Shosuro Aroru

Legend of the Five Rings card from Forgotten Legacy

Card Type

Personality

Force

4

Chi

5

Honor Requirement

-

Gold Cost

9

Personal Honor

0

Clan

Ninja, Scorpion

Keywords

Duelist, Experienced 2, Unique, Ninja, Scorpion Clan

Card Text

Will not attach non-Ninja Followers.
Reaction: When an action would target a Ninja at Aroru's location: Choose another of your cards. The action targets it instead, if legal. After the action's resolution, you may move Aroru to a different location.
Battle: Other players may not take Reactions until this action ends. Ranged 5 Attack.

Legality

Age of Conquest (Emperor), Destroyer War (Celestial)

Deck

Dynasty

Printings

Rules Q&A

• Q: Follow up to: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=102324
  Does it have to be redirected to a Ninja? Can it just be redirected to any card that is legal?
  A: Sure. I actually was just guilty of assuming more than he'd asked in his question, and figuring that his other people in the battle were Ninja. They certainly don't have to be. Jon Palmer, "Follow up to Shosuro Aroru Exp 2", 15 Mar 2013
• Q: HI!!!!
  If for some reason I have Shosuro Aroru exp 2 and two other personalities bowed at a battle and I use my own Creating Order on Shosuro Aroru and one of the two bowed people. Can I react with Aroru's abilities to redirect his straightening (even though he isn't bowed) to the second bowed personality and move Shosuro Aroru?
  Shosuro Aroru exp 2: imperialassembly.com/oracle/#cardid=7089,#hashid=42b8bb82c5dbe0eb3a44ea3d4e58f256,#cardcount=2
  Creating Order: imperialassembly.com/oracle/#cardid=1557,#hashid=e6892a72e12e896035e57805c49ac495,#cardcount=0
  Thank you!
  A: Yes.
  Aroru reacts to the targeting of an action, and nothing on Creating Order says it can only target bowed Personalities. So you may target Aroru, activate his reaction, redirect the straightening to your other bowed personality, and then move Aroru.
  EDIT: Replaced "ninja" with the more accurate "personality". Jon Palmer, "Shosuro Aroru exp2 and Creating Order", 15 Mar 2013
• Q: After reading this thread: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=99867 I had a few questions...
  1) If I use Cultist Infiltrator's limited action targeting my opponent's Merchant, and he uses Jinn-Kuen to negate that action, then the Cultist Infiltrator stays in my hand and I don't pay the 2 gold, correct? And if that is correct, then can I just use my next action to perform Cultist Infiltrator's limited action yet again?
  2) My opponent has Shosuro Aroru xp2 in play. I use Cultist Infiltrator's limited ability targeting a different Ninja in my opponent's home. He uses Aroru's reaction to try to change the targeting to Aroru. Can he choose Aroru to redirect the action to even though the attaching will fail? And if he is allowed to redirect the action to Aroru, what will happen to the cultist infiltrator when it's action tries to resolve? Will it stay in my hand or go to the discard pile? And will I have to pay the gold or not?
  A: 1. Technically, the Infiltrator will go to the Entering Play area, then return to your hand when its attachment is negated. But yes, you may take the action again, and you do not need to pay the costs.
  2. He may redirect the action to Aroru, and at step 3 of the procedure for playing Attachments, it will be unable to meet the restrictions of attaching. It will go back to your hand and you will not need to pay the 2 gold. Jon Palmer, "Cultist Infiltrator new text", 2 Dec 2012
• Q: It seems an obvious question but I couldn't find a clear answer in the comprehensive rules nor by searching this forum. I ask because we had a game where Shosuro Aroru xp2 and Red Crane Dojo were both in play. My opponent wanted to bow my Red Crane Dojo with an effect, and I wanted to redirect said effect to another holding. Does this work? Are my holdings in the same location as my personalities? All I found in the Comp. rules is "The home is the area where a player’s Stronghold is located and where cards usually enter play. It is represented by the area in front of the Provinces and decks. It is also a location." and all it says under holdings "The Holding enters play bowed." no mention of where.
  Thanks for your help!
  A: Holdings, like other cards, enter play in your Home, and there are no card effects (nor game rules) that will move them to battlefields.
  See Areas of the Game, Home: The home is the area where a player’s Stronghold is located and where cards usually enter play. It is represented by the area in front of the Provinces and decks. It is also a location.
  Note that the rules for Holdings do not specify where they enter play, so they use the default, which is your Home. Alex Jones, "Are Holdings at Home?", 17 Nov 2012
• Q: Does the effect on Shosuro Aroru Exp 2's Battle action ("Other players may not take Reactions until this action ends") extend through to any additional Ranged Attack Battle actions granted by Koshin's Keep?
