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, 2 August 2011
Hi All My search fu is weak I am confused about ceratin circumstances of part of Iron Will. ...The action's costs are ignored...
A) My opponent targets my paragon with a random strategy card e.g. Yarijutsu. I play Iron Will. Does the Yarijutsu go to the discard pile? B) My opponent targets my paragon with a random ability on a personality e.g. Bow a personality. I play Iron Will. Does the personalities ability count as used for the turn?
Iron Will. Reaction: After another player targets your Paragon with a Battle action performed by a Personality with lower Personal Honor: The action's costs are ignored and its effects are negated. That player may take an additional Battle action.
Many thanks
Brook Cunningham (rules official), 2 August 2011
A) My opponent targets my paragon with a random strategy card e.g. Yarijutsu. I play Iron Will. Does the Yarijutsu go to the discard pile? B) My opponent targets my paragon with a random ability on a personality e.g. Bow a personality. I play Iron Will. Does the personalities ability count as used for the turn?
A) Yes. The normal discarding of the card is not a cost; it's just part of the sequence of playing a Strategy.
B) Yes. Again, not a cost.
The costs are just the game state changes to be made in constraints (such as bowing the Weapon, in Yarijutsu's case) and the Gold Cost in a Strategy's coin, if any.