Togashi Mitsu

Legend of the Five Rings card from Pearl Edition, Pre-Imperial Edition, Imperial Edition, Emerald Edition, Obsidian Edition, Jade Edition, Celestial Edition 15th Anniversary, Anvil of Despair, Hidden Emperor Starter, Fire & Shadow, Soul of the Empire

Card Type

Personality

Force

2

Chi

2

Honor Requirement

4

Gold Cost

7

Personal Honor

1

Clan

Brotherhood of Shinsei, Dragon, Toturi's Army

Keywords

Dragon Clan, Monk, Samurai, Tattooed, Toturi's Army

Card Text

Repeatable Battle/Open: Give Mitsu zero to five +1F/+1C Fire tokens and permanently give him the traits "This Personality cannot have more than five Fire tokens", "This Personality cannot straighten while he has any Fire tokens", "Before this Personality would straighten at the start of the turn, ignoring his previous trait, remove a Fire token from him instead", and "Before this Personality returns home (not moves) from a defending army, if he has any Fire tokens, bow him as if he were an attacking unit"; until the game ends, when Mitsu is overlaid while he has these traits, they are permanently copied to the overlaying card.

Legality

Clan Wars (Imperial), Hidden Emperor (Jade)

Deck

Dynasty

Printings

Rulings

• Erratum: Reads, "Togashi Mitsu 2F/2C 4HR 7G 1PH Dragon Clan Tattooed Monk. Toturi's Army Samurai. Open: Place up to five 1F/1C tokens on Mitsu. He cannot have more than five Fire tokens, and cannot straighten by any means if he has any Fire tokens. Remove a Fire token from him instead of straightening him during the Straighten Phase. If he has any Fire tokens, he bows after any battle he is in, as if he were an attacking Personality." [MRP, Soul of the Empire] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 128
• Trying to straighten Mitsu outside the Straighten Phase has no effect (i.e., no fire tokens are removed). [Card text] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 128
• Does not lose fire tokens if he isn't bowed. [DW, 6/5/96] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 128
• Bowing can be prevented by Rallying Cry. [Card text] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 128
• Will not lose a fire token if some additional effect also forces him to remain bowed during the Straighten Phase. [DW, 27 August 1996] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 128
• If given a Dragon Tattoo, will be limited to three tokens because both fire token restrictions must be observed. [DW, email, 17 February 1999] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 128
• The effects, "cannot have more than five Fire tokens," "cannot straighten by any means if he has any Fire tokens," and "remove a Fire token... instead of straightening him during the Straighten Phase" are permanent side effects of making Fire tokens. They last for the rest of the game upon using the ability once, even if the ability to add Fire tokens is lost. [JA, 2 May 2002] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 128
• If overlaid on the non-Experienced Togashi Mitsu, the prohibition against straightening when he has a Fire token only comes into effect if the non-Experienced ability is used. [Reversal, JA, 2 May 2002] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 128
• Cannot be straightened by any means while bowed with fire tokens. [RD, l5rinfo, 9/9/96, and EE card text] Accumulated Rulings, February 8, 2000, p. 59
• Only loses a fire token if something tries to straighten him during the Straighten Phase. Trying to straighten him any other time has no effect at all. [card text] Accumulated Rulings, February 8, 2000, p. 59
• Copies the old bowing restrictions as part of the old ability when overlayed. These restrictions apply if he has any type of fire token on him. [DW, l5rinfo, 4/29/97] Accumulated Rulings, February 8, 2000, p. 59
