Sly Deceiver

Legend of the Five Rings card from Before the Dawn

Card Type

Strategy

Gold Cost

0

Keywords

Ninja

Card Text

Limited: Choose your performing Ninja Personality and target a non-Unique Personality: Your Ninja permanently copies the Personality's base keywords, except Clan Champion, Daimyo, or Shugenja, and permanently copies his base abilities which do not themselves copy abilities.

Focus Value

4

Legality

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

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rules Q&A

• Q: Sly Deceiver
  Sly Deceiver 0 Ninja Limited: Choose your performing Ninja Personality and target a non-Unique Personality: Your Ninja permanently copies the Personality's base keywords, except Clan Champion, Daimyo, or Shugenja, and permanently copies his base abilities which do not themselves copy abilities.
  When playing Sly deceiver, are you required to target 2 separate personalities, or can you target your ninja for the first clause and target him for being non-unique for the second clause to then be able to copy his own abilities onto himself again?
  A: Yes, you must target 2 different things with Sly Deceiver.
  When something tells you to choose/target "something AND something", they can't be the same single thing (see here). Brook Cunningham, "Legacy - Sly Deceiver", 22 Sep 2015
• Q: Situation: Kuroiban Compound is a face-down Ninja. It performs Sly Deceiver or another action which copies abilities or keywords. When it gets turned back into a face-up Holding, does it keep the copied abilities and keywords?
  Does this memory go away if it dies as a Personality? The Ninjutsu rules state that Personalities cannot be face-down in the discard pile, so it will never be face-down and out of play. My guess would be no.
  A: Yes, the holding will keep the abilities it gained via Sly Deceiver, and will also keep them when it becomes a Personality again. If this leads to any situations generally not covered by the rules (a holding gaining the ability to assign while bowed, for instance, when holdings can't normally assign) they will not work while it is a holding as these do not specifically override the rules. Jon Palmer, "Kuroiban Compound & Sly Deceiver", 2 Apr 2013
• Q: Let's say Ninube Onchi removes an ability from a personality. For example, Tsuruchi Kosoko's ability. Later that turn, Onchi plays Sly Deceiver on the same Kosoko.
  Since "base" refers to abilities as printed, without modifications from effects, does Sly Deceiver still copy the removed ability? Or does removing it interfere with the copying? My guess is that it is copied regardless, but I'm not sure if there are settled precedents from other cards.
  A: Yes, Sly Deceiver would still copy the ability.
  As you reason, copying "base" text from a card copies what is printed on the card, regardless of what may have been added, removed, or modified by effects. Brook Cunningham, "Ninube Onchi + Sly Deceiver", 20 Mar 2012
• Q: Wouldn't Ninja A remember that he copied Shiho's ability, since Sly Deceiver says he permanently copies the ability?
  A: As stated above, no. "Permanent" does not mean "cannot be undone." Zen Faulkes, "Ninube Shiho & Sly Deceiver", 3 Oct 2011
• Q: I was under the impression that "permanently" overrode card memory because its was something that has a duration of until end of the game.
  A: There is no such exception to the Tracking Rule I can find. The Tracking rule (http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Effects#Tracking_rule) specifically says it applies to ongoing effects, and "permanent" is one kind of ongoing effect (http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Effects#Ongoing_effects).
  Perhaps you are thinking of the rules for events (http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Card_types#Events)? If you do find a section in the Rules Wiki that supports your impression, please do point it out. That might help to explain it better, word it better in the wiki, or correct an error. Zen Faulkes, "Ninube Shiho & Sly Deceiver", 3 Oct 2011
• Q: hmmm by reading carefully the Card Features chapter of comprehensive rules, it is relevant to point out that traits are not abilities, thus not copied by sly deceiver. It brings no benefit to copy the abilities from sensei then
  A: Generally not, though a couple of them do have abilities. And yeah, sorry I didn't mention that Sly wouldn't even copy the "discard" triggered trait at all anyway. Brook Cunningham, "Sun and Moon #rules-questions", 20 May 2025
• Q: [EE] sly deceiver copies the keywords on another personality, as well as base abilities. What happens if they copy a sensei, can then you have "two sensei" in play? the wording on sensei restriction is "After (personality name) enters play: discard all your other sensei personalities". Since the ninja-sensei is not entering play, I would think the restriction is never triggered, and you can have the sensei effects twice.
  A: You are (more or less, give or take a few misuses of terminology) correct. Brook Cunningham, "Sun and Moon #rules-questions", 20 May 2025