Tsuruchi Technique

Legend of the Five Rings card from Lotus Edition, The Fall of Otosan Uchi, Diamond Edition, Promotional–Gold, Training Grounds 2, Three Dynasties, Wrath of the Emperor, Code of Bushido

Card Type

Strategy

Gold Cost

1

Card Text

This card's abilities cost 1 less Gold if you are a Mantis Clan player.
Battle: Ranged 3 Attack.
Reaction: After a Ranged Attack performed by a card in one of your units is targeted: Give it +3 strength.

Focus Value

2

Legality

Age of Enlightenment (Lotus), Four Winds (Gold), Rain of Blood (Diamond), Three Dynasties

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rulings

• Q: Can I use something like Tsuruchi Technique to increase the strength of a ranged attack that can't be combined? Can I combine ranged attacks that can't be increased or modified? A: Yes and yes. Combining ranged attacks and modifying them are two different things. An attack that prohibits you from doing one will still allow the other. Legend of the Five Rings FAQ, October 2003, p. 9

Rules Q&A

• Q: How does Tsuruchi Technique work? The Rulebook says Ranged Attacks target cards opposing the cards that produce the RA, but Tsuruchi Technique is not in an army.
  A: No, it is not in the opposing army. Consequently, that restriction must be waived for Tsuruchi Technique to work at all, as per the First Cardinal Rule. Any card that can't be in an army, but still produces a Ranged Attack will bypass the "opposing" restriction on Ranged Attacks. Martin Lund, "Rules for 5 and 6 September 2004", 8 Sep 2004
• Q: Can the Attacker use it against a card in the defending army? Against a card in her own army (and vice versa)? Can the Defender play Tsuruchi Technique in a battle where she does not have units using Daidoji Kikaze's Reaction?
  A: Yes, yes, yes, and yes. I couldn't find anything on the books prohibiting Tsuruchi Technique from shooting cards in your own army in the face. Martin Lund, "Rules for 5 and 6 September 2004", 8 Sep 2004
• Q: 1. If I target a ranged attack at my opponent's personality and he reacts with Outer Walls, can I then react with Tsuruchi Technique?? Or is it too late due to different timing on the Reactions??
  A: I don't see the Reactions having any different timing. They both happen right before you resolve the Ranged Attack effect. They have the same trigger, so you can keep going around the table playing Tsuruchi Techniques and Outer Walls until everyone passes consecutively. Martin Lund, "Rules for 20 May 2004", 24 May 2004
• Q: However, let's say I use Tsuruchi Technique to increase that first RA from 8 to 11. Can I still perform my follow-up 0s (even though I'm at -3)?
  A: 11 + 0 8. That total has been exceeded. You can't produce even a Ranged 0 attack, because the total will be greater than 8. Martin Lund, "Rules for 23 April 2004", 25 Apr 2004
• Q: Can someone use a Tsuruchi Technique to boost the ranged attack that reduces a provinces strength?
  A: Sure, provided the attack is coming from one of your units. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 9-10 March 2004", 11 Mar 2004
• Q: The obvious follow up question is how does Kuro's Fire interact with Tsuruchi Technique? Do the extra 3 points count towards Kuro's "total attack strength"? If so, can you use Tsuruchi to boost the last of your attacks above what Kuro's could normally produce on its own?
  Yes and yes.
  Ok, now this makes less sense. In the case with Xushen, Kuro's Fire is smart enough to say it can over-produce because its total strength will be lowered by Xushen. In this case, Kuro's Fire has lost its smart-card ability and suddenly is able to produce a higher total ranged attack than its shugenja's force+chi because of Tsuruchi technique.
  A: Yoee'trr makes a Ranged 3 Attack. By your argument, Tsuruchi Technique can't be used to increase it to 6, because Yoee'trr clearly says he makes a Ranged *3* Attack and Tsuruchi Tech. would make it illegally high.
  Same thing here. Tsuruchi Tech. is boosting the final strength above what Kuro's Fire is normally capable of producing because that's what ranged attack modifiers DO. But you don't get that boost without it counting against how much strength you've produced so far. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 8 March 2004", 9 Mar 2004
• Q: The obvious follow up question is how does Kuro's Fire interact with Tsuruchi Technique? Do the extra 3 points count towards Kuro's "total attack strength"? If so, can you use Tsuruchi to boost the last of your attacks above what Kuro's could normally produce on its own?
