Geisha Assassin

Legend of the Five Rings card from Lotus Edition, Imperial Edition, Emerald Edition, Obsidian Edition, Jade Edition, Diamond Edition, Gold Edition, Pearl Edition, Celestial Edition 15th Anniversary

Card Type

Strategy

Gold Cost

*

Keywords

Assassin, Geisha

Card Text

Limited: Target another player's Personality: Create a Geisha Personality with a Chi equal to half the Gold spent on this action, rounded down, who duels the target. You may not focus in this duel. Remove the Geisha from the game after the duel ends. Destroy the duel's loser.

Focus Value

4

Legality

Age of Enlightenment (Lotus), Clan Wars (Imperial), Four Winds (Gold), Hidden Emperor (Jade), Rain of Blood (Diamond)

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rulings

• If 0-1G is spent, the 0 Chi Personality dies and the duel is aborted without resolution. [DW, 18 April 1998] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 19
• If there is no challenge, the created Personality is immediately removed from the game. [ZF, web, 6 December 2005] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 19
• Can be affected like a true Personality by effects that involve duels, such as Togashi Yoshi, Poisoned Weapon, and various kiho. [DW, email, 9/8/97] Accumulated Rulings, February 8, 2000, p. 28

Rules Q&A

• Q: I would have thought that both Fury of Hida and Geisha Assassin indicate an additional effect on the cards that you created rather than a duration because there different wording for a card that does create followers with an explicit duration - Yoritomo Utaemon.
  A: You are correct. Utemaro's ability has a Duration. Fury of Hida has an "additional effect." There was some miscommunication on this issue. Sorry for the confusion. Martin Lund, "Rules for 23 December 2004", 30 Dec 2004
• Q: Would the Personality created by a Geisha Assassin be subject to this Reaction?
  A: Geisha Assassin does not create a Personality until the Resolution of its effect. If you were to use Tsuyoshi's Reaction in response to being targeted by Geisha Assassin, the Personality would not be created yet.
  That probably won't happen, though, considered a method for playing Geisha Assassin during a Battle is rather suspect. Martin Lund, "Rules for 5 December 2004", 9 Dec 2004
• Q: I am forwarding a question from one of my players.
  Hey Rusty. Could you ask Jeff Alexander for a ruling on this?
  If I pay the gold cost for a Geisha Assassin with an Honoured Sensei, do I get 2 gold or 3 gold and an honour from the holding?
  -Thomas
  A: Honored Sensei produces 2 gold for Geisha Assassin, since it is an Action. One of its effects may be creating a Personality, but Honored Sensei doesn't say it produces extra gold for actions that create a Personality, on the Personality themselves.
  It is the same long-standing ruling that kept Bushi Dojo from providing any gold to activate the Action on Farmlands until Bushi Dojo was reprinted with new text to address it. If it says "for X" but not "for an Action that produces X" you can't use it to pay for an Action that produces X. Martin Lund, "Rules for 29 March 2004", 31 Mar 2004
• Q: The only stat a Geisha Assassin has is Chi, correct?
  A: Incorrect. The Geisha Assassin has all stats a personality normally has, including Force, Personal Honor, gold cost, and honor requirement. All stats for which a value is not given, however, are assigned a value of zero. Vaughn Derderian, "Post for July 15th, 2003", 15 Jul 2003
• Q: Will a personality targeted by Geisha Assassin get the 2 Chi bonus from the Dotanuki he is wearing?
  A: Absolutely. That is, as long as their Force is greater than zero (not a guaranteed thing). Vaughn Derderian, "Post for July 15th, 2003", 15 Jul 2003
• Q: Can you change a Chi duel with a Geisha Assassin to one of Personal Honor since the stat is unknown?
  A: The value of the stat is *not* unknown - it's simply unspecified. The Gold rulebook, pg. 32, tells us how to deal with this situation - you assign the stat a value of 0. So, the answer is yes. Vaughn Derderian, "Post for July 15th, 2003", 15 Jul 2003
• Q: If both Song of Corruption and Pulse of the Black River have resolved, when I duel some one with a Geisha Assassin can I give the Geisha Assassin the Shadowlands trait?
  A: Yes. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 1 July 2003", 2 Jul 2003
• Q: If so would the Geisha Assassin gain plus 1 Chi and if I lose the duel will my opponent gain the Shadowlands trait?
  A: Yes. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 1 July 2003", 2 Jul 2003
• Q: May I pay 0 gold for a Geisha Assassin and issue a challenge to another personality or would the geisha "die" because her 0 chi?
  A: The Personality created by doing that would have 0 Chi unless immediately boosted by something like a Fortress of the Dragonfly. At 0 Chi, the Personality dies immediately and the duel is ended without resolution and with no winner or loser. Jeff Alexander, "post for 3 March 2003", 4 Mar 2003
• Q: In a message dated 11/27/02 11:53:41 AM Pacific Standard Time, writes:
