Spiritual Manipulation

Legend of the Five Rings card from The Shadow's Embrace

Card Type

Strategy

Gold Cost

0

Card Text

Open: Choose your performing Spirit Personality and target a Personality controlled by the active player: His controller must declare a normal attack this turn and assign the target (if legal).

Focus Value

3

Legality

Age of Conquest (Emperor)

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rules Q&A

• Q: There's been some debate around here about how Spiritual Manipulation interacts with Den of Iniquity.
  Does Den of Iniquity let someone ignore the effects of Spiritual Manipulation? Does the 'if legal' qualifier only apply to target assignation or does it also apply to attack declaration? Does the order in which the abilities are used matter (since that does seem to matter with some cards)?
  Relevant text:
  Den of Iniquity This card will not be destroyed. Other players will not lose Honor from your Spells. Bow this card: Produce 2 Gold. Political Limited: Bow this card and target another player's dishonorable Personality: His controller loses Honor equal to his base Personal Honor, or 3, whichever is lower. You may not declare an attack this turn.
  Spiritual Manipulation Open: Choose your performing Spirit Personality and target a Personality controlled by the active player: His controller must declare a normal attack this turn and assign the target (if legal).
  A: "May not" implies "Will not": you can't choose to do something covered by a "may not" effect, and even if forced to, it still doesn't happen. Alex Jones, "Spiritual Manipulation vs Den of Iniquity", 30 Jul 2012