot attach Followers or Items. Elemental Battle: Once per turn, Earth Dragon gains +5F if it is defending." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Earth Dragon (Experienced)

• Ability is usable once per battle. [Erratum, JA, 20 July 2000]

Fire Dragon

• Reads, "Fire Dragon 7F/4C 10HR 12G 4PH Unaligned Creature. Shugenja. Cavalry. Unique. Cannot attach Followers or Items. Elemental Battle: Bow Fire Dragon for two consecutive Ranged 5 Attacks. (Consecutive ranged attacks are targeted and resolved one at a time.) Elemental Battle: Bow Fire Dragon for a Ranged 10 Attack." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• Renamed from "Dragon of Fire." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Fushiki no Oni

• Renamed from "Oni no Fushiki." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Gekido no Oni

• Renamed from "Oni no Gekido." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Genzo

• Should read, "Reaction: Bow Genzo..." [Erratum, Fire & Shadow rulebook, RD, 23 April 1997]

Ginawa (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Ginawa 2F/3C -HR 4G 1PH Unaligned Toturi's Army Samurai." [MRP, Soul of the Empire]

Ginawa (Experienced 3)

• Costs of bringing a personality into play are waived when his ability is used. [JA, 20 July 2000]

The Grey Crane (Experienced 2 Kakita Toshimoko, Experienced 3 Kakita Toshimoko)

• Is not a Crane Personality. [Keyword rule exception, erratum, ZF, 31 May 2000, DW, 5 June 2000]

Hantei Kachiko

• Is distinct from Bayushi Kachiko (Experienced 3). [DW, 26 September 2002]

Hantei the 39th

• If he is reduced to 0 Chi, he remains bowed in your fief. [JA, 15 October 2002]

Hasagawa

• Gains the additional affiliation after he's brought into play. Clans besides Yoritomo's Alliance cannot gain his personal honor by paying his full price plus the extra 2G. [Reversal, DW, 19 January 1998]

Heichi Chokei

• Reads, "Heichi Chokei 2F/2C -HR 5G 2PH Unaligned Monk. Shugenja." [MRP, Pearl Edition]

Hida Amoro (non-Experienced)

• The force of Amoro's army and the opposing army are checked at battle resolution. [Reversal, DW & RD, email, August 1998]
• Does not self-destruct if unopposed. [JA, 28 November 2000]

Hida Amoro (Experienced 2)

• Has the Shadowlands trait. [Erratum]

Hida Kisada (Inexperienced)

• Should read, "Hida Kisada will only join a Crab player." [Erratum]

Hida Kisada (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Hida Kisada 8F/4C 6HR 16G 2PH Crab Clan Champion. Samurai. Unique. Double Chi. Will only join Crab Clan Player. Cards in Kisada's Unit cannot be the target of Shugenja spells or Innate Abilities." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Hida Kosho

• Reads, "Hida Kosho 5F/3C 5HR 10G 3PH Crab Clan Samurai. Yu 5. Battle: Once per battle, Kosho challenges an opposing attacking Personality to a duel of Force. The challenged Personality may refuse by going home bowed. Bow the loser." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]
• Going home bowed is an effect of the action. A Test of Courage may be played in response. [JA, 3 June 2002]

Hida O-Ushi (Experienced 2)

• When Heavy Shadow of Fear is in play, calculate her Fear number once, add it to her Force once, then stop. E.g., she will normally be 10F with Fear 5; after receiving a +3F bonus, 16F with Fear 8.

Hida O-Ushi (Experienced 3)

• A Personality who has less Force than her and is bowed will count twice. [Card text]

Hida Sunao

• Reads, "Hida Sunao 5F/3C 2HR 10G 1PH Crab Clan Samurai. Yu 3. Reaction: After the end of a battle Sunao was in during resolution, discard a card to straighten him." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Hida Tsuneo

• May use Hida Technique to provide his bonus to an attacking army. [VRD, 8 November 2000]

Hida Tsuru (Experienced)

• Reduces the cost of actions that produce token followers (e.g., Farmlands). [JA, 8 October 2000]

Hida Yakamo (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Hida Yakamo 3F/3C 0HR 8G 2PH Crab Clan Hero. Samurai. Unique. No Items. Crab Hero is considered a distinct card from the Crab Oni for Uniqueness. Battle: Bow Yakamo to destroy any one Item card in the opposing army." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Hida Yakamo (Experienced 2)

• Is considered an allied unit after using his ability to enter a battle, even if he wasn't invited. [DW, email, 12/9/97]
• May enter a battle on the side of a Shadowlands player. [DW, email, 12/9/97]

Hida Yakamo (Experienced 3)

• Is both a Crab and a Naga unit in his army, so his Battle action will always give him at least +2F.

Hida Yakamo (Crab Clan Oni)

• Reads, "Hida Yakamo 4F/4C -HR 7G 0PH Crab Clan Oni. Shadowlands. Nonhuman. No Followers. May not Focus. Oni gains a 1F/1C bonus for each Crab Personlity you control. Crab Oni cannot be committed to an Attacking or Defending Army that has other units. No other unit may be committed to the Oni's Army." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]
• May join other units by moving into battle.
• Cannot join other units by effects that "assign" or "commit" units during the Maneuvers Segment, before battle actions start. [Extension from Dark Oracle of Water, DW, 9/10/96]
• Cannot assign with the Experienced Crab Clan Oni, because both cards' restrictions must be obeyed. [DW, 12/9/96]

Hirariko (non-Experienced)

• Trait should read "Items provide no bonuses or special effects against Hirariko in a duel." [JA, 24 January 2000]

Hirariko (Experienced)

• Ability can only be used once per battle. [Erratum]

Hiruma Ashihei

• Trait does not prevent him from being dishonored when he attaches an item with a trait that dishonors him (e.g., Blade of Penance). [ZF, 14 December 2003; JA, email, 18 December 2003]

Hiruma Masagaro

• Read, "Hiruma Masagaro 2F/2C 0HR 5G 2PH Crab Clan Samurai. Soul of Hiruma Kage. Masagaro gains +4C while dueling a Shadowlands Personality." [MRP, Winds of Change, July 2003]

Hisa: See Bayushi Hisa

Hitomi (Experienced 2 Mirumoto Hitomi)

• Reads, "Hitomi 5F/4C -HR 12G 1PH Dragon Clan Champion. Samurai. Dragon Thunder Shugenja. Unique. Experienced 2. Hitomi will only join a Dragon player. Hitomi can attach the Obsidian Hand without Gold cost. Limited: If she has the Obsidian Hand, bow Hitomi. Destroy any one Dragon in play (this does not refer to Dragon Clan Personalities). Hitomi permanently gains the innate abilities of that Dragon." [MRP, Pearl Edition]
• Renamed from Mirumoto Hitomi, and is the Experienced 2 Mirumoto Hitomi. [MRP, Pearl Edition]

Hitomi (Experienced 3)

• If she ties, no effects happen. Going to Hitomi's controller's fief bowed and getting tattooed is part of the "if Hitomi wins..." effect. [DW, July 1998]
• If she defeats a Personality who will not join your clan, all other duel results happen except the transfer of control. [DW, 8/3/98]

Hitomi Kazaq

• Targets any one opposing unit and destroys all Followers in it whose individual forces are not greater than his.

