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, 19 August 2009
Hi,
Regarding Gutobo, if he uses his Recon action at a province, and a Goblin dies at that Province, when does the Goblin come back, and at what location?
Gutobo Recon Open : Target a province. Before this turn ends, bring into play each dead Goblin Personality you own who was destroyed during the Combat Segment at that province's battlefield this turn, waiving Gold Costs.
Reading the card, it says "before this turn ends", which would specify this happens after the battle is done with, but it is not very specific on when this happens or where the Goblins come back to.
Also, secondary question...if I play Restoring Order targeting a dishonored Goblin at a province targeted by Gutobo's Recon action, does he die and stay dead, since he gets sent home first, and is no longer at the battlefield when he dies?
Thanks in advance.
Zen Faulkes (rules official), 19 August 2009
Regarding Gutobo, if he uses his Recon action at a province, and a Goblin dies at that Province, when does the Goblin come back, and at what location?
Reading the card, it says "before this turn ends", which would specify this happens after the battle is done with, but it is not very specific on when this happens or where the Goblins come back to.
The end of the turn is... well, the end of the turn. http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Sequence_of_play#End_Phase. The bit after you discard and before the next player has their turn.
The card enters play where all cards enter play: home.
if I play Restoring Order targeting a dishonored Goblin at a province targeted by Gutobo's Recon action, does he die and stay dead, since he gets sent home first, and is no longer at the battlefield when he dies?
No, he does not.
It's "destroyed during the Combat Segment at that province's battlefield" -- that is to say, the time of destruction matters. It's not "destroyed at that province's battlefield," which would indicate that the location mattered.
A player, 19 August 2009
Regarding this
My understanding from Gutobo's wording is that BOTH location and timing matter. If it wanted to imply that only timing mattered, it would have read "destroyed during the Combat Segment of that province's battlefield". The use of the preposition "at" suggests to me that location is important too, and they don't have to be mutually exclusive.
Otherwise, how would a wording imply that both location and timing matter?
Zen Faulkes (rules official), 19 August 2009
Regarding this
My understanding from Gutobo's wording is that BOTH location and timing matter. If it wanted to imply that only timing mattered, it would have read "destroyed during the Combat Segment of that province's battlefield". The use of the preposition "at" suggests to me that location is important too, and they don't have to be mutually exclusive.
Otherwise, how would a wording imply that both location and timing matter?
"The text could be worded better," is the feeling in rules team discussions. Work with this for now, and we'll let you know if anything changes.