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 May 2014
I've been doing this thing in which I start with the Ring of Fire as Dragon, and equip a Storm-Forged Blade to a personality. I then attack a province with that personality, bow the Ring of Fire targeting an enemy card, then send the personality home with the blades ability. Now, my opponent technically wins the battle, so the thing I targeted is destroyed. I keep doing this every turn to pretty much just remove a card every turn. So I just want to make sure this is how that works. From what I know, that is how it would work, but it feels like it shouldn't be allowed.
I also had a question about In Stillness, Forge the Soul. This card lets me look at the top five cards of my Fate deck and equip a weapon to a targeted Personality, but if I target a Kensai and don't equip a weapon, the strategy goes back into my hand. Does this mean I can just repeatedly do this every turn to rearrange the top five cards of my deck and just choose to put the strategy back in my hand? Again, it reads like I can do exactly that, but it just feels too strong to just constantly do it.
Lastly, can I use the ability on a weapon if the Personality it's attached to is bowed? I assume I can but there were some people at my store the other day debating whether or not you could.
Thanks.
Brook Cunningham (rules official), 25 May 2014
I've been doing this thing in which I start with the Ring of Fire as Dragon, and equip a Storm-Forged Blade to a personality. I then attack a province with that personality, bow the Ring of Fire targeting an enemy card, then send the personality home with the blades ability. Now, my opponent technically wins the battle, so the thing I targeted is destroyed. I keep doing this every turn to pretty much just remove a card every turn. So I just want to make sure this is how that works. From what I know, that is how it would work, but it feels like it shouldn't be allowed.
As long as the opponent's army has at least 1F (because a 0F army versus an empty army is NOT a win; it has no outcome, win, loss, or tie), then yes, that does work.
Now, that said, your opponent should have plenty of options to counter this tactic of yours. He/she's getting two actions before you escape; first as the Defender, then the action between your taking the Ring of Fire action and the Storm-Forged Blade one. Also, if you're not attaching the blade to a Personality who could threaten to take the Province, he/she could also choose to not bother assigning any defenders.
I also had a question about In Stillness, Forge the Soul. This card lets me look at the top five cards of my Fate deck and equip a weapon to a targeted Personality, but if I target a Kensai and don't equip a weapon, the strategy goes back into my hand. Does this mean I can just repeatedly do this every turn to rearrange the top five cards of my deck and just choose to put the strategy back in my hand? Again, it reads like I can do exactly that, but it just feels too strong to just constantly do it.
Yes, you're reading it correctly. And it's not really that strong; I mean, every turn after the first, you're only seeing ~1 new card out of the five you look at. And you're sacrificing having that card constantly in hand, which can't help you whatsoever in battle, for the sake of that peek, whereas your opponent's entire hand could well be useful battle actions, giving him or her the mathematical edge in that regard.
Lastly, can I use the ability on a weapon if the Personality it's attached to is bowed? I assume I can but there were some people at my store the other day debating whether or not you could.
As long as taking the action or resolving some of the effects aren't dependent the Personality being unbowed (like Egg of P'an Ku Experiened) or on bowing him, yes you can; no Rule prohibits you using a bowed Personality's attachments that are themselves unbowed.
Thanks.
You're very welcome.