Keen Eye

Legend of the Five Rings card from The Fall of Otosan Uchi

Card Type

Strategy

Gold Cost

0

Card Text

Reaction: Before another player's Reaction taken during a challenge or duel involving one of your Personalities resolves: Negate the Reaction's effects. Draw a card.

Focus Value

3

Legality

Four Winds (Gold), Rain of Blood (Diamond)

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rules Q&A

• Q: Sekawas action ist before the duel and not after entering it, right? So Keen Eye won?t work with this ability if I am correct.
  A: He happens before the Personality "is challenged to a duel," which is before Keen Eye is a legal play. Martin Lund, "Rules for 24 January 2005", 31 Jan 2005
• Q: A duel is underway between one of my personalities and one of my opponent's personalities. It's my turn to focus or strike, I play The Shadow's Claw. My opponent reacts with Keen Eye (and I don't have a counter to it). What happens next - do I still get a chance to focus normally (or strike), because Shadow's Claw was 'before' my personality focused, or is it my opponent's turn to focus or strike? (I think the former, my opponent today thought the latter.) Thanks!
  A: Shadow's Claw is played "instead of focusing," by the Errata (Accumulated Rulings, "The Shadow's Claw) Further, it still counts as being played, even if its effects are Negated. You no longer have an opportunity to Focus or Strike. Martin Lund, "Rules for 14 January 2005", 19 Jan 2005
• Q: Do I have to pick which card I want to get from my discard pile before I discard a card with Musume Mura?
  A: Yes. Targeting comes well before you discard anything. Martin Lund, "Rules for 22 November 2004", 24 Nov 2004
• Q: If I cancel my opponent's Smoke and Mirrors with a Keen Eye, does he get the opportunity to focus or strike again??
  A: No. He still used his opportunity by playing Smoke and Mirrors. Keen Eye - negates the effects - of Smoke and Mirrors. That does not mean the play wasn't made. (Diamond Edition Rulebook, Page 72) Martin Lund, "Rules for 22 November 2004", 24 Nov 2004
• Q: P.S. Can we get a "Focus on..." section in the FAQ for Keen Eye?? My local playgroup keeps asking me questions about how it interacts with different cards and I'm never certain when it works. Although there have been many questions/discussions about Keen Eye on this list, there are no entries about it in the Accumulated Rulings or in the FAQ.
  A: That's because the Accumulated Rulings do not traditionally hold anything found in the Diamond Edition Rulebook. Almost every question related to Keen Eye is one that is answered by the printed rules (typically page 72), or has to do with a problem related to the card Keen Eye is played against, not Keen Eye itself.
  Keen Eye itself is very simple - It Negates the effects of another Player's Reaction and you draw a card. You can only play it during a Challenge or Duel involving one of your Personalities.
  Now, the FAQ - that's probably the best place to put such issues. That's Jeff's domain, and I would recommend sending a request directly to him. Martin Lund, "Rules for 22 November 2004", 24 Nov 2004
• Q: I was just wondering about the interaction between these two cards.
  Namely whether or not Keen Eye will cancel Same Old Tricks if the second or subsequent action being cancelled is one which would issue a challenge.
  I suspect that as the action has not yet issued a challenge Keen Eye cannot be used, but I would appreciate clarification on this point.
  A: Same Old Tricks is played before any effects of the Action in question are resolved, hence the Action being canceled can't have possibly created a Challenge yet, so there is no opportunity to play Keen Eye. Martin Lund, "Rules for 20 October 2004", 24 Oct 2004
• Q: Can Keen Eye stop A Time is Not Right? I ruled that Keen Eye could not stop Time is Not Right because Time is Not Right is triggered by the targeting step of the action not the effects of the action.
  A: You ruled correctly. There is no Challenge until effects resolve, which is long after the Targeting Step. Martin Lund, "Rules for 29 September 2004", 4 Oct 2004
• Q: Does Keen Eye stop Dismissed?
  A: Only if you use the ability on Dismissed that Negates a Challenge. Keen Eye can stop that, but not the ability on Dismissed that Cancels a Political Limited action like say, Storm Heart. Martin Lund, "Rules for 29 September 2004", 4 Oct 2004
• Q: Keen Eye vs Smoke and Mirrors: If your Smoke and Mirrors has Keen Eye played on it you still play/discard Smoke and Mirrors and it prodoces no effects correct?