Hitomi Kokujin (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Hitomi Kukojin 2F/3C -HR 12G 0PH Dragon Clan Tattooed Man. Shadowlands. Unique. Lose 4 Honor. Reaction: If Hitomi Kokujin defeats a Personality in a duel involving Chi, he consumes the Personality's spirit. You take control of the Personality until the end of the game. The Personality goes to your fief bowed, with all Followers destroyed. The Personality has his or her Chi permanently reduced by 1 and Personal Honor permanently reduced to 0. The Personality permanently gains the Shadowlands trait." [MRP, Pearl Edition]
• Renamed from "Togashi Kukojin."

Hizuka (non-Experienced)

• There must be an attacking unit for him to come into play for free. [DW, 19 September 1997]
• You do not gain honor for bringing him into play with his action. [DW, 12/3/97]

The Hooded Ronin (Experienced)

• Can bring a "Seven Thunders" card into play for free (e.g., Purity of the Seven Thunders). [Keyword rule, DW, email, 21 May 1997]

Horiuchi Shoan (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Horiuchi Shoan 0F/1C -HR 3G 1PH Unicorn Clan Shugenja. Cavalry." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Hoseki (non-Experienced)

• Only other shugenja may assist in casting a Ritual. [FAQ]
• Disharmony will cancel a Ritual cast by her, because it refers to a "ritual." [Card text]
• Her spell card is always a spell card. It is only the act of using it that is considered performing a ninja action instead of casting a spell. [Netnews, 28 July 1999]
• May have one spell attached at a time. If she loses it, she may attach another. [27 September 1999]
• Benefits from effects involving attaching spells to shugenja (e.g., Minor Oni Servant). [Card text, 29 September 1999]

Hoshi (Seige of Sleeping Mountain beginner's set)

• Is the same card as Togashi Hoshi for deckbuilding and play purposes. [ZF]

Hoshi Chuichi

• If he bows to pay a cost, effects that check for his stats will take into account the bonus he gains from being bowed. [JA, 11 December 2002]
• Only Chuichi adds to the force of his unit when he is bowed; unbowed Followers do not. [Reversal, JA, 1 August 2003]

Hoshi Eisai

• Counts as copying her target's Force. [DW, December 1998]

Hoshi Tadao

• The Ring does not count towards an Enlightenment Victory until it is shuffled into your deck, two turns after the current one. [Erratum, JA, 7 May 2002]
• If the Ring leaves and re-enters play within the two turns, it will leave play as scheduled. [JA, 11 June 2002]
• The Ring will be shuffled when time expires, regardless of where it is, unless it has been removed from the game. [JA, 11 June 2002]
• The Ring does not count for an Enlightenment victory while in play. Does not prevent an Enlightenment victory after it leaves play as scheduled. [JA, 11 June 2002]

Hoshi Wayan (non-Experienced)

• May react to focusing (but his reaction must be used in a battle). [DW]
• The duration of Wayan's bonus is the same as the one he's copying.
• Does not receive a double bonus while The Courage of Osano-Wo is in effect. The token is not providing the bonus.

Hoshi Wayan (Experienced 2)

• The increase to bonuses, even permanent ones, last until the end of the turn. [JA, 2 May 2003]

Hyobe

• Cards attached to him bow after battle. [Card text]

Ide Buodin

• Should read, "The Personality has -3F until after the resolution Segment of this battle." [Erratum, DW, 30 March 2000]

Ide Tadaji (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Ide Tadaji 0F/1C 10HR 7G 3PH Unicorn Clan Diplomat. Unique. Tadaji will not issue challenges and cannot be assigned to battle. Political Reaction: When the Imperial Favor is used, bow Tadaji to negate its effect." [MRP, Imperial Herald promo]

Ikoma Fudai

• His honor gain is separate from the gain for winning the battle. [JA, 12 December 2001]

Ikoma Kaoku

• Reads, "Ikoma Kaoku 1F/3C 5HR 5G 2PH Lion Clan Historian. Reaction: Bow Ikoma Kaoku after a battle (as an attacker, defender, or ally) in which your side destroyed the opposing army or a Province. Each of your Personalities in this army permanently gain +1F/+1C. Ikoma Kaoku does not need to be in the battle to use this ability." [MRP, Pearl Edition]
• Cannot use his ability if he is in the battle and becomes bowed by battle resolution. [JA]

Ikoma Ken'o

• His ability is based on his Force, not his unit's. [Card text]

Ikoma Ryozo

• If the Favor is used on another unit, effects triggered by an action sending home Ryozo's unit (e.g., Armor of Earth) cannot prevent Ryozo from being sent home, because his trait sends him home. [Reversal, DW, email, 29 May 1997]
• Negating the effect of the Favor (e.g., Confusion at Court) will not stop Ryozo from leaving, because the Favor still targeted someone. Canceling the Favor (e.g., A Test of Courage) will stop Ryozo from leaving, because a canceled action is considered not to have been used. [DW, 13 February 1998]

Ikoma Tsanuri (non-Experienced)

• If placed in Fu Leng's Horde, the Defender cannot play terrains even if he is her controller. [DW, 12/9/96]
• Prevents terrains in the battle she's in, not the one she was originally assigned to. [FAQ 3.3]
• Will not destroy an existing terrain if she's moved into a battle with one. [FAQ 3.3]

Ikoma Tsanuri (Experienced)

• Reads, "Ikoma Tsanuri 5F/4C 10HR 14G 4PH Lion Clan Champion. Samurai. Tactician. Double Chi. Experienced. Unique. Ikoma Tsanuri will only join a Lion player. Ignore all effects of Terrains and Regions while Ikoma Tsanuri is in this army. Battle: Once per battle in which Ikoma Tsanuri is in the defending army, target an opposing Personality, who is sent home bowed. This is considered a use of the Imperial Favor." [MRP, Pearl Edition]
• Cannot be assigned to attack a Clan Heartland because her trait does not apply until she's in the battle. [DW, 17 October 1997]