• Clarified: only becomes bowed after a battle with tokens as though he were an attacking unit. Text Change & Errata List, February 15, 2000, p. 20
• Clarified: all references to "tokens" changed to "fire tokens". Text Change & Errata List, February 15, 2000, p. 20
• Erratum: Added: Toturi's Army trait. Text Change & Errata List, February 15, 2000, p. 20
• Erratum: Added: Monk trait. Text Change & Errata List, February 15, 2000, p. 20
• Erratum: Clarified: only becomes bowed after a battle with tokens as though he were an attacking unit. Clarified: all references to "tokens" changed to "fire tokens". Added: Toturi's Army trait. Legend of the Five Rings FAQ, Version 3.4 & errata, June 1997, p. 28
• Q: Can I use Sympathetic Energies or Dance of the Elements to move Togashi Mitsu's +1F/+1C fire tokens onto any other Personality, or only onto another Mitsu? The spell says the new recipient has to be legal, and only Mitsu creates fire tokens. A: Here's the deal. Unless there is specific text to the contrary somewhere, any token may be placed on any Personality. Even if the token's original source couldn't generate the token on the card you're trying to move it to, if nothing forbids the possession of such a token, it's legal to move it. Example: Shosuro Hametsu can "give a Personality a Poison token if they do not have one". But nothing prohibits having more than one poison token, so you can place poison tokens on several different people and then move them all onto one. On the other hand, Akodo Kage says "No Personality may have more than 2 Sensei Tokens", so you can't do this trick with him. Legend of the Five Rings FAQ, Version 3.6.2, May 1998, p. 19
• Q: Speaking of Togashi Mitsu, what happens if I somehow manage to get some Mantis Samurai on him, and he becomes bowed with fire tokens? Will he lose one token during every players! Straighten Phase? A: Yes. This works. Legend of the Five Rings FAQ, Version 3.6.2, May 1998, p. 20
• Q: Just ooooone more question on this fellow... The Experienced Togashi Mitsu has no fancy bowing restrictions, unlike the original. What if I overlay him? Those seem to be traits, and you don't copy traits when you overlay. A: Those "traits" are part of the original ability to gain fire tokens, and they all come with it (if you'll notice, it's all one sentence). An overlayed Experienced Mitsu will bow and stay bowed just like the old one if he has any fire tokens, whether they're +1/+1 tokens from the old ability or 0/0 tokens from the new one. Legend of the Five Rings FAQ, Version 3.6.2, May 1998, p. 20
• Q: Can I use Sympathetic Energies to move Togashi Mitsu's +1F/+1C fire tokens onto any other Personality, or only onto another Mitsu? The spell says the new recipient has to be legal, and only Mitsu creates fire tokens. A: Here's the deal. Unless there is specific text to the contrary somewhere, any token may be placed on any Personality. This means that tokens which are always created on one particular card, such as Togashi Mitsu's and Shuten Doji's, can generally be moved to anyone, while tokens that give you a choice of where to put them, such as the Revered Sensei's and the Naga Stronghold's, can only be moved onto someone who could have been given them in the first place. Legend of the Five Rings FAQ, Version 3.4 & errata, June 1997, p. 16
• Changes/Reversals: Q: Can I use Sympathetic Energies or Dance of the Elements to move Togashi Mitsu's +1F/+1C fire tokens onto any other Personality, or only onto another Mitsu? The spell says the new recipient has to be legal, and only Mitsu creates fire tokens. A: Here's the deal. Unless there is specific text to the contrary somewhere, any token may be placed on any Personality. Even if the token's original source couldn't generate the token on the card you're trying to move it to, if nothing forbids the possession of such a token, it's legal to move it. The Imperial Herald, Vol. 2, No. 3 (Issue 7), p. 21