  A: Well, you play Smoke and Mirrors instead of Focusing. Then immediately before it produces effects, you use Keen Eye to Negate all its effects. It was still played, and takes your opportunity to Focus or Strike, but it produces no effects. Martin Lund, "Rules for 29 September 2004", 4 Oct 2004
• Q: Can Keen Eye cancel a Dismissed or a Time is not Right ?
  A: You can definitely stop Dismissed. The challenge is issued, and then the Dismissed is played to Negate it, so you're in the timing window provided for by Keen Eye (during a challenge or duel).
  You won't have much luck with The Time is Not Right, however. Typically, the Limited Action in question will require targets to be chosen during the targeting step (Iaijutsu Challenge, Iaijutsu Lesson, For the Empire, etc.) The Targeting Step is well before you being to produce any effects, including a challenge or duel effect. Martin Lund, "Rules for 8 June 2004", 10 Jun 2004
• Q: 1 - I target my opponent's shugenja with a Iaijutsu Challenge. He bows Shiba Danjuro to change the target. Can I play Keen Eye to cancel this?
  A: "An action creating a challenge must begin resolve before anything can happen "during" the challenge. E.g., the action can be canceled, even if reactions are not allowed during challenges. [JA, 16 December 2001, 2 March 2004]" (Accumulated Rulings, "Duels")
  This same logic applies here. You select both targets for Iaijutsu Challenge before the action begins to resolve. Danjuro's Reaction is played then - well before Keen Eye can be legally played. Martin Lund, "Rules for 11 April 2004", 13 Apr 2004
• Q: 2 - Can you confirm that Keen Eye will cancel Feign Death, Be Prepared To Dig Two Graves, Kisada's shrine used in reaction to the death of the loser of the duel ?
  A: "Everything that occurs after a challenge is accepted is "during a duel." [JA, 7 November 2001], including destroying the loser. Thus, if Reactions are not allowed during a duel, a Reaction played after the death of a Personality is illegal (e.g., Feign Death), unless the Personality dies before duel resolution. [JA, 28 August 2003; email, October 2003]" (Accumulated Rulings, "Duels")
  Yes. The results of losing and winning a duel are also considered to happen "during a duel" and thus happen during the time it is legal to play Keen Eye. Martin Lund, "Rules for 11 April 2004", 13 Apr 2004
• Q: 3 - My opponent plays Smoke And Mirrors, I cancel with Keen Eye. Who gets to focus / strike now ?
  A: I believe that your opportunity to act (focus) passes to the next player, just like your opportunity to play an Open or Battle Action in the Battle Action Segment or a Reaction to a given trigger passes when your Action is canceled. Martin Lund, "Rules for 11 April 2004", 13 Apr 2004
• Q: Personality 1 Iaijutsu Challenges Personality 2. Owner of personality 2 plays Dismissed as a reaction. Owner of Personality 1 has a Keen Eye he wishes to play.
  Can the owner of personalitity 1 play his Keen Eye in response to Dismissed?
  A: Yes. Dismissed must wait for the challenge to be issued to be legal. If a challenge has been issued, Keen Eye is also legal. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 9-10 March 2004", 11 Mar 2004
• Q: Just so I understand what you're getting at.
  If a card that as an effect issues a challenge is canceled during targeting or paying costs, Keen Eye cannot negate the cancellation because a challenge has not yet been issued. If the action begins to resolve effects and makes it to "issues a challenge" and is cancelled for some reason after that then Keen Eye does work.
  A: Right. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 27 Feb. 2004", 28 Feb 2004
• Q: Yes, check out page 88 of the Diamond Edition Rulebook under the heading Challenging and Dueling. It is very well spelled out (and also in direct contradiction to Jeff's ruling that you have cited, causing me to believe that the ruling needs to be updated).
  A: The only thing I see on page 88 is confirmation that a challenge occurs before its duel begins -- issuing a challenge and entering a duel are not simultaneous. There is a strict order.
  If an action is canceled before it has a chance to create a challenge, then any and all cards that refer to "during a challenge" or "reactions to a challenge" are moot. A challenge does not exist the moment someone announces an action. It must be announced, targeted, paid for, and then get to the part of its effects where the challenge is issued. This is not specific to challenges. It's the fundamental order actions have in this game.
