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 September 2007
Unexpected Intimidation: Battle: Bow one of your target Personalities: Move a target enemy Personality home. If this movement is negated, bow him. If this bowing is negated, destroy him. If this destruction is negated, remove him from the game.
Moto Chagatai (Experienced 4) Unicorn Clan • Clan Champion • The Khan • Samurai • Cavalry • Tactician • Experienced 4 • Unique • Loyal Other player's actions cannot move Unicorn Clan Personalities in Chagatai's army. Battle: Even if Chagatai is bowed or has been in a battle resolution this turn: Move him to the current battlefield. If he is now opposed, straighten him.
Scenario: Moto Chagatai is bowed at this battlefield already. I play Unexpected Intimidation The movement is negated.. bow him. Chagatai is already bowed. is the bowing counted as negated? or is it an effect that just bows him again even if he is already bowed?
I am just wondering if anyone can clarify if Chagatai gets destroyed or not.. if not could someone explain?
Thank you =)
Zen Faulkes (rules official), 25 September 2007
Unexpected Intimidation: Battle: Bow one of your target Personalities: Move a target enemy Personality home. If this movement is negated, bow him. If this bowing is negated, destroy him. If this destruction is negated, remove him from the game.
Moto Chagatai (Experienced 4) Unicorn Clan • Clan Champion • The Khan • Samurai • Cavalry • Tactician • Experienced 4 • Unique • Loyal Other player's actions cannot move Unicorn Clan Personalities in Chagatai's army. Battle: Even if Chagatai is bowed or has been in a battle resolution this turn: Move him to the current battlefield. If he is now opposed, straighten him.
Scenario: Moto Chagatai is bowed at this battlefield already. I play Unexpected Intimidation The movement is negated.. bow him. Chagatai is already bowed. is the bowing counted as negated? or is it an effect that just bows him again even if he is already bowed?
I am just wondering if anyone can clarify if Chagatai gets destroyed or not.. if not could someone explain?
Thank you =)
The closest rule I can find now is, "if an effect refers to a nonexistent entity (such as an army’s Force in a battle where you have no units, or a Region you control when you control no Regions) the effect is not negated, but simply never occurs." http://rules.l5r.com/Effects#Negating_effects
For now, or at least unless someone points out a sentence in the wiki that I missed, treat effects that bow an already bowed card the same way -- it isnt negation, it's just something that doesn't happen because it can't.
Chris Fuchs (rules official), 25 September 2007
Rules Team discussion confirms that an effect that attempts to do something like bow an already bowed personality simply fail, and this is not considered "negation".