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, 3 January 2010
Bayushi Hisoka Experienced reads: "Political Reaction: Once per game, after Hisoka enters play, pay 4 gold: Destroy a province belonging to a target player with two or more provinces. Until the game ends, once in each of his turns, he may refill one of his provinces face up."
The dispute is on when "after Hisoka enters play" occurs. I believe that the ability can only be paid once, when Hisoka enters play the first time. My opponent, playing the card, believes the ability may be used any time "after Hisoka enters play". Can I get some clarification on this wording?
Alex Jones (rules official), 4 January 2010
Bayushi Hisoka Experienced reads: "Political Reaction: Once per game, after Hisoka enters play, pay 4 gold: Destroy a province belonging to a target player with two or more provinces. Until the game ends, once in each of his turns, he may refill one of his provinces face up."
The dispute is on when "after Hisoka enters play" occurs. I believe that the ability can only be paid once, when Hisoka enters play the first time. My opponent, playing the card, believes the ability may be used any time "after Hisoka enters play". Can I get some clarification on this wording?
The Reaction's constraints block has three parts: a usage limit of "Once per game", a trigger for the reaction of "after Hisoka enters play" and a cost, "pay 4 gold."
You may only take the reaction when the trigger occurs - ie "after Hisoka enters play" - but like all actions, it's optional. You don't have to take the reaction, you can wait until the next time he enters play, or the time after that, but you may only take the reaction once per game (wierder things have happened, especially in Open!), in total. Furthermore, if you wish to take the reaction, you must do so when the trigger occurs: you can't wait until later in the turn or until a subsequent turn.