  A: Yes and yes. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 5 March 2004", 6 Mar 2004
• Q: Player A playes Tsuruchi Technique for its Battle Action. Player B wants to cancel it with Fall on Your Knees, because the term "Reaction" appears on the card.
  A: Faith in my Clan cannot cancel Battle actions (card text), not anything with the word "Reaction" written on it. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 16 December 2003, Part 3", 17 Dec 2003
• Q: I'm playing Ninube Ogoku, and I assign her in the army attacking my province, can I play any action requiring presence, including range attacks such as Arrows from the Woods or Tsuruchi Technique?
  A: "Any action" is very broad, and I wouldn't go quite that far. I would say that action cards that create Ranged Attacks are probably generally okay. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 11 December 2003, Part 3", 12 Dec 2003
• Q: Player A makes a Ranged Attack and wants to increase it with the Reaction from Tsuruchi Technique ("when making a ranged attack"). At what point is the trigger for Kyuden Ikoma or Faith in my Clan (against the Ranged Attack, not against the Tsuruchi Tech)?
  A: After the action is announced, targets selected, and costs paid, and, as Jeff said earlier, "[Kyuden Ikoma] has to be played when the action *begins* to resolve" (my emphasis). In other words, we're at a point where the action starts to resolve, but *has not produced any effects*.
  The confusion here is that for The Face of Fear and Tsuruchi Technique are not responding to an action (unlike Kyuden Ikoma or Faith in my Clan). They are responding to effects. These particular Reaction cards are confusing because most cards that make Fear or Ranged Attacks have only *one* effect in the action.
  Imagine a card said, "Battle: Give a opposing Personality a +X Force bonus. Then, bow one of your followers to produce a Ranged 3 Attack on that card." The card has two effects.
  You'd announce the action, pick targets, pay costs.
  Now you'd use Kyuden Ikoma -- before any effects happen.
  The force bonus then resolves. I hope it's clear that Kyuden Ikoma can't step in at this point! You've already produced an effect, so you can't cancel the action between the two effects. You haven't produced a Ranged Attack yet, so you can't play Tsuruchi Technique.
  Then you'd have to resolve the Ranged Attack. Here's where you get to play Tsuruchi Technique -- while you're generating this effect.
  I think this example makes it clearer why Kyuden Ikoma will always be played before The Face of Fear or Tsuruchi Technique. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 10 December 2003", 11 Dec 2003
• Q: I take an Battle action. My opponent passes when offered the opportunity to react, for whatever reason. I use my opportunity to react to play a Tsuruchi Technique. Can the Lion player now use Kyuden Ikoma to cancel the original Ranged Attack Battle action, or has the opportunity to React passed with my Reaction being taken?
  A: The opportunity to perform a Reaction only ends when *all* players have passed (Diamond rules, pg. 75). Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 8 December 2003, Part 2", 9 Dec 2003
• Q: When Tsuruchi Technique is increasing the ranged attack value of one of your cards, does it count as a ranged attack action targetting one of your cards, for the purposes of Acolyte of Air?
  A: No, but the original Ranged Attack would be a perfectly valid trigger. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 30 November 2003", 1 Dec 2003
• Q: If I were going to play a card with a gold cost that targetted, say Tsuruchi Technique if I'm not a Mantis player, don't I have to pay the 1 gold before, and not AFTER I choose the target?
  A: No (Gold Edition rulebook, pg. 46). Announce action, pick targets, pay costs, resolve effects. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 16 October 2003, Part 2", 16 Oct 2003
• Q: If a player has two [Arrows from the Woods / Tsuruchi Technique] in their hand, can they play one to generate a ranged attack, then pump it up with the other (or not, since the ranged attack didn't come from a unit)?
  A: No, for the reason you state. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 19 September 2003, Part 2", 20 Sep 2003
• Q: I can raise it with [...] Tsuruchi Technique, correct?
  A: Yes. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 17 September 2003", 18 Sep 2003