  I would think so since the granting of an additional ranged attack by Kioshin Keep is an effect added to Aroru's Ranged 5 Attack, and thus must resolve completely until Aroru's battle action resolves.
  Example: I have Shosuro Aroru Exp 2 in Play with a Seige Volley in Hand. My opponent has a 9 Force Beserker and a Precision in hand (why Beserkers would play Precision, I don't know). I used Koshin Keep Reaction upon engaging. I announce Shosuro Aroru ability to target the Beserker with the Ranged attack and follow up with Seige Volley. Can my opponent every play his Precision (or even react with his box to delay the destruction for that matter)?
  A: An additional action granted by one action is taken after the current action has finished and after effects and Reactions triggered by the end of the action have finished; the quoted effect ends such effects and Reactions are triggered..
  See Additional Action: When an additional action is granted while a non-Reaction action is in progress, the timing of the additional action is delayed: the opportunity to take it happens once the current non-Reaction action has ended, and once the opportunity to play Reactions to the end of the action has passed. Alex Jones, "Koshin Keep + Shosuro Aroru Exp 2", 28 Oct 2012
• Q: Doesn't this conflict with the Good faith rule?
  http://www.alderac.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=99507
  Good Faith Rule: When an action is announced, the player must be able to target all required targets, meet all conditions of the action, and pay all mandatory costs, to the best of his or her knowledge.
  ...
  The intent of the Good Faith Rule is to prevent players from abusively attempting actions whose costs and requirements they know they cannot fulfill (for example, in order to exploit a Reaction to announcing the action), while at the same time allowing players to take actions whose costs and requirements they know they can fulfill. It should be interpreted in this spirit, and not as a way to block legal actions because of a technicality.
  A: Aroru's Reaction has a trigger, "When an action would target a ninja at Aroru's location". It has no required targets (nor optional), no conditions, no costs, and brings no cards into play. Alex Jones, "Shosuro Aroru Exp 2", 4 Sep 2012
• Q: My question concerns the reaction on Shosuro Aroru. http://imperialassembly.com/oracle/#cardid=7089
  If Shosuro Aroru is my only personality on my side of a battle, without any attachments, and my opponent targets him with an action, can I use his reaction to move him to a different location, assuming the action did not bow or remove him from play?
  Relevent action: Reaction: When an action would target a ninja at Aroru's location: Choose another of your cards. The action targets it instead, if legal. After the action's resolution, you may move Aroru to a different location.
  A: Yes - and you may move him even if he bowed.
  The "Choose another of your cards" is in the effects block, not the constraints block, so Aroru's Reaction is legal even if Aroru is the only card at his location. The choosing will obviously fail, and the retargeting. As long as Aroru is still in play, you may move him after the action's resolution; this is not dependent on him being unbowed, since the rule that Abilities on a bowed card may not be used is only checked when the action is announced. Alex Jones, "Shosuro Aroru Exp 2", 4 Sep 2012
• Q: This has just recently come up in the Kotei, & has had our gaming group questioning its legality.
  A friend in our game group was in a battle against one (and only one) Shosuro Aroru. During the battle, he targeted Aroru with one of his actions, wherein his opponent redirected it with Aroru's reaction, declaring "nothing" as his chosen card! He even stated that this was possible since even range attacks needs no target. 3 player judges actually ruled that this was in fact a legal action, though we still highly doubt this. Our friend did win the match, but has made us wary, since we're aware that targeting of range attacks is part of it's effect & not its cost.
  So basically, my question is: Can Aroru's reaction choose "nothing" as a legal target? From our game group's understanding, it's not since there's no physical card that was chosen to become the new target.
  Shosuro Aroru 4F/5C -/9G/0PH Scorpion Clan • Ninja • Duelist • Experienced 2 • Unique Will not attach non-Ninja Followers. Reaction: When an action would target a Ninja at Aroru's location: Choose another of your cards. The action targets it instead, if legal. After the action's resolution, you may move Aroru to a different location. Battle: Other players may not take Reactions until this action ends. Ranged 5 Attack.
  A: EDIT: To address the OP's question a bit more clearly.
  "Nothing" is not a vailid choice.
