Yodin Sensei

Legend of the Five Rings card from Soul of the Empire

Card Type

Sensei

Province Strength

+0

Gold Production

+0

Starting Family Honor

+0

Keywords

Brotherhood of Shinsei, Crane Clan, Dragon Clan, Lion Clan, Scorpion Clan, Unicorn Clan

Card Text

You may not target other players' Personalities with cards' effects.
The player (or players) with the most Personalities in play may not bring a Personality into play if he has brought a Personality into play this turn.

Focus Value

2

Legality

Hidden Emperor (Jade)

Banned

This card is banned from War of Honor tournaments.

Deck

Pre-Game

Printings

Rulings

• Checks for all Personalities entering play, including created Personalities (e.g., Egg of P'an Ku). [Reversal, JA, 5 October 2000] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 144
• You may not bring a second Personality into play if the first you bring into play causes you to be tied for "the most" Personalities. [JA, 8 October 2000] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 144
• You may redirect other players' targeted actions. [JA, 22 February 2001] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 144
• Does not prohibit targeting unbought Personalities in Provinces, who are generic "Dynasty cards." [VRD, ZF, netnews, 30 May 2001] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 144

Rules Q&A

• Q: Please answer this question. I have Yodin sensei. Or maybe it is a multiplayer games and somebody has Yodin Sensei in the game. I have the most personalities on the board. My opponent has targetted three of my personalities with actions and I have used Suitengu's Surge on all three in response. ( I have three of the spells in play or I had a ring of air and two spells in play.) I still have the most personalities on the board. Who gets to decide which personality enters play due to surge.
  A: [MARTY] Active player chooses. The Active player is the player whose turn "before the beginning of" references on Suitengu's Surge.
  That player choose the order in which the units will attempt to return to play. Martin Lund, "Rules for 31 January 2005", 4 Feb 2005
• Q: On Wed, 19 Jan 2005 03:44:08 -0700
  On Wed, Jan 19 2005 14:39:55 "Philippe Duchon" , <duchon.philippe at free.fr>
  Is there an Errata to Yodin Sensei, which clarifies its interaction with the new card templating (ie. Dawn of the Empire/Web of Lies)?
  A: There is no errata. It doesn't need any. Martin Lund, "Rules for 19 January 2005", 24 Jan 2005
• Q: You seemed to miss this one the first time around Marty.
  Cheers.
  A: [MARTY] Ah. I saw the subject line and just assumed Rock Men was some funky card from Wrath I'd never heard of. Martin Lund, "Rules for 18-21 August 2004", 29 Aug 2004
• Q: Open question.
  I have one personality in play, Tamori Minoru and he has a Summon Earth Kami attached. I am also playing Yodin Sensei and my opponent has one personality in play.
  He attacks and I create a rock man in his army using Summon Earth Kami. Am I right in assuming that he cannot bring any more personalities into play as he has the most personalities during his dynasty phase (this would also work if I had an extra personality as he has two during his dynasty phase) and has already bought a personality into play?
  As he controls the rockman he is considered to have bought it into play correct?
  A: No. The player who used the effect that brought the card into play is considered to have brought it into play. This is what Jeff ruled on Feign Death recently, and it applies here too. Martin Lund, "Rules for 18-21 August 2004", 29 Aug 2004
• Q: I'm not sure how a couple of cards interact with the current targeting rules and therefore whether or not they're legal under Yodin:
  1). Face Me - I think it probably does target your opponent's Personality (under the 4th targeting rule......"all other effects target") but I'm not certain (sorry if this has alreday been answered.....missed it if it was).
  A: Try rule #1: it targets both Personalities because it says so. Jeff Alexander, "post for 25 November 2002", 26 Nov 2002
• Q: Just an Open question to which I think I know the answer but wanted to confirm. Can I use Face Me with Yodin Sensei?
  A: No. Jeff Alexander, "post for 18 November 2002", 19 Nov 2002
• Q: Does stand against the waves target or not, refering to the targeting limitation of Yodin Sensei. I think it s a global effect, so it doesn't target but many people argue with me, I want to be sure
