Touch of Ice

Legend of the Five Rings card from Celestial Edition, Khan's Defiance, Samurai Edition Banzai

Card Type

Spell

Gold Cost

2

Keywords

Water

Card Text

Open: If it is not your turn, bow this Shugenja and target another player: He may choose to bow two of his Personalities. If he does not bow two Personalities, gain 3 Honor.

Focus Value

3

Legality

Age of Enlightenment (Lotus), Destroyer War (Celestial), Race for the Throne (Samurai)

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rulings

• Erratum: Reads, "Touch of Ice 2G 3FV Water Open: If it is not your turn, bow this Shugenja: Another target player may choose to bow two of his Personalities. If he does not bow two Personalities, gain 3 Honor." [MRP, Celestial Edition, 29 June 2009] Comprehensive Rules, Celestial Edition, with specific card rulings, final version, February 2012, p. 160
• Action can not be used on your own turn. [ML, 9 November 2007] Comprehensive Rules, Samurai Edition, with specific card rulings, final version, May 2009, p. 165

Rules Q&A

• Q: If i have 2 personalities in play with one having an armor of the heavens on it, when my opponent bows for touch of ice and I bow my two personalities. Can I use the reaction on the Armor of the Heavens?
  A: No.
  Touch of Ice does not target your Personalities. It targets you, and then you choose two Personalities. Targeting will always be stated explicitly, no targeting is implicit, and "choosing" =/= "targeting". Brook Cunningham, "Touch of Ice vs Armor of the Heavens", 18 Sep 2010
• Q: I play Prayer for Guidance. Another player plays Touch of Ice. Do I get 3 Honor for bowing my samurai?
  A: Yes. That it's your choice does not change that it is another player's action. Zen Faulkes, "Prayer for Guidance + Touch of Ice", 31 Aug 2010
• Q: Can I use Touch of Ice on my turn without bowing the shugenja?
  A: No. viewtopic.php?f=59&t=63095
  Please use the search function -- it will answer many questions faster then we can. Zen Faulkes, "Several question", 7 Dec 2009
• Q: According to touch of ice (Touch of Ice Reads, "Touch of Ice 2G 3FV Water Open: If it is not your turn, bow this Shugenja: Another target player may choose to bow two of his Personalities. If he does not bow two Personalities, gain 3 Honor." [MRP, Celestial Edition, 29 June 2009]) can you target someone if they do not have two personalities to bow? According to the FAQ it is a legal action to play seeing how you can pay the cost for the spell and the effect will go off.
  Thanks
  A: Yes, you may target a player who doesn't have two Personalities he or she could bow. Brook Cunningham, "Touch of Ice", 14 Nov 2009
• Q: If Asako Bairei (Experienced 3) is in play and has Touch of Ice attached, could I still bow Asako Bairei to cast the spell?
  A: Asako Bairei Experienced 3 says: Your Water Shugenja need not bow as a cost of performing Water actions.
  Need not: The phrase “need not” indicates optional waiver of a cost.
  You may bow Bairei to pay the cost if you wish, or you may waive that cost if you wish. Alex Jones, "Asako Bairei (Experienced 3) and Touch of Ice", 5 Aug 2008
• Q: Isawa Zao
  Reaction: After Zao performs a Spell or Kiho: Give Zao +2F or gain 2 Honor.
  Is it possible for Zao to use his reaction after he performs a Spell or Kiho that requires that he bows as a cost (like Touch of Ice)?
  It has been argued that he can because he can react because he's not bowed when the trigger for his reaction occurs. From here http://rules.l5r.com/Glossary_P-Q#Perform
  "Perform" The timing point "after (a card) performs" an action is after the fact that the card's performing status is known; that is,
  * after the action is announced, if the performing is from the card's own ability or that of an Item or Spell attached to it; * after the action targets the performer otherwise.
  So as soon as you announce Zao is performing Touch of Ice, the "After Zao performs" trigger is met.
  A: Yes, Zao can react to performing a Spell that requires him bowing as a cost.
  As you point out, the trigger for Zao's Reaction occurs before he would bow. Brook Cunningham, "Isawa Zao and Reacting while bowed", 4 Jun 2008
• Q: Conditional costs can be told apart from restrictions on playing an action or card, because the condition (“if” statement) comes after the cost is described. Example: “If he is attacking, bow this Samurai:” can only be taken while attacking. “Bow this Samurai if he is attacking:” means that you do not have to bow him as a cost unless you are attacking.
  A: As noted in the Comprehensive Rules for Costs and Restrictions. Martin Lund, "Touch of Ice (Verification)", 9 Nov 2007
• Q: If my opponent uses Touch of Ice can I use Moto Chagatai Exp5's trait to negate the bowing of one or both of the personalities I choose?
  A: Yes. Zen Faulkes, "Moto Chagatai Exp5 & Touch of Ice", 22 Aug 2007
• Q: If I choose to bow two personalities then negate the bowing with Chagatai will he get the honor from Touch of Ice or not?
  A: Will. Touch of Ice checks not for a decision, but whether bowing actually happened. Zen Faulkes, "Moto Chagatai Exp5 & Touch of Ice", 22 Aug 2007