Ikoma Ujiaki (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Ikoma Ujiaki 2F/4C 10HR 8G 4PH Lion Clan Samurai. Political Reaction: After a Lion Clan Personality is killed in battle, bow to dishonor a Personality in the opposing army." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]
• The word "opposing" is relative to the Lion Personality who was destroyed, not Ujiaki. Ujiaki need not be in the current battle. [DW, 26 August 1998]

Isawa Ihara

• Reads, "Isawa Ihara 1F/2C 3HR 7G 2PH Phoenix Clan Shugenja. Battle: Bow Ihara to send home an opposing unit." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Isawa Maasaki

• Ability gives +1F/+1C when he has no spells. [JA, 10 April 2002]

Isawa Norikazu (non-Experienced)

• Cannot counter actions from cards in play or Action cards that aren't played from the hand. [Card text]
• The action must directly affect the battle or target a card. He cannot cancel an untargeted reaction that cancels the last action played.
• Actions that satisfy the Rule of Relevance are actions that "affect the battle." [JA, email, 29 November 2001]

Isawa Norikazu (Experienced 2)

• Ability cannot be used on a player more than once per game. This includes copies of him or his ability. [Card text, 18 July 1999]
• Will not affect cards in Provinces or anywhere other than the "appropriate deck and Fate hand." [Card text]
• "All versions" includes different Experience levels. [23 September 1999]

Isawa Osugi

• Reads, "Isawa Osugi 1F/4C 0HR 8G 4PH Phoenix Clan Prodigy. Shugenja. Unique. Any effect that would give Isawa Osugi the Shadowlands trait is canceled and has all effects negated. Isawa Osugi cannot have more than one Spell attached at any time. Spells have their Gold cost reduced to 0 when being attached to Isawa Osugi." [MRP, Pearl Edition]
• Will negate the gold as well as the Shadowlands trait if the Sacred Temples of the Phoenix stronghold is bowed to produce 7G to pay for her or for a spell for her. [Card text, DW, 12/11/96]

Isawa Riake

• Should read, "Isawa Riake 1F/3C 5HR 8G 2PH Phoenix Clan Master of Water. Shugenja. Soul of Isawa Tomo. Elemental Battle: Bow Riake to move a unit from one of the defender's Province's to another." [Erratum, Gold Edition rulebook]

Isawa Suma

• Effect works on spells that cannot be copied by Scribes. [DW, 2/12/98]
• Effect does not work on spells destroyed by Norikazu's Ravings, because they are not destroying themselves. [Reversal, card text, DW, email, 4/5/99]
• The cost of destroying the spell is still considered to have been paid. [JA, 9 April 2002]
• Chi reduction is an effect, not a cost. The spellcasting is not cancelled if Suma's chi cannot be reduced. [JA, 5 September 2002]

Isawa Tadaka (Experienced 2)

• Has the Shadowlands trait. [Erratum]

Isawa Taeruko

• Reads, "Isawa Taeruko 1F/3C 0HR 5G 2PH Phoenix Clan Master of Earth. Shugenja. Elemental Open: Bow Taeruko to get a non-Unique Fortification from your Dynasty deck and attach it to one of your Provinces, paying all costs." [MRP, Dark Allies, 8 April 2002]
• May use her ability if there are no Fortifications in the Dynasty deck. This still counts as a successful use. [2/1/2000]

Isawa Tomo (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Isawa Tomo 1F/3C 5HR 8G 2PH Phoenix Clan Shugenja. Master of Water. Battle Elemental: Bow this card to move a unit from one of the Defender's Provinces to another." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Isawa Tsuke (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Isawa Tsuke 3F/2C 5HR 12G 2PH Phoenix Clan Shugenja. Master of Fire. Unique. Limited Elemental: Bow and play a Fate card face down. Issue a Challenge that cannot be refused. Isawa cannot focus, but the fate card played acts as a focus. Tsuke cannot be killed by the outcome of this duel." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]
• Tsuke loses a tied duel, but doesn't die. [Card text]
• The face-down card is not a focus. Reactions played with a focus or instead of focusing cannot be played in response. [8/11/99]

Isha (Experienced)

• Remains Isha after he's become Qamar. Therefore:
  • Lessons From the Past may be used to play either a non-Experienced Isha or a non-Experienced Qamar under him. [DW, 24 September 1997]
  • Prevents Unique versions of either Isha or Qamar from entering play. [JA, 17 January 2001]
• Must be in the battle to use his Terrain ability. [DW, 25 November 1997]

Issut

• Cannot move into an empty Province because there is no army there. [Glossary]
• Hida Technique will not allow him to change Provinces while attacking, because he has to move into an army defending one of your Provinces, and there are none. [ZF, card text]

Iuchi Karasu (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Iuchi Karasu 2F/3C 4HR 7G 3PH Unicorn Clan Shugenja. Open: Bow Iuchi Karasu. Move a Follower from one of your Personalities and attach it to another of your Personalities." [MRP, Pearl Edition]

Iuchi Katta

• Which cards he affects is fixed when he first bows and doesn't change if his Chi changes while he's bowed. [DW, email, 1/10/98]

Iuchi Takaai

• Reads, "Iuchi Takaai 1F/2C 0HR 8G 2PH Unicorn Clan Shugenja. Open: Bow this card to give all cards in a target unit the Cavalry trait until the end of the turn." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Kage (Experienced 3)

• "Requirements" covers all requirements and restrictions, such as "Will not/will only join X Clan." [15 July 1999]

Kaiu Endo

• Cannot use his ability to turn over a Dynasty card unless the card directly replaced a Fortification that was brought into play. [ZF, 16 June 2000, AH, 17 June 2000]
• If the fortification is moved (e.g., with Kaiu Suman), Endo flips the Dynasty card in the province the fortification was in, not the one it becomes attached to. [ZF, 19 June 2000]

Kaiu Kenru

• A Follower may receive one bonus per each copy of Kenru. [Reversal, JA, email, 15 February 2001]

Kaiu Suman

• May move non-Holding Fortifications. [DW, 13 September 1996]
• May be used to bring a Fortification region into play that appears in a Province that already has a Region if you move it to one that does not. [DW, 11/6/96]

Kakita Atoshi

• Bowing is a cost of his ability. [ZF, 29 November 2002]

Kakita Ichiro

• Only lets you lobby again if you've lobbied exactly once. [FAQ 3.8]
• You may not take his extra lobby attempt first and your one normal attempt second. [FAQ 3.8]

Kakita Kaiten

• Reads, "Kakita Kaiten 4F/4C 8HR 10G 3PH Crane Clan Samurai. Experienced. Unique. Battle: Once per battle, Kaiten gains a Force bonus equal to his Personal Honor." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Kakita Rensai

• Does not prevent Reactions that respond to redirecting a duel to him, because he is not yet in the duel. [JA, 27 January 2003]

