Test of the Jade Champion

Legend of the Five Rings card from Samurai Edition, The Dark Journey Home, Gold Edition, Lotus Edition, Promotional–Samurai

Card Type

Event

Keywords

Unique

Card Text

After you reveal cards in your Provinces at the start of your turn, if this Event is face-up in one of them, starting with the player on your left and proceeding in turn order, each player may target one of his Shugenja Personalities and discard a card. If one player's target's Chi plus the Focus Value of his discard has a higher total than all other players', he gains 3 Honor. Permanently give his target Jade Champion and the trait, "Once per turn, this Personality need not bows for your Kiho action."

Legality

Age of Enlightenment (Lotus), Four Winds (Gold), Hidden Emperor (Jade), Race for the Throne (Samurai)

Deck

Dynasty

Printings

Rulings

• Effects referring to duels or opponents are not usable. This includes the Double Chi trait. [glossary] [REVERSAL] Accumulated Rulings, February 8, 2000, p. 58
• Erratum: Reads, “Test of the Jade Champion Starting on your left, each player may target one of his Shugenja Personalities, then discard a card. If one player has the highest total of his Shugenja’s Chi and card’s Focus Value, he gains 3 Honor, and the Shugenja permanently gains Jade Champion and the trait, “Once per turn, when this Personality performs a Kiho action: Waive any cost of bowing him.”“ [MRP, Samurai Edition, 25 July 2007] Comprehensive Rules, Samurai Edition, with specific card rulings, final version, May 2009, p. 160

Rules Q&A

• Q: If yes, then when Test of the Jade Champion resolves while Hitaka is in play, is the cost of resolving the event increased by 2 for each Hitaka in play?
  A: Nope. Events do not have a Gold cost, and unless a card effect specifically gives a card without a Gold cost a cost, effects that would increase that cost are ignored. Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for June 12th", 12 Jun 2003
• Q: Ok, got a rules question, ony I have a shugenja in play, Test of the Jade Champion resolves, my shugenja is now the jade champ and can cast kihos once per turn without bowing. I know want to cast Playing with Madness, do I bow or not?
  Yes. It's a cost. (Yes, it's not written correctly.)
  Why does he have to bow if he is the Jade champion?
  A: Um...because I was typing after a hard day and was rushing to go home?
  The answer, of course, is that he does NOT have to bow. Because it's a cost. Sigh. Jeff Alexander, "post for 24 February 2003", 25 Feb 2003
• Q: Ok, got a rules question, ony I have a shugenja in play, Test of the Jade Champion resolves, my shugenja is now the jade champ and can cast kihos once per turn without bowing. I know want to cast Playing with Madness, do I bow or not?
  A: Yes. It's a cost. (Yes, it's not written correctly.) Jeff Alexander, "post for 21 February 2003", 22 Feb 2003
• Q: Seeing that I now have a lot more force on the table than I had last turn, and able to spend the turn gaining force himself, my opponet chooses not to attack. Next turn I pull up 'Test of the Jade Champion'. Bowing one of two of my Chuda Retainers to pay for the cost due to Hitaka being in play, I use this card. Lets face it, I need the honor and the ability not to bow to produce kihos.
  A: You don't need to do that. Hitaka does not raise the gold cost of Test of the Jade Champion. Raising a stat of a card that does not normally have that stat does nothing. [GE p. 32] Jeff Alexander, "post for 14 February 2003", 18 Feb 2003
• Q: Perhaps this has already been addressed, but by the Gold Edition wording of Test of the Jade Champion, wouldn't an already-in-play Utagu exp. receive the benefit of being able to cast a kiho without bowing once per turn, regardless of whether he won (or even participated) in the Test itself? The final sentence, wherein the ability is granted, would seem to be a seperate effect from the Test results (which are in the sentence just before).
  A: Yes, but it refers to "THE Jade Champion". Grammatically, it's still talking about the Personality who won the contest. It will not help other cards who say "Jade Champion". Jeff Alexander, "post for 3 June 2002", 4 Jun 2002
• Q: 1) Can Hochiu use his reaction?
  A: No. His reaction is used "upon entering a duel". Jeff Alexander, "post for 24 October 2001", 24 Oct 2001
• Q: Can Togashi Yoshi use his innate ability when entering the Test of the Jade Champion? This came up in a game once, and I was able to convince the other player that he could not. So, he sent Hitomi E3 to the test instead (I am an honorable player, after all). Was I right, or should his Yoshi have been the inevitable winner. My challenger had four chi. Any idea?
  A: The Test of the Jade Champion is not a duel. Card effects involving entering or being in a duel, or focusing IN A DUEL, may not be used. (Card effects involving focusing that don't make any mention of being in a duel are still legal.)
  You were right. Yoshi can't react. Jeff Alexander, "Rulings for 30-31 March 2001", 6 Apr 2001
• Q: Test of the Jade Champion hits, I have a Shugenja, but my hand is empty. Can I target a Shugenja, not discard a card, and still have the Event resolve?
  A: Yes, but if you can discard, you must. Zen Faulkes, "Test of the Jade Champion", 3 Sep 2007
• Q: When Test of the Jade Champion resolves, if I control at least one Shugenja Personality that I target, must I discard a card or is it optional?
  A: Targeting is optional, but if you do, you must discard if possible. Zen Faulkes, "Re: Another question about Test of the Jade Champion", 1 Sep 2007
• Q: Test of the Jade Champion. If my opponent controls no Shugenja Personality and I control one, may he discard a card regardless(?)
  A: No.
  Tentatively, when something says, "Do X, then Y", you must do the first to be able to do the second. Will run this by the Rules Junta, though. Zen Faulkes, "Another question about Test of the Jade Champion", 31 Aug 2007
• Q: [legacy] [Test of the Jade Champion] If you cannot discard a card, can you still target a personality and gain the jade champion?
  A: Yes. If you choose to target your Shugenja and discard but the discard fails because you can't for whatever reason, the rest of the effects still happen. Brook Cunningham, "Sun and Moon #rules-questions", 15 Apr 2025