Isawa Toshiji

Back to Personalities list
Image copyright of AEG, used without permission	Diamond legal cards: nonXP Features in: Nothing yet.
We know nothing about Isawa Toshiji story-wise. The Judge trait on his card suggests that he's a magistrate, but whether he's an Inquisitor or just a normal magistrate we can only speculate. His card, on the other hand, rocks exceedingly. Isawa Toshiji 2F, 4C 8HR, 6GC, 2PH Phoenix Clan JudgeShugenjaCourtier*Soul of Isawa Mitori Battle: Bow Toshiji and discard a Kiho or Spell from your hand to force each other player with an unbowed Personality in this battle to choose to either discard a Spell or Kiho from their hand or bow a Personality they control in this battle. Oh Toshiji, let me count the ways that I love you... 6G for 2/4 is good. 6G for 3ph is very good. The Shugenja trait is good. The Courtier trait is good. The Shugenja and Courtier traits together on a 3PH 4C personality is amazing for 6G. And to top it off, Toshiji has an ability that occasionally wins games for you. He really is the complete package. His 8HR is a minor irritant - not because it makes him hard to get out, but because it limits the number of other high-HR people you can put in the same deck as him. More than about 6 or 7 personalities with above starting honour makes you vulnerable to draws when you waste gold on turn 3 because you can't bring any of the revealed personalities into play - often fatal. And let's face it, Isawa Toshiji is going to take 3 slots in the vast majority of Phoenix decks - and Shiba Ningen experienced will take a 4th. That doesn't leave much space for our other solid above box HR personalities! On a more theoretical level, Toshiji (and his cousin Isawa Junichiro) both have an important role in deck construction, because they effectively turn unattached spells into battle actions. This is particularly important in Diamond, where opposed battles are frequent and the side with more battle actions has a massive edge. The ability to pitch a Walking the Way in battle for a powerful effect can be game-winning, and the only pity is that the Stronghold that makes the most out of Toshiji and Junichiro (City of Rememberance) doesn't let you play kihos, meaning that there are fewer cards in your deck to work with them. But that stronghold has many synergy problems, and that's just a part of them. Toshiji - you'd better have a very good reason for leaving him out of your deck.
Back to Personalities list