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, 13 June 2009
Hello. There is nice Death at Koten action card : Preserving Honor
Situation : There is a battle, I am an attacker (side not important), my opportunity to play action, I have presence. I decide to use Preserving Honor ... and I target defender's unit _at_home (or : _at_another_battlefield_). Is that legal ? If yes, is opponent obliged to move unit to current battlefield?
Preserving Honor (Death at Koten action card) Battle: Target an enemy Personality. His controller chooses either to bow him, or to choose another location and move him there. If the bowing or movement is negated, remove the Personality from the game.
Rule of Location (comprehensive rules) EXCEPTION: A Battle Action can target or be taken by a card in a unit at another location if its costs or effects say they can move the unit to the current battlefield. Choices within the action must then be taken, if possible, such that they do move the unit there. Comment : One of action effects is movement, that movement could be made to current battlefield, "exception" doesnt' require action's player to be the one making (correct) choices.
Enemy (comprehensive rules) In a battle or attack, if you are the Defender or a defending ally, "enemy" describes a player who is the Attacker or an attacking ally, armies on the attacking side, and units or cards in units controlled by an attacking player. Conversely, if you are the Attacker or an attacking ally, "enemy" describes a player who is the Defender or a defending ally, armies on the defending side, and units or cards in units controlled by an defending player. In a phrase such as "an enemy card," "enemy" does not refer to cards outside of units. [ADDED April 20 2008] Comment : contrary to some beliefs, 'enemy personality' is not 'personality in enemy army'.
Dan Jacobson (rules official), 25 June 2009
Hello. There is nice Death at Koten action card : Preserving Honor
Situation : There is a battle, I am an attacker (side not important), my opportunity to play action, I have presence. I decide to use Preserving Honor ... and I target defender's unit _at_home (or : _at_another_battlefield_). Is that legal ? If yes, is opponent obliged to move unit to current battlefield?
Preserving Honor (Death at Koten action card) Battle: Target an enemy Personality. His controller chooses either to bow him, or to choose another location and move him there. If the bowing or movement is negated, remove the Personality from the game.
Rule of Location (comprehensive rules) EXCEPTION: A Battle Action can target or be taken by a card in a unit at another location if its costs or effects say they can move the unit to the current battlefield. Choices within the action must then be taken, if possible, such that they do move the unit there. Comment : One of action effects is movement, that movement could be made to current battlefield, "exception" doesnt' require action's player to be the one making (correct) choices.
Enemy (comprehensive rules) In a battle or attack, if you are the Defender or a defending ally, "enemy" describes a player who is the Attacker or an attacking ally, armies on the attacking side, and units or cards in units controlled by an attacking player. Conversely, if you are the Attacker or an attacking ally, "enemy" describes a player who is the Defender or a defending ally, armies on the defending side, and units or cards in units controlled by an defending player. In a phrase such as "an enemy card," "enemy" does not refer to cards outside of units. [ADDED April 20 2008] Comment : contrary to some beliefs, 'enemy personality' is not 'personality in enemy army'.
Please note this ruling is for Samurai Edition only!
You may use Preserving Honor to target a personality at home, who is obliged by the exception to the Rule of Location to move to the current battlefield. IF that movement is negated (Winter Warfare, Blanketed Forest, etc) then the targeted personality is removed from the game.
Also note that if you are the Defender, and you use Preserving Honor on an Attacking unit that has already been in Battle Resolution as the Attacker this phase, then he is NOT removed from the game, as the movement merely fails, and is not negated.
We are currently debating implications and a proper ruling for Celestial Edition.
The Rules Team apologizes for the long delay in responding.