Hidden-Blade Tatami

The myth

The hidden-blade tatami is a MYTHENOR creation. But real Japanese architecture had its secrets. The Iga-ryū Ninja Museum in Iga-Ueno preserves a house with revolving doors, trapdoors and hiding places in its floors and walls. At Nijō Castle in Kyoto the corridors have uguisubari, "nightingale floors", whose boards and clamps sing at every step, making it hard to approach unheard. The tatami, the rice-straw mat that covers the rooms, is so ordinary that no one suspects it, and that is where the card hides its surprise.

Why it has this power

A Common trap that destroys the attacking monster. Whoever invades the house without knowing the floor falls on the blade hidden beneath the tatami. It is a direct, cheap answer to strong attackers, and it teaches the opponent to tread carefully in the turns that follow.

Did you know

The tatami's size became a unit of measure: in Japan, room sizes are still given in numbers of mats, called jō.

Connections

• In Aiko, Dojo Apprentice's deck

Where to get it

• Daily Offering: 0% per pack (Common 64% per card)
• Welcome Pack: 0.97% per pack (Common 70% per card)
• Traveler's Pack: 0.88% per pack · 5.2% in the themed pack (Common 64% per card)
• Bronze Reliquary: 0.86% per pack · 5.1% in the themed pack (Common 62% per card)
• Silver Reliquary: 0.67% per pack · 4% in the themed pack (Common 49% per card)
• Golden Reliquary: 0.46% per pack · 2.7% in the themed pack (Common 33% per card)
• Daily Showcase: Shows up on about 0.69% of days · 150 gold
• Craft with card dust: 40 dust
• Crossing of Myths: Can be offered as a reward during a crossing (the card stays in the crossing deck).

Sources

1. Ninja Museum of Igaryu (official site) — Iga-ryu Ninja Museum
2. Japanese architecture — Encyclopaedia Britannica — The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica