Shosuro Maru

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

Card Type

Personality

Force

0

Chi

2

Honor Requirement

-

Gold Cost

6

Personal Honor

1

Clan

Scorpion

Keywords

Courtier, Distracter, Scorpion Clan, Soul of Yogo Asami

Card Text

Open: Bow Maru and target a player: He must target and bow one of his unbowed Personalities.

Legality

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

Deck

Dynasty

Printings

Rulings

• Her action is not legal during a battle unless she is in it. [Reversal, ZF, web, 7 December 2005] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 124
• When she is in the current battle and uses her ability, the targeted player can bow any of his or her personalities, whether they are in the battle or not. [Mouse, 22 April 1997] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 124

Rules Q&A

• Q: Now in an attack where the player has no presence he uses Maru's open as his action telling me to bow a personality.
  A: No presence at all? No. Maru's Action doesn't help you meet Presence at all. It does not move in or create a unit.
  If he already had Presence (say he had a Toku in the battle), then it would only be a question of the Relevance of the Action. If Maru is in his home, the only way Maru will be Relevant to play is if all the Personalities he could bow due to her ability were all at the current battle.
  If even on elligible Personality were at another battle or in your fief, Maru would not be Relevant. Martin Lund, "Rules for 5 and 6 September 2004", 8 Sep 2004
• Q: I Amush a bowed Shosuro Maru. Since the Ambush occurs in my action phase, can Bonds of Fate be used to bow my personality attacking in the Ambush?
  A: No. During an Ambush it is only an Attack Phase. The Action Phase is suspended until that Attack Phase ends. You can only be in one phase at a time. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 17 March 2004", 18 Mar 2004
• Q: Shosuro Maru
  Scorpion Clan Distracter ï Courtier Soul of Yogo Asami Open: Bow Maru and target a player to force that player to target and bow one of his unbowed Personalities.
  Unrequited Love
  Political Open: Target an unbowed Human Personality during his controllerís Action Phase. His controller may bow the Personality to gain 1 Honor. If he does not, dishonor the Personality and cause his controller to lose Honor equal to the Personalityís printed Personal Honor.
  Questions:
  1) Can you use Maru to bow an attacking or defending personality if the targeted player has neither units at home nor at other provinces?
  A: You may use Maru if either:
  She is in the current battle, or
  You have someone in the current battle AND the only possible Personalities the other player may target with her action are in the current battle. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 27 Feb. 2004", 28 Feb 2004
• Q: If I am not mistaken u can... bow to get 2 gold, or bow + bow a personality for 4 gold when paying for a personality. Personally for a rare I think it is pretty crap. If u wanna put some cards that are opowerd on the watch list go no further than.
  Shosuro Maru Scorpion Clan Distracter . Courtier Soul of Yogo Asami Open: Bow Maru and target a player to force that player to target and bow one of his unbowed Personalities.
  A: The Watch List is not simply for strong cards. It is also not open to public suggestion. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 20 Feb. 2004", 21 Feb 2004
• Q: 1. Your opponent bows Shosuro Maru for her ability. Can you target Hida Ishi with the effect and have it negated (automatically)?
  A: No. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 16 Feb. 204", 18 Feb 2004
• Q: May the controller of maru dicard a card if he is playing agains a Razor Edge Dojo(the crab stronghold), when the ability is used?
  A: No. Maru targets a player, not a Personality [card text]. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 3 November 2003, Part 3", 4 Nov 2003
• Q: Is Yogo Asami's entries in the Rules Archives completely applicable to Shosuro Maru, since both cards have slight wording differences?
  A: Jeff's already answered this, but this is a good chance to explain a few things about how I'm integrating Diamond with the existing Rules Archive.
  There will be no Diamond Edition rulings in the archive until Diamond Edition has been released. As now, the rulings for Personalities with the "Soul of..." trait will often be found under the rulings for the earlier Personality. Any differences will be noted in separate rulings for the new Dimaond Personality. MRP infor will find their way in there -- eventually (MRPs for several hundred cards takes time!). Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 2 October 2003, Part 2", 3 Oct 2003
• Q: This rules dispute popped up in casual play last night:
  Shosaru Maru from home bows to target the opponent, who has all 4 of his unbowed personalities at a battle, opposed.
  The opponent attempts to use Field of Pyrrhic Victory to cancel the action.
  The dispute is over the targeting. One player contends Maru targets the opponent, and not the opponent's personality. The choice of personality is part of the effect, and thus no personlity is being targeted by Maru (similar to the reasoning for why Flee the Darkness doesn't stop Overwhelmed).
  The opponent contends his choice of personlity is part of the targeting effect, and thus able to be cancelled by Fields of Pyrrhic Victory.
  Can we get clarification?
  A: Here you go.
  Ph34r my 1337 Search Skillz! Martin Lund, "Fields of Pyrrhic Victory and Shosuro Maru", 23 Mar 2005
• Q: my Shosuro Toson Exp is unbowed at home during a battle. my opponent has Shosuro Maru present in a battle and uses her ability.
  A: This one: Zen Faulkes, "Shosuro Toson Exp", 17 Mar 2005
• Q: If I am targeted by my opponent's Shosuro Maru, can I choose to target a Unique and use Fields of Phyrric Victory?
  A: Yes. Zen Faulkes, "Fields of Phyrric Victory and Shosuro Maru", 15 Mar 2005
• Q: If I leave Yogo Rieko at Then put Shosuro Maru in the active battel can I use Yogo Rieko affect on Shosuro Maru?
  A: Yes. Zen Faulkes, "Yogo Rieko & Shosuro", 15 Mar 2005
• Q: Can I leave Shosuro Maru at home and put Yogo Rieko in a active battle And use Yogo Rieko affect on Shosuro Maru then Use Shosuro Maru affect, even if she is not in the active battle?
  A: Maybe. Maru's ability is not legal in all cases when she is not in the current battle. See ARchive entry for Yogo Asami. Zen Faulkes, "Yogo Rieko & Shosuro", 15 Mar 2005
• Q: If I am targeted by my opponent's Shosuro Maru, can I choose to target a Unique and use Fields of Phyrric Victory?
  A: Yes. Zen Faulkes, "Fields of Phyrric Victory and Shosuro Maru", 12 Mar 2005