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, 22 April 2012
I am a little confused by some of the negation aspects. For card like Footsteps of Madness and Effortless Counterattack. 1. Can someone play Footsteps of Madness against The Spiders Lair? I would think not but I was told that FoM cancels the whole action so the non-negation part wouldnt happen. Same with Effortless. 2. Someone uses Unnatural Flood on a water shugenja as an additional action and the other players plays Effortless. Does that negate it or not?
Unnatural Flood Text Battle: Bow this Shugenja and target an enemy Personality: Move him home; if this Shugenja is Water, this movement will not be negated. If the target moved, bow him and negate his (future) movement.
Effortless Counterattack Reaction: Before the resolution of a Battle action that was taken as an additional action: Negate its effects.
Shadow's Lair Ninja Battle: Once per battle, even if this card is bowed and even if you control no units at the current battlefield, target one or more unopposed units with combined total Force of 9 or lower, or one opposed unit: Move each target home; this will not be negated or delayed if you control a Ninja.
Footsteps of Madness Reaction: Before the resolution of an action from a Stronghold, pay Gold equal to the Stronghold's base Gold Production: Negate the action's effects.
Jon Palmer (rules official), 22 April 2012
I am a little confused by some of the negation aspects. For card like Footsteps of Madness and Effortless Counterattack. 1. Can someone play Footsteps of Madness against The Spiders Lair? I would think not but I was told that FoM cancels the whole action so the non-negation part wouldnt happen. Same with Effortless. 2. Someone uses Unnatural Flood on a water shugenja as an additional action and the other players plays Effortless. Does that negate it or not?
Unnatural Flood Text Battle: Bow this Shugenja and target an enemy Personality: Move him home; if this Shugenja is Water, this movement will not be negated. If the target moved, bow him and negate his (future) movement.
Effortless Counterattack Reaction: Before the resolution of a Battle action that was taken as an additional action: Negate its effects.
Shadow's Lair Ninja Battle: Once per battle, even if this card is bowed and even if you control no units at the current battlefield, target one or more unopposed units with combined total Force of 9 or lower, or one opposed unit: Move each target home; this will not be negated or delayed if you control a Ninja.
Footsteps of Madness Reaction: Before the resolution of an action from a Stronghold, pay Gold equal to the Stronghold's base Gold Production: Negate the action's effects.
No, in both of these cases "may not be negated" is not itself an effect, but a modification of an effect. The "will not be negated" effects on Shadow's Lair nor Unnatural Flood will be negated in this manner - other effects, such as Unnatural Flood's bowing and future movement negation, will still be negated however.
A player, 23 April 2012
I feel like this answer, particularly the "Neither Shadow's Lair nor Unnatural Flood will be negated in this manner" part, is confusing.
viewtopic.php?f=59&t=97552
It was my understanding that playing Effortless Counterattack on Unnatural Flood (as performed by a water shugenja) would NOT negate the movement, but it WOULD negate the clause that negates further movement this turn (thus giving you a reason to play EC against UF, so that your guy can move back/elsewhere).
Is that correct, or am I off?
(edited to include link to original)
Jon Palmer (rules official), 23 April 2012
I feel like this answer, particularly the "Neither Shadow's Lair nor Unnatural Flood will be negated in this manner" part, is confusing.
viewtopic.php?f=59&t=97552
It was my understanding that playing Effortless Counterattack on Unnatural Flood (as performed by a water shugenja) would NOT negate the movement, but it WOULD negate the clause that negates further movement this turn (thus giving you a reason to play EC against UF, so that your guy can move back/elsewhere).
Is that correct, or am I off?
(edited to include link to original)
Fair enough. I updated the other response; you were interpreting the situation correctly.