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, 20 May 2015
During a battle at a province, player A controls a single dishonorable attacking Samurai. Similarly, player B control a single defending Courtier.
Situation 1 Player B announces Oppression. Player A Interrupt the action with Defend Your Honor. By the card text, Oppression will be negated before it causes player A to loses Honor, however, at this point, B's single defending Courtier is home. A's personality may then issue a challenge.
Q1- Is this correct? Q2- B cannot accept the challenge anymore since he does not control any personality the battlefield. Is this correct?
Corollary to 1
cQ1: Shosuro Longji gains Samurai through Gempukku. If I target Longji with Defend Your Honor, will the other player be forced to bow a personality to refuse the challenge considering Longji issues his challenge "in the wild"?
Situation 2 Player B announces Oppression. Player A Interrupts the action with The Code of Bushido. Per the card text, all effects of Oppression will be Negated.
3- Is this correct?
Card Text
Oppression Political Battle: Move home your target Courtier. Give the current Province +3 strength, and if the enemy leader controls a dishonorable Personality at its battlefield, he loses 2 Honor.
Defend Your Honor Political Interrupt: Target your unbowed Samurai. Before the other player's action causes you an Honor loss, negate it, and your Samurai may then issue a challenge. The player may either target his unbowed Personality to accept the challenge or refuse. If the player refuses or loses the duel, he loses Honor equal to the amount you negated. Destroy the loser.
The Code of Bushido Interrupt: If the action is from or targets a Samurai and it has any effects, other than consequences of losing a duel, that may dishonor him or causes his player Honor losses, negate the action.
Shoshuro Longji Longji's Followers must be Ninja. Personalities cannot refuse a challenge from Longji unless they bow first. Your actions targeting Longji that create challenges are Unstoppable. (Other players cannot Interrupt Unstoppable actions.)
Alex Jones (rules official), 21 May 2015
During a battle at a province, player A controls a single dishonorable attacking Samurai. Similarly, player B control a single defending Courtier.
Situation 1 Player B announces Oppression. Player A Interrupt the action with Defend Your Honor. By the card text, Oppression will be negated before it causes player A to loses Honor, however, at this point, B's single defending Courtier is home. A's personality may then issue a challenge.
Q1- Is this correct? Q2- B cannot accept the challenge anymore since he does not control any personality the battlefield. Is this correct?
Corollary to 1
cQ1: Shosuro Longji gains Samurai through Gempukku. If I target Longji with Defend Your Honor, will the other player be forced to bow a personality to refuse the challenge considering Longji issues his challenge "in the wild"?
Situation 2 Player B announces Oppression. Player A Interrupts the action with The Code of Bushido. Per the card text, all effects of Oppression will be Negated.
3- Is this correct?
Card Text
Oppression Political Battle: Move home your target Courtier. Give the current Province +3 strength, and if the enemy leader controls a dishonorable Personality at its battlefield, he loses 2 Honor.
Defend Your Honor Political Interrupt: Target your unbowed Samurai. Before the other player's action causes you an Honor loss, negate it, and your Samurai may then issue a challenge. The player may either target his unbowed Personality to accept the challenge or refuse. If the player refuses or loses the duel, he loses Honor equal to the amount you negated. Destroy the loser.
The Code of Bushido Interrupt: If the action is from or targets a Samurai and it has any effects, other than consequences of losing a duel, that may dishonor him or causes his player Honor losses, negate the action.
Shoshuro Longji Longji's Followers must be Ninja. Personalities cannot refuse a challenge from Longji unless they bow first. Your actions targeting Longji that create challenges are Unstoppable. (Other players cannot Interrupt Unstoppable actions.)
Q1- Is this correct? Yes. When you play Defend Your Honor, you target your Samurai. Later, when Oppression is about to cause you an honour loss, the delayed effect of Defend Your Honor triggers, negating the loss, and creating the challenge.
Q2- B cannot accept the challenge anymore since he does not control any personality the battlefield. Is this correct? Correct. The Rule of Location applies to Interrupts taking during battles, and applies to all targets regardless of whether they are required, optional or delayed, and regardless of whether the player taking the action chooses the targets or another player does so.
cQ1: If I target Longji with Defend Your Honor, will the other player be forced to bow a personality to refuse the challenge considering Longji issues his challenge "in the wild"? No. There is no Personality refusing the challenge, so no-one bows - it's player who refuses the challenge.
3- Is this correct? No. Your opponent's Oppression does not target your Personality, so Code of Bushido's condition is not met.