Hida Technique

Legend of the Five Rings card from Hidden Emperor 5

Card Type

Strategy

Gold Cost

1

Card Text

Battle: Target your unbowed Personality: For the purpose of choosing performers, targeting, and resolving effects, cards in his unit are considered to be in a defending army even if they are in an attacking army and, if you are a Crab Clan player, permanently give the target +1F.

Focus Value

3

Legality

Hidden Emperor (Jade)

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rulings

• Applies to traits as well, such as Hida Tampako's and the Crab Armor's. [card text] Accumulated Rulings, February 8, 2000, p. 30
• Does not combo with The Citadel of the Hiruma. It only works with card effects, and Strongholds are not cards. [card text/rulebook] Accumulated Rulings, February 8, 2000, p. 30

Rules Q&A

• Q: It was probably asked a long time ago when the cards first showed up, but if I target Silence with the Hida Technique, does he permanently gain +2 force? And if he has Kaimetsu-Uo's Ono attached, is it then +3 permanently? I think the answer is fairly obvious, but I just want to double check.
  A: Yes and yes. Jeff Alexander, "post for 28 January 2002", 29 Jan 2002
• Q: It's seems Hataki exp is very popular these days, what with his infinite combo's. But let me point out on big flaw is the fact that you have to be on defense to use it. Now if you could some how use his ability while attacking then he would be broken...
  Wait a minute, isn't there an open card that lets you be considered defending while you attack. Well looky here:
  Hida Technique Text Battle: Target one of your units in this battle. Cards in this unit can be targeted and affected by cards as if they were defending even if they are in the attacking army. If you are a Crab player, this Personality gains +1F, permanently.
  With this you can not only shot everyone in the battle, but when the battles over move Hataki to the next province and take that one too. Blam, Hataki taking over the empire.
  A: Hataki's ability isn't usable while he's defending, it's usable while YOU are the Defender. Hida Technique does not combo with him. Jeff Alexander, "post for 24 January 2002", 24 Jan 2002
• Q: Hida Technique: Battle: Target one of your units in this battle. Cards in this unit can be targeted and affected by cards as if they were defending even if they are in the attacking army. If you are a Crab player, this Personality gains +1F, permanently.
  Matsu Turi (exp): 4F 4C 0H 9G 2PH Lion Clan Magistrate. Samurai. Experienced. Unique. Battle: Straighten (if necessary) and move Turi into the battle being resolved if you are the Defender.
  Hida Technique doesn't give a time limit, so it presumably lasts until the end of the turn.
  A: It does. Jeff Alexander, "Rulings for 17 March 2001", 24 Mar 2001
• Q: Can I assign Matsu Turi to attack a province, resolve his battle first, play Hida Technique on him (and probably Charge, unless he's got a suitable weapon), and in each other battle, when he's returned to my fief after the previous battle, use his ability to bow him and assign him to the current battle?
  A: No. Hida Technique's effect only applies while the Personality is in an attacking army. Turi's not in one if he's in your fief. Jeff Alexander, "Rulings for 17 March 2001", 24 Mar 2001
• Q: The only problem I can see is that Hida Technique says "as if they were defending", whereas Matsu Turi says "if you are the Defender". Are these conditions equivalent?
  A: They're not, which is another problem with the combo. Jeff Alexander, "Rulings for 17 March 2001", 24 Mar 2001
• Q: Having Hida Technique would have been particularly nice with the new ruling that simply having ANY trait at all qualifies as being affected by the trait. Which reminds me: Can you Way of Shadow your own ninja simply for being a ninja? ;)
  A: No. The Ninja trait is not an action targeting one of your Ninja cards.
  :) Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for November 18th", 18 Nov 2000