Otomo Sensei

Legend of the Five Rings card from Soul of the Empire

Card Type

Sensei

Province Strength

+0

Gold Production

+0

Starting Family Honor

+0

Keywords

All Clans

Card Text

Before one of your cards enters either of your discard piles, remove it from the game instead.
Repeatable Reaction: Before a player takes a searched-for card from his deck or discard pile, after showing it if instructed to do so, remove a card in your hand from the game to remove the searched-for card from the game.

Focus Value

2

Legality

Hidden Emperor (Jade)

Deck

Pre-Game

Printings

Rulings

• Cannot force discards for effects let you draw several top cards, then put one in your hand (e.g., Banish All Shadows). [ZF, 23 July 2000] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 142

Rules Q&A

• Q: If I use a Superior Strategist to get a battle action card and immediately play it, can my opponent use an Otomo Sensei to make me discard it?
  A: Yes. Jeff Alexander, "post for 7 April 2003", 9 Apr 2003
• Q: Once again, "discard" means to put something in your discard pile, "discard from play" means to make the card no longer in the game so you can never get it back again, right?
  A: Right. Jeff Alexander, "replies to 20 June", 25 Jun 2001
• Q: Huh. I just checked the rulings, and the most relevant ruling is this:
  "You may get multiple cards from the top of your deck (e.g., Banish All Shadows). [VRD, 26 November 2000]"
  This isn't the clearest way of putting it. Vaughn, please clarify. Do you mean that you can choose to take any of the four cards with Banish, even under Uona Sensei? If so, why? Doesn't "top" mean the top card only? Shoudn't we rethink both this ruling and the related Otomo Sensei ruling?
  A: I don't think so. Because Banish uses the word draw, it implies a very specific effect. Drawing is taking the top card of your deck and putting it into your hand, nothing else. What happens to those cards after they are drawn is irrelevant, but for the fact that they were drawn, not searched for and retrieved. Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for February 2nd", 3 Feb 2001
• Q: Since it [Otomo Sensei] doesn't specify can I use Otomo Sensei to prevent a player from searching his dynasty deck? (Imperial gift, restoring doji treasury, Isawa Taeruko etc...) or does it apply to fate deck search/drawing alone?
  A: No, Otomo Sensei applies equally to Fate and Dynasty searching. I was extremely impressed when I saw guys at the Michigan Regional using this Sensei to completely shut down Phoenix decks with the stupid Taeruko/Crevasse trick. It was cool. Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for January 6th", 6 Jan 2001
• Q: 3.) Otomo Sensei CANNOT be used if the stronghold is bowed.
  A: True. This goes for *any* Sensei actions, btw - even if they don't normally bow the SH. Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for November 23rd", 23 Nov 2000
• Q: Does this constitute a reversal of past rulings that pretty much everything that retrieves cards from the discard constitutes a search? See Civility, for example.
  A: Yes, after much discussion and consideration behind the scenes, we have decided to reverse any previous standings upon Otomo Sensei.
  The ruling above is the most current and stands as-is. Brook Cunningham, "Otomo Sensei v. discard play", 3 Nov 2013
• Q: Regarding this ruling:
  viewtopic.php?f=59&t=101893&p=1340639&hilit=pekkle+otomo#p1340639
  Does the same principle apply to His Most Favored? If the personality that has HMF dies do I not lose 10 honor?
  His Most Favored:
  http://imperialassembly.com/oracle/#cardid=3347,#hashid=ca7275fe5187acfd3fb9107bcc85f282,#cardcount=0
  Otomo Sensei:
  http://imperialassembly.com/oracle/#cardid=5820,#hashid=256e625a20162d173de9bb6d48067551,#cardcount=0
  Oni No Pekkle:
  http://imperialassembly.com/oracle/#cardid=5917,#hashid=18de1dd6a9d8508bcc905638616202ee,#cardcount=0
  A: No, the same principle doesn't apply.
  In the cited ruling, you don't lose the honor because the trait itself that would cause the loss is removed from the game (ON the Pekkle) before it can trigger. Brook Cunningham, "His Most Favored/Otomo Sensei", 24 Oct 2013
• Q: Just to confirm officially: if I am playing Otomo Sensei and have a Fortified Camp in play, there's no way I can use the Camp's reactions to save one of my destroyed attachments right? It will get RFG "instantaneously" when destroyed.
  A: That is correct. Jon Palmer, "Fortified Camp and Otomo Sensei", 10 Sep 2013
• Q: Followup question regarding this:
  viewtopic.php?f=59&t=102625
  With the new wording on Otomo Sensei
