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, 6 February 2012
Is it possible for me to declare naval invasion then after my opponent takes a reaction to engaging, can I play sneak attack inorder to play an action that isnt performed by the person targeted by Naval?
I.E. I engage and declare Naval Invasion is a Naval Personality. Oppenent then reacts with Gratefule Reward. can I then use Sneak attack to get first action in which the previous targeted person doesnt have to perform?
Relevant Text
Naval Invasion: Reaction: After engaging, once per battle, if you are the Attacker and your current army has more Naval cards than the side oppos¬ing it, choose your performing Naval Personality: You have the first opportunity to take a Battle action, which he must perform.
Sneak Attack: Reaction: After engaging: The Attacker has the first opportunity to take a Battle action or pass in this battle.
Grateful Reward: Reaction: After engaging, choose your performing Samurai at the current battlefield: Create a 1F Ashigaru • Cavalry Follower and attach it to him. If he is a Paragon, gain 2 Honor and draw a card.
Brook Cunningham (rules official), 7 February 2012
Is it possible for me to declare naval invasion then after my opponent takes a reaction to engaging, can I play sneak attack inorder to play an action that isnt performed by the person targeted by Naval?
I.E. I engage and declare Naval Invasion is a Naval Personality. Oppenent then reacts with Gratefule Reward. can I then use Sneak attack to get first action in which the previous targeted person doesnt have to perform?
Relevant Text
Naval Invasion: Reaction: After engaging, once per battle, if you are the Attacker and your current army has more Naval cards than the side oppos¬ing it, choose your performing Naval Personality: You have the first opportunity to take a Battle action, which he must perform.
Sneak Attack: Reaction: After engaging: The Attacker has the first opportunity to take a Battle action or pass in this battle.
Grateful Reward: Reaction: After engaging, choose your performing Samurai at the current battlefield: Create a 1F Ashigaru • Cavalry Follower and attach it to him. If he is a Paragon, gain 2 Honor and draw a card.
Under discussion.
Jon Palmer (rules official), 19 February 2012
Edit: I completely read our internal discussion wrong, so my mistake on this one guys. Sneak Attack will not allow you to overcome the restrictions placed by Naval if you declare Naval in addition to playing mistake. My apologies for the temporary confusion.
Jon Palmer (rules official), 20 February 2012
Looks like it's been deleted, but I did see a question as to the reasoning on this. Multiple opportunities to act first do not stack (per the rules on Battles). The Naval Reaction changes the game state so that the Attacker acts first, but adds a restriction. Nothing about Sneak Attack lifts that restriction, and its granting of the capacity to act first fails, because the player already has that capacity (although restricted).