A topic from AEG's L5R CCG Rules forum, copied for Oracle of the Void from a copy of the forum saved in October 2015, so pages it didn't save are missing. Players' names are left out; the rules officials are named. Rulings are as they stood on these dates; later rulings, the rulebooks and the Rules Archive may differ.
A player, 25 November 2012
Example: An “unopposed” card is any card that is not in the opposed state, even one that could not be opposed because it’s not at a battlefield.
Bakari has a -4f penalty while unopposed.
Incense Mill Battle/Open: Target a Personality: Negate all current Force penalties on him. Negate any cards' effects that say he may not perform actions (this turn).
May I use incense mill on Bakari to negate the -4f penalty as the Open action (seeing as he's unopposed) If so the following questions:
1) As he's still unopposed does he regain the penalty? 2) If he becomes opposed later in a battle, and then becomes unopposed does he gain a new penalty?
Alex Jones (rules official), 25 November 2012
Example: An “unopposed” card is any card that is not in the opposed state, even one that could not be opposed because it’s not at a battlefield.
Bakari has a -4f penalty while unopposed.
Incense Mill Battle/Open: Target a Personality: Negate all current Force penalties on him. Negate any cards' effects that say he may not perform actions (this turn).
May I use incense mill on Bakari to negate the -4f penalty as the Open action (seeing as he's unopposed) If so the following questions:
1) As he's still unopposed does he regain the penalty? 2) If he becomes opposed later in a battle, and then becomes unopposed does he gain a new penalty?
You may indeed negate Bakari's force penalty using Incense Mill's ability as an Open action. The penalty is negated for the rest of the turn. If he becomes opposed and then unopposed again, the penalty would normally be re-applied, but it's the same force penalty so Incense Mill continues to negate it.