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, 4 October 2007
Hi, I'm a (relatively) new player, trying to get to grips with presence, location and how things work/when they can be played. Specifically this is in relation to Coward.
For reference: Rule of location: The Rule of Location: If a Battle action is on a card in a unit (a Personality or attachment in play), the unit must be at the current battlefield; and any cards in units must be at the current battlefield to be legally targeted by a Battle action.
EXCEPTION: A Battle Action can target or be taken by a card in a unit at another location if its costs or effects say they move the unit to the current battlefield. Choices within the action must then be taken, if possible, such that they do move the unit there.
Coward: Battle: Target one of your unbowed Samurai at the current battlefield: Target one of the Defender's units in his home. Straighten it. The Defender may move it to the current battlefield. If he chooses not to, he loses 2 Honor, the unit's Personality is dishonored, and you may draw two cards.
By the rule of location exception, can Coward satisfy the rule of location through it's own effects text?
IE, can I play Coward with no unbowed samurai personality at the battlefield, use the effects text to target and bring into the battle a samurai personality from my home and satisfy the rule of location this way?
Thanks.
Edit: Thanks Chris for the quick reply and clarification. That makes sense
Chris Fuchs (rules official), 4 October 2007
Hi, I'm a (relatively) new player, trying to get to grips with presence, location and how things work/when they can be played. Specifically this is in relation to Coward.
For reference: Rule of location: The Rule of Location: If a Battle action is on a card in a unit (a Personality or attachment in play), the unit must be at the current battlefield; and any cards in units must be at the current battlefield to be legally targeted by a Battle action.
EXCEPTION: A Battle Action can target or be taken by a card in a unit at another location if its costs or effects say they move the unit to the current battlefield. Choices within the action must then be taken, if possible, such that they do move the unit there.
Coward: Battle: Target one of your unbowed Samurai at the current battlefield: Target one of the Defender's units in his home. Straighten it. The Defender may move it to the current battlefield. If he chooses not to, he loses 2 Honor, the unit's Personality is dishonored, and you may draw two cards.
By the rule of location exception, can Coward satisfy the rule of location through it's own effects text?
IE, can I play Coward with no unbowed samurai personality at the battlefield, use the effects text to target and bring into the battle a samurai personality from my home and satisfy the rule of location this way?
Thanks.
Edit: Thanks Chris for the quick reply and clarification. That makes sense
The targeting requirement ("one of your unbowed Samurai at the current battlefield:") will prevent you from doing that. If it had just said "one of your unbowed Samurai" without the "at the current battlefield" phrase, then you would be able to (assuming the rest of the conditions were satisfied).