Kyuden Kitsune

Legend of the Five Rings card from Fire & Shadow, Soul of the Empire, Promotional–Jade

Card Type

Stronghold

Province Strength

5

Gold Production

4

Starting Family Honor

6

Clan

Mantis

Card Text

Fox and Fox Clan Personalities enter play paying 2 less Gold for you.
Your Shugenja have +1C.
When choosing the battlefield at which to fight the next battle, if you are the Defender, you choose instead of the Attacker.

Legality

Hidden Emperor (Jade)

Erratum

There is no longer a restriction on bringing Mantis Clan personalities into play.

Deck

Pre-Game

Printings

Rulings

• The player is a "Yoritomo's Alliance" player. [Rulebook] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 149
• Personalities swearing fealty or otherwise joining gain the "Yoritomo's Alliance" trait. [DW, email, 4/7/99] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 149
• May use "Mantis" sensei. [ZF, April 2000] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 149
• If Doom of the Alliance resolves, you must pay printed gold cost for non-Fox Yoritomo's Alliance personalities. You may continue to pay 2G less than printed gold cost for Fox Clan Personalities. [ZF, May 2000] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 149
• Cost reduction applies to any "fox" card, including "Fox Clan" (but not "Foxwife"). [JA, netnews, 31 August 2001] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 149
• Q: Can the Fox Stronghold use "Mantis" Sensei? A: Yes. Remember, Kyuden Kitsune is a Yoritomo's Alliance Stronghold; "Fox" does not exist as a Clan in rules terms. The Imperial Herald, Issue 16, p. 12