  In Time of War has resolved and in one of the following turns player A gets a Boastfull Proclamation. Player B cannot destroy the province, so next turn Player A gains three Honor. Can player A choose to gain the honor before In Time of War checks his Family Honor, thus gaining eight that turn?
  He can't choose to -- it happens that way regardless. It's analogous to the Geisha Assassin/Fortress of the Dragonfly combo.
  Does this mean that if " In time of war " has resolved, that it is still possible to gain more than 5 honor per turn? Do events resolve before " In time of War " checks honor every turn? Where is this in the rulebook?
  A: It's not in the rulebook. An Event isn't resolving before a turn starts.
  Boastful Proclaimation causes an honor gain at the start of that player's NEXT turn. In Time of War check each player's Family Honor at the start of every turn. The original question was: which happens first?
  We already have a ruling that when a card enters play, it receives all continual bonuses to cards in play before anything checks its stats. For example, if I have a Fortress of the Dragonfly in play already, and I buy Toku, there is no moment in time when Toku is in play but not 2 Chi yet. He's either still in my Province at 1 Chi or he's in play at 2.
  Likewise, if something gives you 3 Honor at the start of your turn, it would only be consistant to rule that there is no moment of time, not even a tiny one, where your turn has begun but you haven't gotten that 3 Honor yet. Thus that gain will always sneak in before In Time of War makes its check of your Family Honor, adds 5, and sets its cap. Jeff Alexander, "post for 27 November 2002", 28 Nov 2002
• Q: What is the Chi of the Geisha Assassin before I pay for her or before the duel begins?
  A: Before you pay for her, she doesn't exist. What is the sound of one hand clapping?
  "During the challenge and duel", her Chi is half the gold cost you paid for the card, rounded down. That would cover the time immediately before the duel begins. Jeff Alexander, "post for 25 November 2002", 26 Nov 2002
• Q: I've got a big, fat, happy stack of Fall of Otosan Uchi cards sitting on my desk right now, so I suppose I can go ahead and start answering all these questions I've been holding onto...
  Here is mine. I play with Kyuden Doji and have Fortress of Dragonfly out, can I play Geisha Assassin for 0 gold to have a 1C personality challenge another personality, or does she die before the Fortress's bous apply to her?
  A: She gets the +1C before she dies. Jeff Alexander, "post for 22 November 2002", 23 Nov 2002
• Q: And just to check, if I switch her for another personality in a duel, that other personality can focus as Geisha Assassin reads that she can't.
  A: Yes, if you swap someone else in, the prohibition against the geisha focusing does not affect the new duelist. Jeff Alexander, "post for 22 November 2002", 23 Nov 2002
• Q: Geisha Assassin, creates a personality for the duration of the duel. Does she enter play before the challenge is issued or after it is issued?
  If she enters play after the challenge is issued, is she then considered to have had 0 chi before the duel begins, thus if she wins enables you to play ring of fire?
  A: She counts as a Personality "during the challenge and duel". She is not a Personality before the challenge. The Ring of Fire can't be played. Jeff Alexander, "post for 3 September 2002", 4 Sep 2002
• Q: My first question is, what happens when Judgment of Toshiken is played during a duel created by a Geisha Assassin? I'm guessing that the Geisha's Chi stays at the initial amount, and the person targetted gets to Focus again. Is that correct?
  A: Correct. (Well, they'd both get to focus again, but the Assassin can't.) Jeff Alexander, "post for 22 August 2002", 23 Aug 2002
• Q: Can you play Face Me as a reaction to your opponent playing Geisha Assassin?
  A: Yes. Jeff Alexander, "post for 22 May 2002", 23 May 2002
• Q: Can you play Face Me as a reaction to your opponent playing Geisha Assassin?
  A: Yes. Jeff Alexander, "post for 21 May 2002", 22 May 2002
• Q: Since Face Me states that it targets both duelists, and not necessarily personalities, I would think that you could, but then the question of the PH of a Geisha Assassin comes up.
  A: It's 0, which is bad news for the would-be assassin. Jeff Alexander, "post for 21 May 2002", 22 May 2002
• Q: Can you play Face Me as a reaction to your opponent playing Geisha Assassin?
  A: Sure. Why not? Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 18 May 2002", 18 May 2002
• Q: the question of the PH of a Geisha Assassin comes up.
  A: See rulebook, p. 32, in italics. 0. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 18 May 2002", 18 May 2002
• Q: Actually, more of a clarification. Does Face Me! trump Geisha Assassin? I'm presuming yes, since the Assassin has no Personal Honor value, and therefore is considered to have 0 PH by default.
  A: Face Me! would cause the Geisha Assassin Personality to die instantly. Jeff Alexander, "post for 8 April 2002", 9 Apr 2002