Kakita Shijin

• Can be used after any death (e.g., Sacrificial Altar). [RD, 15 January 1997]

Kakita Yinobu

• Reads, "Kakita Yinobu 0F/2C 5HR 3G 1PH Crane Clan Master Orator. Political Reaction: Bow this card and discard a Fate card or cards to reduce any lose of Family Honor by the Focus Value of the discarded card(s). This effect will not prevent a personality from becoming dishonored. You may not discard cards once the Honor Loss has been reduced to zero." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Kakita Yoshi (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Kakita Yoshi 0F/1C 10HR 10G 3PH Crane Clan Liason. Yoshi will not attach Followers. Yoshi will not issue challenges and cannot be assigned to defend. Political Open: Bow Yoshi to gain the Imperial Favor." [MRP, Imperial Herald promo]
• Lets you take the Favor, regardless of who currently has it or your Family Honor. [Card text]
• His ability does not count as lobbying for the Favor. [Card text]
• Cannot bow to take the Favor during an attack if he is not in the current battle. [Rulebook]

Kakita Yoshi (Experienced)

• Reads, "Kakita Yoshi 0F/2C 0HR 12G 2PH Crane Clan Liaison. Experienced. Unique Politician. Reaction: Bow Kakita Yoshi immediately after you or another player discards the Imperial Favor to produce one of the standard Imperial Favor effects. Yoshi produces the exact same effect again for you. Yoshi's action is considered a use of the Imperial Favor." [MRP, Pearl Edition]
• Ability may only be used if "historic" Imperial Favor rules are in use. Effects on Winds are not "standard Imperial Favor effects." [JA, 5 November 2001]

Kakita Yuri

• Reads, "Kakita Yuri 0F/2C 10HR 7G 2PH Crane Clan Negotiator. Political Battle: Bow the Negotiator to send home unbowed one unit that is attacking you. You must pay gold equal to the Force of the unit." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Kamoto: see Yoritomo Kamoto

Kanashimi

• Should read, "After a player draws a card outside his End Phase due to his own card or Stronghold effect." [Erratum, 1 August 2003, Diamond Edition rulebook]

Kanbe: see Yoritomo Kanbe

Kappa

• The phrase "always has a 0F/1C when bowed" sets its stats to 0F/1C. [Card text]
• This setting is absolute, overriding all other bonuses and penalties (except focusing). [DW, 13 January 1998]

Kappuksu (Experienced Goblin Warmonger)

• Has the Nonhuman trait. [Erratum to MRP, Pearl Edition]

Kemmei

• Reads, "Kemmei 0F/1C 0HR 7G 1PH Tortoise Clan Advisor. Yoritomo's Alliance. While Kemmei is in play, your maximum hand size increases by three." [MRP, Fire & Shadow foil]

Ki-Rin

• Reads, "Ki-Rin 0F/2C 15HR 0G 5PH Unaligned Creature. Unique. While Ki-Rin is unbowed and honorable, Personalities with a Personal Honor of zero, four, or five cannot assign or move into armies attacking your Provinces." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Kitsu Motso

• Must be in the battle to use his ability. [DW, 11/4/96]

Kitsu Okura

• Reads, "Kitsu Okura 1F/3C 0HR 4G 2PH Lion Clan Shugenja. Okura cannot bow to lobby for the Imperial Favor. Imperial Favor effects cannot target this unit or cards in it." [MRP, The Spirit Wars]

Kitsu Osen (Experienced Daidoji Osen)

• If some effect gives a Chi bonus to Personalities in play (e.g., Fortress of the Dragonfly) or while a Personality is coming into play, that Chi bonus may be used for Osen's ability. [JA, 16 June 2001]

Kitsuki Kaagi

• The challenge happens before any consequences of refusing the duel. E.g., if a Personality refuses Iaijutsu Challenge, Kaagi's duel starts before he or she can commit seppuku. [February 1999]

Kitsuki Yasu

• Reads, "Kitsuki Yasu 1F/4C 10HR 7G 4PH Dragon Clan Justicator. Samurai. Political Reaction: Bow Kitsuki Yasu when a Samurai is challenged. Force the Samurai to accept the challenge." [MRP, Pearl Edition]
• Does not make challenges "unrefusable." Rather, he forces personalities to accept. Thus, he beats cards that allow refusing unrefusable duels (e.g., Enlightened Tutor, Kuro Sensei). [Reversal, JA 18 July 2000]

Kitsune

• Has the Creature trait. [Erratum, JA, 27 October 2000]

Kitsune Diro

• Does not gain a trait until he enters play. You cannot pay for him with a School of Wizardry or reduce his cost by 4G with a Hiruma Dojo. [Card text, DW, 28 July 1998]

Koichi

• You may discard either Fate or Dynasty cards. [JA, 19 May 1998]
• You may only discard your own cards. [JA, email, 22 September 2000]

Kolat Servant

• Reads, "Kolat Servant 0F/1C -HR 10G 0PH Unaligned. Limited: Bow the Servant and target a Stronghold. Bow the Stronghold, if unbowed. As long as this card remains bowed, the target Stronghold may not straighten. Kolat Servant may remain bowed." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Konetsu

• If he copies Kakita Atoshi's ability, the targeted Personality straightens next turn because Konetsu no longer has the action. [JA, email, 28 April 2003]

Kuni Tansho

• Ability should read, "Battle: Bow Tansho and discard a Fate card to force an opposing player to discard a random card from his hand." [Erratum, JA, 24 October 2003]

Kuni Yasashii

• May use his ability to move out of a resolved battle. (Note this is normally possible when defending.) [DW, May 2000]

Kuni Yori (Experienced)

• Reads, "Kuni Yori 2F/4C -HR 8G 1PH Unaligned Shugenja. Experienced. Unique. Shadowlands. Limited: Bow Kuni Yori and discard a card in one of your Provinces. Select any one other Province in play. Discard any Dynasty card in that Province that is not in play (it is replaced normally)." [MRP, Pearl Edition]

Kuni Yori (Experienced 2)

• Tokens created by his ability also have the Shadowlands trait. [Erratum]

Kuni Yori (Experienced 3)

• Ability ignores the honor requirements of the returned Personality. [JA, 28 March 2000]

Kusatte Iru

• If its ability is copied, the copying cards need to be assigned to a losing battle to be used. [Rulebook]
• Cannot produce a tie game since its ability is used after your Provinces are destroyed. Your opponent will still win a Military Victory even if you destroy his last Province as well, because he destroyed yours first. [FAQ 3.3]

Kyojin

• Is dishonored or destroyed if any Yogo Junzo in play is challenged or destroyed. [Card text]

Makashi

• Actions targeting him behave in all ways as though he were aligned with every Clan. [DW, email, 12/2/98]
• May cast kiho as a Monk, because kiho target their caster.
• May attach Clan-specific cards (e.g., Ancestral Armors).
• Continual effects are not targeted actions and will see his alignments for what they truly are. Ancestors will immediately self-destruct, most Ancestral Swords will not provide a bonus beyond +0/+1, etc.