  MOST Reactions that cancel other actions do so before the canceled action produces any effects. That's why Keen Eye can't stop most of them. Dismissed is different. It negates only one effect. And it does that when that one effect begins, by its wording. However, that beginning also marks the point where Keen Eye becomes legal. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 26 Feb. 2004", 27 Feb 2004
• Q: Regardless, Keen Eye can negate the effect of Balance in Nothingness (provided that Jeff clears up his ruling to coincide with pp88 of the rulebook).
  A: I still don't see what this conflict is. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 26 Feb. 2004", 27 Feb 2004
• Q: For example: Player A plays Iaijutsu Challenge targeting a bowed personality. The game is placed on hold as Player B announces a reaction, namely Balance in Nothingness. Before BiN resolves (there's that pesky word again), the reaction to IC segment is placed on hold to allow for the reaction to BiN segment. Player A plays Keen Eye.
  A: Stop.
  Keen Eye is not allowed yet. There is no challenge underway.
  Remember the play sequence: announce action, pick targets, pay costs, resolve effects. Balance In Nothingness was played when Iaijutsu Challenge's target was chosen. [BiN card text] Jeff Alexander, "rules for 26 Feb. 2004", 27 Feb 2004
• Q: Jeff, I heard there was a ruling that said Keen Eye could cancel Dismissed.
  Relavent text: Keen Eye Reaction: Negate the effects of a Reaction taken by another player during a challenge or duel involving one of your Personalities. Draw a Fate card
  Dismissed: Political Reaction: Bow one of your Courtiers to cancel a Political Limited action. Political Reaction: Bow one of your Courtiers to negate a Challenge during the Action Phase.
  I would think that during a duel is only when Keen Eye could stop a reaction.
  A: During a duel or challenge. [card text]
  Dismissed is played as soon as the challenge happens. That's still "during" it. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 25 Feb. 2004", 26 Feb 2004
• Q: kill one of my opponent's Personalities with a duel, he plays Be Prepared To Dig Two Graves. Can I negate it with Keen Eye?
  A: Yes (http://l5r.alderac.com/rulings/#Duels). Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 7 December 2003", 7 Dec 2003
• Q: How are your two previous rulings different from my question concerning Flee and Keen Eye for Stand or Run and Show me Your Stance?
  A: One is wrong. Hint: the one where I gave a reference to the Archive is the right one. Keen Eyes can't be played in response to targeting or paying costs for an action that generates a challenge (Archive). Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 2 December 2003, Part 2", 3 Dec 2003
• Q: Can Keen Eye cancel a Flee the Darkness played in response to Stand or Run or Show me Your Stance?
  A: No (Archive, http://l5r.alderac.com/rulings/#Duels). Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 2 December 2003", 2 Dec 2003
• Q: Can you use Keen Eye to cancel Enough Talk?
  A: Only if the Enough Talk was triggered in the middle of another duel. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 1 December 2003", 1 Dec 2003
• Q: Can Keen Eye negate Flee to Darkness when a battle duel challenges an opposing personality?
  A: Yes. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 22 November 2003", 23 Nov 2003
• Q: Can Keen Eye negate Scouting [Maneuvers]?
  A: Yes. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 17 November 2003", 18 Nov 2003
• Q: If I have a blade of truths in a duel, and my opponent cancels my reaction with Keen eye, can I used it again in that same duel[?]
  Yes.
  [Keen Eye] does not cancel the reaction, only negate it's effects, the reaction can't be used again...
  A: This is what I get for taking questions at face value. :/ Because Keen Eyes negates (not cancels, as the original question said), Blade of Truths cannot be used again. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 1 November 2003, Part 2", 1 Nov 2003
• Q: I challenge Yokubo with For the Empire. He negates the challenge. Can I cancel this with Keen Eye?
  A: Yes. Yokubo's Reaction happens after targeting, when effects are being resolved. At that point, the action has become a challenge, and Keen Eye is legal to play. Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for July 22nd, 2003", 22 Jul 2003
• Q: Can I play a Keen Eye if my opponet uses a "Mountain does not move" or "Kisada's Shrine"?
  A: Sure. Vaughn Derderian, "Post for July 15th, 2003", 15 Jul 2003
• Q: Is it possible to cancel Accept with Honor with Keen Eye?
  A: Yes. Accept With Honor is played "after...accept[ing] a challenge". Keen Eye "negates the effects of a Reaction taken...during a challenge or duel". Jeff Alexander, "post for 6 May 2003", 7 May 2003
