A topic from AEG's L5R CCG Rules forum, copied for Oracle of the Void from the Wayback Machine (its copy), so posts 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, 18 March 2005
If i play show of good faith on an opponents personality and later in the same turn i target the stolen personality and i use suitengu's surge on the personality. The personality return at the beggining of the next turn. The personality enter in play again under my control. At the end of this turn the personality returns to its original controller or i keep the personality for the rest of the game???
I play shadow´s claw, can I used smoke and mirrors reaction as the card I´m going to focus?
Thanks
Zen Faulkes (rules official), 18 March 2005
If i play show of good faith on an opponents personality and later in the same turn i target the stolen personality and i use suitengu's surge on the personality. The personality return at the beggining of the next turn. The personality enter in play again under my control. At the end of this turn the personality returns to its original controller or i keep the personality for the rest of the game???
Archive, Show of Good Faith.
I play shadow´s claw, can I used smoke and mirrors reaction as the card I´m going to focus?
I'm leaving that one for Jeff or Marty.
Martin Lund (rules official), 18 March 2005
I play shadow´s claw, can I used smoke and mirrors reaction as the card I´m going to focus?
Shadow's Claw says: "Reaction: Play before your Personality focuses in a duel. Look at your top five Fate cards. Focus with one, take one into your hand, and shuffle the rest into the deck."
Smoke and Mirrors says, "Reaction: Play instead of focusing in a duel to discard your opponent's last focus card without effect. Draw a Fate card."
Shadow's Claw has an effect that makes you focus in a duel. That focusing is a valid trigger to play Smoke and Mirrors from your hand. Instead of "Focus with one," you drop Smoke and Mirrors.
So the play would resolve as follows:
Opportunity to Focus or Strike:
--> Play Shadow's Claw
--> Look at the top 5 cards.
----> Instead of focusing with one, play Smoke and Mirrors from hand.
----> Discard opponent's focus card.
----> Draw a card (the first card on your deck, which you've already seen thanks to Shadow's Claw)
--> Add one of the remaining 4 cards you looked at to your hand.
--> Shuffle the remaining 3 cards into your deck.
Opponent's opportunity to Focus or Strike.
NOTA BENE: Shadow's Claw only lets you FOCUS with one of the top 5 cards - not PLAY them for their printed abilities (Reactions) as if they were in your hand. If you want to take a Reaction, make sure it is in your hand, not on top of your deck.