Rules Q&A

• Q: If Yoritimos Alliance is equivalent to Mantis, what does that make of Kyuden Kitsune?
  A: Card -- or, in this case, stronghold text -- overrides general rules. The terms are the same, except when a card says they're not. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 12 July 2002", 13 Jul 2002
• Q: One more query:
  I've constructed a Fox clan deck. Now, playing with Kyuden Kitsune, am I technically playing Yoritomo's Alliance, or is it actually Fox Clan?
  A: "Fox Clan" is not a legal alignment Faction. [DA rulebook pp. 34-35] Kyuden Kitsune is a Yoritomo's Alliance stronghold. Jeff Alexander, "post for 15 April 2002", 16 Apr 2002
• Q: "Mantis Clan" and "Yoritomo's Alliance" were and still are completely equivalent terms, in all game formats. "Yoritomo's Alliance" Personalities are in-clan for the City of Lightning.
  I'm probably completely wrong on this, but wouldn't that mean that all Fox Clan personalites (except the ones from GE onwards) won't be able to be used with Kyuden Kitsune? Since you can't use Mantis personalities, and all pre GE Fox Clan personalities have the YA trait, with is interchangable with the Mantis trait.
  A: Cards and Strongholds can override rules. Kyuden Kitsune works because it specifically treats "Mantis" and "Yoritomo's Alliance" differently, not because the "Mantis Clan = YA" rule was not yet in place back then. It still works just like it always did. Jeff Alexander, "post for 8 March 2002", 9 Mar 2002
• Q: 1-If I have (for example) wasp sensei on my Kyuden Kitsune... wasp clan personalities gain "yoritomo aliance" or "fox clan" Trait?
  A: "Yoritomo's Alliance". Jeff Alexander, "Rulings for 17 January 2001", 19 Jan 2001
• Q: The ruling I got from Vaughn stated that Kyuden Kitsune and Otaku palaces alterations were always in effect, and thus they would bow to Census.
  A: Not quite. Kyuden Kitsune, yes. Utaku Palaces, no. Palaces of *Otosan-Uchi*, yes. Things that say 'XXX cost 2 less for you' are always in effect. Things that say 'XXX will join you for 2 less' only apply when the XXX's are joining you. Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for", 12 Jan 2001
• Q: What I meant with the Palaces was the Imperial reduction, So it and Kyuden Kitsune continue to modify the cost even after its in play?
  A: Yes. Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for December 21st", 21 Dec 2000
• Q: Hi...real quick rules question, does this [Imperial Census] check printed cost or does it check cost - things like Palaces of Otosan Uchi/Kyuden Kitsune? Thanks..
  A: It checks cost. However, be aware of the specific card you're looking at. Things like Palaces of Otosan-Uchi (though it doesn't apply to personalities) and Hiruma Dojo only act as cost reductions until the end of the turn they're applied in. Things like Kyuden Kitsune and Festival of the River of Stars affect costs for as long as they're in effect, though, so make sure that the effect you're looking at affects the cost of personalities even after they've come into play. Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for December 18th", 18 Dec 2000
• Q: The Oracle of the Void entry on Kyuden Kitsune mentions an erratum that there's no longer a restriction on playing Mantis clan personalities off that box... however, in viewtopic.php?f=59&t=75249&p=985946 it was ruled that "if the Personality has the base "Mantis Clan" keyword, he will not join you and his entering play under your control will fail"
  So which is correct? Hopefully NOT the Oracle...
  A: The Oracle is the more-current source and correct.
  The ruling you quoted was from 2009, before the Oracle existed.
  When compiling the Oracle, with the switch from "Yoritomo's Alliance" being the identifying keyword of the Clan to "Mantis Clan" in Gold (rather than the pre-Gold situation of the latter implying the former), it was decided to simply remove the trait due to its incongruity with current paradigms. Brook Cunningham, "Kyuden Kitsune (Oracle) vs. ruling", 14 Oct 2013
• Q: Therefore I concluded that the shugenja stays dishonored, and I gain 1 honor instead. Is that correct?
  A: Correct indeed! Brook Cunningham, "Kyuden Kitsune and Spell Rehonoring", 7 Jul 2012
• Q: Hi,
  In my province, there is a dishonored personality of my clan. I bring him into play, so what happens ? I trigger the Proclaim Reaction, do I get honor from that reaction (I really think so) or do I rehonor the personality ?
  A question about "clan discount". Has it became like a keyword ? Could it refer to the discount offered by a card effect (like Alliance) or a Stronghold effect (Like Kyuden Kitsune with Lady of the Forest Sensei) ?
  Proclaim Reaction : Reaction: After you bring a personality in your province with your clan aleignment into play without clan discount, if it is your turn: Gain honor equal to his base personal honor.
  Alliance (Event) Select a faction other than your own. For the rest of the game, you can bring personalities of that faction into play for 2 less Gold.
  Kyuden Kitsune (Stronghold) Fox cards cost 2 less Gold for you.
  Lady of the Forest Sensei (Sensei) Your Fox Clan Personalities have your Clan's trait.
  Thanks in advance, Regards, Rémi.
  A: You are correct with regards to Proclaim - it does not target or come from, and is not performed by, the Personality, so you would gain their base personal honor.
  Clan discount is exactly what it says it is - a modification to bringing a Personality into play. In this case, Alliance is a separate effect, as is Kyuden Kitsune's discount (which means it will stack with your Fox Clan * Yoritomo's Alliance Personalities). If you have non-YA Fox Clan Personalities with Lady of the Forest Sensei they will also get both the -2 cost from the stronghold and the -2 cost from Clan discount. Jon Palmer, "Deshonored personality VS Proclaim reaction", 21 Feb 2012
• Q: If I use the Kyuden Kitsune, may the Yoritomo's Alliance Personalities enter play under my control?
  A: Yes. (Who else would they join?) Zen Faulkes, "Kyuden Kitsune", 27 Apr 2008
• Q: But the whole problem is that it was printed before Mantis and Yoritomo's Alliance were considered one and the same.
  A: Incorrect. The two have meant the same since Crimson & Jade. Zen Faulkes, "Kyuden Kitsune", 9 Feb 2005
• Q: question with the stronghold Kyuden kitsune. It says fox and fox clan. Kitsune is literally fox in japanese. It seems at some point they might have stopped translating it to english, can someone confirm if kitsune applied as fox for the stronghold?
  A: No. "Kitsune" Family Name or keyword is not automatically equivalent to "Fox" or "Fox Clan". Brook Cunningham, "Sun and Moon #rules-questions", 22 Jan 2025
• Q: So....I can play it in Kyuden Kitsune?
  A: You can put Shinbone Warrior in any deck as Loyal doesn't affect deck construction. You may only put it into play if it has your clan alignment, which it will if you're playing At'tok'tuk Sensei. Alex Jones, "Sun and Moon #rules-questions", 19 Jan 2022
• Q: Question: Will At'tuk'tok sensei allow me to play Shinbone Warrior out of Kyuden Kitsune? Shinbone Warrior has the Loyal keyword but the sensei gives all my ratlings my clan alignment.
  A: No. Oh
  At'tok'tuk Sensei doesn't affect deck construction, so you can't play 4 copies of each non-Unique Ratling with Heart of the Shinomen Forest But Loyal isn't a deck construction rule. Alex Jones, "Sun and Moon #rules-questions", 19 Jan 2022