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, 13 November 2007
Hello,
I play Spider and use the action Death of Virtue Style, but I have some question on how it works. The text says:
Death of Virtue Style Focus Effect: If your Personality in this duel is Spider Clan: Add 3 or this Personality's entering-play Honor loss, whichever is lower, to this card's Focus Value. Battle: Target one of your unbowed Spider Clan Personalities 5F or higher: Destroy a target enemy card with 3F or lower and no attached cards.
So the battle says that I can destroy a target enemy card with 3F or lower. This limits the card destruction only to personalities (without attachments) and followers, or can I destroy a weapon (let say with +3F or lower)? And more, if an "enemy card with 3F or lower" means any card, and a card without a force value have 0 F, so can I destroy a spell attached on a personality? Or even a terrain played in this battle by my enemy?
Thx, André.
Martin Lund (rules official), 13 November 2007
If something in the game needs to know the value of a stat on a card without that stat, its value is zero
Taken from the Comprehensive Rules: Stats - Absent Stats entry.
So any card that does not have a Force stat on it (like an Action Card or a Spell) has a value of 0 Force.
As to what is defined as "an enemy card," we can look to the Comprehensive Rules: Glossary - E
Enemy
In a battle or attack, if you are the Defender or a defending ally, "enemy" describes with a player who is the Attacker or an attacking ally, and units or armies on the attacking side; if you are the Attacker or an attacking ally, "enemy" describes a player who is the Defender or a defending ally, and units or armies on the defending side. See Sequence of Play, Attack Phase, Battles.
So, if you are the Attacker or Attacking ally, "Enemy Cards," are cards in units on the Defending Side and if you are the Defender or Defending ally they are cards in units on the Attacking Side.
So it is restricted to cards in units only, amd since the ability is a Battle Action, you need to heed the Rule of Location:
1. Any cards in units must be at the current battlefield to be legally targeted by a Battle action.
2. 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.
Comprehensive Rules: Battles - Combat Segement
So you may only target Personalities and Attachments in Enemy Units at the Current Battlefield. You may target Spells as their Absent Force Stat is treated as 0, which is not greater than 3.