Open Emotion, Sneak Attack, and Reinforce the Gates

L5R CCG Rules board, 1 February 2011

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 February 2011

(Only card text pertinent to the questions is shown.) Open Emotion Open: Choose your performing unbowed Samurai and show a Strategy in your hand: Once this turn, after engaging in a battle as the Defender, you may take an additional action to play a card with the shown card's title.

Sneak Attack Reaction: After engaging: The Attacker has the first opportunity to take a Battle action or pass during this battle. Play then proceeds in turn order from him.

Reinforce the Gates Reaction: After a player announces a Battle action before the Defender’s first normal opportunity to act or pass: Its effects do not happen.

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1) Does Open emotion allow the defending player to play the shown strategy before the attacker can react with sneak attack? I think the answer is yes, because the delayed effect triggers before reactions.

2) Can Reinforce the Gates be used to negate the card strategy played by open emotions ability? I think yes because it qualifies as an action taken before the defenders first chance to act.

3) Can one play multiple copies of Open Emotion to then play multiple cards before the chance to Sneak Attack? If yes, do they have to be cards with different titles?

Zen Faulkes (rules official), 1 February 2011

Does Open Emotion allow the defending player to play the shown strategy before the attacker can react with Sneak Attack?

Yes.

On: Open Emotion, Sneak Attack, Reinforce the Gates

Can Reinforce the Gates be used to negate the card strategy played by Open Emotion's ability?

Yes.

On: Open Emotion, Sneak Attack, Reinforce the Gates

Can one play multiple copies of Open Emotion to then play multiple cards before the chance to Sneak Attack?

Yes.

On: Open Emotion, Sneak Attack, Reinforce the Gates

If yes, do they have to be cards with different titles?

No.

A quick summary of the timing here:

1. Engage at Battlefield.

2. Resolve Delayed Effects triggered by engaging (Open Emotion's actions goes here).

3. The Attacker may use Reinforce the Gates (still before the Defender’s first normal action).

4. Resolve Reactions triggered by Engaging (Sneak Attack goes here).

5. First normal Battle action.

On: Open Emotion, Sneak Attack, Reinforce the Gates