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.
I'm quite new to the L5R CCF and I found a "Obscured pathways" card and I'm a bit confused about its mechanics the text says: Earth • Forest While this Shugenja is Earth, this card's Battle ability may be used even if this unit is not at the current battlefield. Battle: Bow this Shugenja if he is home, bow this card and target an attacking Personality: Move him home.
I'm confused about the part I highlighted in red, does this mean that the effect doesn't happen if the shugenja is not at home?
I'm quite new to the L5R CCF and I found a "Obscured pathways" card and I'm a bit confused about its mechanics the text says: Earth • Forest While this Shugenja is Earth, this card's Battle ability may be used even if this unit is not at the current battlefield. Battle: Bow this Shugenja if he is home, bow this card and target an attacking Personality: Move him home.
I'm confused about the part I highlighted in red, does this mean that the effect doesn't happen if the shugenja is not at home?
It means the cost of bowing the shugenja only needs to be paid if the shugenja is at home. If the shugenja is in the battle, he may use the spell without bowing himself, he would only need to bow Obscured Pathways.