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, 2 March 2013
Hi there. Just to confirm my understanding. Apologies if this has already been asked. Could not find any relevant threads.
Watchers in the Dark Reaction: After engaging, choose your performing Scout at the current battlefield and target a card in a unit there: You have Reconnaissance there. Abilities on cards (now) in the target's unit may not be used.
Again! Battle: Choose your performing Kensai: Straighten him and all his Weapons. Battle abilities on his Weapons may be used a second time this turn. You may take an additional Battle action.
Rulebook: May Not - "...when something is forbidden with 'May Not', it can't be chosen in the first place."
Question: If a Kensai unit had been targeted by Watchers in the Dark during reactions on engaging, the Kensai's controller is unable to play Again! to reactivate the use of printed abilities in the Kensai unit (although Again! can still straighten the unit and allow additional Battle action elsewhere). This is because using the abilities in the unit is not an option, after being forbidden by Watchers in the Dark. Is this correct?
Thank you very much.
Jon Palmer (rules official), 2 March 2013
Hi there. Just to confirm my understanding. Apologies if this has already been asked. Could not find any relevant threads.
Watchers in the Dark Reaction: After engaging, choose your performing Scout at the current battlefield and target a card in a unit there: You have Reconnaissance there. Abilities on cards (now) in the target's unit may not be used.
Again! Battle: Choose your performing Kensai: Straighten him and all his Weapons. Battle abilities on his Weapons may be used a second time this turn. You may take an additional Battle action.
Rulebook: May Not - "...when something is forbidden with 'May Not', it can't be chosen in the first place."
Question: If a Kensai unit had been targeted by Watchers in the Dark during reactions on engaging, the Kensai's controller is unable to play Again! to reactivate the use of printed abilities in the Kensai unit (although Again! can still straighten the unit and allow additional Battle action elsewhere). This is because using the abilities in the unit is not an option, after being forbidden by Watchers in the Dark. Is this correct?
Thank you very much.
Yes, you are correct.