  A: It targets the leader of the opposing army under Gold Edition rules. That player then targets units in his or her own army to bow. If not enough can be bowed, there is an untargeted effect of bowing all of those without Followers.
  Stand Against the Waves is therefore legal under Yodin Sensei. Yodin Sensei prohibits you from targeting other players' cards, but Stand Against the Waves targets another player (which is allowed) and then makes that player target his own cards.
  Let me emend that. Stand Against the Waves is legal under Yodin Sensei in a two-player game. There IS a case where Yodin Sensei impacts it in a multiplayer game. If you have Yodin Sensei in play and someone else plays Stand Against the Waves against YOU, by virtue of you being the Attacker or Defender, you are not allowed to bow your allies' Personalities. (Ordinarily, they may be valid selections.) Jeff Alexander, "post for 4 December 2001", 5 Dec 2001
• Q: 2) Overlaying a personality is considered "bringing a personality into play" for Yodin Sensei purposes?
  A: Overlaying is NOT considered bringing the Personality into play, for any purposes. Jeff Alexander, "post for 9 November 2001", 10 Nov 2001
• Q: By Gold rules, no, you may not use the Wind abilities on personalities if you are playing with Yodin Sensei (sorry, Tsudao).
  You may target them with the Iron Fortress of the Daidoji, since Strongholds are not cards and hence the duel on the Iron Fortress is not a 'card effect'.
  The Towers of the Yogo gives an ability to your Scorpion Clan Personalities, and since Personalities are cards, the ability granted by the Towers of the Yogo is a card effect, and therefore you cannot use it on other players' personalities.
  A: No need for me to do any heavy lifting here. Scott is completely right here. Jeff Alexander, "post for 10 October 2001", 11 Oct 2001
• Q: - select one of the personalities of the plyer of my right under the effect of a Occult Murders or a Rampant Plague if I'm using an Yodin Sensei?
  A: No and no. Jeff Alexander, "replies to 22-23 September 2001", 24 Sep 2001
• Q: I'd like to know if the Yogo Asami's ability may be used by a Yodin Sensei. I don't know if the efect that bows a target player's personality is considered targeting the personality or only the player. Could you help me, please?
  A: Asami targets a player, who then targets his own Personality. It's legal to use her under Yodin Sensei. Jeff Alexander, "replies to 15-16 September 2001", 17 Sep 2001
• Q: Can a Yodin Sensei player play Enough Talk! and Overconfidence now?
  A: No. Jeff Alexander, "replies to 6-9 July 2001", 19 Jul 2001
• Q: Do the Gold Edition rules regarding whether an action is targetted or not cause Overconfidence and Enough Talk! to be targetted actions now, thus making them unplayable with Yodin Sensei?
  A: Yes to both. Targeting is now pretty much the default for actions. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 11 July 2001", 12 Jul 2001
• Q: Can Kage exp 4 use his ability to grab personalities who are being discard if Kage's controller is using Yodin Sensei?
  A: Yes. Kage Exp4 does not target. Jeff Alexander, "Rulings for late February 2001", 10 Mar 2001
• Q: I seem to remember a ruling that Shinjo Tech was legal for a Yodin player to use because you weren't targeting, your opponent still was, you were merely redirecting. So, can a Yodin Sensei player use Shinjo Tech?
  A: No. Picking a new target is an act of targeting (albeit bound by the original action's targeting restrictions, not yours). Jeff Alexander, "Rulings for 16 January 2001", 19 Jan 2001
• Q: From private mail...
  <bows> Is Shinjo Technique's redirection, even though the redirection is done from the standpoint of the original action player, is it considered targetting by the ST player if that player has Yodin Sensei?
  A: No. A redirected action is still considered to be targeted by the player who originally played it. This includes targeting restrictions that the original player would have to have stuck to, and means that it's not considered targeting for Yodin Sensei. Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for January 6th", 6 Jan 2001
• Q: The question revolves around the first sentence on the sensei i.e. "you cannot target other players' personalities with card effects" and Aramoro's first ability i.e. "Limited: Bow to force the discard of a dynasty card from any one province in play". Say I'm playing Scorpion (or anyone else who can use Yodin Sensei, for that matter), and want to use Aramoro's forced-discard ability. Now according to the accumulated rulings, Aramoro targets the *card*, not the *province*. So:
