The Shadow’s Embrace Preview – Purify the Soul

Seasons are a funny thing in L5R-land. Not for us is there nostalgic talk of summer being known by the smell of a fresh mowed lawn or the crack of a wooden bat. No, we have Kotei season, Con season, Winter Court. And, most anticipated of all – preview season.

Spell – Purify the Soul
2G
Air
Attaches to an Air Shugenja paying 2 less Gold.
Reaction: Before an action resolves, bow this card: Negate its effects which give Kolat, Ninja, or Shadowlands to Personalities you control.
Purity is its own reward.
4FV

So, very narrow meta against Temple of Purity. If your opponent only has one way of temporarily handing out one of the applicable keywords, then this can stop the honor gain from ToP. Unfortunately, Inquisitor decks now have access to three repeat-use effects that hand out the keywords – Seek the Stain, Tsunefusa, and Asako Jirou (although, to be fair, Jirou would really rather you already had the keyword). Plus Asako Izuna who hands it out permanently. If it works, it’s nice. But it’s hard to see a meta effect that only does anything against one deck, and that has a reasonable chance of not working even there, get played.

8 thoughts on “The Shadow’s Embrace Preview – Purify the Soul

  1. Haha. That’s a beautifully specific card. If I see this in a tournament I should just seppuku there and then…

  2. What? Who? Pomegranates.

    Makes as much sense as this card.

    It’s so ridiculous I can’t take it seriously.

    I think this just goes to show how little playtesting was done.

    Think I might deck back with them.

  3. There are cards that give your own guys shadowlands that it could be used to work around. I don’t know how often that’ll be relevant though, aside from Temple of Purity and a handful of other cards.

  4. Yes, finally something to counter 1 of million effects that give Kolat, Ninja, or Shadowlands to Personalities I control! If i have 20 of this card in my fate deck I don’t think I ever need to fear that effect again!

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