Whispers of the Dying Sun

Legend of the Five Rings card from Path of the Destroyer

Card Type

Event

Keywords

Unique

Card Text

Choose a non-Stronghold card in play. Each of its base abilities may be used one additional time this turn.

Legality

Destroyer War (Celestial)

Deck

Dynasty

Story

2008 Whispers of the Dying Sun - Richard Chan

Printings

Rules Q&A

• Q: By contrast, would Whispers of the Dying Sun permit it to be used a 2nd time in a battle? (its still a variable. variable number of uses = variable +1 seems about the same to me as 'when the variable = 1, it now = 2. )
  Whispers of the Dying Sun
  Choose a non-Stronghold card in play. Each of its base abilities may be used one additional time this turn
  A second question: if you hit your stronghold with Whispers of the Dying Sun (and its a normal stronghold, lets say Shatter Peaks Castle) would you be able to play fires of war after whispers of the dying sun resolves to make that 'additional time' from the event be a 3rd use since fires of war adds a 2nd use? Or is the order in which numerical uses are given to an action important. ( 1 normal + 1 additional + a second use = 2 uses, or 3 uses? ) With hand sizes (based on the War of Honor tile that makes your hand size 9, stacks with 'hand size maximum increased by 1' from other effects) it would result in a maximum of 3, but it may be another scenario that doesn't apply here.
  A: Whispers of the Dying Sun cannot affect Strongholds. Brook Cunningham, "follow up shadow's lair vs. whispers of sun", 13 Apr 2012
• Q: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=95097
  So, for clarity's sake, targeting a card with a once+ per battle/once+ per phase action will 'waste' Whispers of the Dying Sun, but targeting a card with once+ per game/once+ per turn won't?
  A: Correct. I've updated the other thread to be more clear. Jon Palmer, "Whispers of the Dying Sun and Once Per Battle", 29 Nov 2011
• Q: (somewhat related to viewtopic.php?f=59&t=92052&p=1220353 ) Whispers of the Dying Sun: Choose a (non-Stronghold) card in play. Each of its base abilities may be used one additional time this turn. If I target a card with a 'once per battle' ability, does the additional use of it have to occur in the first battle resolved that turn (1 below), the first battle where the ability is initially used (2 below), or any battle (3 below)? To clarify: 1: If I have my Tactical Advisors at Battlefield B, and my opponent resolves battlefield A first, is my additional use lost since I didn't use my additional time during the first eligible time period? 2/3:If I use my Tactical Advisors at battlefield A, does my additional use from Whispers of the Dying Sun also have to be at battlefield A, or could my unit move to battlefield B and then use its ability twice?
  A: There's no requirement that it be used in the first possible time frame. However, "one additional time per turn" does not in this case completely override the limitation of "once per battle" (per the earlier rulings, the override flows up but does not flow down).
  Therefore, Whispers of the Dying Sun is not going to allow you extra utility from a Once per Battle or Once per Phase ability. Jon Palmer, "Whispers of the Dying Sun and Once Per Battle", 29 Nov 2011
• Q: If a player resolves Whispers of the Dying Sun in his 2nd turn, choosing Border Keep, he gets another use of each of its ability, but since it is no longer his first turn, he cannot use the first, correct?
  A: This is the current ruling: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=79042:
  "REVERSAL [March 17th 2010]: due to the text "this turn" on Whispers of the Dying Sun, both the initial use and the additional use MUST occur in the SAME TURN. Thus, if the "once per game" ability on Border Keep has been used in a previous turn, you CANNOT use Whispers of the Dying Sun to get an "additional" use out of it on a later turn." Zen Faulkes, "Whispers of the Dying Sun and Border Keep", 29 Jun 2011
• Q: I had originally asked about Whispers of the Dying Sun back in April. Mantis pira-- erm, "naval warfare experts" smuggled it to the Rules Junta's secret, skull-shaped island back on 16 May. Any chance of a ruling in time for the St. Louis Kotei this weekend?
  A: The good news is that the rules wiki did get an update and clarification on "Additional" that should cover this: http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Glossary_A#Additional Thus, any tournament judges did have the information.
  The bad news was that we didn't specifically point it out here in the forum. Apologies. Zen Faulkes, "Re: Whispers of the Dying Sun and "once per game"", 12 Jun 2011
• Q: Will Swift Counterattack stop the "additional" action that is granted by Whispers of the Dying Sun?
  A: No.
  Additional action is different from an additional use; they both have separate descriptions in the Glossary: http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Glossary_A#Additional_action Zen Faulkes, "Swift Counterattack + Whispers of the Dying Sun", 15 May 2010
• Q: Where and how grammatically does it imply, because it certainly doesn't state, both uses of the Once Per Game must happen on the same turn.
  A: Expect the rules wiki to be updated in the near future to clarify this. Please be patient. Thanks! Zen Faulkes, "Whispers of the Dying Sun & Border Keep", 17 Mar 2010
• Q: Regarding this ruling: http://www.alderac.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=79042#p1047285, is the "...after Hisoka enters play" part of the constraints block(on his first ability) a condition that will be overridden, just like the "Once per game" part? If I target my Hisoka(who has already used his first ability when he entered play) with Whispers of a dying sun, can I pay the 4 gold to destroy a province?
  Whispers of the Dying Sun Choose a (non-Stronghold) card in play. Each of its base abilities may be used one additional time this turn.
  Bayushi Hisoka Scorpion Clan • Courtier • Imperial • Experienced • Loyal • Unique • Imperial Chancellor Political Reaction: Once per game, after Hisoka enters play, pay 4 Gold: Destroy a province belonging to a target player with 2 or more provinces. Until the game ends, once in each of his turns, he may refill one of his provinces face-up. Political Limited: A target player with 4 or more provinces loses 2 Honor.
  A: If you can kill him and bring him back into play, yes, Whispers of the Dying Sun will allow Bayushi Hisoka xp to use his Reaction again in a game. (Extension of Border Keep ruling mentioned) Dan Jacobson, "Whispers of a dying sun + Bayushi Hisoka", 18 Jan 2010
• Q: If you haven't used (Border Keep) before, does Whispers allow you to use it again next turn?
  A: No.
  An "additional" use means the first use must happen. Zen Faulkes, "Whispers of the Dying Sun & Border Keep", 4 Dec 2009
• Q: If a player chooses their Border Keep with the Whispers event, how do they pay the cost of "Once per game:" to use the second ability?
  A: It's not a cost; it's a condition (http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Card_features#Abilities). And Whispers of the Dying Sun allows you "one additional time," which overrides conditions. Zen Faulkes, "Whispers of the Dying Sun & Border Keep", 7 Nov 2009
• Q: Assuming you've already used the second ability of Border Keep, if Whispers pops and you target Border Keep, can you use the second ability of Border Keep again? Thanks.
  A: Yes.
  This reversal is the result of internal discussions in the Rules Team. Alex Jones, "Whispers of the Dying Sun & Border Keep", 5 Oct 2009
• Q: I think we can ask this now.
  A: You can ask, but you won't get an answer yet. We don't have reference materials to work from yet.
  When we're ready for questions, the announcement will change. Meanwhile, your continued patience is appreciated. Zen Faulkes, "Whispers of the Dying Sun + Border Keep", 2 Sep 2009
• Q: [OBH] Border Keep exp2 and Whispers of the Dying Sun: Do you get to refill provinces 3 or 4 times?
  A: Three, not four. Brook Cunningham, "Sun and Moon #rules-questions", 6 Jun 2025