3 quick rules questions.

1 - Shatterered Focus

My opponent has S.F. in play, issues a challenge to me.....I focus a card, he Smoke and Mirrors it. I focus again w/ a Kharmic Strike...he strikes.

Can he discard S.F. to discard my card, when he has none of his own to discard? The exact text reads, "Reaction: After focus cards are revealed in a duel, discard this card: Discard one card focused by each Personality in the duel."

My initial logic is....no....it says one card focused by EACH personality, as one of the people does NOT have one to discard. Still, I've been wrong before.

2 - Iron Pillar

Bayushi Shusui

Battle: Pay 3 Gold: If you are a Scorpion Clan player, once per turn, draw 3 cards. Destroy Shusui when this Battle Action Segment ends.

If he uses his ability...and the player has the formation Iron Pillar in play and requirements met...

...WHEN does he blow up relative to timing, and when EXACTLY does the formation go out of play due to battle resolution? Can this formation be used to negate his destruction?

3 - Stormheart + Kyuden Doji

This most likely wouldn't happen but...

...if someone were to play a stormheart on a personality controled by someone running Kyuden Doji. Using the KD ability for a samurai (who also would have the courtier trait) to enter the duel...say Saori steps in. Since Stormheart says to issue a NON-courtier personality, does the duel immediately fail to occur? Or does it go as normal against the new personality?

Same question if MISDIRECTION were used instead of the KD Stronghold.

Also, I am pretty sure that if the Kyuden Doji player uses the Stormheart, and the duel is accepted...they CAN use their samurai to do the duel instead. I just want to make sure, however.

Thanks a ton.

Thanks a ton. Even got them in time before I leave for our local tourney! Good show!

Though, and correct me if i'm wrong, Shattered Focus cannot discard Kharmic Strike, as the effects happen as soon as it's revealed.

it can discard Kharmic. it just won't do you any good.

Triggered effects happen before reactions, when reacting to the same trigger. Kharmic is a triggered effect (when revealed). Shattered focus cannot discard it, because the moment kharmic is revealed, *poof*, duel's done.

When Kharmic Strike is revealed as a Focus card in a duel, the duel ends in a tie during resolution regardless of the duelists' stats.

I'd say Kharmic Strike doesn't end the duel. It only creates an effect that says that the duel will be a tie no matter what the stats are.

Togashi Imura

1 - Shatterered Focus

My opponent has S.F. in play, issues a challenge to me.....I focus a card, he Smoke and Mirrors it. I focus again w/ a Kharmic Strike...he strikes.

Just to comment, he can't strike, unless he has no cards in hand (and if he played smoke, that would means his fate deck is empty too). Under SF, you MUST focus a card (idf possible) before being allowed to strike.

I think either we are not speaking of the same player, or I didn't undrstood his process.

For me it was :

P1 challenge P2

P2 focus

P1 play smoke

P2 focus karmik

P1 can't call strike

Is that right?

Your Smoke counts as your focus for that duel.

Well, last time I checked, Kakita could play Smoke THEN on his next opportunity focus with 1 to 3 cards (unless he has another "instead of focusing" action)

Thanks Marty.

Martin Lund wrote:

No. Playing Smoke and Mirrors doesn't count as you having focused in the duel, though it does take up your opportunity to focus. It is played "instead of" focusing.

You're right, Kaze. In the example given, the player who called "Strike" could not have yet called it unless his hand was emptied due to some weird effect, since he has not focused yet.

I missed which player had called "Strike" in the example.

- Marty Lund

Deputy Rules Monkey

Hmm, this is some subtle stuff, I think I've played some duels wrong.

THe wording used on "alternate focus" cards is inconsistant and sometimes confusing.. and sometimes plain wrong (Shadows Claw).

So, here's a list or alternate focus cards, could you let me know which do and do not satisfy the clause on "Shattered Focus"? (Also, note if there is any varience with the similar clauses on Kakita, Hoshi Masote, Kokujin's Daisho, Wear him Down)

(I think yes:)

Chee'tr

Ronin Swordsman

The Shadow's Claw

Tsuma Dojo

Wear him Down*

(I think no:)

Kakita Kaneo

Kitsuki Yojimbo

Mat'Chek

Smoke and Mirrors

Wrath of the Emporer

50/50 split, interesting. And confusing!

(* the situation involved is complicated but possible - opponent focuses, you play smoke and mirrors, opponent strikes, you play Wear him Down, opponent focuses, opponent focuses again - can you now strike?)

By the way,

what is the difference between

"Must focus instead, of possible" (Wear him Down)

"Must focus at least once per duel if able" (Shattered Focus, Kakita)

"May not strike unless they have focused or are unable to focus" (Kokujin's Daisho)

"May not strike in this duel unless he has focused or cannot focus" (Hoshi Masote)

Can I play Smoke and Mirrors when my opponet plays Wear him Down? In this case, is Wear him Down discarded?

50/50 split, interesting. And confusing!

I understand why you find this confusing. However, note that it is not confusing for everyone, and that the way it is makes more sense for somebody else, for sure. Anyway, the way you should think of it is the following, when looking into the past to see if you have focused, just ask the question "did I actually focused?", indeed, in the case of Shadow's Claw, you focused a card, in the case of Smoke and Mirror, I haven't focused (it is not relevant that you gave up an opportunity to focus to do it).

In my point of view, the wording "reaction instead of focusing" is bad, it should be a separate timing (for example "Duel:" ). And the rulebook would give you a default action that allows you to focus at the Duel time. It would be more understandable that way.

(* the situation involved is complicated but possible - opponent focuses, you play smoke and mirrors, opponent strikes, you play Wear him Down, opponent focuses, opponent focuses again - can you now strike?)

yes, you focused Wear Him Down.

By the way,

what is the difference between

"Must focus instead, of possible" (Wear him Down)

"Must focus at least once per duel if able" (Shattered Focus, Kakita)

"May not strike unless they have focused or are unable to focus" (Kokujin's Daisho)

"May not strike in this duel unless he has focused or cannot focus" (Hoshi Masote)

The last three are the same. The first one removes the opportunity to strike, this very occasion.

Can I play Smoke and Mirrors when my opponet plays Wear him Down? In this case, is Wear him Down discarded?

Yes (it has been ruled that "must focus" only prevents you from striking), and yes (Wear Him Down is the last card focused).

Togashi Imura