Isawa Sezaru

Legend of the Five Rings card from Web of Lies, Celestial Edition 15th Anniversary

Card Type

Personality

Force

4

Chi

5

Honor Requirement

-

Gold Cost

10

Personal Honor

3

Clan

Phoenix

Keywords

Unique, Fire, Phoenix Clan, Shugenja, Void

Card Text

Sezaru's Gold Cost will not be reduced.
Before bowing Sezaru to pay the cost of a Spell's action: You may bow that Spell to pay the cost instead.
The top card of all Fate decks is face-up.
Once per turn, you may play the top card of your Fate deck as if it were in your hand.
Battle/Open: Even if Sezaru is bowed: Straighten all your Shugenja.

Legality

Age of Enlightenment (Lotus), Rain of Blood (Diamond)

Deck

Dynasty

Story

2003 World Champion - Bryan Reese

Printings

Rules Q&A

• Q: 2) Let us assume the following situation: I am currently attacking and I have a couple of bowed shujenja in the battle that is currently being resolved. Isawa Sezaru waits patiently at my home to show how broken he is. The way I understand the rules it is perfectly sound to use his ability, correct? What happens now if: a)Sezaru is at home and bowed. Although actions on bowed cards that straighten themselves are legal, can this actually be done (since sezaru is not in the current battle)?
  A: Why would that impact anything? There are two complete separate rules. You need to meet both.
  Is Sezaru's ability going to affect a card in the battle? Yes, it will unbowed Shugenja in that battle. Relevance checks out.
  Is Sezaru's ability going to straighten his card? Yes. Rule about using abilities on bowed cards checks out. Martin Lund, "Rules for 23 January 2005", 25 Jan 2005
• Q: but their title is different, i think its the same situation as Isawa Sezaru and The Mystic... i think... i mean i cannot find a rule about "the growing storm" being "flavor".
  A: Their title is indeed the same, as per the rules on card titles. Ben Higgins, "IvE Clan Champions and Unique Trait.", 12 Dec 2013
• Q: Can, for example, control Yoritomo Hiromi xp and Yoritomo Hiromi xp2 since both have different names?
  Yoritomo Hiromi (Goc)
  Yoritomo Hiromi, the Growing Storm(IvE).
  or do they count as the same "title" for unique rule purposes?
  thank you!
  reply: sorry reply button does not appear no clue why (damn you Cache!)
  but their title is different, i think its the same situation as Isawa Sezaru and The Mystic... i think... i mean i cannot find a rule about "the growing storm" being "flavor".
  thank you again!
  Mod nudge- Please do not edit questions after an answer has been posted. If an official answer sparks another question or need for clarification, please start a new thread. This helps us, and your fellow players keep all the rulings accurate and questioned addressed. Thanks! -Ryushi
  A: No, you cannot control both Yoritomo Hiromi - Experienced and Yoritomo Hiromi - Experienced 2 at the same time.
  The rules for Unique cards will not be changing in Ivory Edition, and remember that the flavor title of "the Growing Storm" does not count for purposes of checking different card titles. Ben Higgins, "IvE Clan Champions and Unique Trait.", 12 Dec 2013
• Q: The wording on this spell I find a little ambiguous:
  "Bow this Shugenja and four others you control, each of whom has an Element Trait that the others do not"
  Does the "each of whom" apply to the four others alone (thus making it possible for Isawa Sezaru or Isawa Kimi who used her reaction to cast or participate in the spell) or does this spell require all five element traits spread among all casters?
  A: Mod reminder: Search before posting, please. Thanks!
  viewtopic.php?t=56958
  viewtopic.php?t=48189
  viewtopic.php?t=48115
  viewtopic.php?t=48099
  viewtopic.php?t=48070
  viewtopic.php?t=48069
  viewtopic.php?t=48051
  viewtopic.php?t=48033 Zen Faulkes, "The End Is Near", 5 Jun 2007
• Q: I have Sezaru in play. Can I play scroll cache from my hand and use that to attach a spell from the top of my deck?
  A: Yes. Zen Faulkes, "Isawa Sezaru and Scroll Cache", 23 Mar 2005
• Q: "Is focusing in a duel with a card playing the card?"
  Can Isawa Sezaru focus the top card of your fate deck in a duel, once per turn, or not?
  "Once per turn, you may play the top card of your Fate deck as if it were in your hand."
  A: Generally, no. Again, there may be specific exceptions based on card text. Zen Faulkes, "Please elaborate on ruling:", 23 Mar 2005
• Q: I was just reading primal rage, the first string of text:
  "When you play this card as a Focus" combined with the logic behind Isawa Sezaru, "Once per turn, you may play the top card of your Fate deck as if it were in your hand."
  Based on the original question posted by someone else "Is focusing in a duel with a card playing the card?"
  Are you not playing the card? You aren't making direct use of an action, but from what Primal rage says, you have the ability (as does any fate card you control) to play a card as a focus. Primal rage doesn't seem to have any specific literation or condition that allows it to be played "as a focus", it is just re-establishing the fact that it can be done. Am I correct or just really, really bored and at work?
  A: For Primal Rage and some other cards like it, yes, due to their specific card text (First Cardinal Rule), but this does not mean that every instance of focusing is "playing a card." Zen Faulkes, "More confusion with dueling and "playing cards"", 23 Mar 2005