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, 24 April 2008
I have got to say.. the rulebooks and the cards themselves are some of the most unclear and confusing rules/cards I've ever come across. I'm fairly certain that I understand the mechanic but I'd like to be sure. Now, with Ranged attacks, the damage is only relevant if the attack destroys the personality right? Or can you destroy one personality with consecutive ranged attacks? Temp damage or no?
Also, if a personality has a battle action that does not require it to bow, can you use that battle action any number of times or is there some rule that I missed?
Thanks!
Martin Lund (rules official), 24 April 2008
I have got to say.. the rulebooks and the cards themselves are some of the most unclear and confusing rules/cards I've ever come across. I'm fairly certain that I understand the mechanic but I'd like to be sure. Now, with Ranged attacks, the damage is only relevant if the attack destroys the personality right? Or can you destroy one personality with consecutive ranged attacks? Temp damage or no?
I think that, perhaps, the confusion here is that your are bringing in outside terms that don't exist in L5R. "Empty your cup," so to speak. There is no such thing as "damage" in Legend of the Five Rings.
You either destroy the card because the Ranged Attack effect says to destroy it, or you don't destroy the card because the Ranged Attack effect doesn't tell you to destroy it.
The Ranged Attack effect tells you to destroy the card if it has Force equal to or less than the Ranged Attack's Strength. If it is greater than the Ranged Attack's Strength then nothing happens - nothing at all.
Also, if a personality has a battle action that does not require it to bow, can you use that battle action any number of times or is there some rule that I missed?
Check out page 29 of your Rulebook (I think it is page 29 in the print version, anyway, it is 29 in the online version I downloaded). Under the section called "Check Conditions" it says, "Each separate ability on each card can only be used once per turn, unless a different limit on uses is stated."
Also, in the L5R Rules Wiki you can find this listed under Using Abilities
Each separate ability can only be used once per turn by default. The once per turn default is overridden by phrases specifying a different limit on usage.
I hope this helps!