Soshi Eiji

Legend of the Five Rings card from An Oni's Fury

Card Type

Personality

Force

1

Chi

2

Honor Requirement

4

Gold Cost

4

Personal Honor

0

Clan

Scorpion

Keywords

Courtier, Scorpion Clan

Card Text

Political Limited: Any number of times per turn, bow Eiji and target a card which causes a non-variable Honor loss to its controller when one of its actions is used: Select one of those losses. Eiji causes the card's controller an equal Honor loss.

Legality

Four Winds (Gold)

Deck

Dynasty

Printings

Rulings

• May target Honor-producing holdings while Deeds, Not Words is in effect. [JA, 12 December 2001] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 125
• Bowing is a cost of his ability. [JA, email] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 125

Rules Q&A

• Q: Soshi Eiji + Deeds Not Words + Noh Theater Troupe?
  A: Works. See Rules Archive, Personalities, Soshi Eiji (http://www.legendofthefiverings.com/rulings/) Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 7 September 2003", 7 Sep 2003
• Q: Can Eiji cause an honor loss due to Goshu no Shiryo?
  A: I don't mind so much that I answered this question less than a week ago... Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 6 July 2003", 6 Jul 2003
• Q: Yes you can,
  A: ...as people missing the answer.
  *No*. From my 2 July post: "Eiji looks for a card that causes an Honor loss 'when one of its *actions* is used.' Goshiu no Shiryo does not give a Personality an action." Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 6 July 2003", 6 Jul 2003
• Q: Hmm, I feel rusty with the rules, so I'll have to ask...
  * Show of Good Faith: this card says you cannot MOVE tokens/cards to/from the stolen Personality, but it doesn't say anything about ATTACHING. I saw people using it to attach an Ikiryo to a stolen high-Chi personality (with Soshi Eiji in waiting, of course). Legal, right?
  A: Right. Jeff Alexander, "post for 19 May 2003", 21 May 2003
• Q: Alright, so Heaven and Earth brings up a new question for Eiji.
  After a personality uses Goshiu no Shiryo's ability( Political Limited: Bow this Personality, who may then remain bowed, to target another Personality. Until Goshiu’s Personality straightens or leaves play, the other Personality causes his or her controller to lose 2 Honor each time the Personality bows.), can Eiji use his ability on that personality targeted by Goshiu if they have an ability that causes them to bow?
  A: Yes. Key point: Goshiu states that the honor loss's source is the other Personality, not Goshiu. Jeff Alexander, "post for 25 April 2003", 26 Apr 2003
• Q: I'm just curious... does Unspoken Threats alone make a Personality a viable target for Soshi Eiji?
  A: Only in the insanely specialized situation where the Personality has an action that is 100% guaranteed, if used, to move him into an attacking army against a player who has played Unspoken Threats on that Personality. If there is any legal way for the Personality to move against someone who hasn't hit him with Unspoken Threats, or into any DEFENDING army at all, then you cannot say for sure that the action will cause a loss when used and Eiji cannot target that Personality.
  (Note that the Personality has to have an action that causes movement or special assignments, since normal assignment is not an action.)
  In other words, never in any real game. Jeff Alexander, "post for 14 March 2003", 15 Mar 2003
• Q: Is it possible to use Soshi Eiji to target Ikiryo, as once Ikiryo's attached to a personality, the honor loss is no more variable but equal to the personality'chi ?
  A: The Fall of Otosan Uchi rulesheet defines "variable" as "Not known until the moment it's used or needed." The honor loss from Ikiryo's ability does not meet this definition, meaning it's not variable, meaning Eiji can copy it. Jeff Alexander, "post for 19 December 2002", 20 Dec 2002
• Q: Has a card with an honour loss on it, and I target it with Soshi Eiji?
  A: No. The loss is from Eiji. Eiji even says so. Jeff Alexander, "post for 1 July 2002", 2 Jul 2002
• Q: Here's a question for you:
  Ikiryo Text Nonhuman Shadowlands Battle: Bow and destroy Ikiryo to have it make a ranged attack with strength equal to the Chi of Ikiryo's Personality. The ranged attack can target a Personality with Followers. Lose Honor equal to the Chi of Ikiryo's Personality. Dishonor Ikiryo's Personality.
  Is this honor loss a variable one or not? Would Soshi Eiji be able to target this as an honor loss?
  A: It is not variable. Eiji can target it. Jeff Alexander, "post for 15 April 2002", 16 Apr 2002
• Q: So in order to use the Shrine's Limited action ("Limited: Bow the Shrine and one of your Human Personalities with 0 Personal Honor to gain 2 Honor") to gain Faimly Honor, I need an Honorable Personality with 0 PH anyway, right?
  Hey, look, a use for Soshi Eiji!
  A: It's called "Shrine of Reverse Fortunes" for a reason. Jeff Alexander, "post for 25 March 2002", 26 Mar 2002
• Q: 5.- Can Soshi Eiji be played against a Ikiryo? Eiji cannot be played againts variable losses, but is the loss of Ikiryo fixed by the personality wich holds it?
  A: Eiji's action can be used, because it's known beforehand what the loss from the Ikiryo would be. Jeff Alexander, "post for 6 March 2002", 7 Mar 2002
• Q: From the Rules Archive: May bow Honor-producing holdings while Deeds, Not Words is in effect. [JA, 12 December 2001]
  First... Eiji does not BOW the holding...
  A: Um...yeah. Zen? Could you correct this please? Jeff Alexander, "post for 15 February 2002", 16 Feb 2002
• Q: New Scorpion clan Courtier in AoF:
  Scorpion Clan Courtier Political Limited: Bow Eiji and target a card which causes a non-variable Honor loss to its controller when one of its actions is used. Select one of those losses. Eiji causes the card’s controller an equal Honor loss.
  Now, my question is, let's say your a scorpion and playing against an honour running Kaiu walls deck with poorly placed gardens. You play Deeds, Not Words against the Crab during your turn.
  Now, since the poorly placed gardens have the ability to loose honour, can you use Soshi Eiji to cause an honour loss?
  A: Yes, because it's know beforehand that the Gardens will produce an Honor loss. Jeff Alexander, "post for 14 February 2002", 15 Feb 2002