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, 21 July 2008
Hi, i have a berserker in an army. I play draw your blade to bow an opposing personality with a personal honor of 3 and without attachement. My opponement reacts by playing a soldier's fate. Can i now react by playing Devastating Blow in order to kill his personality? Or is it too late? I think it's ok but i want to be sure.
Thanks for your time.
Devastating Blow: Heroic Shout Reaction: After you resolve an action on an Action card that bowed a card in an enemy army, target a Berserker in your current army: Destroy a target card without attachments in the unit of the bowed card.
Soldier's fate: Reaction: After another player's action targets a Personality in your army: Give him a Force bonus equal to his Personal Honor. If he is no longer a legal target for the action, negate its effects. If his Personal Honor is 3 or higher, he straightens after the Combat Segment ends.
Zen Faulkes (rules official), 21 July 2008
i have a berserker in an army. I play draw your blade to bow an opposing personality with a personal honor of 3 and without attachement. My opponement reacts by playing a soldier's fate. Can i now react by playing Devastating Blow in order to kill his personality?
Yes.
Alex Jones (rules official), 22 July 2008
Remember: A. Announce the action: You announce that you will play Draw Your Blade for its first ability. B. Required targeting: You declare that you will target that 3PH Personality. - Your opponent reacts to the targeting with A Soldier's Fate. C. Pay costs: None. D. Action resolves: You bow the target Personality. E. Action ends. - You react with Devastating Blow here.
The timing slot for Devastating Blow is much later than that for A Soldier's Fate!
Alex