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, 25 October 2010
Relevant text:
Title Outsider Keep Text Reaction: After engaging at a battlefield where you control an opposed unit: Give each of your Personalities there +1F. Draw a card. Discard a card unless one of your Personalities there is a Tactician.
Title Ambush Text Limited: Target your unbowed Personality: Create a battlefield (not at any province). Assign your Personality's unit to attack there. Assign another player’s target unit to defend there, even if its Personality is bowed. Other units will not move there. Fight a battle there (after this action's resolution). After the battle ends, lose 5 Honor.
Title Countermove Text Tactical Battle: Target your Tactician who is not at the current battlefield: Target one of the enemy leader's Personalities who is not at the current battlefield. Move both targets to the current battlefield. Straighten their units.
Question 1: I assume, that I can create a battlefield with Ambush in my Limited Phase and then fire the stronghold reaction. I'm asking just to have a written confirmation in case someone less agile in understanding the rules will not agree. Can't see why though.
Question 2: Let's assume that the battle never happend due to some negation effects (not redirection). Will the honor loss occur? I assume not, since there was no battle.
Question 3: Assuming mentioned Ambush happens - during a battle I've been send home from the created battlefield. Can I jump in with Countermove if my enemy has some another personality (movement of his would be negated, mine will work) ? What if he has only one personality, currently present at the created battlefield - can I just skip targeting of his personality ? If so - can Countermove be used to just jump into unopposed battle everywhere (don't think so) ?
Alex Jones (rules official), 25 October 2010
Relevant text:
Title Outsider Keep Text Reaction: After engaging at a battlefield where you control an opposed unit: Give each of your Personalities there +1F. Draw a card. Discard a card unless one of your Personalities there is a Tactician.
Title Ambush Text Limited: Target your unbowed Personality: Create a battlefield (not at any province). Assign your Personality's unit to attack there. Assign another player’s target unit to defend there, even if its Personality is bowed. Other units will not move there. Fight a battle there (after this action's resolution). After the battle ends, lose 5 Honor.
Title Countermove Text Tactical Battle: Target your Tactician who is not at the current battlefield: Target one of the enemy leader's Personalities who is not at the current battlefield. Move both targets to the current battlefield. Straighten their units.
Question 1: I assume, that I can create a battlefield with Ambush in my Limited Phase and then fire the stronghold reaction. I'm asking just to have a written confirmation in case someone less agile in understanding the rules will not agree. Can't see why though.
Question 2: Let's assume that the battle never happend due to some negation effects (not redirection). Will the honor loss occur? I assume not, since there was no battle.
Question 3: Assuming mentioned Ambush happens - during a battle I've been send home from the created battlefield. Can I jump in with Countermove if my enemy has some another personality (movement of his would be negated, mine will work) ? What if he has only one personality, currently present at the created battlefield - can I just skip targeting of his personality ? If so - can Countermove be used to just jump into unopposed battle everywhere (don't think so) ?
Question 1: I assume, that I can create a battlefield with Ambush in my Limited Phase and then fire the stronghold reaction. I'm asking just to have a written confirmation in case someone less agile in understanding the rules will not agree. Can't see why though. Ambush creates a battlefield at which a battle is then fought; you may indeed use Outsider Keep's Reaction during it.
Question 2: Let's assume that the battle never happend due to some negation effects (not redirection). Will the honor loss occur? I assume not, since there was no battle. The honour loss from Ambush is not contingent on the battle being fought. See Abilities and actions, Action resolution: Effects of an action are independent. If any effect fails to occur (for example, bowing an already bowed Personality, moving him to a location he was already in, or being negated), the other effects still happen.
Question 3: Assuming mentioned Ambush happens - during a battle I've been send home from the created battlefield. Can I jump in with Countermove if my enemy has some another personality (movement of his would be negated, mine will work)? Yes - Effects of an action are independent.
What if he has only one personality, currently present at the created battlefield - can I just skip targeting of his personality ? No. The "enemy leader's Personality" is a required target.
If so - can Countermove be used to just jump into unopposed battle everywhere (don't think so)? Sort of, but only if you can find an enemy target who won't move.