Shinden Horiuchi

Legend of the Five Rings card from Reign of Blood

Card Type

Stronghold

Province Strength

7

Gold Production

5

Starting Family Honor

4

Clan

Unicorn

Card Text

Your Spells are considered to be both Spells and Items.
Before bowing your Shugenja as a cost of performing one of his Spells' actions: Once per turn, you may bow an Item attached to him instead; if you did, this pays the cost and that Shugenja may not perform Spell actions until the turn ends.
Reaction: Any number of times per turn, but only once per trigger, after attaching an Item from your hand to one of your Personalities: Create a 0F Cavalry Follower and attach it to him.

Legality

Rain of Blood (Diamond)

Deck

Pre-Game

Printings

Rulings

• Reactions triggered after an Item is played (e.g., Unicorn Marketeer) may be played in response to Spells. [JA, 14 November 2003] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 152
• Q: I'm playing Shinden Horiuchi. Do all my Spell cards always count as Items, like when they're in my discard pile? A: They are both Spells and Items while they are "yours". That means "controlled by you," which requires them to be in play. They are not Items while in your deck, discard pile, or hand. Bringing a Spell into play does quality for Reactions to playing an Item, however, such as the one on Shinden Horiuchi itself. Legend of the Five Rings FAQ, April 26, 2004, p. 14