Rules Q&A

• Q: For Togashi Mitsu (exp) and Mitsu (exp)... I read the spoiler for Mitsu (exp), and it didn't say he counted as Togashi Mitsu (exp). For Togashi Yoshi (exp) and Yoshi (exp)... I read the spoiler for Yoshi (exp), and it didn't say he counted as Togashi Yoshi (exp).
  A: See entries in Rules Archive, Specific cards, Personalities (http://www.legendofthefiverings.com/rulings/#Personalities) for both these cards. They were renamed. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 26 September 2003", 27 Sep 2003
• Q: 1) I defend with Togashi Mitsu and the attacker plays an entrapping terrain. Does Mitsu bow after the terrain resolves?
  A: No. Entrapping Terrain stops the regular battle resolution bowing from happening. Jeff Alexander, "post for 3 April 2003", 4 Apr 2003
• Q: 2) Togashi Mitsu is attacking me, with 5 fire tokens, I defend with Akodo Tadenori and play Honor is My Blade. Does Tadenori gain 7 force or 2, likewise does Mitsu lose 7 or 2?
  A: You switch their total Forces. Before the card, Mitsu is 7F and Tadenori is 0F. After it, Mitsu would be 0 and Tadenori would be 7. [GE p. 32] Jeff Alexander, "post for 3 April 2003", 4 Apr 2003
• Q: Also does it effect Togashi Mitsu? I think it bites that you can lock down somebodies Togashi Mitsu this way. I thought this was the reason why we never had the rule in the first place. Does GOLD constantly take precedence over the integrity of OPEN?
  A: Mitsu has always been "lock-downable" by moving a Fire token onto him that was generated somewhere else. In fact, if the Dragon Tattoo ruling is extended to cover Mitsu as well, then he actually WON'T be locked down if he has never made one of his own a fire tokens, whereas historically he has always be adversely affected. Jeff Alexander, "post for 1 April 2002", 2 Apr 2002
• Q: Historically, it's been part of his action. Why?
  I thought that overlaying Mitsu Exp could keep the +1/+1 fire tokens ability on Togashi Mitsu, so Mitsu Exp could gain 5 +1/+1 tokens with the less exp.version and then straighten normally 'cos the exp. versions don't have the "can not straighten while having fire tokens" restriction.
  I can't do that, can I?
  A: No. If the non-Experienced Mitsu is in the stack, any fire token from any source prevents him from straightening (as well as causes him to bow after battle even when defending). That's the way it's always been ruled. Jeff Alexander, "post for 28 September 2001", 28 Sep 2001
• Q: What happens if Togashi Mitu with at least 1 Fire token is one of the attackers at the final battle of a battle phase, at which the defender plays Counterattack, and the attacker plays Rallying Cry?
  A: The Archive entry for Mitsu is current, and correct. His bowing is prevented. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 31 July 2001", 1 Aug 2001
• Q: This situation happened a couple of years ago, and has bothered me every time I happen to think of it. I have a Togashi Mitsu in play, who is dishonored, with no fire tokens. I play Iaijitsu Art on a personality with 3 chi, then play A Moment of Clarity and put five 1/1 fire tokens on Mitsu. Obviously, I won the duel. My Mitsu was re-honored, but when I attepted to play the Ring of Fire, I was told that the Moment of Clarity occured before the duel, and that I had more Chi than the other personality going in and had not fulfilled the rings requirements. Was their interpretation correct, or should I have been able to play the Ring?
  A: The way the Ring of Fire is worded now, it's the Chi you had before you made the challenge that matters. Jeff Alexander, "Rulings for early March, 2001", 14 Mar 2001
• Q: Another Questions that came to me:
  If Togashi Mitsu has Fire Tokens and Bows due to Lessons of Honor that allows him to remain bowed. Can I keep him bowed and dont loose fire tokens on him?
  A: Yes. Mitsu loses a fire token each time he tries to straighten during a Straighten Phase (provided he's bowed and has fire tokens, of course). Anything else that prevents him from straightening, including voluntarily keeping him bowed, will stop the token loss. Jeff Alexander, "Rulings for 11 Jan 2001", 13 Jan 2001
• Q: I immediately thought of the fire tokens for togashi mitsu myself. Would have been cooler had they made them functional like that 🤷‍♂️
  A: @saaam But Combining by the Rules was a thing then too. It was removed in one of the more middle-ish eras, I forget exactly when, then brought back later. Brook Cunningham, "Oracle of the Void #rules", 10 Apr 2021