Kyuden Ikoma

Legend of the Five Rings card from Diamond Edition, Heaven & Earth, Promotional–Diamond

Card Type

Stronghold

Province Strength

7

Gold Production

3

Starting Family Honor

6

Clan

Lion

Card Text

Repeatable Reaction, w: Before another player's Battle action resolves, bow your target performing Lion Clan Personality at the current battlefield to negate the action's effects. Before this battle ends, if the Battle action was from a Strategy being played from the player's hand and is in that player's discard pile, that player may put the Strategy into his hand. He may take an additional Battle action.

Legality

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

Deck

Pre-Game

Printings

Rulings

• Erratum: Should read, "Kyuden Ikoma 7PS 3GP 6FH Reaction: Bow your Stronghold and one of your Lion Clan Personalities in the current battle to cancel another player's Battle action. If it's an Action card, its player may return it to his hand after the battle. The player may immediately take another action." [MRP, Diamond Edition, 27 October 2003; erratum, JA, 1 March 2004] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 149
• A card not played from the hand (e.g., from under The Armor of Sun-Tao) remains discarded it cannot be "returned" the hand. [JA, 24 March 2003] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 149
• Erratum: Kyuden Ikoma: You must also bow one of your Lion Clan Personalities in the current battle as an additional cost of the action. [MRP] Legend of the Five Rings FAQ, April 26, 2004, p. 17

