The Same Old Tricks

Legend of the Five Rings card from Wrath of the Emperor

Card Type

Strategy

Gold Cost

0

Card Text

Reaction: Before the second or later time in one turn the same ability on a target non-Formation, non-Stronghold card resolves: Negate that ability's effects and permanently remove it from that card.

Focus Value

4

Legality

Rain of Blood (Diamond)

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rules Q&A

• Q: 3/Can I use the Same Old Tricks on the second or later use of Chimamire's ability, even though the oni is not in play when he uses his ability ?
  A: No. You can't normally target cards that are not in play. You basically need text that overrides this rule by either explicitly exempting you from it or instructing you to do something that always violates this rule. The Same Old Tricks won't work very well against most Action Cards either, since only Formations and Terrains normally enter play and Formations are already exempt by the card text of The Same Old Tricks. Martin Lund, "Rules for 17 January 2005", 21 Jan 2005
• Q: Balance in Nothingness: Reaction: Cancel an action or Event targeting one or more of your bowed Personalities.
  The Same Old Tricks: Reaction: Before the second or later time in one turn the same action on a target non-Formation card is used, cancel that action and permanently remove it from that card.
  Key is determining what "used" means.
  A: It means the same thing "taken" means. An action isn't used until it's legally declared and paid for. Which means Saori is bowed, which means Balance is legal. Martin Lund, "Rules for 11 January 2005", 14 Jan 2005
• Q: When exactly is The Same Old Tricks played?
  The Same Old Tricks:
  Reaction: Before the second or later time in one turn the same action on a target non-Formation card is used, cancel that action and permanently remove it from that card.
  The question, I guess, is about the "used" word. Does the trigger happen before, or after costs are paid?
  In other words - if bowing the card is a cost of the action, can Balance in Nothingness be used to cancel The Same Old Tricks?
  A: It will get played as a "before" response to the Action being successfully taken - after all costs are paid, but before any effects resolve. Martin Lund, "Rules for 15 November 2004", 17 Nov 2004
• Q: I have a really simple question about the interaction between The Same Old Tricks and Brutal Confrontation : can the former cancel the latter if its action is used more than once ? I would assume it can't, but I just want to be sure.
  A: If you manage to dig Brutal Confrontation out of your Discard Pile and play it again in the same turn, sure, you can cancel its Battle Action.
  However, the Same Old Tricks won't avail you at all against the Battle Actions that Brutal Confrontation gives to Players. Those are not abilities considered to be played off of the Brutal Confrontation card.
  They sort of just hang out in the etherium as a game rule modification with a certain duration, sort of like picking up a Star Man in Super Mario Brothers. :) Martin Lund, "Rules for 3 October 2004", 4 Oct 2004
• Q: Which parts of the "announce-target-pay-resolve" chain of an action are considered using the action? More specifically, if a card uses an ability that requires bowing the second time during a turn, at which phase can The Same Old Tricks be played?
  A: Plays / uses / takes / casts / etc. triggers (unless otherwise specified) all happen after costs are paid and Reactions to said payment are resolved, but before effects of the Action are generated. Martin Lund, "Rules for 5 and 6 September 2004", 8 Sep 2004
• Q: Hi,
  Before the Oracle of the Void, the answer was easy : no. So Shinsei couldn't be payed by bowing a stronghold. The Same Old Tricks was not able to remove any stronghold ability. Now, Brotherhood of Shinsei's updated game text refers to that stronghold as a card : "bow this card".
  Has it just changed ?
  Card's text : The Brotherhood of Shinsei : (Before Diamond Edition) Reaction: Any number of times per turn, before you would trigger a Ring's base trait that would put it into play from your hand, bow this card: Search your Fate deck for that Ring, show it, and put it into your hand. (You then have a chance to play it by its own text.)
  The Same Old Tricks : Reaction: Before the second or later time in one turn the same ability on a target non-Formation card resolves its effects: Negate that ability's effects and permanently remove it from that card.
  Shinsei : Shinsei has the additional cost, "Bow 5 of your cards," to enter play.
  Thanks in advance, Regards, Rémi.
  A: Yes, Strongholds are cards now.
  In the Oracle, as we would now do for all future cards, we endeavored to put Strongholds' past immunity to effects directly in the card's text. So... you'll find that The Same Old Tricks looks slightly different now than the last time you checked.
  However, yes, thanks to the change, Shinsei will happily accept your Stronghold bowing as permission to come into play. Brook Cunningham, "Is every stronghold a Card ?", 29 Feb 2012
• Q: Since the strongholds are cards, may I use the same old tricks to remove an a action printed on a Stronghold?
  A: No. http://rules.l5r.com/Card_types#Stronghold: "Effects, targeting and costs applied to "cards" do not apply to a Stronghold unless they specifically mention the word 'Stronghold.'" Zen Faulkes, "The Same Old Tricks on Stronghold", 17 Apr 2008
• Q: If I fulfill the Ring of the Void requirements, can my opponent react with the Same Old Tricks and cancel me putting it into play and erase it's play requirement?
  A: No. There's no action on a card to be removed. There's a trait that allows you to perform an action. Zen Faulkes, "Ring of the Void/Same Old Tricks", 14 Mar 2005
• Q: In the Diamond Ed rulebook, pg 72, under "Canceling Actions and Negating Effects", it says:
  "If an action or Event is canceled, the entire thing is stopped. It does not successfully resolve. The attempt to use it does not count against any maximum number of uses per game/turn/battle/etc., although for actions, the failed attempt still counts as its player’s one opportunity to act before play passes to the left."
  Same Old Tricks says:
  "Reaction: Before the second or later time in one turn the same action on a target non-Formation card is used, cancel that action and permanently remove it from the card."
  If I cancel an action with a "once per turn" restriction, my opponent can then use it aginst me again, so long as he can afford the costs, right? Can I then respond to that second use with The Same Old Tricks to cancel it again and remove it?
  Thinking here in terms of Utako Tarako vs RED...
  A: No. Zen Faulkes, "Canceling and Same Old Tricks", 5 Mar 2005