Rules Q&A

• Q: If a Shinden Horiuchi player has an Elemental Dragon in play, can it attach spells?
  A: Yes, if that Spell is coming from some place out of play (like your hand). It isn't an Item until it is under your control, which means it needs to be successfully attached to a Personality you control. Martin Lund, "Rules for 22 October 2004", 25 Oct 2004
• Q: A unicorn shungenja casts a spell without bowing, using the stronghold "once per turn" effect.
  If Flee the darkness (or anything else) cancels the action, is the use of the stronghold counted anyway ? In other words, can the unicorn player use that effect again during the same turn ?
  A: This one Jeff answered a long while ago, in the Rules for 26 Feb. 2004: Martin Lund, "Rules for 10 October 2004", 13 Oct 2004
• Q: 2) Suppose I am playing with Shinden Horiuchi as my Stronghold. If I cast a spell using the Stronghold's trait (by bowing an item), and the spell is >cancelled, does that count as my once per turn use of the trait (since the >action was cancelled, not paying its cost)?
  A: No. Martin Lund, "Rules for 10 October 2004", 13 Oct 2004
• Q: Since spells are items, I can bow a spell instead of the shugenja to cast a spell. So, can I bow the spell I'm casting instead of the shugenja to cast it?
  A: Yes. That's part of why Shinden Horiuchi is a good Stronghold - you can use spells without sacrificing combat Force. Martin Lund, "Rules for 28 September 2004", 30 Sep 2004
• Q: Arms Merchant produces 4 Gold if you have put an "Item card" into play. If I'm playing out of Shinden Horiuchi (which talks about "Items", but not Item cards), will playing a Spell cause AM to produce 4 Gold?
  A: Shinden Horiuchi only makes Spells you control into Items. The Spell will only be an item once it has been attached. It isn't an Item when you are paying to play it, so Arms Merchant won't be of any help. Martin Lund, "Rules for 22-25 August 2004", 30 Aug 2004
• Q: If I am using Shinden Horiuchi as my stronghold, and I have a Shogun's Barracks in play, can I play my spells as battle actions, per the Barracks' ability? I know cards in the deck and cards in the discard are not affected because they aren't technically mine, but I wasn't sure about my hand.
  A: First, I'm going to assume that you mean "The Shogun's Armory," not the Barracks. The Barracks are a holding that can let you refill a Province face-up. The Shogun's Armory has a trait that lets you attach Items out of turn.
  Second, no, this won't let you attach Spells as Battle actions. Cards in your hand aren't "your cards" either. They are just as unaffected as cards in the Discard Pile or a deck. You don't control any of them, which is the only thing a generic "your" looks for in cards. See also Diamond Edition Rulebook, page 105. Martin Lund, "Rules for 27 June 2004", 29 Jun 2004
• Q: Did the PTB ever get around to saying wether or not the Castle of the Wasp and Shinden Horiuchi are used up if the action gets cancelled? I didn't see it in the rules digests, but I might have missed it.
  A: As it stands now, no, they are not "used up" if the Action they were used for is Canceled.
  Folks are discussing how this should be dealt with in the future, though, so it might change for Lotus rules. Martin Lund, "Rules for 26 June 2004", 29 Jun 2004
• Q: I have been informed (by a generally reliable source), that Jeff Alexander ruled Shinden Horiuchi allows a Shugenja to cast a spell while they are bowed, by bowing an item.
  A: Have you guys been buy Jeff drinks after the Koteis this year and then asking him Rules Questions under the influence? Bad fanboys. Bad. ;-)
  More seriously, I can't speak for everything Jeff may have said in his lifetime, but I can tell you - by everything he endorses as official on the books currently - that you can't do that. Bowed Shugenja can not cast Spells - period. (Diamond Edition Rulebook, page 54) Martin Lund, "Rules for 24 June 2004", 28 Jun 2004
• Q: Greetings and salutations.
  I have been informed (by a generally reliable source), that Shinden Horiuchi allows a Shugenja to cast a spell while they are bowed, by bowing an item.
  A: You were misinformed. Bowed Shugenja may not cast Spells. (Diamond Edition Rulebook, page 54) Martin Lund, "Rules for 23 June 2004", 27 Jun 2004
• Q: Simply put, can a bowed shugenja cast a spell, and if the shugenja's items has already cast a spell this turn can another item still cast a spell attached to the shugenja.
  A: Bowed Shugenja can't cast spells. It says so on page 54 of the Diamond Edition Rulebook.
  Items don't cast a Shugenja's Spells. The Shugenja still casts, even if you bow the Item to pay the cost instead of the Shugenja.
  Beyond that, Shinden Horiuchi's text says specifically that you can only use its trait to substitute bowing an item for bowing a Shugenja "once per turn." Martin Lund, "Rules for 22 June 2004", 25 Jun 2004
• Q: While Shinden Horiuchi, if I Gempukku Xushen(A Bushi) into a Shugenja, then buy him using gold including a Seculed Outpost, can I attach a Spell to him as he enters play?
  A: No. It is only "your spell" once it is in play and thusly controlled by you. It can't be in play until you paid for it. Consequently, it isn't an item when Secluded Outpost would let you play an item at reduced cost. Martin Lund, "Rules for 16 May 2004", 19 May 2004
• Q: If I'm playing shinden Hotiuchi, do I get the free follower for attaching a spell to my personnalities ??
  Since the "your" term only apllies to cards in play, I d'rather say no, but there are many questions about it ...
  A: The Reaction is played AFTER the Spell is attached. At that point, the card in question is an Item, and it came from your hand, so you can play the Reaction. Martin Lund, "Rules for 19 April 2004", 21 Apr 2004
• Q: Just a quick question, when using Akodo Dojo to purchase Items for Shinden Horiuchi, does it produce 3, because the action of attaching the item creates a follower token.
  A: The Reaction on Shinden Horiuchi is the action that produces a Follower token. If that were to somehow gain a Gold cost, Akodo Dojo could pay 3 Gold towards it.
  Playing an Item from your hand doesn't create a Follower token. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 26 March 2004", 29 Mar 2004
• Q: First, I cannot use Yasuki Trader to get Spells from my discard pile while SH is my stronghold, because "your" is defined as "Controlled by you. (Cards not in play have no controller.)" on pg. 105 of the DE rulebook, therefore the spells are not "your spells", and not an item.
  So how does MGC ever get a personality back from the discard pile, as no card in a discard pile has a controller, and therefore cannot be one of "your" cards?
  A: Because Morning Glory Castle says "one of your Honorably Dead Phoenix Clan Personality". There is only one place those can be: in your discard pile. Explicit card text overrides general rules. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 8 March 2004", 9 Mar 2004
• Q: 2) Suppose I am playing with Shinden Horiuchi as my Stronghold. If I cast a spell using the Stronghold's trait (by bowing an item), and the spell is cancelled, does that count as my once per turn use of the trait (since the action was cancelled, not paying its cost)?
  A: No. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 26 Feb. 2004", 27 Feb 2004
• Q: "Your Spells are considered to be both Spells and Items."
  Can you recycle spells with Yasuki Trader? Or are they only items while in play?
  A: No; yes. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 16 Feb. 204", 18 Feb 2004
• Q: Message: 8 >Date: Mon, 16 Feb 2004 06:59:33 +0100 >From: "Gino Wout" <scoutie@home.nl> >Subject: Re: [L5R-CCG] Shinden Horiuchi >To: <L5r-ccg@alderac.com> >Message-ID: <000f01c3f452$1248c380$0100a8c0@cc24448a> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" >Your spells mean spells you controll and you controll only spells in >play, >so no when they hit the discard pile they aren't items anymore. Ok, where in the rulebook and or applied rulings is this definition of the word "your" found (I'm just trying to get a handle on it as it makes no sense to me)? The way Shinden Houriuchi reads in English would lead most reasonable people to believe that the text applies to all such spell cards, not simply those in play (which would have been the case if the trait had read "Your spells in play are considered both Spells and Items"). As it reads, all my spells whether in my deck my hand my discard or in play are items, which is still only a marginal ability. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Styer" <goneincognitotoo@yahoo.com> To: <L5r-ccg@alderac.com> Sent: Sunday, February 15, 2004 10:49 PM Subject: [L5R-CCG] Shinden Horiuchi
  A: We would very much appreciate if posters could avoid sending messages like this. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 16 Feb. 204", 18 Feb 2004
• Q: Hi Jeff,
  next try...
  Can a Shinden Horiuchi player attach Spells to his Elemental Dragons? Dragon's can't attach Items, but "your Spells" means "controlled by you". How does the timing work here?
  A: Attachment restrictions are based on the state of the game before the attachment is done. Before you declare you're trying to attach the card, it is only a Spell. The Dragons can attach it. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 6 Feb. 2004", 7 Feb 2004
• Q: How does Shinden Horiuchi work with spells where the casting shugenja may remain bowed to sustain the spell's effect?
  A: It doesn't. The effect ends because the Shugenja isn't bowed. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 14 December 2003, Part 2", 15 Dec 2003
• Q: So, if say, a Shinden Horiuchi player bows a Shugenja to cast a Spell-Item, can that player bow the Spell-Item to cast itself again on the same turn?
  No. "That Shungena may not cast spells" (Stronghold text).
  Zen, this doesn't sound right to me.
  A: That's because it's the wrong answer. I misread the question. Sorry. The answer should have been, "Yes." Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 1 December 2003, Part 2", 2 Dec 2003
• Q: So, if say, a Shinden Horiuchi player bows a Shugenja to cast a Spell-Item, can that player bow the Spell-Item to cast itself again on the same turn?
  A: No. "That Shungena may not cast spells" (Stronghold text). Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 1 December 2003", 1 Dec 2003
• Q: Does Shinden Horiuchi's trait effect what type of card Spells are considered begin when it enters the "Entering Play" zone?
  A: No. At the time, "your" meant "control." Which means, "paid and in play," not in the process of entering play. Zen Faulkes, "Entering Play Zone and Shinden Horiuchi", 16 Sep 2007