Mamoru

• Cannot prevent a ninja unit from assigning to battle, because that's not an action. [FAQ]

Mara (non-Experienced)

• Gains Cavalry if she has any Change token. [DW, 11/4/96]

Masasue: see Yoritomo Masasue

Matsu Hiroru (non-Experienced)

• His extra focus happens "before the duel." [Card text]
  • Because focus cards add to Chi as soon as they're played [Rulebook], he does not die instantly if he uses his ability with an attached Tetsubo, if he uses his free first focus to play a card with a focus value greater than 0.
  • Reactions to entering a duel occur after this focus.

Matsu Hitomi

• May only give bonuses to herself. [JA, 2 October 2000]

Matsu Seijuro

• May use his reaction for challenges he bows to issue. [Erratum, 12/9/98]

Migawari

• Movement of the Follower is permanent. [JA, 4 November 2003]

Mikaru

• Is not a Naga. [Erratum, Fire & Shadow rulebook]

Mikio

• Becomes dishonored and commits seppuku if any Toturi in play is challenged or destroyed. [Card text, DW, 26 February 1997]

Mirumoto Daini (Experienced)

• Cost reduction is cumulative with Alliance. [DW, 19 November 1996]

Mirumoto Hitomi (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Mirumoto Hitomi 3F/4C 4HR 7G 2PH Dragon Clan Samurai. Toturi's Army. Followers in this unit are immune to Fear." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Mirumoto Hitomi (Experienced 2): see Hitomi (Experienced 2)

Mirumoto Satsu

• His reduction of Hitomi's cost to 0 lasts until used. [DW, 2/9/98]

Mirumoto Taki

• Reads, "Mirumoto Taki 3F/3C 3HR 6G 2PH Dragon Clan Samurai. Taki can have two Weapons." [MRP, Fire & Shadow]

Mirumoto Temoru

• Is not immune to Fear effects that can affect Personalities, because he is not attached to himself. [Reversal, JA, 13 June 2001]

Mirumoto Ukira

• Reads, "Mirumoto Ukira 2F/4C 8HR 5G 2PH Dragon Clan Samurai. Ukira will not refuse challenges. Whenever Ukira focuses, raise the Focus value by one." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Mirumoto Uso (Experienced)

• Reads, "Mirumoto Uso 3F/4C 0HR 9G 3PH Dragon Clan Samurai. Mirumoto Daimyo. Experienced. Unique. You can focus two cards at a time for Uso's duels, in any order." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
• Although he uses two cards, Uso only focuses once. He may use both during Iaijutsu Art. [VRD, 8 November 2000]
• Focusing two cards can be combined with an effect that provides a Focus for the duel, even if that Focus is worded as occuring before the duel (e.g., Oracle of Fire). [Reversal, JA, 5 June 2002]
• If Uso focuses a card from somewhere other than your hand, the other card must come from your hand. [JA, 23 May 2002]

Mitsu (Experienced Togashi Mitsu)

• Reads, "Mitsu 2F/3C 5HR 9G 1PH Unaligned Monk. Tattooed Man. Unique. Experienced Togashi Mitsu. Toturi's Army. Open: Gain up to five Fire tokens on Mitsu. Mitsu cannot have more than five Fire tokens. Battle: Bow Mitsu and destroy one or more Fire tokens on Mitsu. Produce a ranged attack equal to the number of Fire tokens destroyed. Mitsu cannot add more Fire tokens this turn." [MRP, Pearl Edition]
• If overlaid on the non-Experienced Togashi Mitsu, the prohibition against straightening when he has a Fire token only comes into effect if the non-Experienced ability is used. [Reversal, JA, 2 May 2002]

Miya Gensaiken (Experienced Oni no Pekkle)

• Ability is both a lobbying attempt and a use of the Imperial Favor. [JA, 20 March 2002]

Miya Hatori

• Ability may be used regardless of family honor total. [JA, 12 December 2001]

Miya Yuritogen

• Does not gain 1 honor the first time he wins a duel. [ZF, April 2000]

The Monstrous War Machine of Fu Leng

• Reads, "The Monstrous War Machine of Fu Leng 8F/2C -HR 6G 0PH Unaligned Shadowlands. Unique. Non-human. Lose 5 Honor. No Items. May not challenge or be challenged. The War Machine has Force = 0 if it has no Followers attached. The War Machine destroys all of its Followers when it bows. Followers add no Force to this Unit." [MRP, Battle of Beiden Pass]
• "Force = 0 if it has no Followers" is absolute, overriding all other cards and tokens. [Netnews]

Morito Tokei (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Morito Tokei 0F/3C -HR 3G 2PH Unaligned Shugenja. Toturi's Army." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Moshi Eihime

• Returning a Spell to your hand after she attaches a Spell may only be used once per turn. [Erratum, JA, 4 December 2003]

Moshi Hinome

• Ability targets both Personalities. [Reversal, JA, 11 March 2003]

Moshi Wakiza (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Moshi Wakiza 1F/3C -HR 6G 1PH Centipede Clan Shugenja. Yoritomo's Alliance. Battle: Bow Moshi Wakiza for a Ranged 4 Attack." [MRP, Pearl Edition]

Moto Chen

• His Personal Honor does not change when dishonored (i.e., it does not become the lowest non-zero value possible). [VRD, 8 January 2002]

Moto Gaheris

• An action card must immediately and unconditionally remove Gaheris's unit from the battle to be be legal. An action card that might remove Gaheris (e.g., Stand or Run), destroys Gaheris (e.g., To Do What We Must), or ends the battle (e.g., Entrapping Terrain), is not legal. [ZF, 2 August 2000]

Moto Sada

• Is not Undead. [Card text]

Moto Soro

• The active player (i.e., Soro's controller) decides whether Soro's check for 0 Chi is done before or after the expiration of effects that last until the end of the turn. [DW, email, 22 October 1998]

Moto Tsume (non-Experienced)

• His refusal to join you if your family honor is positive is not an Honor requirement. [DW]
• Is not Undead. [Card text]
• Will not cause himself to bow upon assigning if his Personal Honor is raised above 1. The implied phrase is "in the same army as himself," which requires two different Personalities. [Netnews, 8/10/99]

Moto Tsume (Experienced 2)

• His assignment restrictions apply and refer only to his army. [DW, email] He may assign opposing non-Shadowlands units and vice-versa.

