Turn of Fortune

Legend of the Five Rings card from Samurai Edition, Lotus Edition, Hidden City

Card Type

Strategy

Gold Cost

0

Keywords

Kiho

Card Text

Reaction: When an action would target one of your Samurai, choose your performing unbowed Monk or Shugenja: The action targets him instead, if legal.
Reaction: When an action would target your performing unbowed Monk or Shugenja: The action targets one of your Samurai instead, if legal.

Focus Value

1

Legality

Age of Enlightenment (Lotus), Race for the Throne (Samurai), Rain of Blood (Diamond)

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rulings

• Erratum: Reads, "Turn of Fortune 0G 1FV Kiho Reaction: When an action would target one of your Samurai, target one of your unbowed Monks or Shugenja: The action targets him instead, if legal. Kiho Reaction: When an action would target one of your target unbowed Monks or Shugenja: The action targets one of your Samurai instead, if legal." [MRP, Samurai Edition, 25 July 2007] Comprehensive Rules, Samurai Edition, with specific card rulings, final version, May 2009, p. 166

Rules Q&A

• Q: Also would it stop Accept with Honor since it is a reaction that also does not stop the duel/challenge? And thus Misdirection could not be played either as well as Turn of Fortune?
  A: It can stop Accept with Honor, but not Misdirection or Turn of Fortune, since they respond to the Action targeting, not the Challenge effect. Martin Lund, "Rules for 30 January 2005", 4 Feb 2005
• Q: Two questions involving the Ring of Earth:
  Scenario A:
  I use the Ring of Earth ability on one of my Samurai. I proceed to attack with that Samurai and a Monk in the same army. My opponent plays Block Supply Lines on the Monk. I use Turn of Fortune to redirect the BSL to the Samurai, which then doesn't get sent home because of the Ring of Earth. Is this valid?
  A: Sure thing. The Samurai was a legal target for Block Supply Lines, even if the effect of Block Supply Lines would be negated by "other players cannot move that Personality into or out of battles." Martin Lund, "Rules for 18 November 2004", 22 Nov 2004
• Q: Now a different example, but in the same way. My opponent has a Toshiji and Kaneka, with a Turn of Fortune in hand. I play Honor’s Cost to Toshiji
  3.- Could my opponent redirect the Honor’s Cost to Kaneka playing Turn of Fortune?
  A: Yes. Kaneka is a legal target. Martin Lund, "Rules for 19 October 2004", 24 Oct 2004
• Q: My archers in battle target opposed Samurai X. The opposing player plays Turn of Fortune, but the Monk who casts the kiho isn't in battle. The opposing player wishes to redirect my RA to his monk (who isn't in battle). Is this a legal play of the card?
  A: No. The Rulebook gives a default definition for Ranged Attacks, and part of that definition is that they target an opposing card. Cards in your Fief / Home are not opposing anything, so they aren't a legal target for Ranged Attacks - barring some overriding effect like No Hiding Place. Redirection must be to a legal target, so this is an illegal play. Martin Lund, "Rules for 16 September 2004", 23 Sep 2004
• Q: Player B then trys to a Turn of Fortune. Player A has another Keen eye. Can Keen eye negate Turn of fortune as well?
  A: Keen Eye can't do anything there, either. Targeting (and typically redirection Reaction) happens well before the Action can ever produce effects like Challenges or Duels. Keen Eye becomes playable far too late to affect Gurban or Turn. Martin Lund, "Rules for 27 August 2004", 31 Aug 2004
• Q: My buddy uses a Yogo Asami from home. Since my shugenja is the only unbowed personality in play, she would bow.
  Can I turn of fortune to a bowed samurai outside the battle? I meet relevance, since Turn of Fortune targets the shugenja in the battle.
  A: The Rules of Relevance does not apply to Reactions.
  At any rate, you can't do it against Shosuro Maru, the Diamond Legal personality. She specifically requires the targeting of an UNBOWED personality, and you can not redirect an Action to a target it could not legally be targeted against in the first place.
