Shiro no Soshi

Legend of the Five Rings card from Lotus Edition, Code of Bushido

Card Type

Stronghold

Province Strength

7

Gold Production

4

Starting Family Honor

2

Clan

Scorpion

Card Text

Non-Unique Ninja Personalities you own in and out of play without Ninjutsu have Ninjutsu on their face-up side with a value equal to that side's printed Gold Cost minus six.
Before you reveal a Dynasty card at the start of your turn, you may look at it, then choose not to reveal it if it is a Ninjutsu Personality.
Repeatable Battle/Open: Target a face-down Ninja who hasn't been targeted by, or chosen as the performer of, an action this turn. Give him +2F until he is targeted or chosen as a performer or the turn ends.

Legality

Age of Enlightenment (Lotus), Rain of Blood (Diamond)

Deck

Pre-Game

Printings

Rulings

• You may note which Dynasty Cards in your Provinces were left Face-down during the Events Phase, and may look at them at any time during that turn. [ML, web, 24 March 2006] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 152

Rules Q&A

• Q: Also, if this is the case, and I am playing Shiro no Soshi: I have a ninja with 8 gold cost. Normally his ninjitsu cost would be 2. If Shiryo no Yogo reduces his cost by 2, would his ninjutsu cost be 0 because his gold cost is 6?
  A: No. Shiro no Soshi calculates the Ninjutsu value it grants based upon a Ninja Personality's PRINTED (read: base) Gold Cost. Brook Cunningham, "Legacy ninjutsu gold cost", 17 Apr 2010
• Q: With Shiro no Soshi as a stronghold, Ninja Stronghold may enter play as a Ninjutsu Personality...
  A: My dear Arthur, this wasn't true of Kuroiban Compound during Lotus, and it's not true of Ninja Stronghold now either. Yes, Shiro no Soshi will give Ninja Stronghold the Ninjutsu keyword, but a non-Personality can't do a whole lot with that keyword.
  From the Legacy Format rules, additions to the Samurai Rulebook (emphasis mine):
  http://rules.l5r.com/Legacy_Format#Legacy_Format_Changes_to_the_Samurai_Rulebook: "Personalities with the Ninjutsu keyword are treated specially at certain times while face-down."
  And even from the Stronghold in question (emphasis mine, again): "Each time you would reveal a Dynasty card during the Events Phase, you may look at it, then choose not to reveal it if it is a Ninjutsu Personality." Brook Cunningham, "Legacy: Ninjutsu Holdings", 20 Mar 2008
• Q: If my opponent is playing Shiro no Soshi and has alot of face down ninja's and then he wins the game, and reveals his ninja ppl and has one without the ninjutsu trait. What Happens.
  A: That's a question for the tournament judge. Zen Faulkes, "LEGACY: Ninjutsu Question", 18 Mar 2008
• Q: (If a Ninjutsu Personality is targeted by Yu,) I loose the +2F bonus from Shiro no Soshi but can't turn face up the personality.
  A: Incorrect. Yu does not target. (Fixed.) Zen Faulkes, "Yu and Ninjutsu", 9 Dec 2005
• Q: Hey guys, Looking at making a shiro no soshi, ninja deck. Wondering if the face down personality with ninjutsu is a scorpion is he considered a member of my clan if I bring him out as a facedown ninja?
  A: They're 2/3 -/4/0 Ninja, right? So, yes, unaligned in Lotus, Ninja aligned in Open/Legacy Alex Jones, "Oracle of the Void #rules", 28 Mar 2021