Tairao

Legend of the Five Rings card from Ivory Edition, Shattered Empire, Promotional–Ivory

Card Type

Personality

Force

3

Chi

3

Honor Requirement

-

Gold Cost

5

Personal Honor

0

Clan

Spider

Keywords

Shadowlands, Shugenja, Soul of Chuda Rintaro, Spider Clan

Card Text

(Shugenja may attach and cast Spells.)
Open: Target another player's Personality. After each time he assigns this turn, give him -2F/-1C and Shadowlands (this turn).

Legality

A Brother's Destiny (Ivory Edition), A Brother's Destiny (Twenty Festivals), Shattered Empire

MRP

Costs 2 less Gold than Rintaro.

Deck

Dynasty

Printings

Rules Q&A

• Q: If I target my opponent's 1 chi personality with the printed abilities of both Asahina Hirakane and Tairao and he is foolish enough to then attack me, do I then gain 2 honor (assuming he doesn't play uncertainty or a similar effect in the meantime)?
  A: You do not. Assignment is not considered to be during "a battle" - "a battle" is what takes place at a battlefield, and you haven't gotten to that step yet. Jon Palmer, "Asahina Hirakane + Tairao", 4 Jul 2015
• Q: An opponent I was playing earlier was unsure whether Tairao's penalties would apply if his target is then assigned by Goju Kumoru to a battle generated by Kumoru's ability, citing the ruling from Poison Sake:
  I assume that Tairao is different and his penalties will trigger because his ability is only triggered by assignment rather than the controller needing to assign, as is the case with with Poison Sake. Is this correct?
  A: That is correct. Tairao doesn't care about who's assigning the Personality. Jon Palmer, "Goju Kumoru and Tairao", 17 Mar 2015
• Q: While Asako Kaitoko Experienced is in play, is her trait only active while being opposed by a card with one of the named keywords in battle, or does it also restrict targeting in the action phase?
  Example Situation: I have Tairao (A Shadowlands card) in play, and wish to use his Open action on Kaitoko. What happens? A) The action resolves as normal because Tairao is not opposing Kaitoko. B) The action may not target Kaitoko as her trait states "{..}actions from cards in their units may not target Kaitoko."
  Tairao: Open: Target another player's Personality. After each time he assigns this turn, give him -2F/-1C and Shadowlands (this turn).
  Asako Kaitoko Experienced: Personalities with Fallen, Kolat, Ninja, Nonhuman, or Shadowlands opposing Kaitoko have a maximum Force of 3, and actions from cards in their units may not target Kaitoko.
  A: Her trait only affects cards with those keywords that are opposing her. So, no Action Phase protection, since she's not opposing them at that time. Brook Cunningham, "Targetting Asako Kaitoko Exp in the Action Phase", 17 May 2014
• Q: Out of curiosity and of ruling, if I have a Tairao out and I target enemy personality, I ambush, they lose -2f/-1c. But let's say they are able to move out of Ambush, when I decide to attack and they assign will the ability happen again? Another -2f/-1c?
  Thanks in advance
  A: Yes, that is correct. Tairao specifies that his penalty is applied every time the Personality assigns that turn. Jon Palmer, "Tairao's Ability", 5 Mar 2014
• Q: [ShE] Tairao and similar abilities: If a personality can not gain shadowlands do they still gain -2F/-1C (or whatever else is to be given along with the shadowlands trait) or is it treated as a single effect that is then negated?
  A: Separate effects; they still get the penalties. Brook Cunningham, "Sun and Moon #rules-questions", 7 Jan 2026
• Q: Okay, so Tairao works as a special exception since he specifically calls them out
  A: Not exactly; the Rule of Location that prevents targeting cards not at the battlefield only applies to cards in units. And as for the Bo, only cards in units can ever be "enemy" cards. Brook Cunningham, "Onyx Lives #rules-questions", 20 Dec 2023