  Asami has less specific wording, but it works out to the same thing. You can only choose an unbowed Personality if you have any unbowed Personalities (as per the rules in the Archive under "decisions"). The other Personalities are not valid targets so long as you control at least one unbowed Personality. Martin Lund, "Rules for 10 July 2004", 13 Jul 2004
• Q: 1. Does Turn of Fortune supercede pg 74 of the DE rulebook like I think it does?
  DE rulebook: "You can redirect an action or effect only to something else it could have targeted originally."
  A: No, it does not.
  That rule, however, isn't referring to the earlier game state when the Action or Effect was first targeted, though. It simply means that you can't redirect it somewhere than the player who played the Action could not himself target. The targeting restrictions of the Action are based on the original player of the Action, no the player doing the redirection. Martin Lund, "Rules for 2 July 2004", 2 Jul 2004
• Q: 2. With my newly acquired mantra (Declare, Target, Pay, Resolve), what does this do to, say, Kolat Assassin and Slaughter the Scout? Examples:
  I move a unit into a battle; my opponent declares s/he will Slaughter the Scout (Declare). My opponent targets the unit moving in (Target). I declare a Turn of Fortune (Declare). I target my unit being Slaughtered and a personality sitting at home (Target).
  A: You can't do it. You're bound by page 74 as noted above. Slaughter the Scout can only legally target or be redirected to a unit that just moved in. There are no other legal targets, so it can't be redirected at all. Martin Lund, "Rules for 2 July 2004", 2 Jul 2004
• Q: The same question with Kolat Assassin only abbreviated: After redirecting the Assassin to Satsu with Turn of Fortune, my opponent can then choose not to pay the 10G and allow the Assassin to just be cancelled, correct?
  A: No. You still have to pay the cost of an Action, even if that Action gets Canceled before paying costs. Further, you can't redirect Kolat Assassin to Satsu if his Chi is greater than 4 (which it likely is). Personalities with over 4 chi are not legal targets for Kolat Assassin. Martin Lund, "Rules for 2 July 2004", 2 Jul 2004
• Q: Am I able to use Turn of Fortune to redirect an action to an illegal target? For instance, can I redirect something like Kolat Assassin to one of my personalities with more that 4 Chi?
  A: No. It says specifically on page 74 of the Diamond Edition Rulebook:
  "You can redirect an action or effect only to something it else it could have targeted originally." Martin Lund, "Rules for 11 May 2004", 15 May 2004
• Q: Can I play an Overwhelmed, and then play Turn of Fortune and redirect my own destruction to another personality of mine in the battle?
  A: [MARTY] Only if that Personality was a legal target in the first place.
  If you had more than one Personality tied for the highest Force in your Army, you could redirect from one of these to another, but why didn't you choose that Personality in the first place? Martin Lund, "Rules for 3 May 2004", 6 May 2004
• Q: Just wondering, does Turn of Fortune allow you to redirect an action to an illegal target?
  A: No. Page 74 of the Diamond Edition has the last paragraph of "Targeting and Redirection." It is kind of orphaned from the rest of the topic because you have to turn the page to get there and it is the only text from that section, so people tend to skip it. Common thing that happens with Web Page or email content when it is below the point you can see without scrolling down.
  Anyway, that commonly overlooked section says this:
  "You can redirect an action or effect only to something else it could have targeted originally." Martin Lund, "Rules for 28 April 2004", 30 Apr 2004
• Q: Regarding this: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=75713
  If the target of the Chuda Hankyu is unbowed, can he change the target to a personality at a diferent location then the one of the original target?
  A: Please be more precise in your questions. I'm assuming you mean, "If the target of a Chuda Hankyu's action is an unbowed Shugenja, can he use Turn of Fortune to change the target to a Samurai at a different location?"
  They're both legal targets for Chuda Hankyu, and Turn of Fortune, being a Reaction, ignores the Rule of Location and has no requirement that the Samurai and the Monk or Shugenja need to be at the same location, so yes. Alex Jones, "Turn of Fortune and Chuda Hankyu", 11 May 2009