Rules Q&A

• Q: Using the same logic that says you can't necessarily Sup Strat for a Formation, if I cancel a Formation being played with Kyuden Ikoma, my opponent doesn't get the Formation back after the battle, right?
  A: They are "played as a Battle Action," so you can cancel playing one with Kyuden Ikoma. They are also Action Cards (note the red border), so they will go back to your hand.
  They are not, however, all cards "with a Battle or Open action." That is determined strictly on the basis of what text is printed on the card. Martin Lund, "Rules for 24 July 2004", 27 Jul 2004
• Q: Now, I follow with some different situations to know in which of them I can play the Ring of Water:
  A) My opponent cancels the action with the Kyuden Ikoma’s reaction B) The Battle action is canceled, but after some effects has been resolved C) The action is succesfully resolved
  I ask because I don’t know what “after taking an action” means, regarding terms of play. Maybe it means “after costs are paid but before effects resolves”, or could be “when an action succesfully resolves.”
  A: "An action is successfully performed after all costs are paid and giving other players the opportunity to perform Reactions to it. [JA, 26 April 2002]" (Accumulated Rulings, "Actions and Abilities")
  As for the above scenarios:
  "A" will never count for Ring of Water.
  "B" is too late to play Ring of Water (you needed to do it before the effects resolved), and once it gets canceled, it doesn't count towards the 4 you need to play Ring of Water after a subsequent action (even though it made some effects).
  "C" counts towards your 4 required Actions, but it is too late to play Ring of Water in response to that action (again, effects have already resolved). Martin Lund, "Rules for 24 May 2004", 27 May 2004
• Q: Player B controls untapped: Kyuden Ikoma and 1 Copper Mine. He have 8 Honor.
  So, Player B taps the stronghold and the Coppermine to play Akodo Kurako ( HR:8 / GC:9 ) without honor gain.
  So PLAYER A play political interference. Question:
  If Player B choose loss honor, the honor automatically decrease to 6 and Kurako cant be played?
  A: "A Personality's honor requirement must be met before, during, and after paying costs. [Partial Reversal]" (Accumulated Rulings, "Honor Requirements")
  The Honor Loss from Political Interference happens when paying costs. Therefore, having 6 Honor will not meet Kurako's Honor Requirement after paying costs, and she will not enter play. Martin Lund, "Rules for 16 and 17 April 2004", 18 Apr 2004
• Q: Sorry, this was from a few weeks ago, but it took me a while to get around to posting the question. Rokuro might have been in the battle, or I might have bowed someone else, or it might have been pre-errata and I'm just remembering it wrong due to the rules change. That part doesn't really matter.
  A: OK, I see where you are going with this:
  "If my Ranged Attack with Tsuruchi Nobumoto gets canceled, what happens?"
  Well, first of all, Kyuden Ikoma has to cancel the action before it produces any effects, which is well before it send Nobumoto home and triggers Right Hand. Hence, if it is canceled, Nobumoto will still be at the Province AND you won't have had a chance to use the Right Hand.
  To the second point, yes, you did use your Stronghold's trait. No, it doesn't matter because the Action was canceled. The next time you try to use it, the Stronghold isn't going to find an instance where you produced a Ranged Attack without bowing (that RA effect was never produced), so its Once Per Turn limit isn't met yet. Martin Lund, "Rules for 1 April 2004 (no jokes)", 3 Apr 2004
• Q: I play a To Do What We Must, and my opponent is playing Kyuden Ikoma. I have a reaction I want to play in response to the destruction of my personality, but I don't need to play it if the To Do goes through. Can I wait to see if my opponent cancels the action?
  A: Jeff provides a nice, concise answer for this back in February.
  "Kyuden Ikoma, like all Reactions that implicitly or explicitly cancel an action upon it first being taken, are used after all the preliminaries are done (announce, target, pay costs) but before any effects resolve." ("rules for 11 Feb. 2004")
  Destroying your Personality is paying the cost. The opportunity for Reactions to such a death pass long before Kyuden Ikoma must be played. Martin Lund, "Rules for 31 March 2004", 2 Apr 2004
• Q: If its True, therefore, it is legal to Cancel a Terrain(being played in a battle) by KYUDEN IKOMA or FAITH IN MY CLAN. Right?
  A: Right. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 24 March 2004", 26 Mar 2004
• Q: Can the shugenja in question cast another spell this turn? Does it matter how the spell is cancelled (e.g. Kyuden Ikoma, Faith in My Clan, Flee the Darkness)?
  A: Yes, no. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 26 Feb. 2004", 27 Feb 2004
• Q: Okay, question is when a Tch'Tch warrens deck plays a battle action stolen from the opponent (being a Kyuden Ikoma player) and the action is canceled by the stronghold is the card removed from play totally or does it go back to the Tch'Tch player's hand?
  A: Removed from the game when it's canceled. [Tch'tch text] Then it can't come back. [DE p. 103] Jeff Alexander, "rules for 17 Feb. 2004", 19 Feb 2004
• Q: So if I play Block Supply Lines and my opponent cancels it with Kyuden Ikoma, I put the card back in my hand?
  A: No. You're taking the quote out of context -- namely, pg. 72 in the Diamond Edition rulebook. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 17 December 2003, Part 2", 18 Dec 2003
• Q: Player A makes a Ranged Attack and wants to increase it with the Reaction from Tsuruchi Technique ("when making a ranged attack"). At what point is the trigger for Kyuden Ikoma or Faith in my Clan (against the Ranged Attack, not against the Tsuruchi Tech)?
  A: After the action is announced, targets selected, and costs paid, and, as Jeff said earlier, "[Kyuden Ikoma] has to be played when the action *begins* to resolve" (my emphasis). In other words, we're at a point where the action starts to resolve, but *has not produced any effects*.
  The confusion here is that for The Face of Fear and Tsuruchi Technique are not responding to an action (unlike Kyuden Ikoma or Faith in my Clan). They are responding to effects. These particular Reaction cards are confusing because most cards that make Fear or Ranged Attacks have only *one* effect in the action.
  Imagine a card said, "Battle: Give a opposing Personality a +X Force bonus. Then, bow one of your followers to produce a Ranged 3 Attack on that card." The card has two effects.
  You'd announce the action, pick targets, pay costs.
  Now you'd use Kyuden Ikoma -- before any effects happen.
  The force bonus then resolves. I hope it's clear that Kyuden Ikoma can't step in at this point! You've already produced an effect, so you can't cancel the action between the two effects. You haven't produced a Ranged Attack yet, so you can't play Tsuruchi Technique.