  1. Can he target a personality sitting in a province i.e. does it matter that the personality isn't in play?
  A: He can target a personality sitting in a province, yes. There was a little bit of intent errata to Yodin Sensei, and its targeting restriction only applies to personalities who are totally, fully in play. Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for December 21st", 21 Dec 2000
• Q: Cards not in play do not have card type. Personalities in provinces are cards in provinces, not personalities. Aramoro works fine under Yodin Sensei.
  A: Not true. If cards not in play don't have a card type, then there are quite a few cards that need rulings. Architects of the Wall, Regions of Rokugan, Battle at Isawa Palace, Soshi Jomyako, etc. All of them refer to the card type of something that isn't in play at the time. Aramoro does work under Yodin Sensei, but it's because Yodin's restriction only extends to personalities in play. Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for December 21st", 21 Dec 2000
• Q: Hi,
  New wording on some personalities, does it still refer to restriction of bringing them into play? Can Hantei Genji use it ability if Yodin Sensei is in play, I control more personalities than any other other player and I have already put into play a personality ?
  If I am not a Shadowland player and Fu Leng is my province. Can Hantei Genji put him into play? Fu Leng reads : Will not be controlled by a non-Shadowlands Horde player. Is that a restriction to bring him to play? Fu Leng reads : Will not enter play unless two or more Personalities have been destroyed or given the Shadowlands keyword this turn. Is that a restriction to bring him to play?
  Is the Loyal trait a restriction of bringing a personality into play?
  => It seems to be YES. Isn't it the "Fu Leng's first trait" the translation for Faction without Faction keyword?
  Card texts: Fu Leng: Will not be controlled by a non-Shadowlands Horde player. Will not enter play unless two or more Personalities have been destroyed or given the Shadowlands keyword this turn.
  Hantei Genji: Political Limited: Any number of times per turn, bow Genji and target a face-up Personality in a province: He enters play controlled by the province's player, ignoring costs and restrictions.
  Yodin Sensei: The player (or players) with the most Personalities in play cannot bring a Personality into play if he or she has brought a Personality into play this turn.
  Thanks in advance, Regards, Rémi.
  A: Yes is the answer to all the questions.
  See Restriction, definition. Brook Cunningham, "Bringing into play a personality : restriction", 10 Mar 2012
• Q: Can I use Tax collector if I play Yodin Sensei?
  A: Yes, you may. Brook Cunningham, "Yodin Sensei VS Tax Collector", 1 Apr 2010
• Q: I have some questions about that : I've seen this ruling about Intelligence Agence and Yodin Sensei : - If you are a Yodin Sensei player, you may target a Personality with the Intelligence Agent, but this does not allow you to target that Personality with other actions, because Intelligence Agent overrides card effects, while Yodin Sensei is considered printed on the stronghold. [VRD, 29 December 2000]
  A: That ruling is outdated, as are most linked on L5Rsearch or in the Rules Archive. The Legacy Wiki is the most current and accurate source of such things, in almost all cases. But do consider this the official ruling/reversal: Senseis' text are no longer considered to be on your Stronghold.
  And thus, for Intelligence Agent's current interaction with Yodin Sensei, yes it will allow a player of Yodin Sensei using its ability to target another player's Personality. Brook Cunningham, "Sensei & Stronghold VS Celestial Edition Rulebook", 19 Mar 2010
• Q: Hi,
  We had these cases in a Legacy game this weekend :
  When we use the battle action of Yogo XP7, do all the personalities arrive at the same time into play or they arrive one at a time?
  Now, I play Yodin Sensei.
  1/ I control 5 personalities, my opponent controls 4 personalities, then he put Yogo XP7 into play so he controls 5 personalities too. He uses the battle action of Yogo, how many personalities can he bring into play ? A => Any number respecting condition of the Yogo battle action. B => because he would control too many personalities
