Nemesis

Legend of the Five Rings card from Gold Edition, Forbidden Knowledge, Pearl Edition, Promotional–Gold, Honor Bound

Card Type

Strategy

Gold Cost

0

Card Text

Limited: Target your unbowed Personality who has not been targeted by a copy of this action this game and target another player's Personality: He is your Personality's nemesis. Until he leaves play, while facing him in a duel or opposing him in a battle, your Personality has +2F/+3C.

Focus Value

2

Legality

Clan Wars (Imperial), Four Winds (Gold), Hidden Emperor (Jade)

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rulings

• Erratum: Reads, "Nemesis 0G 2FV Limited: Target one of your Personalities without a "nemesis" and another player's Personality. The other Personality is your Personality's nemesis until the other Personality leaves play. While your Personality faces the nemesis in battle or a duel, your Personality gains +2F/+3C." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 26
• This effect ends if the nemesis leaves play. [DW, email, 9/25/97] Accumulated Rulings, February 8, 2000, p. 43
• Accumulated Rulings Accumulated Rulings, April 22, 1998, p. 25

Rules Q&A

• Q: I'd like to confirm something about timing regarding this card:
  Nemesis: Target one of your Personalities without a nemesis and another player's Personality. The other Personality is your Personality's nemesis until the other Personality leaves play. While your Personality faces the nemesis in battle or a duel, your Personality gains +2F/+3C. [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001]
  I assume that "while in a battle or duel" means that, for instance, a a 2C personality challenging a 3C personality who is their Nemesis would satisify the conditions for, for instance, playing the Ring of Fire, since their chi is lower *before* the challenge?
  A: Correct...usually. The bonus from Nemesis doesn't begin until your Personality enters the duel, which happens distinctly after the challenge...which, itself, happens distinctly after the time "before the challenge", which is when the Ring of Fire says to compare Chi.
  The reason I say "usually" is that you might already be getting the +3C bonus from opposing your nemesis in a battle. Jeff Alexander, "post for 29 August 2002", 30 Aug 2002
• Q: I have a quick question about Nemesis and Be Prepared to Dig Two Graves and their interaction with the Keyword Rule (pg 33 Gold Rulebook).
  When you have used the above actions and targeted "a Personality" your opponent controls do all copies of that personality then trigger the secondary effects of the cards mentioned.
  In other words does use of Nemesis or Be Prepared to Dig Two Graves create a situation were a Personalities name becomes a Keyword for the purposes of looking for it?
  Or do those two cards only interact with a single copy of the personality?
  A: The single copy. Jeff Alexander, "replies to 15-20 July", 26 Jul 2001
• Q: I have a quick question about Nemesis and Be Prepared to Dig Two Graves and their interaction with the Keyword Rule (pg 33 Gold Rulebook).
  When you have used the above actions and targeted "a Personality" your opponent controls do all copies of that personality then trigger the secondary effects of the cards mentioned.
  A: No, just the one that you targeted. Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for", 19 Jul 2001
• Q: In other words does use of Nemesis or Be Prepared to Dig Two Graves create a situation were a Personalities name becomes a Keyword for the purposes of looking for it?
  A: No, no more than Biting Steel creates a situation where all 'keyword' personalities gain +2/+2. You target a guy, that guy becomes a nemesis (Hi Hawke!). It's not a general case situation. Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for", 19 Jul 2001