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, 4 May 2009
Hi guys, need clarification so I understand what I'm doing here.
Sneak Attack Reaction: After engaging in a battle: The Attacker has the first opportunity to take a Battle action or pass during this battle. Play proceeds in turn order from him after that.
Shinjo Kai Li Reaction: After engaging, if Kai Li is at the current battlefield and you targeted its province with a Recon action this turn: You have the first chance to take a Battle action in this battle, which must come from a Terrain or Region.
Scenario : I have one province left on my opponent's turn. I play a recon action targetting it. My opponent attacks, I defend with Kai Li, my opponent plays Sneak Attack for the first action. Can I now take Kai Li's reaction to supercede Sneak Attack and have first action again (fulfilling criteria of terrain or region action)? Does play then procede as normal to the attacker? Could my opponent play Determination with Sneak Attack? How would that afect he above scenario if at all?
Many thanks!
Zen Faulkes (rules official), 4 May 2009
I have one province left on my opponent's turn. I play a recon action targetting it. My opponent attacks, I defend with Shinjo Kai Li, my opponent plays Sneak Attack for the first action. Can I now take Kai Li's reaction to supercede Sneak Attack and have first action again (fulfilling criteria of terrain or region action)?
Yes. http://rules.l5r.com/Effects: "When effects conflict in their application but not their timing, the later effect takes precedence over the previous effect." (I think there is a more explicit statement in the rules wiki somewhere, but can't find it this instant.) Basically, if there is something only one player can have, last effect played wins.
Does play then procede as normal to the attacker?
The effect, "Play proceeds in turn order from him after that" from Sneak Attack would still apply, so whoever is sitting clockwise from that player would get the next go.
Could my opponent play Determination with Sneak Attack? How would that afect he above scenario if at all?
Determination is legal to play, but would change nothing, because the effects of Sneak Attack are not being negated nor is the targeting being changed.