  2/ I control 1 personality, my opponent control 1 personality, then then he put Yogo XP7 into play so he controls 2 personalities now. He uses the battle action of Yogo, how many personalities can he bring into play ? A => Any number respecting condition of the Yogo battle action. B => None because of Yodin restriction.
  3/ I control no personality, my opponent controls Yogo XP7. He uses the battle action of Yogo, how many personalities can he bring into play ? A => Any number respecting condition of the Yogo battle action because Yogo has been shuffle into the dynasty deck so my opponent does not control more personalities than me at the time all his new army arrive into play. B => None because of Yodin restriction.
  The Cards : ----------------------- Yodin Sensei - The player (or players) with the most personalities in play cannot bring a Personality into play if he or she has brought a personality into play this turn. ----------------------- Yogo XP7 - Battle: Shuffle Yogo into your deck from the current battle: Search your Provinces and deck for any number of Personalities with a total Gold cost less than Yogo's. Bring them into play in your army, ignoring costs. -----------------------
  Thanks in advance, Rémi.
  A: In all cases above, Yogo Exp 7 will successfully bring all Personalities his action searches for into play.
  http://rules.l5r.com/Older_Card_Rulings_X-Z#Yodin_Sensei: "You may not bring a second Personality into play if the first you bring into play causes you to be tied for "the most" Personalities. [JA, 8 October 2000] However, this will not prevent multiple Personalities entering play simultaneously if you otherwise meet the conditions for bringing one into play. [ML, 08 June 2005]" Brook Cunningham, "Yodin Sensei VS Yogo XP7", 17 Mar 2010
• Q: 1. So, Yodin essentially lets the player with the most personalities only bring one in per turn. How does this interact with Skirt the Edge, which gets you two peeps simultaneously? Assuming I've brought no other personalities into play this turn, would I get one Rat or two?
  A: You would get two.
  http://rules.l5r.com/Older_Card_Rulings_X-Z#Yodin_Sensei: "You may not bring a second Personality into play if the first you bring into play causes you to be tied for "the most" Personalities. [JA, 8 October 2000] However, this will not prevent multiple Personalities entering play simultaneously if you otherwise meet the conditions for bringing one into play. [ML, 08 June 2005] Brook Cunningham, "Yodin Sensei vs. Skirt the Edge", 27 Aug 2008
• Q: 2. Last I heard, "winning a battle" changed meanings (per Standard Bearers) does this mean I can get free Rats off Skirt even if I don't destroy a Province or enemy units?
  A: Yes. All you have to do is have an army with greater a Force total than the enemy army's, which would be 0 if empty. Brook Cunningham, "Yodin Sensei vs. Skirt the Edge", 27 Aug 2008
• Q: I have a couple card usage questions under Yodin Sensei.
  Yodin Sensei reads: You cannot target other players' personalities with card effects. The player or players with the most personalities in play cannot bring a personality into play if he or she has brought one into play this turn.
  My questions deal with the bold faced line. Do the effects of the following cards work against opposing players since they don't specificly state that you target, and are more or less global?
  Fields of Foolish Pride (action) 0 Delayed Terrain Battle: Even if you control no units at the current battlefield: Give each personality at the current battlefield -2F. Give each follower there -1F. Focus 1
  Mysterious Deaths (action) 6 gold cost Kolat Limited: Lose 4 honor. Destroy each players lowest Gold Cost Unit. If any player has more than one unit tied for lowest Gold Cost, he chooses which of his units is destroyed. Remove this card from the game. Focus 1
  -Matt
  [Mod edit: Thread title. -ZF]
  A: The two cards you reference could be played by a Yodin Sensei player and still affect opponents' cards.
  For cards printed in Dawn of the Empire or later, their effects only target if they explicitly say "target". Both of your examples were printed after Dawn and do not say "target"; therefore, they don't. Brook Cunningham, "Yodin Sensei questions", 16 Jun 2008
• Q: If I am playing with Yodin Sensei and New Emerald Champion turns up, do I target one of my own personalities to receive +3/+3, and then does the rest of the event fail because I cannot target the other players personalities?
  A: Yes. Zen Faulkes, "New Emerald Champion and Yodin Sensei", 5 Jun 2007