Defender actions at an unopposed battlefield

L5R CCG Rules board, 21 July 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, 21 July 2011

Scenario: Attacker declares attacks. Attacker assigns units to Province 1. Defender assigns Shinran to Province 2. Attacker resolves Province 1.

Question: Can Defender, at Province 2 where he is unopposed, use Shinran's ability to attach an item for 4 less gold, since he is defending?

i was under the impression that if it doesn't say he has to be opposed, since the battles happen at every province regardless of the presence of attacking units then Shinran should be able to attach with the discount. My opponent however, having seen me attach 2x modifications on the cheap to 2x Shinran and then draw two cards, wanted some clarification.

Zen Faulkes (rules official), 21 July 2011

Can Defender, at Province 2 where he is unopposed, use Shinran's ability to attach an item for 4 less gold, since he is defending?

Yes. No rule prevents it.