Troublesome Bureaucrat
Legend of the Five Rings card from Wrath of the Emperor
Open in Oracle of the Void
- Card Type
- Holding
- Gold Cost
- 6
- Keywords
- Retainer
- Card Text
- This Holding has -2 Gold Cost while your Family Honor is 16 or higher.
w: Produce 4 Gold.
Repeatable Political Battle/Open, w: Target another player's Personality. That player may choose for you to gain Honor equal to the Personality's Personal Honor; if they did not, bow the Personality. - Legality
- Rain of Blood (Diamond)
- Deck
- Dynasty
Printings
Wrath of the Emperor
- Rarity
- Rare
- Artist
- Anthony Francisco
- Card Number
- 7
- Publisher
- Alderac Entertainment Group
Rules Q&A
- Q: 4)if the ability of Troublesome Bureaucrat target a bowed personality, may the controller still choose to bow the personality instead of letting me gain the honor?
A: Yes. He only decides whether or not you gain the honor. Everything in the next sentence, "If he decides against it," isn't part of the decision. It is merely a separate conditional effect.
'When a card forces a player to make a decision, "Choose to do X or Y" or "You may do X" are the decision. Further sentences (e.g., "If you choose X, Z happens") are not part of the decision. [ML, 25 June 2004]' (Accumulated Rulings, "Decisions")
Now if it said, "That player decides to bow his personality or have you gain 2 honor," then he couldn't choose to bow a bowed Personality because he would know that option would fail.
'If a card effect forces you to make a decision, you may not choose an option that is known in advance will fail. You may, however, immediately respond with a voluntary effect that negates or cancels the action or effect you chose. [Summary of other rulings]' (Accumulated Rulings, "Decisions") Martin Lund, "Rules for 2 February 2005", 7 Feb 2005