• Q: Dear Rule Guys, I've asked this question before but I do not know if you answered because my yahoo account is screwy these days. so I ask again just to make sure.
  1) Can Keen Eye stop Judgement of Toshiken?
  A: Yes. Jeff Alexander, "post for 24 April 2003", 25 Apr 2003
• Q: Can Keen Eye stop Judgement of Toshiken?
  A: Yes. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 21 April 2003", 22 Apr 2003
• Q: Rules question - here's the situation:
  Personality A challenges Personality B. Personality B's controller plays a reaction. They start a Keen Eye war (i.e., Player A uses Keen Eye to negate the reaction, Player B uses Keen Eye to negate Player A's Keen Eye, Player A Uses Keen Eye to negate the Keen Eye that negated a Keen Eye, repeat until both players have played three Keen Eyes.)
  The question is, who draws cards, and how many?
  Each player draws one card for each Keen Eye not negated.
  The answer I came up with is that the player who played the last Keen Eye draws 3 cards, and the other player draws none.
  I'd agree with that.
  Jeff is this correct? As I would think that if poison weapon was the original trigger and 6 keen eyes were played in succession that the last keen eye played would be the only one that is not negated, allowing its players controller to draw one card and the poison weapon would resolve.
  A: Think about it.
  Poisoned Weapon is played. Keen Eye #1 is played in response to Poisoned Weapon. Keen Eye #2 is played in response to Keen Eye #1. Keen Eye #3 is played in response to Keen Eye #2. Keen Eye #4 is played in response to Keen Eye #3. Keen Eye #5 is played in response to Keen Eye #4. Keen Eye #6 is played in response to Keen Eye #5.
  No more reactions.
  #6 resolves, negating #5. Player B draws a card. #5 doesn't resolve. #4 resolves, negating #3. Player B draws a card. #3 doesn't resolve. #2 resolves, negating #1. Player B draws a card. #1 doesn't resolve. Poisoned Weapon resolves. Jeff Alexander, "post for 10 January 2003", 11 Jan 2003
• Q: Rules question - here's the situation:
  Personality A challenges Personality B. Personality B's controller plays a reaction. They start a Keen Eye war (i.e., Player A uses Keen Eye to negate the reaction, Player B uses Keen Eye to negate Player A's Keen Eye, Player A Uses Keen Eye to negate the Keen Eye that negated a Keen Eye, repeat until both players have played three Keen Eyes.)
  The question is, who draws cards, and how many?
  A: Each player draws one card for each Keen Eye not negated. Jeff Alexander, "post for 9 January 2002", 10 Jan 2003
• Q: The answer I came up with is that the player who played the last Keen Eye draws 3 cards, and the other player draws none.
  A: I'd agree with that. Jeff Alexander, "post for 9 January 2002", 10 Jan 2003
• Q: I play a political duel, my opponent plays Outmaneuvered by Force or Dismissed, can it be Keen Eye'd?
  A: Archive, Duels. Zen Faulkes, "Questions about Keen Eye", 3 Apr 2005
• Q: I play Smoke and Mirrors, my opponent plays Keen Eye. Can I now focus instead? Can I play a 2nd Smoke and Mirrors if I have it or some other such 'instead of focusing' card? Or do I just lose the chance to do anything? What about the same scenario with The Shadow's Claw?
  A: Archive, Duels, Focusing. Zen Faulkes, "Questions about Keen Eye", 3 Apr 2005
• Q: I win a lethal duel against an opponent. He plays Feign Death, Loyal Yojimbo, or some other such anti-death reaction. Can I Keen Eye it?
  A: Archive, Duels, Resolution. Zen Faulkes, "Questions about Keen Eye", 3 Apr 2005
• Q: My opponent plays The Bear Returns. If I use Shattered Focus to discard it, do the effects of it still apply?
  A: You can't use Shattered Focus, because The Bear Returns resolves immediately. Zen Faulkes, "Questions about Keen Eye", 3 Apr 2005
• Q: Can you Keen Eye the Elemental Reaction of Ring of Fire?
  A: Please search!
  Here. Zen Faulkes, "More ?'s", 25 Mar 2005
• Q: If my Samurai loses a duel to another personality, and then i attempt to use the second part of the Tsudao Wind to gain 2 honor from his death by duel... CAN MY OPPONENT KEEN EYE THAT?
  A: No need to SHOUT.
  Archive, General, Duels, Resolution. Yes. Zen Faulkes, "Probably Another Keen Eye Question", 21 Mar 2005
• Q: If I issue a challenge to a personality with Suitengu's Surge using Now Face Me, then the personality bow's to cast Surge, can I use Keen Eye to cancel the Surge?
  A: No (Archive, General, Duels). Zen Faulkes, "Surge and Keen Eye", 21 Mar 2005
• Q: Can you use keen eye to negate a feign death or the Hidden City ability used on a personality that dies due to a duel?