Moto Zhijuan

• Reads, "Moto Zhijuan 5F/3C -HR 10G 2PH Unicorn Clan Chieftain. Samurai. Cavalry." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Mountain Goblin

• Reads, "Mountain Goblin 1F/1C -HR 6G 1PH Unaligned Shadowlands. Nonhuman. When this card is destroyed in the resolution phase of a battle or in a duel, return it to play from your discard pile, without cost, during your next end phase. All attached cards and tokens are destroyed normally." [MRP, Anvil of Despair]

Mukami (Experienced)

• Has the Yoritomo's Alliance trait, not Yoritomo's Army. [Erratum]

Naga Abomination

• Reads, "Naga Abomination 2F/*C 0HR 8G 1PH Naga. Nonhuman. Unique. Abomination has a Chi Value equal to the number of other Naga cards in play. Limited: Challenge any Naga Personality or any Clan Champion to a duel, which much be accepted." [MRP, Obsidian Edtion].
• Must bow to use its ability. [Erratum to MRP, Obsidian Edition]

Naga Warlord (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Naga Warlord 3F/2C 0HR 5G 2PH Naga Samurai. Nonhuman. All other Naga cards in the Naga Warlord's unit have a 1F bonus while they remain in this unit." [MRP, Pearl Edition]

Naka Kuro (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Naka Kuro 3F/5C 15 HR 12G 2PH Unaligned Shugenja. Unique. Toturi's Army Grand Master Of The Elements. Reaction Elemental: Bow Naka Kuro during the appropriate phase to produce any Elemental action on any card in play. Naka Kuro can only duplicate once any Spell that must be discarded. Reaction: Bow Naka Kuro. Negate any one Elemental effect." [MRP, Pearl Edition]

Naka Kuro (Experienced)

• "Cannot perform any kiho more than once per turn" refers to kiho by wording/effect. [Reversal, DW, email, 19 August 1999] He cannot produce the exact same kiho effect more than once per turn if it comes from a different source. He can cast the same kiho by title more than once if it has more than one action on it and he uses a different one each time.

Ninja Mimic

• Keeps its printed ability while otherwise acting as a copy of another Personality. [JA, 18 October 2000]
• Is considered to have both its own title and that of any card it copies. [Extension from The Egg of P'an Ku, ZF, 1 June 2001]

Ninja Questioner

• The "stay bowed" result of fire tokens (i.e., Togashi Mitsu) or sleep tokens (i.e., Freezing the Lifeblood) originates from the generating card and not the token itself. Ninja Questioner is legal against them. [3/10/99; DW, email, March 1999]

Ninja Shadow-Walker (Experienced)

• First ability should read, "into the current battle." [JA, 3 June 2002]

Ninja Shadow-Walker (Experienced 2)

• The Soul of the Empire version should be Experienced 2, not Experienced. [Erratum, JA, 14 July 2000]

Ninja Shapeshifter (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Ninja Shapeshifter 2F/2C -HR 10G 1PH Unaligned Ninja. The Ninja Shapeshifter will only attach Ninja Followers.Open: Once per turn, the Ninja Shapeshifter can copy the Force, the Chi, the Personal Honor, or one ability of any one Personality in play, until the end of the turn. All tokens created by a copied ability are destroyed at the end of the turn." [MRP, Pearl Edition]
• Can repeatedly copy an ability that is usable only once per game, because at the end of the turn he forgets that he's used it. [RD, 7/8/96]

Ninja Spy

• Reads, "Ninja Spy 0F/1C -HR 2G 1PH Unaligned Ninja. Followers the Ninja Spy attaches must be Ninja. Open: Bow the Ninja Spy to look at one player's Fate hand. Lose 1 Honor. Open: Bow the Ninja Spy to look at all face-down cards in one player's Provinces. Lose 1 Honor." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Ninube Ogoku

• She can assign by herself. There does not need to be an army already present for her to "join." [DW, email, 3/1/99]
• Her presence in an army will not change your overall role (Attacker/Defender/ally) in the attack. You also are not considered an ally if you assign her where you are not invited.
• Putting her in the other army will not allow you to take battle actions twice as often.
• Cannot assign if there is no attack.
• Effects that move units between Provinces cannot move her from one side of the battle to the other.
• Units and effects (including Way of Deception) that do not break the Rule of Presence cannot be used to swap with her or move in to join her. [DW, email, March 1999]
• The clause, "You never gain Honor when Ogoku joins an army," refers to the 2 point gain for allying.
• Cannot assign with another unit during an Ambush. [18 July 1999]

Nishiko (Experienced)

• Must replace a Dynasty card. [Card text]
• Cannot move herself into an empty Province. [27 November 1999]

Ogre Outlaw

• A player can collect 10 gold for killing the Ogre Outlaw by any means during a battle. [JA, 6 April 2001]

Oni no Chi

• You can use "any number" of shugenja in the ritual, including zero. This produces a 0F/0C oni that immediately dies unless some continual effect boosts its Chi (e.g., The Spawning Grounds). [DW, November 1999]
• The Kitsu Tombs' Reaction can waive the cost (i.e., bowing and destroying shugenja) of bringing Oni no Chi into play, but this also waives the "coming into play" effect determining the oni's stats (i.e., the number of shugenja destroyed). The result is a 0F/0C oni. [ZF, November 1999]

Oni no Fushiki: see Fushiki no Oni

Oni no Gekido: see Gekido no Oni

Oni no Kamu

• Reads, "Oni no Kamu 5F/2C -HR 0G 0PH Unaligned. Nonhuman. Shadowlands. Lose 6 Honor. When you bring Oni no Kamu into play, bow your stronghold if it is unbowed. Your Stronghold cannot straighten or produce effects while Oni no Kamu is in play. During your End Phase three turns from now, destroy Oni no Kamu." [MRP, Fire & Shadow foil]
• Is Unique. [Erratum to Oni no Ogon, Fire & Shadow rulebook]
• Renamed from Oni no Ogon. Was referred to as Oni no Titsu in some rulebook errata lists. [MRP, Fire & Shadow foil]
• Prevents triggered stronghold effects (e.g., Mountain Keep of the Dragon increasing province strength, Sepulchre of Bone creating follower tokens) but not continuous effects (e.g, Shadowlands Horde's inability to gain or lose honor). [DW, 25 December 1996]
• If brought into play by Unexpected Allies, it does not bow your stronghold but does prevent it from generating effects. [Partial Reversal, DW, 6/9/97, JA, email, 20 March 2003]
• Its three-turn lifespan only counts your full turns. [FAQ 3.1, 28 August 1996]
• Any time it enters or returns to play (e.g., Feign Death), its three-turn timer resets. [FAQ 3.1, 28 August 1996]

