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, 20 April 2012
Rules.l5r.com
A player who controls the Favor keeps it in his or her home, regardless of the means used to represent it.
Would this suggest that cards in a players home share a location with the imperial favor? (in case it comes up) And is there anything that changes its location when it becomes 'uncontrolled' (but not claimed by another player) because I can find nothing specifically that moves it.
More over, if an area designated "home" for a player specifically where the imperial favor, when not-uncontrolled, should be kept? (preventing a player from holding the representation of the favor in their hand, for example)
(( Is there a reason why a non-card has a location? ))
I mostly ask because i would like to hold a special marked sleeve in my hand if legal to remind me to use the favor when playing a deck that uses it regularly, but don't want to be hit with 'that's not how the rules explain it' like I have historically when trying to play with my decks on the specific sides and orientation they are presented in the rule book.
Brook Cunningham (rules official), 23 April 2012
Rules.l5r.com
A player who controls the Favor keeps it in his or her home, regardless of the means used to represent it.
Would this suggest that cards in a players home share a location with the imperial favor? (in case it comes up) And is there anything that changes its location when it becomes 'uncontrolled' (but not claimed by another player) because I can find nothing specifically that moves it.
More over, if an area designated "home" for a player specifically where the imperial favor, when not-uncontrolled, should be kept? (preventing a player from holding the representation of the favor in their hand, for example)
(( Is there a reason why a non-card has a location? ))
These things should hopefully never matter to the degree you seem to fear they will. Keeping your Favor representation in your home was just decided to be the simplest way to denote your control of it (if you choose to use a 10-inch action figure to denote it, that would be rather unwieldy to keep in your hand with your cards). When it's uncontrolled, simply make sure both (or all) players are clear on the matter, and that it is kept somewhere other than any player's home; on top of a card box, under a chair, in a glass of water, etc.
I mostly ask because i would like to hold a special marked sleeve in my hand if legal to remind me to use the favor when playing a deck that uses it regularly, but don't want to be hit with 'that's not how the rules explain it' like I have historically when trying to play with my decks on the specific sides and orientation they are presented in the rule book.
The best idea to avoid being "hit" with such a surprisingly rigid interpretation of the Rules is to ask your opponent if it's okay with him or her if you do this before the game begins. If he or she says, "no, it is not okay", welcome him or her to the game, as he or she is obviously a new convert from another CCG and has not yet adapted to the generosity and good-naturedness that pervades the L5R player community.