• Q: [C]an I boost the strength [of Rui's Ranged Attack] with "Tsuruchi Technique"[?]
  A: Yes. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 13 September 2003, Part 2", 13 Sep 2003
• Q: Can you play Tsuruchi Technique and Arrows from the Woods and such to increase the strength of ranged attacks being taken under Blackened Sky since they are Ranged Attack reactions?
  A: No (card text). Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 9 September 2003", 9 Sep 2003
• Q: If I shoot with the personality, can I raise it by 3 with Tsuruchi Technique and still target the province? If I choose to shoot at the province with a follower, can I keep him straight with "Taut Bowstrings"?
  A: Yes to both. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 15 August 2003", 16 Aug 2003
• Q: 2. You CAN NOT play a Tsuruchi Technique for the battle action (making a ranged 3) then React to it with another Tsuruchi Technique (making a ranged 6). This is due to the card that says it can only react to a unit making a ranged attack.
  A: Absolutely not. Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for July 22nd, 2003", 22 Jul 2003
• Q: Blackened Sky Battle:Take as many consecutive actions that make ranged attacks as you like, before the next player takes an Open or Battle action. You cannot take Reactions during this time unless they make ranged attacks
  It is evident from this that one cannot use Arrows From the Woods or Tsuruchi Technique to increase a ranged attack strength and then continue shooting. Can one react to the final ranged attack with a card like Arrows From the Woods? Or is that still considered to be "during this time"
  A: You can only use a Reaction that happens "after" the last ranged attack. Arrows From the Woods doesn't work. Jeff Alexander, "post for 2 June 2003", 3 Jun 2003
• Q: So, then, I can use Tsuruchi Technique or Arrows from the Woods with Daidoji Rekai xp2's Ability to make a Ranged 3 attack that cannot combine with other ranged attacks to increase the RA strength, as it does not count as combining?
  A: Right.
  It's actually quite simple. "Combining" is when you take several separate ranged attack actions on different cards and use them all at the same time to add their strengths together into one single ranged attack. "Modifying" is when someone makes a ranged attack and then you change it, including making it stronger or weaker or changing its target. Jeff Alexander, "post for 2 April 2003", 4 Apr 2003
• Q: Shinjo Technique
  Reaction: Play when another player targets one of your personalities with an action card. Redirect the action to one of that player's Personalities, if a legal target is available. If you are a unicorn player, the gold cost of this action is reduced to zero.
  Tsuruchi Technique
  This card costs 1 less Gold for Mantis Clan players. Battle: Ranged 3 Attack. Reaction: When one of your units makes a ranged attack, raise its strength by 3.
  I used Tsuruchi technique to ranged attack one of his unicorn personalities. He played Shinjo Technique in response, and redirected the effect to one of my personalities. I argued that my personalities aren't 'legal targets' because I can't ranged attack my own cards. He argued that they were legal targets.
  I looked in the rule book, and I found this "A ranged attack must target a single card opposing the card or cards making the ranged attack: either a Follower or a Personality with no Followers."
  So now I'm confused, my ranged attack didn't come from a card in the battle, they came from an action card -- do my action cards 'oppose' his units in the battle? If so, my personalities wouldn't be legal targets, correct?
  A: Ranged attacks from your hand must still target cards in the opposing army. They cannot be redirected to cards in your own army by Shinjo Technique. Jeff Alexander, "post for 25 March 2003", 26 Mar 2003
• Q: Can I play a Tsuruchi Technique after I play a No Hiding Place? I mean, can I increase the ranged attack strenght?
  A: If the attack comes "from exactly one of your attacking cards in the current battle", there's an incredibly high chance it's coming from "one of your units". Tsuruchi Technique's Reaction is legal. Jeff Alexander, "post for 19 March 2003", 20 Mar 2003
• Q: Kuro's Fire specifically limits the total strength of the ranged attacks granted by it to the Force + Chi of the shugenja casting it.
  A: Kuro's Fire specifically limits the total strength of the Ranged Attacks produced by its Action.