  Your opponent would have to choose a card, assuming there is another card to choose. Nothing in the situation described would allow them to ignore this effect. However, since Reactions are not bound by the Rule of Location, that card can be any card in play, even if that chosen card would not be a legal target for the original action.
  The argument your opponent used to justify this (Range Attack optional targeting), doesn't factor in to this situation, as they are two completely separate and distinct mechanics, where applying the logic of one to the other should never be done.
  (Aside- I've seen this trick used choosing a holding, a region, etc... and since the redirection effect only kicks in if the new target is legal, choosing one of those cards likely results in the redirection failing, but still allows you to use Aroru's movement, if he' still around after the first action finishes resolving.) Ben Higgins, "Aroru Exp 2 reaction redirects to "nothing"", 3 Jun 2012
• Q: If Aroru's Range 5 attack destroys a courtier, can the controller of courtier play empress address or words have strength?
  Also, when will aroru's battle action end?
  Words have strength Reaction: After a battle's resolution, or the resolution of another player's Battle action, if the resolution or action destroyed any of your Courtiers or Magistrates: Choose a player, who loses 3 Honor.
  A: Abilities and actions: "The trigger “after action resolution” is the same point in time as “after the action ends.” "
  So, both The Empress' Address and Words Have Strength can be played in response to Aroru's Ranged Attack action. Brook Cunningham, "Shosuro Aroru xp2 vs Empress' Address, Words have Strength", 22 Mar 2012
• Q: Shosuro Aroru (Experienced 2) Scorpion Clan • Ninja • Duelist • Experienced 2 • Unique Will not attach non-Ninja Followers. Reaction: When an action would target a Ninja at Aroru's location: Choose another of your cards. The action targets it instead, if legal. After the action's resolution, you may move Aroru to a different location. Battle: Other players may not take Reactions until this action ends. Ranged 5 Attack.
  Moshi Umiko Mantis Clan • Thunder • Shugenja • Naval • Storm Rider Umiko has +2F while she has a Spell. Reaction: After a Ranged Attack is targeted: Give the Ranged Attack +2 or -2 strength.
  When Aroru is trying to shoot Umiko down can she reduce his ranged attack?
  A: No, she cannot.
  The Ranged Attack isn't targeted until after the preceding effect, "Other players may not take Reactions...", has taken effect. Brook Cunningham, "Shosuro Aroru's exp2 shooting ability", 25 Feb 2012
• Q: Shosuro Aroru (Experienced 2) Scorpion Clan • Ninja • Duelist • Experienced 2 • Unique Will not attach non-Ninja Followers. Reaction: When an action would target a Ninja at Aroru's location: Choose another of your cards. The action targets it instead, if legal. After the action's resolution, you may move Aroru to a different location. Battle: Other players may not take Reactions until this action ends. Ranged 5 Attack.
  I have a question about the word "different" in the last effect of his reaction, does it referre to the location mentioned in the constraint block or to the location where Aroru is when the effect happens? in this post http://www.alderac.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=96210, the answer to my question seems to be the second one, but I don't see any reason to use the word "different" in this case because when a personality moves, it's always to a location that is different from the one where he is.
  Thank you
  A: In all cases with Shosuro Aroru - Experienced 2's Reaction, the word different relates to the location when the effect is applied.
  The last part of Aroru's Reaction creates a delayed effect. According to the sequence for using abilities (Section E, Action resolution), "Effects are applied immediately after they are activated, except for delayed effects. Delayed effects are activated during this step, but not applied until their trigger occurs." Ben Higgins, "Shosuro Aroru xp2's reaction", 24 Feb 2012
• Q: Situation:
  mantis player attacks Aroru defends,
  Mantis uses naval invasion reaction and target Aroru with Stronghold battle to move him home
  Can I use Aroru reaction to jump back to the battle?
  Suitengu's Torch Thunder Reaction: After you announce a Thunder Battle action: Its effects will n ot be negated or delayed. Battle: Choose your performing unbowed Personality and target an enemy Personality: Move him home.
  Shosuro Aroru (Experienced 2) Scorpion Clan • Ninja • Duelist • Experienced 2 • Unique Will not attach non-Ninja Followers. Reaction: When an action would target a Ninja at Aroru's location: Choose another of your cards. The action targets it instead, if legal. After the action's resolution, you may move Aroru to a different location. Battle: Other players may not take Reactions until this action ends. Ranged 5 Attack.
  A: Yes, if you use Aroru's reaction in this case, and choose an illegal target, Aroru will remain targeted, be sent home, and after the action's resolution you may move him back into the battle. Jon Palmer, "Suitengu's Torch vs Shosuro Aroru xp2", 13 Feb 2012
