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, 9 April 2013
Hello,
We had the following occur and weren't sure about battle resolution in this case.
1) I play Shinobi Assault and target my opponent's Personality. I use Goju Gochiso and bring his Thunder Dragon (Mantis) to the battlefield. ---- Begin Battle ---- 2) Per Shinobi Assault, I take my first action to play Goju Plot. I kill Goju Gochiso and bring in the Shadow Dragon in his place and have an additional action per Goju Plot. 3) I use the Shadow Dragon's Battle Ability to take control of the Thunder Dragon. 4) Opponent passes on action. 5) I use the Shadow's Lair (TSL) to send home the Thunder Dragon. 6) Opponent and I pass on our actions
I had a couple of questions about battle resolution in this case: 1) Since the Shadow Dragon enter play via Goju Plot, would he be considered the attacker in battle resolution and therefore not be able to assign during another attack phase? 2) Since the Thunder Dragon was the Defender during assignment, after I took control of her, would her role switch to attacker? (I wasn't sure if I had to send her home via TSL to make sure she could participate in another attack that turn.) Basically wondering if I could let the battle resolve and then use both units to attack when the Attack phase started
Thanks!
Shinobi Assault - Limited: Choose your performing unbowed Ninja Personality and target another player's Personality: Create a battlefield (not at any province). Assign your Personality to attack there. Assign the target to defend there, even if he is bowed. Fight a battle there, in which you have the first opportunity to take a Battle action or pass. Lose 5 Honor.
Goju Plot - Battle: Destroy your performing Shadowlands Ninja Personality and target a Ninja Personality in your discard pile: Bring him into play at the current battlefield, paying all costs but reducing his Gold cost to enter play by the performer's Gold Cost. Lose 2 Honor. You may take an additional Battle action.
Shadow Dragon - Battle: Target an enemy Personality: Permanently give him Ninja and Shadowlands. Take control of him. Return control of him to his owner after the next time this game this ability is announced.
The Shadow's Lair - Ninja Battle: Once per battle, even if this card is bowed and even if you control no units at the current battlefield, target one or more unopposed units with combined total Force of 9 or lower, or one opposed unit: Move each target home; this will not be negated or delayed if you control a Ninja.
A player, 9 April 2013
I had a couple of questions about battle resolution in this case: 1) Since the Shadow Dragon enter play via Goju Plot, would he be considered the attacker in battle resolution and therefore not be able to assign during another attack phase?
It doesn't matter, the Second-Battle rule only forbids moving or assigning during the same Attack Phase. If you, say, create two Attack Phases in a turn, having been in battle resolution as the Attacker in one of them doesn't carry over to the second. Also, since Shinobi Assault doesn't happen during an Attack Phase, nor does it create one, the Second Battle Rule is irrelevant here. See here Second-Battle Rule If a unit was in an attacking army at any point during the resolution of a battle at that army's battlefield, then before the unit moves or assigns to a battlefield during the same Attack Phase, the unit’s movement or assignment does not happen. [CLARIFIED 13 Jun 2012]
2) Since the Thunder Dragon was the Defender during assignment, after I took control of her, would her role switch to attacker? (I wasn't sure if I had to send her home via TSL to make sure she could participate in another attack that turn.)
Again, being attacking or defending in a Shinobi Assault battle has no consequence for your normal Attack Phase later that turn.
Side note:"Attacker" and "Defender" are terms referring to players only. Units are "attacking units" or "defending units" but only players can be "Attacker" or "Defender" (capitalised) Declare an attack. The player creating this Attack Phase declares an attack. He or she becomes the Attacker for this Attack Phase. He or she then chooses another player. The other player is the Defender for this Attack Phase.
In case you're still wondering, let's see the rules for changing control while in an army: A Personality who changes control while in an army immediately joins his new controller’s side. So the defending unit will immediately become an attacking unit (and it'll be in an attacking army) after changing control.
Edit: As a side note, it has been pointed out to me that Thunder Dragon XP2 is Loyal to the Clan Mantis, so you normally won't be able to gain control of her with Shadow Dragon XP2.