Sign of Weakness

Legend of the Five Rings card from The War of Spirits

Card Type: Strategy
Gold Cost: 0
Card Text: You may only play one Sign of Weakness per effect.
Reaction: After a player, from his own effect, permanently loses his ability to win an Honor Victory or to choose as a Defender a player with fewer provinces: That player must discard both of his decks' top ten cards.
Focus Value: 4
Legality: Four Winds (Gold), Hidden Emperor (Jade)
Deck: Fate

Printings

Rarity: Uncommon
Flavor Text: "Lightning destroyed dozens of fighters - the first of her victories."
Artist: Ramon Perez
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast

Q: BAH! Snow Crane is nothing compared to the abuse of the Dragon Tattoo. Nothing. I can attach 0 Fire Tokens... an infinite number of times in my limited phase to get the Ring of Air in play FIVE times in ONE TURN!
A: Once Gold Edition comes out, this will be neither possible (due to an MRP of the Ring of Air) nor desirable (due to an MRP of Finding the Harmony). I don't want to issue a ruling on one card only to need to reverse it once the more problematic of the two in the combo is changed. Jeff Alexander, "replies to 18 June", 25 Jun 2001
Q: 8. A player must renounce his honor victory to benefit from Severed From the Emperor. I think either a Horde player would be unable to renounce to Severed From the Emperor, or else when they renounce they should be targetable by Sign of Weakness. Is this correct?
A: Renouncing your honor victory is not a cost of the effect on Severed, just another effect. Also, a Horde player resolving Severed is not a legal target for Sign of Weakness (though a player with an actual honor victory is). You can't lose what you don't have. Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for November 27th", 27 Nov 2000