• Q: Does Geisha Assassin temporarily create a personality that you control? If so, it's presumably Human (since no trait makes it Nonhuman). Would it then gain the benefit of any Fortress of the Dragonfly or Ki-Rin's Shrine (exp.) you have in play?
  A: Yes, yes, yes. Jeff Alexander, "post for 1 March 2002", 2 Mar 2002
• Q: Just making sure I have the logic right here. Do dragonfly forts boost a geisha assassin? I think yes, but thought I would ask to be sure.
  Yes, because she counts as a Personality while in play.
  Does this mean that a 0-1 gold Geisha Assassin won't die immediately?
  A: Correct. She won't. Jeff Alexander, "post for 17 October 2001", 17 Oct 2001
• Q: Just making sure I have the logic right here. Do dragonfly forts boost a geisha assassin? I think yes, but thought I would ask to be sure.
  A: Yes, because she counts as a Personality while in play. Jeff Alexander, "post for 15 October 2001", 16 Oct 2001
• Q: Related question:
  We were playing this weekend and the Spirit player brought out Hantie XVI when I (the mighty Crab) was at 38 honor. I didn't wish to lose 20 honor as it might have allowed the crane player to catch me. Instead I used a Geisha Assassin to off the Hantei. Afterwards the spirit player complained that this was illegal. I see no rule to prohibit it. Is that a legal play?
  A: Yup. Killing Hantei is a perfectly legal way to shut off his honor victory prohibition. Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for November 27th", 27 Nov 2000
• Q: No rush, just a gentle reminder since Palmer answered my most recent question but not the previous ones, which I imagine just got buried under the IvE questions.
  With the "everything is an action" paradigm, does March of the Alliance restrict things such as Recruiting (with or without Proclaiming), the rulebook Cycle, discarding face-up Dynasty cards EOT (if this is an action too?), ...? viewtopic.php?f=59&t=107147
  and
  If you play Geisha Assassin on an opponent's personality and lose the duel, can you react with Martyr? viewtopic.php?f=59&t=107166
  A: Answered. Sorry we missed those. Jon Palmer, "Pending questions", 21 Mar 2014
• Q: Does it still work? If you play Geisha Assassin on an opponent's personality and lose the duel, can you react with Martyr?
  A: Nope.
  If you look at the current wording of Martyr, the opponent's Personality did not beat yours at Resolution, perform the action that destroyed yours, or create the effect that destroyed yours. So Martyr does not have a legal target. Jon Palmer, "Geisha Assassin and Martyr", 21 Mar 2014
• Q: How does this card work now as it dosn't specify an outcome of the duel and the new rules from Truest Test say that duel's no longer destroy the loser as standard.
  A: Please read the sticky. Zen Faulkes, "Geisha Assassin and Truest Test", 6 Jun 2007
• Q: Can you play Geisha Assassin while you have a Chitik in play?
  A: You can play it (i.e., legal to announce, pick targets, pay costs), but it won't do much, because the Personality creation is negated. Zen Faulkes, "Chitik + Geisha Assassin", 8 May 2006
• Q: I didn't mean using the Bear Returns with Geisha's duel. I meant playing Geisha Assassin AFTER the Bear Returns has been resolved. Playing the card would be legal, but it just wouldn't create the duel.
  A: If there is no challenge, the created Personality is immediately removed from the game. That's going into the Rules Archive as soon as possible. Zen Faulkes, "Geisha Assassin + The Bear Returns Part 785,498", 6 Dec 2005
• Q: [Jade]] olaying a Geisha Assassin for zero allows me to play Martyr?
  A: No. For Martyr, if the dying Personality did not die in a battle, then you must target the card that destroyed them. The Rulebook destroys Personalities for having 0C, so you have no card to target and can't play it. Brook Cunningham, "Sun and Moon #rules-questions", 20 Sep 2026
• Q: [Imperial] As per the Accumulated Rulings on Geisha Assassin being 'affected like a true personality', can I react with Martyr when the Assassin dies in the duel?
  A: Yes, you can. Just because she's RFG/gone doesn't mean she wasn't "your Personality" when she died from the duel. But... um, yeah, saaam is right. Your card that created the duel killed her if she lost. 😛 Brook Cunningham, "Sun and Moon #rules-questions", 17 Apr 2025
• Q: No sorry I meant instigator for 4 gold is really efficent and poisoned weapon can auto kill a 3 chi or less. My buddy used to use it all the time Haha Oh Haha I was confusing geisha assassin with kolat assassin! That's potentially very gold efficient as well
  A: Of course, neither the Instigator nor either Assassin action can target the guy with the Journal. Duplicate is a nice choice to counter it, apart from 1. it's an Event, so unreliable, 2. the fact the Journal might come back any time, and 3. boosting the heck out of the other guy's economy, especially having to hit a Naga Warlord out of Heart of the Shinomen; suddenly up to 6 Personalities in the deck are free (4 non-Uniques and the 2 Exp versions). Brook Cunningham, "Oracle of the Void #rules", 7 Mar 2021