Hantei Sensei

Legend of the Five Rings card from Fire & Shadow

Card Type

Sensei

Province Strength

+0

Gold Production

+0

Starting Family Honor

+0

Keywords

All Clans

Card Text

Limited: Once per game, target another player. You, then the other player, each name a non-Ring Fate card. Until the game ends, that player may not play any copy of the card you named, and you may not play any copy of the card that player named.

Focus Value

2

Legality

Hidden Emperor (Jade)

Deck

Pre-Game

Printings

Rulings

• Treat "use" as "play." Its ability does not affect cards already in play. [DW] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 140
• Its effect continues if a copy leaves play. [ZF, May 2000] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 140
• Cards "nullified" by Hantei Sensei may be played if its effect is suppressed (e.g., Amnesia, Forgotten Lesson). [ZF, May 2000] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 140

Rules Q&A

• Q: Suppose my opponent uses the Hantei Sensei and names my Celestial Sword of the Mantis.
  Later in the game I pull Forgotten Lesson and I make his Sensei not effect play until the end of my turn. I go ahead and attach my Celestial Sword of the Mantis.
  What happens to my sword when Forgotten Lesson wear's off?
  A: Nothing. Hantei Sensei only prevents playing the card. Jeff Alexander, "post for 29 April 2002", 30 Apr 2002
• Q: Suppose my opponent uses the Hantei Sensei and names my Celestial Sword of the Mantis. Later in the game I pull Forgotten Lesson and I make his Sensei not effect play until the end of my turn. I go ahead and attach my Celestial Sword of the Mantis. What happens to my sword when Forgotten Lesson wear's off?
  A: That's a "Triple A" question: "Asked. Answered. Archived."
  Under Hantei Sensei: "Its ability does not affect cards already in play. [DW]" Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 28 April 2002", 28 Apr 2002
• Q: In a message dated 2/26/01 6:49:11 PM Eastern Standard Time, writes:
  What happens if Hantei Sensei is used on a terrain that has previously been placed under an Armor of Sun Tao, as the terrain isn't exactly 'in play' but it isn't 'not in play'?
  I'd appreciate an answer as this has been bugging me for a while.
  Armor: "Battle: Play a Terrain..."
  I would say the card is not in play (hantei wins).
  Hantei does win in this situation. Cards under the armor dont actually enter play until they are played as a terrain card.
  A: Correct. Jeff Alexander, "Rulings for late February 2001", 10 Mar 2001
• Q: Also will playing Amnesia on a already used Hantei Sensei let you use the cards that the other player named.
  A: Yes. It will also let that player use cards that you named. Jeff Alexander, "Rulings for 20-21 February 2001", 24 Feb 2001
• Q: Tom O'Brien writes: Hello everyone. Some people I know decided that they wanted to use Hantei Sensei to Hantei a Sensei already in play. Is this legal?
  It's legal in that one can name a Sensei, but it won't do much in most games - basically, it would prevent a player from playing a new copy of the same Sensei (through the Temple of the Crow, or A New Teacher).
  Basically, it won't work. But it's legal. :)
  A: Correct. Sorry I missed this question the first time around. Jeff Alexander, "Rulings for 23 January 2001", 25 Jan 2001
• Q: I think I already know the answer to this but I want to double check. If I start with Hantei Sensei and then, later in the game after gaining some honor, bow my Stronghold to switch to Shoju Sensei, is my honor reduced by 2?
  A: No. Once a game has begun, changes to starting Family Honor do not affect current Family Honor. Jeff Alexander, "Rulings for 21 January 2001", 25 Jan 2001
• Q: In a previous Hantei Sensei ruling viewtopic.php?f=59&t=78464&p=1033985 Alex mentioned that:
  "Hantei Sensei creates an ongoing effect: The target player cannot announce actions that put the card into play or that use any ability on the card (or do anything else with it except use it for its focus value)."
  Which makes sense to me, matching the original card intent. However the Oracle text says:
  "Limited: Once per game, target another player: You, then the other player, each name a non-Ring Fate card. Until the game ends, that player may not play any copy of the card you named, and you may not play any copy of the card that player named."
  My question is, how does that interact with Fate cards that have already been put into play (Rings, Senseis, Followers, Spells, etc.)? The EE rules glossary definition of "play" does not help.
  A: Hantei Sensei's current Oracle wording, coupled with the EE definition of "play", is completely accurate.
  Hantei Sensei does not affect the abilties of any cards already in play. This was not its original intent, either. A contemporary ruling clarified the matter, that "use" should be read as "play". As of the latest site upgrade however, the ancient Rules Archive is 404 gone, so you'll have to trust me on that.
  While Alex's answer to the question posed in your link is correct, his accompanying statement of "The target player cannot... use any ability on the card" is incorrect, except in the case of Strategies in hand. Brook Cunningham, "Hantei Sensei and the definition of "play a card"", 18 Sep 2012
• 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