• Q: I'm attacking my oponents province A with a guy equiped with Chuda Hankyu and he defended on province B with a samurai and a shugenja and left a bowed shugenja at home. My question is: If I use Chuda Hankyu battle action and target the bowed shugenja at home, can he use Turn of Fortune and change the target to the samurai at the battlefield?
  A: Turn of Fortune: Kiho Reaction: When an action would target one of your Samurai, target one of your unbowed Monks or Shugenja: The action targets him instead, if legal. Kiho Reaction: When an action would target one of your target unbowed Monks or Shugenja: The action targets one of your Samurai instead, if legal.
  Turn of Fortune requires an unbowed Monk or Shugenja, so no. Alex Jones, "Turn of Fortune and Chuda Hankyu", 11 May 2009
• Q: Card "Turn of Fortune" Kiho Reaction: When an action would target one of your Samurai, target one of your unbowed Monks or Shugenja: The action targets him instead, if legal. Kiho Reaction: When an action would target one of your unbowed Monks or Shugenja: The action targets one of your Samurai instead, if legal.
  Questions №1. As i correctly understand the unbowed Monk or Shugenja personality targeted when first part of reaction of Turn of Fortune used is performer of Turn of Fortune? Kiho Reaction: When an action would target one of your Samurai, target one of your unbowed Monks or Shugenja: The action targets him instead, if legal. Right?
  Questions №2. Who are performing the second reaction printed on Turn of Fortune? Or nobody performing it when it is played? Kiho Reaction: When an action would target one of your unbowed Monks or Shugenja: The action targets one of your Samurai instead, if legal.
  Do it has to be read (maybe it misses some violet text?) as i printed it below? Kiho Reaction: When an action would target one of your unbowed Monks or Shugenja, target one of your Samurai: The action targets one of your Samurai instead, if legal.
  [Mod edit: Coloured text removed. Please note that red text is reserved for moderator use, and using it can land you a warning for impersonating a mod. Thanks! -ZF]
  A: The first action is performed. The second action is not. A Personality cannot perform an action that nobody performs.
  http://rules.l5r.com/FAQ#What_performs_an_action.3F Zen Faulkes, "Wandering Sohei and the Kiho that is not performed.", 31 Oct 2008
• Q: During my Action Phase, I announce the Equip action. I announce I intend to target the bowed Samurai. My opponent is surprised, he says I can't target his own personality. I promise I am following the Good Faith Rule, which a judge can confirm. My opponent plays Turn of Fortune nonetheless, because he wants to make my Equip action target his Obsidian Dragon. What happens at that time ?
  A: You have no card that can legally attach to Obsidian Dragon in your hand. Ruthless Bandits is the only card you can attach to the other player's Personalities. Ruthless Bandits can not attach to Obsidian Dragon due to the Obsidian Dragon's trait. The Action fails due to illegality caused by another player altering the action's targeting. Treat it the same way you would an illegal targeting configuration as below: Martin Lund, "Obsidian Dragon with a follower thanks to a Turn of Fortune", 13 Nov 2007
• Q: From the point when the action is announced legally to the point where the targeting is required, if any of the action’s required targeting is interfered with and required targeting can no longer be met, the action’s effects do not resolve and its costs are waived. It is still considered taken, but not resolved. If it was on an Action card, the card is discarded normally.
  A: In a tournament, if you want to be certain that the acting player had a legal play and now has no legal play due to the redirection, call a judge. Martin Lund, "Obsidian Dragon with a follower thanks to a Turn of Fortune", 13 Nov 2007