  If you modify the strength the Action produces, it still counts against the total produced by the Action. Martin Lund, "Kuro's Fire and Tsuruchi Technique", 27 Mar 2005
• Q: Example: I have Sezaru with a Kuro's Fure attached. I bow the spell to produce up to 5 ranged attacks with a total strength of 9. I perform 1 ranged 2 attack, killing a 2F follower. I then target a ranged 3 attack, killing a 3F follower. Finally, I target a ranged 4 on a 4F personality. My opponent reacts with Shi-Tien temple, giving his personality +1F, bringing him to 5F. Could I play a tsuruchi technique to raise my ranged attack to a Ranged 7, even though this would increase the Ranged attacks beyond the limit of 9 total strength imposed by Kuro's Fire?
  A: Yes.
  Kuro's fire restricts the strength of Ranged Attacks you can declare based on non-optional effects like the continuous effect of Higher Ground or Shinjo Xushen XP ("Smart Cards" Ruling). It can not restrict you from playing additional Reactions to modify the strength after the declaration is already made like Tsuruchi Technique.
  Just keep in mind that it DOES count against your total, so if you use it on any RA other than the last one produced by Kuro's Fire, it will cut into your total for further RAs. Martin Lund, "Kuro's Fire and Tsuruchi Technique", 27 Mar 2005
• Q: Zen Faulkes wrote:
  Derrick wrote:
  So, how can those ranged attacks target anything if Rain of Death is not in an army?
  Why did nobody ask this question about Arrows From the Woods nine years ago? Or Tsuruchi Technique a couple of years ago? Then we could have clarified a long time ago. They aren't in armies, either.
  This is hardly an answer. For Arrows from the Woods, Tsuruchi Technique and other fire-and-forget actions, it wouldn't matter even if they were briefly in your army. The status of Formations, however, is much more concerning, as if they're in an army they're vulnerable to many more actions - including Rain of Death.
  Is this just obvious legality, is there something deeper at work, or are you guys going to get back to me?
  A: The exact same principle is at work for Arrows from the Woods, Tsuruchi Technique, and Rain of Death. They are actions. They cannot be in armies. But, by their text, they generate Ranged Attacks. Therefore, they circumvent the normal situation that Ranged Attacks be from cards in an army by the First Cardinal Rule. Zen Faulkes, "Ranged Attack actions", 21 Mar 2005
• Q: Question was :
  Some time ago there I was asking whether I can use Rain of Death ability (two ranged attacks) with tactician from outside a battle. Answer was "yes".
  There are following questions :
  I played Rain of Death in battlefield A. Can I use tacticians in battlefield A ro 'rain a death' on units in battle B ? If no - why 'other-battle' tatician is allowed to RoD unit in current battle ?
  As above, but i try to RoD units in battlefield B with tacticians in home / battlefield B / other. subquestion - as above.
  Note that RoD says nothing about opposing or 'this battle', and as a formation it cannot oppose anything neither... Thus it's RA are rather strange.
  Rain of Death
  Tactical Battle: Produce two consecutive Ranged 3 Attacks.
  Zen said :
  Quote:
  Quote:
  Sejmitar wrote:
  Can I use tacticians in battlefield A ro 'rain a death' on units in battle B ?
  Yes.
  [ link : http://www.alderac.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13865 ]
  Marty said :
  Quote:
  You can perform the Tactical Action with a Tactician at any location.
  You must, however, still target the Ranged Attack from the Formation against cards in the Current Battle, opposing cards you control.
  Oh, and Tsuruchi Technique fails the Rule of Relevance if it targets anything outside of the Current Battle.
  [ link : http://www.alderac.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13875 ]
  Which answer is cosidered final ? Marty was last.
  Additionaly, Marty said :
  Quote:
  You must, however, still target the Ranged Attack from the Formation against cards in the Current Battle, opposing cards you control.
  WHY my ranged attack should be targeting a card opposing to a card I control but different that source of attack at battle ? Here are some rules :
  Making Ranged Attacks (DE Rulebook, p. 90, no erratas on Rulesheets, no rulings relevant in Archieve)
  Some cards have ability to make range attacks. A ranged attack must target a single card opposing the card or cards making the ranged attack: either a Follower or a Personality with no Followers.