Oni no Mizu

• May also not target an unresolved battle in which any of the would-be opposing units are controlled by a player with a Ring of Water. [DW, 9/12/96]

Oni no Ogon (Randy Gallegos art)

• Only forces the use of Holdings and the Stronghold to make the payment. [DW, 31 July 1996]
• Only forces you to try to make the payment, not to produce as much gold as you can. I.e., you can use a variable-output Holding in a sub-optimal way. [DW, 31 July 1996]
• Forcing gold payment does not bow cards (i.e., it will not be prevented by Calm Winds). Bowing all gold producing holdings when full payment is not possible, however, is a card bowing effect (i.e., will be prevented by Calm Winds). [VRD, 29 May 2001]
• The first clause forcing you to try to pay does not require you to bow Holdings or Strongholds that:
  • Will not produce gold in this case (e.g., Bushi Dojo). [ZF, 31 December 2002]
  • Produce zero gold (e.g., Storehouse with no tokens). [ZF, 31 December 2002]
  • Reduce costs (e.g., Shadowlands Horde Stronghold), because payment is not a cost. [ZF, 31 December 2002]

Oni no Ogon (Ron Spencer art): see Oni no Kamu

Oni no Shikibu

• Cannot destroy itself when brought into play. [DW, 13 December 1996]

Oni no Titsu: see Oni no Kamu

Oni no Tsuburu: see Tsuburu no Oni

Oni no Ugulu

• Will not prevent an out-of-play Personality card from moving into the battle from the Province being attacked. [6/4/99]

Oseuth

• You cannot prevent Oseuth from losing Double Chi after his first duel. [Rulebook, Reversal, JA, email, 19 November 2000]
• Loses the appropriate trait regardless of whether it's his printed trait or acquired from another card. [Netnews, 16 August 1999, and card text]

Otaku Kamoko (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Otaku Kamoko 3F/2C 4HR 7G 3PH Unicorn Clan Battle Maiden. Cavalry Samurai. Followers attaching to Kamoko must be Cavalry. Kamoko gains +1F while attacking." [MRP, Soul of the Empire]

Otaku Kamoko (Experienced 2)

• Reads, "Otaku Kamoko 5F/4C 5HR 11G 3PH Unicorn Clan Thunder. Samurai. Experienced 2 Cavalry. Double Chi. Unique. Otaku Kamoko will only attach Cavalry Followers. Limited: Bow Otaku Kamoko and discard a card from one of your Provinces. Refill the Province with any one Personality from your Dynasty deck, face-down. Reshuffle the deck. Reaction: Bow Otaku Kamoko. Destroy any one Personality leaving this battle." [MRP, Pearl Edition]
• Cannot destroy a Personality when Entrapping Terrain resolves, because Entrapping Terrain ends the battle before units go home. [Card text, DW, email, 25 September 1997]

Otaku Kamoko (Experienced 4)

• Cannot move herself with her ability, because her ability says, "this battle." [ZF, 2 August 2000]

Otaku Tetsuko

• Gains her bonus for Provinces destroyed in battle before she entered play. [FAQ]
• Is "Unicorn Clan." [JA, 14 February 2001]

Otaku Xieng Chi: see Utaku Xieng Chi

Otomo Motoshi

• You do not gain his Personal Honor for hiring him, because he does not swear fealty until after he enters play. [JA, 12 December 2001]

Purusha

• If a player pre-emptively plays a card to stop ranged attacks or actions (e.g., using a Scout; but not Sneak Attack), Purusha cannot use its ability. [ZF, May 2000]
• May not combine its ranged attack with other "normal" ranged attacks in the unit, because all ranged attacks must be legal when performed. [DW, April 2000]
• May be used if defender ends up passing on his or her first normal battle action. [ZF, May 2000]
• Multiple copies of Purusha can all be used before battle. [ZF, May 2000]

Qamar (non-Experienced)

• Is a Clan Champion.

Qamar (Experienced)

• Is a Clan Champion.

Ratling Thief

• May not attempt to steal an item it cannot legally attach. [DW, 6/5/96]

Roshungi (non-Experienced)

• The Ring is completely ignored. It does not count towards an Enlightenment Victory, Prayer Shrine gold production, etc. [27 November 1999] It cannot even be targeted. Pretend the Ring isn't there at all. [DW, 2/5/2000]
• Does not trigger "leaving play" effects for the targeted Ring (e.g., Kolat Chambers). [ZF, 1 August 2000]

Sanzo (non-Experienced)

• Should read, "Sanzo 1F/1C 5HR 3G 2PH Unaligned Samurai. Cavalry." [Erratum to MRP, The Spirit Wars; JA, 26 October 2000]

Seikua (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Seikua1F/2C 5HR 7G 1PH Unaligned Monk. No Followers or items. Seikua gains +1F/+1C for each Elemental Ring you have in play." [MRP, Crimson & Jade]

Seikua (Experienced)

• Ability is usable once per battle. [DW, email, 25 September 1997]

Seppun Baka

• His Personal Honor is 7 during a lobbying attempt, even if he is dishonored. [DW, email]

Seppun Hotaitaka

• The extra draws are not taken until your next End Phase. [Erratum, DW]
• The Follower must be attached from your hand to trigger the draw. [Erratum, DW]

Seppun Mashita

• You may choose to keep a drawn card and focus one already in your hand instead. [Netnews, November 1999]

Seppun Nakao

• Does not have the Imperial trait. [Erratum]

Shadow Beast

• If given a Night Medallion, its text will change to "each other Shadowlands Personality has +1C, to a minimum of 3." This will raise 1C Shadowlands Personalities to 3C, not 2C. [Netnews, JA, November 1999]

Shahai

• Is distinct from Iuchi Shahai (Experienced). [ZF, 6 June 2001]
• May not be overlayed on a non-Experienced Iuchi Shahai. [JA, 8 June 2001]

Shashakar (Experienced Naga Shugenja)

• Reads, "Shashakar 1F/3C 0HR 7G 2PH Experienced Naga Shugenja. Unique. Reaction: Bow Shashakar when an action is performed that lowers the Chi of any Naga card in play. The action is canceled and its effects are negated. This does not prevent Chi loss due to tokens." [MRP, Pearl Edition]

Shiba Odoshi

• Target shugenja gains a force bonus equal to Odoshi's force and a chi bonus equal to Odoshi's chi, respectively. [JA, November 1999]

Shiba Tsukune (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Shiba Tsukune 3F/2C 5HR 5G 2PH Phoenix Clan Samurai. Reaction: When Tsukune enters a duel with a Shugenja, she gains +3C." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]

Shiba Tsukune (Experienced)

• Reads, "Shiba Tsukune 4F/4C 5HR 8G 2PH Phoenix Clan Champion. Samurai. Unique. Experienced. Shiba Tsukune will only join a Phoenix player. Shiba Tsukune has a 1F/2C bonus while allying or in an army with allies." [MRP, Pearl Edition]

Shiba Ujimitsu

• Reads, "Shiba Ujimitsu 4F/4C 10HR 12G 3PH Phoenix Clan Champion. Samurai. Double Chi. Will only join Phoenix Player. During your Dynasty Phase, if this card is Honorable Dead, it may be returned to play without cost by exchanging it with a Personality you control. Ujimitsu keeps all attached cards, tokens and permanent changes of the replaced Personality. That Personality is discarded from play." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]
• Truly is not Unique.

