Unexpected Allies

Legend of the Five Rings card from Gold Edition, Pre-Imperial Edition, Imperial Edition, Emerald Edition, Battle of Beiden Pass, Obsidian Edition, Jade Edition, Pearl Edition, Storms Over Matsu Palace, Onyx Edition, Shattered Empire, The War of Spirits, A Perfect Cut

Card Type

Event

Keywords

Unique

Card Text

Starting with you and proceeding in turn order, each player shows his Dynasty deck's top card. If the card is a Personality, the player brings it into play, ignoring Honor Requirements and Gold cost, and negating entering-play effects. If the card is not a Personality, discard it.

Legality

Clan Wars (Imperial), Four Winds (Gold), Hidden Emperor (Jade), Shattered Empire, War of the Seals (Onyx Edition)

Deck

Dynasty

Printings

Rulings

• Erratum: Reads, "Unexpected Allies Starting with you and going clockwise, each player reveals his or her Dynasty deck's top card. If the card is a Personality, the player brings it into play, ignoring Honor requirements, waiving the Gold cost, and negating entering-play effects. If the card is not a Personality, the player discards it." [MRP, A Perfect Cut, 4 September 2001] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 77
• You may not overlay the revealed Personality atop a less-experienced version. That option is only available during the Dynasty phase. [DW, 1/3/96] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 77
• Effects that happen "when" a card is brought into play are prevented. Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 77
• Non-gold costs and other restrictions (e.g., "will not join") are not waived. Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 77
• If a Personality cannot legally enter play (e.g., due to Uniqueness conflicts, you are unwilling or unable to pay non-gold costs), the Personality goes back to the top of your Dynasty deck. [Partial Reversal, JA, 5 April 2002] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 77
• Effects that happen "when" a card is brought into play are prevented, but things you have to do "to put this card into play" are costs, and if they don't involve gold they're not waived. If you are unwilling or unable to pay, the Personality goes back to the top of your Dynasty deck. Accumulated Rulings, February 8, 2000, p. 61
• Clarified: no effects are generated by Personalities brought into play. Text Change & Errata List, February 15, 2000, p. 11
• Q: Can I copy him with the Egg of P'an Ku, then? Or can I put him in my Dynasty Deck anyway and hope for a lucky Unexpected Allies to bring him out? What about Return of the Fallen Lord? A: The Egg will work, as you're not asking the real person to join you, you're creating a copy which enters play already in your service. Unexpected Allies won't, since the Personality would still be joining your clan (he's just not asking for compensation). Return of the Fallen Lord won't work either, for the same reason. Legend of the Five Rings FAQ, Version 3.6.2, May 1998, p. 18

Rules Q&A

• Q: If UA goes off & I have a basic personality in play & I flip his/her XP version, as I understand it I can put the XP version into play with no issues.
  A: So long as the basic version is not himself Unique, sure. Martin Lund, "Rules for 8 November 2004", 12 Nov 2004
• Q: Unexpected Allies : Effects that happen "when" a card is brought into play are prevented. Non-gold costs are not waived. If you are unwilling or unable to pay, the Personality goes back to the top of your Dynasty deck. If a revealed Personality cannot be put into play legally (e.g., due to Uniqueness conflicts), he or she is discarded. [VRD, 3 May 2001] These two statements seem to be incompatable. Please clarify.
  A: Based on the MRP, the card is "revealed" but never drawn or put anywhere. It would stay on top in both instances. Jeff Alexander, "post for 5 April 2002 pt. 1", 5 Apr 2002
• Q: And What about Unexpected Allies? That personality that entered play by that event this turn had prevent me to bring another one this turn?
  A: Unexpected Allies counts against the limit, yes. That Personality entered play. Jeff Alexander, "post for 9 November 2001", 10 Nov 2001
• Q: I've forgotten the ruling on this, and I can't find it in the archives, so...
  What happens if both players flip the same unique personality to Unexpected Allies?
  What happens if both players get the same unique region (say Golden Sun Plain) to Regions of Rokugan?
  A: The active player flips a card or gets a Region first, then go around the table in turn order. This is in the FAQ. Jeff Alexander, "Rulings for early March, 2001", 14 Mar 2001