Share the Blame

Legend of the Five Rings card from The Truest Test, Samurai Edition Banzai

Card Type

Strategy

Gold Cost

0

Keywords

Political

Card Text

Reaction: After another player targets a Courtier with an action, or chooses him as a performer, dishonor your performing Courtier: Dishonor the Courtier the other player targeted or chose. You, then the other player, each lose 3 Honor.

Focus Value

3

Legality

Age of Enlightenment (Lotus), Race for the Throne (Samurai)

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rulings

• Courtiers cannot commit seppuku in response. [ML, 11 September 2007] Comprehensive Rules, Samurai Edition, with specific card rulings, final version, May 2009, p. 154

Rules Q&A

• Q: Situation: As a naval action, I play Knowledge targeting my samurai and an opposing courtier. My opponent reacts with Share the Blame after the targets are chosen, dishonoring the courtier I targeted with Knowledge. I then react with Doomed Intentions, destroying his courtier. I believe the Knowledge sends my personality home with me drawing 0 cards. Is that correct?
  A: Looks correct to me.
  By the time the card draw effect of Knowledge would occur, the personality to check for personal honor is dishonored via the enemy leader's Share the Blame. That courtier's personal honor is 0. You draw no cards, and your Samurai is sent home.
  EDITED: While the answer I gave is correct, my reasoning was off. My apologies. Dan Jacobson, "Knowledge, Share the Blame, and Doomed Intentions", 7 Nov 2008
• Q: Has a resolution been reached regarding the issue of which player does the targeting when Misdirection is played as a reaction?
  A: The actual targeting is still considered to come from the original targeter. Bayushi Kaukatsu trait could be triggered by his controller using Misdirection an an opponent's action. Zen Faulkes, "Misdirection and Share the Blame", 24 Sep 2008
• Q: Does this ruling:
  Misdirection doesn't change which player is considered to be doing the targeting; it only changes who chooses the targets. Choosing the targets and the targeting itself are separate facets of targeting. (emphasis added)
  override this ruling?
  [...] since Misdirection let you do the targeting, the other player did not target your Courtier
  If now Misdirection doesn't change which player is considered to be doing the targeting, then using a Misdirection to choose a courtier as a target would allow me to react with Share the Blame, right?
  A: Consider this issue under discussion, but in the meanwhile, abide by the earlier ruling by Marty Lund.
  Alex (Akodo Gilador) was backing up an assertion in my response that I've since reconsidered (see the section marked "Fixed"). I apologize for the discrepancy, and we'll have it all ironed out as soon as possible. Brook Cunningham, "Misdirection and Share the Blame", 14 Sep 2008
• Q: Share the Blame Cost:0 Focus:3 Political Reaction: After another player targets a Courtier with an action, dishonor one of your Courtiers: Dishonor the Courtier the other player targeted. You, then the other player, each lose 3 Honor.
  I have read the topics previously posted , but cant help but think that a card which hits you for just simply targeting one of your people is somehow unbalanced. How can you be "blamed" when nothing has actually occured? I could understand if it read " After another players courtier performs or resolves an action", as it is my courtier starts to lobby for the Favor and bam he is dishonored and I lose 3 honor...
  A: This is not a rules question, so I'm not going to comment here. Alex Jones, "Share the Blame and Seppuku", 21 Mar 2008
• Q: Also since my courtier is the focal point to which this card reacts, seeems to me he is involved/causing the honor loss and should have the option to seppuku, since without the courtier there would be no honor loss.
  A: See: http://www.alderac.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=61532
  Your courtier is neither targeted in the constraints block nor in the effects, so he is neither performing nor being targeted by an action. He cannot Seppuku. Alex Jones, "Share the Blame and Seppuku", 21 Mar 2008
• Q: If my opponent has a dead Ikoma Yasuko experienced in the discard pile, when he tries to copy the ability from Yasuko experienced onto another personality, can I react with Share the Blame?
  A: Yes. The Courtier was targeted. http://rules.l5r.com/Glossary_X-Z: "When “your” and other possessive forms such as “the player’s” or “his” refer to a card, this means “controlled by that player" if the card is in play, or "owned by that player" if the card is not in play." Zen Faulkes, "Share the Blame with Hall of the Ancestors", 17 Mar 2008
• Q: If my opponent has a dead Ikoma Yasuko experienced in the discard pile:
  Lion Clan • Courtier • Experienced Shosuro Yasuko • Unique Battle: Even if Yasuko is home: Target a Personality not at the current battlefield. Move him there. If you do not control him, straighten him. Political Reaction: Before another Lion Clan Personality is destroyed, destroy Yasuko: Negate the Personality's destruction.
  When he tries to copy the ability from Yasuko experienced onto another personality, can I react with Share the Blame?
  Hall of Ancestors Dead Personalities you own can not be removed from the game. Battle/Open: One of your target Personalities copies an ability or keyword from a target dead Lion Clan Personality you own (until the turn ends).
  Share the Blame Political Reaction: After another player targets a Courtier with an action, dishonor one of your Courtiers: Dishonor the Courtier the other player targeted. You, then the other player, each lose 3 Honor.
  Thanks,
  -Steve
  A: Yes, when a Hall of the Ancestors player targets his dead Ikoma Yasuko, you have a valid trigger for playing Share the Blame and can do so as long as you have one of your own Coutiers to pay the cost.