  Glossary : opposing (DE Rulebook, p. 102, no erratas on Rulesheets, no rulings relevant in Archieve)
  For a card or unit: In the opposite army from the card or unit.
  There are no sentence 'when you are making ranged attack, it should be tageted at a card opposing your cards". the only thing that should be opposed to a target is the card that MAKE a ranged attack.
  "Hey, but your Tactician is performing this action" - yes, he is performing action. But from th beginning of Diamond edition Jeff said one, two, LOTS of times that performing and making an action is not the same. Check for Castle of the Wasp rulings, for example.
  Then we are back at beginning - card that MAKES this attack is a formation. Only card that has be opposed by targets is card that MAKES attack. Then formation HAS to target opposing card(s). Then :
  - this formation is a dude and cannot shoot at all - because formation cannot be opposed and as such cannot find any opposing cards;
  - or this formation IS opposed, and this means that all actions targeting opposing cards can target a formation;
  - or there is third way, which allows formation to shoot while unable to target opposed cards.
  In second case Marty is right, but provides wrong backup for his words. Not to mean how nice the setting will be when formations (and battle terrains, why not) should be considered to be opposable.
  In third case there is no force than a separate ruling 'out of air' that can explain why RoD can not shoot to different battles.
  Please let me know where I am wrong. Thank you in advance for answer.
  A: You know, I just discovered that my Web-based email account actually has search functionality? Booyah.
  Anyway, here is what Jeff (the Lead Designer) said about the card and how to play it back in November. Some of that may need to go in the Accumulated Rulings. Martin Lund, "Rain(s) of Death - after riposte", 12 Mar 2005
• Q: Marty/Jeff,
  Can you clarify the rules on ranged attacks, please? If a personality
  performs an action on an action card that creates a ranged attack,
  does
  the ranged attack count as coming from the personality or the action
  card?
  Effects come from the card with the action. What "performs" the
  action is irrelevant.
  If it comes from the action card, the question becomes, do Formations
  count as attacking cards, if you're attacking?
  No. Only cards in the attacking army are "attacking cards".
  If they don't, how does
  Rain of Death get around the fact that Ranged attacks can only target
  opposing cards?
  The same way Tsuruchi Technique does, and Arrows From the Woods before
  that.
  A reference to "an opposing card" means "a card opposing this card"
  when it is used on a card that can be in [an army]. It instead means
  "a card opposing a card you control" when used on something else.
  If they do, can a Tactician who's not in the battle
  perform the action on Rain of Death?
  Yes.
  Can I combine the Ranged Attacks on Rain of Death with....
  No. You cannot combine them, period, because they come from the
  Formation, and the Formation is not in a unit. Only ranged attacks
  from multiple cards in one unit may be combined.
  A: I think it has been long-established that Rain of Death is very badly phrased card that needs a lot of clarification / explanation (as well as Duct Tape and Bubblegum) to hold it together. I've been pulling for an MRP myself. Martin Lund, "Rain(s) of Death - after riposte", 12 Mar 2005
• Q: Specifically, can you then use a Tsuruchi Technique to raise the ranged attack from 4 to 7?
  A: No. The source of the attack is Storm of Isawa. What card performs is does not matter (precedent: Rain of Death). Zen Faulkes, "Isawa's Storm Question.", 5 Mar 2005
• Q: Marty ruled that Tsuruchi Technique couldn't modify Rain of Death of tactical action becuase the formation is what is producing the ranged attack.Pg 92 of the Diamond rulebook says that, "Such Personalities have the Tactician trait, and are the only Personalities allowed to perform Tacticial actions." Second Tacticial Battle on Rain of Death confirm that it the Tactician performing the action when is says "Bow and destroy the performing Tactician" So wouldn't the personality performing the action mean that the unit was making the range attack. Wouldn't that allow it to be modfied by the Tsuruchi Technique.
  A: No. Marty's ruling stands. Zen Faulkes, "Re Rain of Death", 3 Mar 2005