• Q: Situation is this, Player A attacks and Player B assigns no units to defend and only has one personality Shosuro Aroru in his home. Player A players hunting the daughter, targeting Shosuro Aroru. Can Player B react with Shosuro Aroru, targeting a holding or Stronghold and as a result move home after the resolution of hunting the daughter?
  Secondly if Player B had assigned Shosuro Aroru to a different provence than the attacker and was dragged over, would it be legal to take Shosuro's reaction?
  Hunting the Daughter Battle: Choose your performing unbowed Scout, and bow him unless the current battlefield's province was targeted by a Recon action this turn: Move another player's target Personality to this battlefield. Straighten him. If you are a Crab Clan player, you may take an additional Battle action.
  Shosuro Aroru (Experienced 2) Scorpion Clan • Ninja • Duelist • Experienced 2 • Unique Will not attach non-Ninja Followers. Reaction: When an action would target a Ninja at Aroru's location: Choose another of your cards. The action targets it instead, if legal. After the action's resolution, you may move Aroru to a different location. Battle: Other players may not take Reactions until this action ends. Ranged 5 Attack.
  A: Yes, in both those scenarios, it would be legal to take Aroru's Reaction.
  "Choose another of your cards" is not restricted in any way, so you could pick your Stronghold or a Holding. The effect "The action targets it instead, if legal." would fail, because such a card is NOT a legal target for Hunting the Daughter. Then, after Hunting the Daughter's resolution, Aroru's Reaction's delayed effect moves him, if his player chooses.
  Unfortunately, even if you're a Crab player, you don't get your additional action until Aroru is already gone. Additional actions are delayed until after the opportunity to take Reactions triggered by the original action ending (see here), which is also after Aroru's delayed effect triggers. Brook Cunningham, "Shosuro Aroru (Experienced 2) VS Hunting the Daughter", 24 Oct 2011
• Q: From this
  "The inability to React is the first effect of the action, so it technically begins after that first effect is applied. Currently, Howard, this will allow all the examples you list of Reactions that CAN be taken."
  I'd like to point out that Exception 2 to the general rule of "effects occurs in the order they're written" possibly could apply here?
  From the CR:
  EXCEPTION 2: Phrases in an ability’s effects that refer to an ability itself, such as “This ability may be used once per battle,” or “This ability will not be copied,” apply to the ability at all times, even when the ability is not being used.
  Would this be accepted (or at least considered as a temporary fix until those rules for Ranged Attacks are changed)? Meaning that Aroru's ability would prohibit reactions during the whole action process (announcement, mandatory targeting, and so on)?
  A: You're confusing abilities and actions.
  Ability: Text on a card, or granted to a player, that allows an action to be taken. Abilities are used.
  Action: A sequence of performing, targeting, costs, and effects that comes from an ability. ... Actions are taken.
  Aroru's ability states, "Other players may not take Reactions until this action ends" - it makes no reference to the ability. Alex Jones, "Shosuro Aroru", 9 Aug 2011
• Q: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=93307
  A follow-up question: When does the inability to react start?
  Given that it's an effect of the action, doesn't it technically not start until the Resolution? Which would mean that you could change the target, interfere with costs, use Only Actions Speak, etc.
  A: The inability to React is the first effect of the action, so it technically begins after that first effect is applied. Currently, Howard, this will allow all the examples you list of Reactions that CAN be taken.
  However it should be noted that, come EE, Ranged Attack targeting will occur during effects, not during required targeting, which will greatly increase the number of Reactions prohibited by this effect. Brook Cunningham, "Shosuro Aroru", 9 Aug 2011
• Q: When does the action "end"?
  A: An action ends after its resolution, as noted in this sequence of steps A through E. Brook Cunningham, "Shosuro Aroru", 8 Aug 2011
• Q: I get that outer walls, Chugo Seido, Imperial command etc can't be used and that's cool, but can you save them with Duty or Akodo Senichi?
  A: No, Duty and Senichi react during the action's resolution, when the destruction from the Ranged Attack occurs.
  In fact, as the poster below points out, you are currently INCORRECT under CE Rules in that you actually CAN react with Outer Walls, Chugo Seido, and Imperial Command. Those react to targeting, which occurs before the action's first effect (the one that prevents Reactions) is applied. Brook Cunningham, "Shosuro Aroru", 8 Aug 2011