  Please note, though, Share the Blame will not dishonor the dead Yasuko, as I found ruled here, via the Search feature (I'm truly happy to help, but your continued aversion to said feature does perplex). Brook Cunningham, "Share the Blame with Hall of the Ancestors", 17 Mar 2008
• Q: - Sachina's action fails, now my courtier is no longer a legal target.
  A: That's the correct outcome, as per the following rule. Martin Lund, "Two questions about Share the Blame", 9 Nov 2007
• Q: From the point when the action is announced legally to the point where the targeting is required, if any of the action’s required targeting is interfered with and required targeting can no longer be met, the action’s effects do not resolve and its costs are waived. It is still considered taken, but not resolved. If it was on an Action card, the card is discarded normally.
  A: As found in the Comprehensive Rules. Martin Lund, "Two questions about Share the Blame", 9 Nov 2007
• Q: - The targetting was met nevertheless, and the courtier bows.
  A: This is only true if the target becomes illegal, "after all targeting and reactions to targeting occurs." It isn't after reactions, yet. Martin Lund, "Two questions about Share the Blame", 9 Nov 2007
• Q: Question 2: I'm playing against a Shizuka Toshi deck. My opponent announces the stronghold's action, and targets one of his courtiers, and one of mine. I want to react with Share the Blame in order to dishonor his courtier.
  Are both Shizuka Toshi targets announced at the same time, or must I react to his first target before he targets any of my personalities? Does the same apply against a Deception's Veil Dojo action?
  A: They are announced in the order printed on the card. You have to react to his first target before he targets your personalities. He'll be sure to target someone other than your Courtier you are dishonoring to play Share the Blame. This also holds true for Deception's Veil Dojo. Martin Lund, "Two questions about Share the Blame", 9 Nov 2007
• Q: I attack with a courtier and a Non Courtier. While resolving that battle my opponent plays block supply lines. I play Misdirection so that I get to choose the target. I chose my courtier. Can I now play Share the Blame?
  I would say "no" since my opponent didn't target my courtier, I targetted him with my opponent's action. I just want to be sure.
  A: Your intuition is correct - since Misdirection let you do the targeting, the other player did not target your Courtier, thus leaving you without a valid trigger for Share the Blame. Martin Lund, "Misdirection and Share the Blame", 2 Nov 2007
• Q: RE: This.
  Is the above ruling correct? I thought there was no more implicit targeting.
  Marty answers that the Courtier who pays the cost of Share the Blame is performing it. But the criteria for performing are:
  * The action comes from an ability on the Personality or Follower. * The action comes from an ability on an Item or Spell in the Personality’s unit. * The Personality or Follower was targeted by targeting in the ability’s constraints block (between the two colons).
  Share the Blame does not say it targets the courtier who pays its cost ("...dishonor one of your Courtiers..."), therefore I do not believe he performs it.
  A: You'll note I also cited "Assigning Blame" instead of Share the Blame. I got the two cards and their text mixed very badly. Neither one is Performed by anyone. One references the Courtier in the Constraints Block, but does not target him. The other targets a Courtier but not in the Constraints Block.
  I've fixed the error. Martin Lund, "RE: Share the Blame and Seppuku", 12 Sep 2007
• Q: Regarding this...such situations may be rare, but not unheard of. For clarification, assume player A targets player B's dead Courtier with "Let Them Fight Their Dead":
  Maho Kiho Battle: Target one of your unbowed opposed Shugenja: Target a dead Personality the enemy leader owns. Lose 5 Honor. Bring him into play, in your army, waiving costs and ignoring restrictions. After the battle ends, destroy him.
  Could player B react with "Share the Blame" (assuming he has another Courtier in play to dishonour)?
  Political Reaction: After another player targets a Courtier with an action, dishonor one of your Courtiers: Dishonor the Courtier the other player targeted. You, then the other player, each lose 3 Honor.
  Since the dead Courtier is still in the discard when "Share the Blame" resolves, I'm assuming he wouldn't be dishonoured, but would Player A still lose 3 honour?
  A: I answered these questions already. Zen Faulkes, "Share The Blame and Out of Play Redux", 9 Jul 2007
• Q: If another player targets a Courtier in a discard pile (dead or otherwise) with an action (but does not target any Courtiers in play), can a player react with Share the Blame?
  A: Most actions cannot target things out of play, so that would be rare. Zen Faulkes, "Share the Blame vs. discarded Courtiers.", 8 Jul 2007
• Q: If so, is the dead/discarded courtier dishonored?
  A: Rules: "Effects only apply to cards that are either in play(.)" No. Zen Faulkes, "Share the Blame vs. discarded Courtiers.", 8 Jul 2007
• Q: Can I use (Experienced) Bayushi Kan's open ability to target one of my courtiers and react with Share the Blame?
  A: Yes. Zen Faulkes, "Bayushi Kan XP and Share the Blame", 6 Jun 2007
• Q: Hello guys question under Samurai. If my oponent activates share the blame to one of my actions on a courtier. Can he seppuku his own personality for the share the blame on himself? @Brook Cunningham
  A: No. Per SE Rules, your Courtier does not technically perform the action, because they are not targeted in the constraints. Brook Cunningham, "Sun and Moon #rules-questions", 5 Aug 2026