• Q: Second question. Actually my opponent controls no Monk, only a bowed Samurai and the unbowed Obsidian Dragon. Now is his Turn of Fortune not legal to play, or legal but with no effect? I am thinking of the exception to the rule about Instead: "In effects that substitute targeting, if the new target has to be a "legal" target, then failure to find a new legal target -- one that satisfies the requirements of the original targeting plus any additional requirements on targeting from other sources -- means the original targeting happens normally" but I don't understand it well in such complex game state...
  A: Kind of a hedge case, but it would be safe to say that the redirection is legal, since the Attachment Targeting hasn't been publicly declared yet. Yes, the acting player knows he would have to target Ruthless Bandits to make the play legal, but he still hasn't done so yet.
  Turn of Fortune resolves normally. The Attachment Action will just fail as above. Martin Lund, "Obsidian Dragon with a follower thanks to a Turn of Fortune", 13 Nov 2007
• Q: EXCEPTION: In card text, when referring to entering play, attaching, using a trait, or taking an action, "cannot" and "can only" are restrictions on the legality of that thing in the first place, not negation of its effects.
  A: - Marty Lund Deputy Rules Monkey Martin Lund, "Obsidian Dragon with a follower thanks to a Turn of Fortune", 13 Nov 2007
• Q: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=62283
  In that example that means since it is neither A, B, or C... that means Turn of Fortune fails and my Shungenja dies? if that is so... man it actually sucks having a follower.
  A: If you do not have a legal target to choose instead, your Turn of Fortune will fail and your Shugenja will get shot. Chris Fuchs, "Turn of Fortune + Ranged Attack + Follower part II", 4 Oct 2007
• Q: Would the situation be the same when using Turn of Fortune to change a target to a more expensive personality?
  A: No. The timing of Turn of Fortune is different. It's not after targeting (unlike Kumade), so it does not change the cost of Hired Killer. Zen Faulkes, "More on Hired Killer and Kumade", 11 Sep 2007
• Q: I've been questioned about the legality of using Hoshi Masote ability to give +2C to an opposing personality to make him issue an irrefusable challenge to one of my personalities and then using Turn of Fortune to redirect his target to another personality (Eg. from Masote to Satsu).
  The question was if the said targetting is part of the action or just an effect of the action itself, making ToF an illegal React.
  Thank you.
  A: If I understand the question correctly, the answer is "no." You can't use Turn of Fortune to redirect the Challenge your opponent's Personality issues from its original target to anyone else via Turn of Fortune. Martin Lund, "Hoshi Masote and Turn of Fortune", 7 Mar 2005
• Q: Kiho Reaction: Target one of your unbowed Shugenja or Monks to redicect an action targeting him to one of your Samurai, or targeting one of your Samurai to him.
  Battle: Once per battle, target an opposing Personality. Give him +2C. The target issues an unrefusable challenge to an opposing Personality with less Chi.
  A: Note that Masote's ability does not explicitly instruct the other player to target the "opposing Personality with less Chi." As per the Web of Lies Rules Sheet, there is not implicit targeting for this card (printed in Web of Lies). Martin Lund, "Hoshi Masote and Turn of Fortune", 7 Mar 2005
• Q: Actions do not target anything without explicitly stating so or by implicitly targeting by producing a Ranged Attack or Fear as the first effect.
  A: So, the short answer would be that you can't redirect the Challenge from some person to another because at no time during the use or resolution of Masote's Action does the Challenged Personality become a target. Martin Lund, "Hoshi Masote and Turn of Fortune", 7 Mar 2005
• Q: I think he was asking a different question, which was "When your opponent challenges personality X, can you redirect the challenge with Turn of Fortune?"
  A: No, because the challenge is not targeted (card text). (Edit: Correction, following Marty.) Zen Faulkes, "Re: Hoshi Masote and Turn of Fortune", 7 Mar 2005
• Q: Actually i meant Turn of Fortune 😁. Thank for your help!
  A: Oh, right. I was trying to correct from memory, and I forgot which word was wrong and which ended up being right; needless to say, it took me a bit to pin it down. 😛 Brook Cunningham, "Sun and Moon #rules-questions", 14 Oct 2024