  Not affecting Temple of Death
  How will it Interact with Civility?
  Civility:
  Keywords
  Bushido Virtue Text
  Open: Choose your performing discarded (not dead) Samurai Personality: Bring him into play, paying all costs.
  Otomo Sensei:
  Keywords
  All Clans Text
  Before one of your cards enters either of your discard piles: Remove it from the game instead. Reaction: Any number of times per turn, before a player removes a searched-for card from his deck or discard pile, remove a card in your hand from the game: Remove the searched-for card from the game.
  So will Otomo Sensei prevent me from playing a discarded personality? with the new wording i think not...
  Thanks in advance!
  A: Choosing one of your cards in your discard pile still fits the definition of "searching".
  The change was that Temple of Death did not "get" the card (per the original vague wording of Otomo Sensei).
  By attempting to put the Personality into play via Civility, you are most assuredly "get"ting it (or, as the Oracle wording now goes, "removing" it from your deck or discard pile).
  Therefore, Otomo Sensei's Reaction CAN stop Civility. Brook Cunningham, "Otomo Sensei Vs. Civility", 19 Apr 2013
• Q: With regards tothis ruling here.
  I don't understand how Temple of Death Exp is "getting" a card. You search your dynasty deck discard pile, and target a guy, so does target equal get?
  I guess I felt that "searches for and gets" (text of Otomo Sensei) meant put into play, hand, or provinces. Like to get it means to take it from one place and put it in another, and Temple Exp isn't doing that. The card is still in the same place it was before. The discard pile, just in a different state.
  Paul Ashman
  A: Well, thank you both for bringing this to our attention.
  In attempting to define the oblique, original "get", it appears I "Oracle-worded" the card too loosely.
  Otomo Sensei has now been fixed to specifically interact with when a card is searched-for and removed.
  And before you ask, we're also specifically adding removal (albeit temporary) to the sequence of several actions which move cards within a deck to the top or bottom, so that they interact with this wording of Otomo Sensei explicitly and properly.
  So, Jon's ruling above is reversed, and Otomo Sensei CANNOT React to the action of Temple of Death. Brook Cunningham, "Otomo Sensei", 3 Apr 2013
• Q: Otomo Sensei Reaction: Any number of times per turn, after a player chooses a card for which he searched his deck or discard pile, remove a card in your hand from the game: Remove the searched-for card from the game.
  From the rules on Searching: If an effect searches for a specific card (such as "Ring of Water") or card-type (such as "a Ring"), the player must show it if he chooses to retrieve it, to verify that he has retrieved the appropriate card or type, even if the search effect does not specify it is shown.
  I'm not entirely sure where the showing occurs in the timing sequence, so I figure I'll just ask. Assuming you're searching for something that would require showing for verification, is that card shown before the decision about whether to Otomoize it is made? (Tentatively, my thought is yes; I think that both the reaction and the showing have the same timing window, but traits precede reactions.)
  A: Yes. Showing is part of the Search effect, so it will happen before Otomo's reaction trigger. Jon Palmer, "Otomo Sensei timing", 2 Apr 2013
• Q: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=86006
  Temple of Death xp http://imperialassembly.com/oracle/#cardid=8373 Limited: Target a discarded Personality: He becomes honorably dead.
  Otomo Sensei http://imperialassembly.com/oracle/#cardid=5820 Reaction: Any number of times per turn, after a player chooses a card for which he searched his deck or discard pile, remove a card in your hand from the game: Remove the searched-for card from the game.
  Am I correct in assuming (from the linked ruling) that if I have Otomo Sensei and my opponent uses his Temple of Death xp to make one of his own discarded personalities honorably dead, I can use Otomo Sensei's reaction to remove the target from the game?
  A: Don't you have better things to do with your... fate hand?
  Yes, you are correct. Temple of Death xp is searching, and therefore Otomo Sensei can remove its target from the game. Jon Palmer, "Otomo Sensei", 2 Apr 2013
• Q: Otomo Sensei Sensei All cards that would go to your discard pile are instead permanently discarded from play. Reaction: When a player searches for and gets a card from his or her deck or discard pile, discard from play a card from your hand to discard the player's card from play.
