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, 26 June 2008
regarding this discussion and the preceding posts viewtopic.php?f=59&t=69072
Naval Reaction: If you are the Attacker and your current army has more Naval cards than the opposing side, once per battle after engaging: You have the first opportunity to take a Battle action, which must be performed by a target Naval Personality or one of his Naval Followers.
Doesn't this, from the combat segment of the comprehensive rules, mean that taking a battle action and passing are separate entities? "In the Combat Segment, the Defender gets the first opportunity to either take a Battle action or Pass."
From what I read here, naval specifically grants the opportunity to take a Battle action. However, the wording on the sequence of the combat segment makes it clear that taking a battle action and passing are different entities. Thus, granting the opportunity to take an action is NOT granting the player an opportunity to pass. As far as I can tell, nowhere in the rulebook do players have the ability Battle: Pass, so isn't passing on naval illegal? If it is still not illegal, can you explain why?
A player, 26 June 2008
Doesn't this, from the combat segment of the comprehensive rules, mean that taking a battle action and passing are separate entities?
Yes, they are different 'entities': they are the two separate options available to all players when they are granted an opportunity to take an action during a Combat Segment.
From what I read here, naval specifically grants the opportunity to take a Battle action.
Indeed. However the fact that the option to pass is not explicitly written in the Naval ability doesn't change the fact that any opportunity to take a Battle action can be used to pass.
The Naval action has two effects. The first normal opportunity to take a Battle action (or pass) is granted to the Attacker instead of the Defender, and if this opportunity is used to take a Battle action, then this Battle action must be performed by the targeted Personality or one of his Naval Followers.
Here is what happens immediately after armies engage during a battle: 1) Delayed effects which are timed after engaging are applied in any order chosen by the Attacker (because he is the active player). 2) Effects of triggered traits which are triggered after engaging are applied in any order chosen by the Attacker. 3) Starting with the Attacker, each player may pass or take a Reaction played after engaging, such as using the Naval ability. 4) The first opportunity to take a Battle action (or pass) is granted to a player: normally the Defender, unless an effect grants it to the Attacker (e.g. the Naval action or Sneak Attack). 5) The next opportunity goes leftwards.
The Defender can use his first normal opportunity to take a Battle action in order to pass, so can the Attacker if he is granted that first opportunity thanks to the Naval action.
Thus, granting the opportunity to take an action is NOT granting the player an opportunity to pass.
No, granting an opportunity to take an action - even with no reference to passing - neither means nor implies that passing is not an option for this opportunity.
Glossary, Additional: A granted action opportunity can be used to pass.
[Mod request: This has already been asked and answered several times. Please think carefully before making any further posts on this topic. Thanks! - LH]