  Then you'd have to resolve the Ranged Attack. Here's where you get to play Tsuruchi Technique -- while you're generating this effect.
  I think this example makes it clearer why Kyuden Ikoma will always be played before The Face of Fear or Tsuruchi Technique. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 10 December 2003", 11 Dec 2003
• Q: If the trigger for Kyuden Ikoma and Tsuruchi Tech is not the same, why so? Both seem to become active when the action resolves. Neither says "before an action resolves".
  A: Because one's reacting to an action; the other is reacting to an effect.
  I hope this helps -- this answer took a while to write! :) Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 10 December 2003", 11 Dec 2003
• Q: The Castle of the Wasp player naval invades and shoots a ranged attack at an opposing personality with Yoritomo Rui, and elects to use the Castle of the Wasp ability[...]
  A: Trait. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 8 December 2003, Part 3", 9 Dec 2003
• Q: to not bow her. The Kyuden Ikoma player then cancels the action with the stronghold. Can the Castle of the Wasp player choose to do a ranged attack with Yoritomo Rui again and choose not to bow her, or must she now bow?
  A: Canceled means "never attempted" (Diamond rules, pg 72). Treat it as if Rui was taking the action for the first time. No bowing necessary. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 8 December 2003, Part 3", 9 Dec 2003
• Q: I take an Battle action. My opponent passes when offered the opportunity to react, for whatever reason. I use my opportunity to react to play a Tsuruchi Technique. Can the Lion player now use Kyuden Ikoma to cancel the original Ranged Attack Battle action, or has the opportunity to React passed with my Reaction being taken?
  A: The opportunity to perform a Reaction only ends when *all* players have passed (Diamond rules, pg. 75). Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 8 December 2003, Part 2", 9 Dec 2003
• Q: So then, Lion Player A using Kyuden Ikoma attacks Crane Player B. The Crane player defends, and uses TDWWM. The Lion player cancels the action using Kyuden Ikoma's ability. Does this mean that the Crane Player does not have to pay the cost of TDWWM, and does not have to destroy their personality?
  A: That's not what it means. I messed up. (There's been a bloody awful lot of questions lately, and each answer is getting perhaps something *slightly* less than deep reflection and thorough meditation).
  Despite targeting occuring before costs being paid, if an action is canceled during targeting, costs still have to be paid (Archive; http://l5r.alderac.com/rulings/#Cancel). Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 3 December 2003", 4 Dec 2003
• Q: I try to attach Traveling Ronin to one of my guys in battle, and Kyuden Ikoma cancels it.
  A: You got hosed, since Kyduen Ikoma *can't cancel Open actions.*
  This makes the next question totally moot. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 16 November 2003", 16 Nov 2003
• Q: if my opponent cancelled Tsuruchi Sho's range attack with Kyuden Ikoma, would that mean by reading the below ruling that Sho can make another RA at that same time[?]
  A: Yes (rulebook, stronghold text). Using the stronghold ability in that case is not very helpful. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 31 October 2003", 31 Oct 2003
• Q: since Kyuden Ikoma states that it cancels 'Battle" actions, that would also mean that Kyuden Ikoma cancels only actions where the word "Battle" in bold precedes the effect right?
  A: Yes (stronghold text). Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 31 October 2003", 31 Oct 2003
• Q: Can Kyuden Ikoma cancel terrains?
  A: Yes (stronghold text). Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 17 October 2003", 17 Oct 2003
• Q: If I use Kyuden Ikoma to cancel someone using Overwhelmed, do they still have to destroy their personality?
  A: Currently, canceling Overwhelmed when it's played saves the Personality (as Jeff Alexander mentioned -- the man's saving me a lot of work!). Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 26 August 2003", 27 Aug 2003
• Q: We'll see what Vaugn says.
  A: Ah. Maybe that why nobody's reading my posts for the last week and a half... :/ Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 6 July 2003", 6 Jul 2003
• Q: A Kyuden Ikoma player has a scout in one of his personalities, and plays a terrain using it, when attacking, then bows the stronghold to cancel the terrain, and ipso facto, a permanent sneak attack
  A: Er... I don't see the point. Canceling your opponent's first Battle action is a lot easier.
  I guess the underlying question is, "Can a Kyuden Ikoma player cancel his or her own Battle action?" Yes (stronghold text). Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 5 July 2003", 5 Jul 2003
• Q: Just a few Kyuden Ikoma questions that may come up...
  If I use Last Wish, can Kyuden Ikoma cancel my opponents selection?
  A: No, you can only cancel the action itself. Kyuden Ikoma can only cancel actions at the point at which they are played. Vaughn Derderian, "Post for June 23rd, 2003", 23 Jun 2003
• Q: I should be able to play Sneak Attack because Sneak Attack reads "Reaction: Play this card when the Battle Action Segment begins. The Attacker may take an Open or Battle action before the Defender's first action in this battle." and Show of Strength reads "Political Battle: This action may not be played if you have passed or taken an Open or Battle action this battle.". So Sneak Attack is neither an Open nor a Battle action just like Kyuden Ikoma only cancels actions that have Battle on them, then play Show of Strength as my first action.
  A: Sure, you can do that. It's kinda a waste of a Sneak Attack, though. Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for June 11th - Part One!", 11 Jun 2003
• Q: If I am attacking and the defender plays Torrential Rain and I cancel it with Kyuden Ikoma, does my opponent get to put the card back into his/her hand?
  A: No, because Torrential Rain is not an Action card. Jeff Alexander, "post for 23 May 2003", 29 May 2003
• Q: For example, when playing Kyuden Ikoma, if an opponent tries to Tireless Assault a unit into a battle where I have no units, can I cancel it with my stronghold?
  A: Yes. Jeff Alexander, "post for 22 May 2003", 23 May 2003
• Q: 2. If I use Kyuden Ikoma`s ability (Reaction: Bow your Stronghold to cancel a Battle action. If it's an Action card, its player may return it to his hand after the battle. The player may inmediately take another action.) to cancel a Tactician use for a battle, Can my opponent use this Tactician trait again?
  A: Yes. A canceled action does not count as being taken [GE p. 45], so it does not count against any limit on the number of times it may be used within a certain time period. Jeff Alexander, "post for 7 May 2003", 8 May 2003