Isawa's Helm

Legend of the Five Rings card from Scorpion Clan Coup 3

Card Type

Item

Force

+0

Chi

+0

Gold Cost

5

Card Text

Reaction: Any number of times per turn, but only once per action, after an action targets this unit, bow your performing Shugenja: Negate its effects.

Focus Value

2

Legality

Clan Wars (Imperial)

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rules Q&A

• Q: Can I bow A shugenja to cancel a range strike targeting a Follower in a unit that has an Isawa's Helm? What about Yakamo destroying an Item?
  A: No. Isawa's Helm bows to, "cancel any action targeting this unit."
  This will only cancel actions that say they target the unit, or say they target the Personality leading the unit.
  "An effect that targets the unit also targets the Personality leading it, and vice-versa." (Diamond Edition Rulebook, page 73, last line in italics) Martin Lund, "Rules for 25 April 2004", 28 Apr 2004
• Q: Flee the Darkness, Isawa's Helm, Asako Towers and other such cards can be used by / bow cards outside the battle in order to cancel an action taken at the battle?
  A: Correct. Jeff Alexander, "post for 17 September 2002", 19 Sep 2002
• Q: A Tested personality cannot be targeted by its controller with any actions, even actions controlled by your opponents.
  To be sure, then: KK Journal, the results of A Test of Courage, and Isawa's Helm will now all definately protect (in their own ways) against Stand Against the Waves?
  A: Yes, but the only one of those that's new in Gold is Test of Courage. Also note that all this stuff about protection from Stand due to targeting goes out the window if he has more personalities with followers than you do personalities in your army. In that case, Stand is *not* targeted, and all of your guys (even those with targeting protection) without followers are bowed. Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for July 25th", 25 Jul 2001
• Q: Or because Poison Dartgun is for Ninja only? Okay I get it now. Thanks Also, @Brook Cunningham by any chance did you have the time to check in on the 12th Black Scroll + Isawa's Helm clarification? Appreciate it
  A: Ah, yeah, I did, and it's a bit tricky and sticky. It seems from the research I've done lately that the Oracle Text may be wrong, and the 12th Black Scroll should in fact target. Unfortunately, it's been sitting there in the Oracle with its current, non-targeting text for over 10 years, and there was an official Ruling made in the Rules Forum based on that not-targeting Oracle text back in 2014. So, I've been reluctant to just flip all of that on its head in a singular fell swoop. Brook Cunningham, "Sun and Moon #rules-questions", 12 Apr 2025