The Final Breath

Legend of the Five Rings card from Lotus Edition, Forbidden Knowledge, Jade Edition, Pearl Edition, Promotional–CWF

Card Type

Strategy

Gold Cost

0

Card Text

Reaction: After the end of a Resolution Segment during which a Personality you controlled was destroyed, target a Personality who opposed yours at any time during that Segment and has less Chi than yours had when he was destroyed: Destroy the target.

Focus Value

2

Legality

Age of Enlightenment (Lotus), Clan Wars (Imperial), Hidden Emperor (Jade)

Deck

Fate

Notes

Some variants of the Pearl Edition version of this card were printed with a different text alignment.

Printings

Rulings

• Erratum: Reads, "The Final Breath 0G 2G Reaction: After the end of a Resolution Segment during which a Personality you controlled was destroyed: Target a Personality who opposed yours at any time during that Segment and has less Chi than yours had when he was destroyed. Destroy the target." [MRP, Lotus Edition, 31 October 2005] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 17
• Erratum: is played immediately after battle resolution, not during. Text Change & Errata List, February 15, 2000, p. 3
• Q: So if my opponent plays Deadly Ground and wins the battle, I can't use my Crane Poets to gain honor from my Personalities dying? What about Final Breath? Or Counterattack? A: Deadly Ground (and sometimes Night Battle) prohibits actions "for this battle", which means it lasts through the entire Resolution Segment since that's still part of the battle. And it prohibits a// actions, including Reactions, that do something besides destroy it. This means you can't react to the destruction of cards on the losing side. Reactions that get played "after resolution", such as Counterattack and, by the errata in past rulebooks, Final Breath, are still legal. Legend of the Five Rings FAQ, Version 3.6.2, May 1998, p. 9
• Q: What if I kill an attacking unit by playing Final Breath? Will that save the Province if the attacking army's Force drops enough? A: No. This is a case of not recomputing Force totals after resolving a battle. Final Breath has no effect on whether the Province is destroyed. The Imperial Herald, Vol. 1, Issue 4, p. 8

Rules Q&A

• Q: It would seem as though he could as Reactions can be played to a Personality's own death (e.g. The Final Breath).
  A: The reason it's legal is that Rekai moves first, then shoots, and Slaughter the Scout is a Reaction to the movement. Jeff Alexander, "post for 4 September 2002", 5 Sep 2002
• Q: Next, how does Trenches interact with To the Last Man and The Final Breath? Is the destruction still triggered, allowing the actions to be played, and Trenches to save them? Does Trenches' use preclude the latter?
  A: Trenches' Reaction is taken "when" the destruction occurs and saves your army [card text], thus removing the trigger for any Reactions taken "after" your army is destroyed. [AOF rulebook p. 48] This includes To The Last Man and Final Breath. Jeff Alexander, "post for 8 February 2002", 9 Feb 2002
• Q: 3.- I have a 3 Chi personality with a +4/+4 "Blade of Secrets". My guy dies in battle. May I play "The Final Breath" targeting a 4 Chi personality or not?
  A: Yes. Count the Chi when they were still opposing. Jeff Alexander, "Rulings for 25 March 2001", 30 Mar 2001
• Q: 1.- The Final Breath. One of my personalities with 3 Chi and a Weapon with +2 Chi (total 5 chi) dies during a battle. The opponent had a 4 chi personality. Does the weapon chi bonus count for "The Final Breath" or not? When my personality dies, it has the bonus, but when the card reacts (after battle resolution) it doesn't.
  2.- I know the Imperial Favor is not a card but, where is it written?
  A: It follows directly from the fact that it doesn't come from any deck and is not created by something that says it's a card. Jeff Alexander, "Rulings for 6 March 2001", 18 Mar 2001