Wear Him Down

Legend of the Five Rings card from The Fall of Otosan Uchi

Card Type

Strategy

Gold Cost

0

Card Text

Reaction: Before another player strikes during a duel involving one of your Personalities: Focus this card face-up. The other Personality must focus instead of striking, if possible. You may draw a card. You lose your next opportunity to focus or strike in this duel.

Focus Value

3

Legality

Four Winds (Gold), Rain of Blood (Diamond)

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rules Q&A

• Q: I think you answered my question..but just to clarify:
  I strike.
  My opponent plays Wear Him Down, and forfeits his ability to focus or strike.
  I focus as I have to, (instead of my first strike) and then immediately strike again.
  My opponent attempts to play a second Wear Him Down. Is this legal?
  I say no, because my opponent has forfeited the right to focus or strike, and Wear Him Down is played instead of focusing.
  A: Where does it say that "Wear Him Down" is played "instead of focusing?" It certainly does not say so in the card text, rule book, rulesheets, or rulings.
  You can work 3 successive copies of Wear Him Down into single duel. Martin Lund, "Rules for 4 February 2005", 10 Feb 2005
• Q: Can you play "Wear Him Down" twice in the same duel?
  A: I don't see any Rule or Text forbidding it.
  It does, however, eliminate its own trigger when it resolves, so you couldn't normally play two agains the same trigger. Your opponent would have to Focus due to the first one. Then you'd pass your opportunity to Focus or Strike as per card text. Then he could declare Strike again and you could drop another Wear Him Down. Martin Lund, "Rules for 1 February 2005", 5 Feb 2005
• Q: "Tsuma Dojo only grants you the ability to - Focus - with a card in the Discard Pile. It does not say that you may take any Action on that card as if the card were in your hand."
  Yeah but Wear Him Down isn't an action, it's an effect.
  A: [MARTY] The first line in the text box of "Wear Him Down" is "Reaction:" in Bold Text.
  If that "isn't an action," then something is - seriously - wrong or I missed an Erratum. Martin Lund, "Rules for 9 December 2004", 12 Dec 2004
• Q: Hopefully a simple one. Is Wear Him Down considered focusing for the purposes of drawing cards with the effects of the Duelist trait?
  A: Well, that effect doesn't exist anymore, but Wear Him Down does instruct you to Focus the card itself, so you - do - Focus. Martin Lund, "Rules for 6 December 2004", 10 Dec 2004
• Q: Can Wear Him Down be played in a duel when your opponant has no more cards to focus?
  A: Yes. "That Personality must focus instead, if possible" (card text). Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 26 November 2003, Part 2", 27 Nov 2003
• Q: Almost never. Wear Him Down cannot be played during Iaijutsu Art if you have already focused, as it would be your second focus, which you can't make. The only way it can give you one more focus than normal is if you played Iaijutsu Art and your opponent was forced to strike due to having no legal focuses.
  Jeff, that also aplies to any otehr card that is played "as a focus"
  A: Yes. Jeff Alexander, "post for 14 January 2003", 15 Jan 2003
• Q: *Wear Him Down+Iaijitsu art means that you get an easy 4 honor, mainly because he can not focus again?
  A: Almost never. Wear Him Down cannot be played during Iaijutsu Art if you have already focused, as it would be your second focus, which you can't make. The only way it can give you one more focus than normal is if you played Iaijutsu Art and your opponent was forced to strike due to having no legal focuses. Jeff Alexander, "post for 13 January 2003", 14 Jan 2003
• Q: And what happens when multiple **Wear Him Down are played in react to the same strike?
  A: The "you may draw a card" and "you lose your next opportunity to focus/strike" effects stack. The "opponent must focus if possible" effect does not. Jeff Alexander, "post for 13 January 2003", 14 Jan 2003
• Q: First and foremost, Wear Him Down + Iaijutsu Art. I play the Art, my opponent focuses, I focus, he strikes. Can I play Wear Him Down?
  A: No. You have already focused once this duel. Jeff Alexander, "post for 3 December 2002", 4 Dec 2002
• Q: Limited: One of your Personalities challenges another Personality with an equal or higher Chi to a duel that cannot be refused. Each Personality must focus exactly once if possible. The loser of this duel is dishonored, but not destroyed. The winner of the duel gains 4 honor.
  Reaction: Play this card as a focus when a Personality strikes against one of your Personalities in a duel. That Personality must focus instead, if possible. You may draw a card. You lose your next opportunity to focus or strike in this duel.
  A: You may not play cards "as a focus" if you've already focused during an Iaijutsu Art as that violates the "must focus exactly once if possible," clause of the card effect. Martin Lund, "Old enlightment: Iaijutsu Art + Wear Him Down", 29 Feb 2008
• Q: can i play Wear Him Down from Tsuma's Doji reaction and use Wear Him Down's reaction (oponent must focus) ??
  A: Answered in the Archive entry for Tsuma Dojo. Zen Faulkes, "wear him down + tsuma dojo", 10 Mar 2005