Ambush (L5R rules board)

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, 3 August 2007

Regarding the SE wording: Limited: Target one of your unbowed Personalities: Create a battlefield (not at any province). Assign your Personality to attack there. Assign another player’s target Personality to defend there, even if bowed. No other units may move there. Fight a battle there. After it ends, lose 5 Honor.

Is an Ambush considered an Attack Phase, or part of the Action Phase? The mention of how Akuma no Oni exp2 can be targeted during an Ambush (just not moved there, obviously) without Ambush stating that it changes the phase in any form is something I find curious.

This is relevant to:

Ikoma Noda, who has a trait that straightens him when an attack is declared. Wave Man, who straightens his unit when an attack phase ends. Retribution, which can be played in response to the end of an attack phase. All kinds of other things that trigger from attack phases.

Zen Faulkes (rules official), 3 August 2007

Is an Ambush considered an Attack Phase, or part of the Action Phase?

"Attack Phase" is not mentioned on Ambush. Just "a battle." Comprehensive Rules, Battle: "Battles are L5R’s way to represent military conflict. They usually happen in an attack (see Attack Phase) but sometimes happen as separate card effects." And more helpful information continues on from there.