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, 28 June 2010
I know this may have been asked but I have been unable to find it.
My friends and I are having a debate over the Fortress of the Forgotten.
"Fortress of the Forgotten Battle: If any enemy units are at the current battlefield: Target a non-Unique Personality face-up in one of your provinces. Bring him into play at the current battlefield. If he is a Berserker, you may ignore his Gold cost; if you do and he entered play, destroy him before the turn ends."
They argue that it can be used presenceless due to the exception to the rule of presence.
I however, noticed that the exception to the rule specifically says:
Exception: Battle actions that say they move a unit to the current battlefield are legal to take, regardless of Presence and Location, if the rules of Presence and Location would be satisfied with the unit there.
I dont think that bringing into play would qualify since its not moving a unit to the battlefield.
Who is correct?
Dan Jacobson (rules official), 28 June 2010
I know this may have been asked but I have been unable to find it.
My friends and I are having a debate over the Fortress of the Forgotten.
"Fortress of the Forgotten Battle: If any enemy units are at the current battlefield: Target a non-Unique Personality face-up in one of your provinces. Bring him into play at the current battlefield. If he is a Berserker, you may ignore his Gold cost; if you do and he entered play, destroy him before the turn ends."
They argue that it can be used presenceless due to the exception to the rule of presence.
I however, noticed that the exception to the rule specifically says:
Exception: Battle actions that say they move a unit to the current battlefield are legal to take, regardless of Presence and Location, if the rules of Presence and Location would be satisfied with the unit there.
I dont think that bringing into play would qualify since its not moving a unit to the battlefield.
Who is correct?
You are correct.
Creating presence (With cards like Will, Unexpected Arrival, Fortress of the Forgotten) is not part of the exceptions to the Rules of Location and Presence. You must have Presence to play any of these cards/actions.
Zen Faulkes (rules official), 28 June 2010
Indeed, if one reads very next line after the one quoted:
"This Exception does not apply to effects that... cause a unit to enter play at the current battlefield; such effects still require pre-existing Presence."
http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Battles#Rule_of_Presence