Shiba Yoma (Experienced)

• When in a battle with Night Battle in play, Shugenja outside the battle can cast spells and kiho for that battle, but no other actions are permissable. [JA, email, 26 August 2003]

Shinjo Mosaku

• Gains his Force bonus regardless of whether he's attacking or defending, because he receives it "during the Attack Phase." [Card text, DW, 19 December 1996]

Shinjo Sanetama

• Can be used against any unit-moving effect. [Card text]
• Can be used if the battle he's in is not the one currently being resolved. [DW, 16 September 1997]

Shinjo Shono

• Discarding cards is a cost of challenging Shono. [DW, 6 June 2000]

Shinjo Yasoma

• Can take control of a terrain you could not legally have played. [DW, 12/11/96]

Shosuro (Experienced Ninja Shapeshifter)

• Works if the Personality was face-down. [16 March 1999]

Shosuro Chian

• Multiples are cumulative. [DW, 12/1/98]

Shosuro Hametsu (non-Experienced)

• Reads, "Shosuro Hametsu 0F/1C -HR 5G 1PH Scorpion Clan Poison Master. Limited: Bow to give a Personality a Poison token if they do not have one. Lose 2 Honor. A Personality with a Poison token may destroy it as a Reaction to entering a duel. When a strike is declared, the opposing Personality's Chi is reduced by 2 until the end of the turn." [MRP, Obsidian Edition]
• If the -2C kills the opponent, the duel is abandoned without resolution. [FAQ 3.2]
• If this version of Hametsu has ever been in play, any poison token on any player's Personality can be destroyed to perform his printed reaction, regardless of what created that token. [FAQ 3.5; JA, 30 March 2002]

Shosuro Hametsu (Experienced)

• If this version has ever been in play, any Poison token on any player's Personality created by any version of Hametsu can be used for his printed Reaction. [FAQ 3.5; JA, 30 March 2002]

Shosuro Ikawa

• Only affects unplayed cards in the Province, not cards attached to the Province. [16 March 1999]

Shosuro Nishiko (non-Experienced)

• Shuffling her into the deck is an effect of her ability, not a cost. [December 1999]

Shosuro Taberu

• Reads, "Shosuro Taberu 0F/1C -HR 8G 0PH Scorpion Clan Manipulator. Political Reaction: Bow when a holding is bowed by another player in order to gain Honor. You gain the Honor instead." [MRP, Battle of Beiden Pass]

Shotai

• Ability is usable once per battle. [Erratum, DW, email, 17 February 1999]

Soshi Angai

• Reads, "Soshi Angai 2F/5C 2HR 7G 1PH Scorpion Clan Infiltrator. Shugenja. Courtier." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Soshi Bantaro

• Reads, "Soshi Bantaro 1F/3C -HR 5G 0PH Scorpion Clan Shugenja. Reaction: Bow to redirect any spell effect to himself for which he could be a legal target." [MRP, Scorpion Clan Coup]
• May only make himself the new recipient of a token being moved with Sympathetic Energies. [JA, 23 January 2002]

Soshi Eiji

• May target Honor-producing holdings while Deeds, Not Words is in effect. [JA, 12 December 2001]
• May not target dishonored Personalities with a self-destruct ability. [JA, 12 December 2001]
• Bowing is a cost of his ability. [JA, email]
• May target an honor loss that does not normally occur as a cost or effect of the action if (and only if) that loss is unconditional, and the targeted card is still the source of the loss. [JA, email, 7 July 2003, 1 October 2003] E.g.:
  • May target a Sanctified Temple after Deeds, Not Words is played because Deeds, Not Words causes the Temple to produce Honor losses.
  • May target an ability on a card that causes an honor loss due to a trait printed on that card when it bows, if the ability requires bowing as a cost.
  • May not target a Sanctified Temple affected by Bayushi Goshiu (Experienced 2) because Goshiu, not the Temple, is the source of the loss.

Soshi Jomyako

• Honor loss is not a cost of her ability. [Netnews, 7/12/99]
• Is "Scorpion Clan." [JA, 14 February 2001]

Soshi Taoshi

• Cannot be used in conjunction with Mujina Miners on a corrupt mine because you're not bowing the mine to produce gold. [1/10/98]
• Cannot be used on a Holding affected by Bayushi Goshiu (Experienced 2) because Goshiu, not the Holding, causes the loss. [Reversal, December 1999]

Soshi Tishi

• Can only use his ability when a Delayed Terrain is resolved at the end of the Battle Action Segment, not when it is played. [JA, 30 January 2002]

Suana (Experienced)

• His Reaction only applies to the default use of Tactician. [Netnews, October 1999]

Takuan (non-Experienced)

• His bonus is continually recalculated, and only applies during an Attack Phase. [DW, 19 June 1997]

Takuni: see Yoritomo Takuni

Tamori Hiroko

• You may bow her after discarding at the end of your turn to draw a card. You do not need to discard again if you have more than 8 cards in hand. [JA, 12 December 2001]
• Multiples may be used after any discard, including that at the end of the turn. [JA, 12 December 2001]
• May not be use for a card which is played, then discarded according to card text (e.g., Shinsei's Riddle), because the card entered play. [ZF, email, 13 December 2001]

Tamori Shiatung (Experienced)

• Reads, "Tamori Shaitung 3F/5C -HR 9G 2PH Dragon Clan Shugenja. Tamori Family Daimyo. Experienced. Unique. Elemental Reaction: Bow Shaitung to cancel an Elemental action targeting you, your Stronghold, or a card or token you own. Open: Bow Shaitung to bow a Shugenja." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003]

Tamori Shukuen

• Is treated as a Shugenja in all ways while casting a kiho. [JA, 21 August 2002]

Tamori Tsukiro

• Cannot destroy a unit with Followers with a single action, because Ranged Attacks cannot target a Personality with Followers, and all targets are chosen before any attacks resolve because they are simultaneous. [JA, 12 December 2002]

Taquar

• His reaction can only be used once per spell. [DW, email, 19 September 1997]