If I use a focus effect on an action card such as False Trail, does it count as playing a action card? Further, if it does count, does it count as taking a Battle action (as per the previous ruling in Lotus on the Battle action Influenced from afar, where a Shadowlands player couldn't take the non-political reaction due to the same card having a separate printed political action)?
Focus Effects and Ring Of Water/Void
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.
If I use a focus effect on an action card such as False Trail, does it count as playing a action card?
http://rules.l5r.com/Glossary_P-Q#Play: "(T)o utilize an Action card by putting it into the resolution area." No.
On: Ring of Water, False Trail