Blade of Penance

Legend of the Five Rings card from Reign of Blood

Card Type

Item

Force

+0

Chi

+1

Gold Cost

2

Keywords

Weapon, Shamesword

Card Text

After this card attaches: Dishonor this Personality.
After this Personality wins a duel, if he has no Followers: Gain 4 Honor.

Focus Value

3

Legality

Rain of Blood (Diamond)

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rules Q&A

• Q: This has sort of been bothering me for some time now. I was wondering, when does Mirumotot Gukochi's reaction trigger. Is it after the duel is over, or does it trigger at the same time as say the trait on Blade of Penance.
  A: Same trigger as Blade of Penance - after you determine that he's the winner by comparing stat-totals - though Gukochi says, "after" and Blade of Penance says, "when." Martin Lund, "Rules for 29 January 2005", 4 Feb 2005
• Q: The original question was if a person would gain honor off of winning a Storm Heart and he has Blade of Penance attached, does the active player get to choose the order of 'winner becoming dishonored' and 'the honor gain from BoP'?
  A: The effects are NOT simultaneous.
  Winning happens when values are compared - just like winning a Battle. Reactions / triggers for winning happen. That's when Blade of Penance steps in. Once you finish with all that, move on to the next sequential effect of the duel-creating card (destroying the loser, dishonoring the winner) - just like Destroying cards in a losing Army happens AFTER Yu triggers for losing a Battle. Martin Lund, "Rules for 7 September 2004", 10 Sep 2004
• Q: I heard that there was a ruling at one of the kotei that the blade of penance worked during an iaijutsu lesson.
  A: Iaijutsu Lesson says, "The two Personalities' Items give no bonuses or penalties and produce no effects during this challenge and duel."
  Winning the duel happens during the duel, so the Blade of Penance can't produce effects if it is attached to the duelist when he wins. Martin Lund, "Rules for 7 September 2004", 10 Sep 2004
• Q: If an Honorable personality with Blade of Penance attached wins the duel from Storm Heart against a non-SL personality, does the active player get to decide the order of the 4 honor gain from BoP and the dishonoring from SH?
  A: They are not simultaneous, so there is no choice in the matter.
  When you compare Chi Totals, someone wins and someone loses. Take any Reactions or triggers to winning / losing (including that of Blade of Penance). Once those are done, go on to the effects of the duel's resolution itself.
  This is analogous to Battle Resolution. First you determine who wins or loses, then you React to victory / defeat, and then finally you resolve the battle by destroying the losing (or tied) army (or armies).
  So gain 4 Honor, then Dishonor the winner if the other guy was not Shadowlands. Martin Lund, "Rules for 5 and 6 September 2004", 8 Sep 2004
• Q: Assume the same situation, only a Blade of Penance is attached and Kurohito was honorable when the duel was initiated. What are the results of that outcome?
  A: First, I'm going to assuming the Omoidasu was not attached (thereby preventing the Blade from doing anything).
  Secondly, I'm going to assume that Kurohito has already been restored to honor from the dishonor caused by Blade of Penance, as he can't possibly win a duel from Storm Heart as far as I can see with 0 PH.
  The Blade would likewise produce 4 honor before Storm Heart dishonored Kurohito. Martin Lund, "Rules for 11 April 2004", 13 Apr 2004
• Q: I. Chal. and Blade of Penance? Which honor gain resolves first that rehonors the peep?
  The Blade. Outside effects and reactions triggered by winning or losing a duel occur before the results of the duel itself.
  Dosen't this seem counter intutitive?
  A: Nothing ever SEEMS counterintuitive... (Sorry. Got overly technical there.) Jeff Alexander, "rules for 20 Feb. 2004", 21 Feb 2004
• Q: I. Chal. and Blade of Penance? Which honor gain resolves first that rehonors the peep?
  A: The Blade. Outside effects and reactions triggered by winning or losing a duel occur before the results of the duel itself. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 17 Feb. 2004", 19 Feb 2004
• Q: Does the personality become honorable instead of gaining the 4 honor from the blade after the first duel he wins or does the blade allow you to gain honor after winning a duel with a dishonored personality?
  A: The former. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 18 December 2003", 18 Dec 2003
• Q: I put a Blade of Penance on Hiruma Ashihei, he cancels being dishonored. So which is correct: #1 He never be able to attach Blade of Penance OR #2 He attaches the Blade of Penance, his trait cancels him being dishonored, he goes on to have a glorious career making 4 honor per duel won.
  A: Blade of Penance may be attached, and because the dishonoring effect of Blade of Penance is not an action, Ashihei's trait does not protect him. This is a tentative ruling and may reverse. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 14 December 2003, Part 2", 15 Dec 2003
• Q: My dishonorable Personality is equipped with (only) a Blade of Penance, and wins a duel. I think the rule on rehonoring does not apply (because traits are not performed), so the personality will stay dishonorable and I will gain 4 honor. Am I right?
  Blade of Penance After this Personality wins a duel, if he has no Followers: Gain 4 Honor.
  Rules on rehonoring Before a player gains one or more points of Honor from an action or trait that targeted, came from, or was performed by one or more of his or her dishonorable Personalities, if rehonoring the Personalities is not one of that action or trait’s effects, the dishonorable Personalities' rehonoring is substituted for the Honor gain
  A: You are correct. Brook Cunningham, "Will Blade of Penance rehonor its bearer?", 9 Jul 2012
• Q: I attach Blade of Penance to Magical Samurai. I then move Blade of Penance to Ninja Dueler. Who needs to win a duel to trigger the extra 4 honor gain from Blade of Penance. The personality it is currently attached to, or the personality who attached it originally?
  A: The Personality who has it currently. Brook Cunningham, "Blade of Penance", 29 Dec 2008
• Q: Blade of Penance Weapon. Shamesword. Dishonor this Personality when Blade of Penance enters play. Gain 4 Honor each time this Personality wins a duel while he has no Followers attached.
  A: Blade of Penance's two traits are essentially triggered traits, written before the convention of having a colon within them was adopted.
  But, even if you read them by the strict letter of the current rules, that would make them continuous traits that produce indefinite conditional effects. In that case, the rules for what "this" refers to still wouldn't have the Blade look back to its original owner, because the indefinite effect is new and would look at the Blade's current owner. Brook Cunningham, "Blade of Penance", 29 Dec 2008
• Q: [OBH]
  Hello.
  My courtier equipped with a blade of penance duels and wins against a dishonored personality.
  Do I gain the 4 honor and then dishonor my courtier? Or do I become dishonored and immediatly become re-honored?
  Or is this a matter of I get to choose because of it happens simultaneously?
  A: I feel like some information may be missing from this question?
  Why does it matter that the opposing Personality is dishonorable?
  Why would your Personality dishonor during the duel?
  You get to choose the order as the active player, as the triggered trait of the Blade and the consequences of the duel from the action's own effects all have the same timing. Brook Cunningham, "Sun and Moon #rules-questions", 5 Jul 2026
• Q: If I name 'Blade of Penance' with Hantei Sensei, can my opponent attach it from the discard pile with 'Govern the Land'?
  A: No. Note that the Oracle wording of Hantei Sensei more clearly defines "use" the card as "play" the card, and the definition of "Play" is this: "As a verb, “play” can refer to: putting into play a card type that normally enters play; using a Strategy card by putting it into the resolution area; bringing a Ring into play; or using an ability on a Ring that is out of play." Brook Cunningham, "Sun and Moon #rules-questions", 25 Jun 2024