  Recruiting Drive Strategy Limited: For the rest of the turn, you may bring Followers into play from your discard pile. Treat the Followers as being played from your hand.
  Can I use my Otomo Sensei's ability to discard the Follower my opponent is bringing into play from his discard pile? I believe the answer lies in the definition of the word "Search" which unfortunately is missing from Recruiting Drive.
  Search To inspect a deck, or all cards in another area, in order to select one or more cards from it.
  Thank you.
  A: Otomo Sensei was printed before a formal definition was attached to "Search". The intent of the current definition is to distinguish between effects that allow you to examine the top few cards of a deck and effects that let you examine and select from anywhere in the deck or discard pile. Recruiting Drive is clearly an example of the latter, and Otomo Sensei's Reaction can trigger off each such search. Alex Jones, "Legacy: Otomo Sensei vs. Recruiting Drive", 26 Aug 2010
• Q: Otomo Sensei All Clans Sensei All cards that would go to your discard pile are instead permanently discarded from play.
  Reaction: When a player searches for and gets a card from his or her deck or discard pile, discard from play a card from your hand to discard the player's card from play.
  My question is this. If my opponent searches their Dynasty deck using an event like A New Wall (searches for a Holding), can I discard a card from my hand to discard that holding (or whatever else they may search for) from play? And if so, can I do the same effect if they are merely placing the card on top of the resepctive deck (fate or Dynasty)?
  -Matt
  [Mod edit: Thread title. -ZF]
  A: Already more-or-less answered here. (Please remember our pal, the Search function.)
  But I'll also reiterate...
  Whenever a card is searched for (the "and gets" part of Otomo Sensei's text is vague and/or redundant; ignore it), you may use Otomo Sensei's Reaction if you can pay its cost (discarding your own card). And, as is evident from Marty's second answer in the link above, it doesn't matter where that searched-for card is going (into play, hand, Province, top of deck, etc.); it never gets there. It is removed from the game before it reaches that destination. Brook Cunningham, "Otomo Sensei", 12 Jul 2008
• Q: 1. When exactly does Otomo Sensei force my opponent to discard? Does the searched card ever go to my opponent's hand, before it is discarded?
  A: After he selected the card from the deck, before anything else happens. It never gets to his or her hand. It also isn't Discarded. "Discarded from play," on some old cards like this one really means, "removed from the game," in modern wordings and rules. Martin Lund, "Otomo Sensei, Kuro Sensei", 11 Feb 2008
• Q: 2. How would subsequent effects be affected if a searched card is discarded from play. For example, would Defensive Duty still increase my province strength even if the personality searched is discarded by Otomo Sensei?
  A: You could still get the Province Strength boost. Use the last known value of the card before it was removed from the game. You will not, however, ever put it in your Province or need to discard a card in that Province. You obviously will not need to discard the Personality either. Martin Lund, "Otomo Sensei, Kuro Sensei", 11 Feb 2008
• Q: 3. How does Kuro Sensei affect refusable challenges when costs to refuse cannot be paid (i.e. a dishonored personality challenged with The Steel Gardens of the Kenshinzen's battle action)?
  A: If there is a listed option to refuse the challenge, Kuro Sensei has no effect on the challenge - even if you can't pay the cost of refusal. Martin Lund, "Otomo Sensei, Kuro Sensei", 11 Feb 2008
• Q: Otomo Sensei (+0/+0/+0)
  All Clans
  All cards that would go to your discard pile are instead permanently removed from play.
  Reaction: When a player searches for and gets a card from his deck or discard pile, discard from play a card from your hand to discard the players card from play.
  Question: If I'm running Otomo sensei, can I save a perso of mine who is destroyed with Feign Death or Kisada's Shrine, or does the sensei prevent that, because they are removed from the game before I can save them?
  A: No, for the reason given. Zen Faulkes, "Otomo Sensei Question", 21 Mar 2005
• Q: so I can react with Otomo sensei?
  A: Absolutely. Showing it is not a requirement of the Reaction. It is just a note that if they are obligated to show the card, they must do so before you choose to use said Reaction. Brook Cunningham, "Sun and Moon #rules-questions", 29 Apr 2025