  A: Archive, General, Duels. Zen Faulkes, "Keen Eye vs. Feign death/Hidden City", 17 Mar 2005
• Q: If I issue a challenge to a personality with Suitengu's Surge using Now Face Me, then the personality bow's to cast Surge, can I use Keen Eye to cancel the Surge?
  A: No (Archive, Geenral, Duels). Zen Faulkes, "Surge and Keen Eye", 15 Mar 2005
• Q: In the section about Duels -Focusing, it reads:
  - If a Reaction that is played instead of focusing is canceled (e.g., Keen Eye), the player may not then focus, because the player has already chosen not to focus. [Summary of other rulings]
  The problem is that Keen Eye negates the reaction.
  A: The ruling is correct. All that needs to be done is to add "or negated" to that entry and it's all good. Zen Faulkes, "Duels: instead of focusing - cancel vs. negate", 12 Mar 2005
• Q: Iaijutsu Challenge wrote:
  Limited: One of your Personalities challenges another player's Personality. If the challenge is refused, Iaijutsu Challenge dishonors the other player's Personality and causes the other player to lose 7 Honor. The winner's controller gains 5 Honor.
  Keen Eye wrote:
  Reaction: Negate the effects of a Reaction taken by another player during a challenge or duel involving one of your Personalities. Draw a Fate card.
  Fields of Pyrrhic Victory wrote:
  Singular Infantry Followers and Infantry Personalities have -1F while at this Province. Reaction: After a Limited or Open Action targets a Unique Personality you control, bow this card: Cancel it.
  Situation: My opponent plays an Iaijutsu Challenge on one of my Unique Personalities.
  Question: Can he react with Keen Eye when I cancelled with my Fields of Pyrrhic Victory?
  Presumed: I thought that my cancelling occured during targeting only and not the challenge yet coz he thought that once playing the I.Challenge, my Reaction would fall on the "during a challenge" and therefore will make him legal to play Keen Eye.
  Pls. Enlighten Us!
  A: No. Archive, General, Duels. Zen Faulkes, "Iaijutsu Challenge, Keen Eye and Fields of Pyrrhic Victory", 3 Mar 2005
• Q: I don't see anyone seeing otherwise. Thanks for making that extra clear to anyone who didn't know that already, though.
  A: "During" and "after" are distinct times. Keen Eye cannot react to a Reaction used "after a duel" or "after a duel ends", such as the Reaction on the Ring of Fire. (Nor can it react to a Reaction used before a challenge is issued.) This all comes directly from card text.
  The claim that the Archive says that the time period of "during a duel" encompasses everything, even after the duel has ended, until the next opportunity for any player take a normal Limited/Open/Battle action, is an unfounded extrapolation of its actual contents and is incorrect. Jeff Alexander, "Keen Eye and RoF", 9 Feb 2005
• Q: Can we get an official ruling on whether Keen Eye can negate the RoF reaction?
  A: Yes, you can: no, it can't.
  Additional: The Archive ruling saying "everything after the challenge is taken is 'during'" is there to say that the duel doesn't end when one Personality loses; other effects may still have to occur (e.g., honor gain). The Ring of Fire is triggered "after the duel," which I take to mean the duel-initiating action / effect has completely resolved, putting it outside of the reach of Keen Eye. (I mean, if you read the Archive entry literally enough, a duel never ends, since the Archive entry says "everything after that point is during a duel" and doesn't spell out an end point when the duel is done...) Zen Faulkes, "Keen Eye and RoF", 6 Feb 2005
• Q: The cards in question are Steel on Steel (RoB wording) and Doji Kurohito xp2. So it seems Keen Eye does work since the "targeting" is part of the challenge?
  A: Yep to both. If they had said something like, "Target another player's Personality. Your Personality challenges him... etc" the targeting would've been outside the scope of the challenge, but those two don't. Also, sidenote, you meant "Twist" not "Turn" of Fate, above. 🙂 Brook Cunningham, "Sun and Moon #rules-questions", 14 Oct 2024
• Q: under diamond rules, can Keen Eye be used to cancel redirection of a duel (like Shiba Danjuro or Turn of Fate)? In other words, is the targeting already part of the challenge or does the challenge start after targeting is done?
  A: Unfortunately, since Diamond doesn't have stringently defined steps to resolving an action, it would come down to the exact wording of the action creating the challenge/duel. I think most of the era were probably worded so the targeting happens during the challenge, but there may be outliers. Brook Cunningham, "Sun and Moon #rules-questions", 14 Oct 2024