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, 1 April 2010
Hi,
Can I bow my stronghold in order to pay the cost of Shinsei ? I think I cannot because of that : "Stronghold Immunity. Effects and costs will not change the game state of a Stronghold, and actions and traits may not target a Stronghold, unless they specifically mention the word "Stronghold," or come from the Stronghold itself." => text from : Official Judge’s Rulebook v.1.0, p. 3
Am I right ?
Card Text : Shinsei You must bow five cards you control as an additional cost of playing Shinsei.
Thanks in advance, Rémi
Brook Cunningham (rules official), 1 April 2010
Hi,
Can I bow my stronghold in order to pay the cost of Shinsei ? I think I cannot because of that : "Stronghold Immunity. Effects and costs will not change the game state of a Stronghold, and actions and traits may not target a Stronghold, unless they specifically mention the word "Stronghold," or come from the Stronghold itself." => text from : Official Judge’s Rulebook v.1.0, p. 3
Am I right ?
Card Text : Shinsei You must bow five cards you control as an additional cost of playing Shinsei.
Thanks in advance, Rémi
Easier answer: Shinsei does not consider a Stronghold a "card".
For cards printed before Khan's Defiance: "Use of the word "card" does not refer to Strongholds unless explicitly stated (ie "actions on cards" does not refer to actions on a Stronghold)."
Bowing your Stronghold may not pay for Shinsei.