Brand of Fire and Thunder

 
 
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This common kiho from Web of Lies is more limited, and more useful than most kihos. The limiting factor is that it may only be cast by monks. Thus, if you do not have any monks, or ways to cast kihos as a monk, skip the rest of this article. If you do, read on. If you use Shugenja, wait for my next article on the kiho Defining the Essence. This kiho has a cost of 0, and a focus of 2, nothing good or bad there.

This kiho's useful abilities are that it has not one, or even two abilities, but three! And, they are not similiar, but each is different, very different. The first is a Limited action, bowing the monk to draw a card. Thus, you can use this card to cycle through your fate deck, almost always a good thing. Not much wlse that can be said about it. Limited, but it allows you to discard this card if it is useless [playing against a Shadowlands player, not many political actions there].

The second and third abilities are reactions. The second ability is to bow a monk to redirect a political action. The third ability is to negate an event before it resolves. The player that turned the event over can then draw a card.

The Political redirection can be useful, but not always. First, it requires that your opponent be doing political actions. Second, it has to be an action that can be redirected. Not all can. If the only possible target is the one they hit [shaming the only dishonoured personality in play], not much you can do. Sometimes, however, it can be very useful. Use it to redirect the second Storm Heart, so that your first personality is not killed from being dishonoured, for instance. It is very situational, but powerful when it can be used. You are deciding who is getting targetted and effected by a political action.

The final ability on this is to negate an event's effects. One thing to remember is that the Event does count as being resolved, so it can not occur again. Thus, if you are in a multiplayer game, you essentially stop an event from ever occuring. It has no effects, but has resolved. Also, the other effect of this is that the player that resolved the event can draw the card. You can use this effect on an event of your opponent's especially one that is more usefuol to him than to you. Or, you could use it on one of your own events, if it is not needed, or would even be bad for you if it resolved. I have definitely had events like that, normally useful, but not good this game. This kiho allows you to control Event resolution to some extent. And if it was yours, you also gain a card from it; if it was your opponent's event, they are the ones that can gain the card, but sometimes that is a small price to pay for stopping the event from going off.

Hope this helps you the next time you make a deck with monks.

Isawa Letomo
Phoenix clan Librarian-Shugenja

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