Rules for November 15th
A rules digest from the L5R CCG rules team, copied from the mailing list archive for Oracle of the Void. The askers' names are left out. Rulings are as they stood on this date; later rulings, the rulebooks and the Rules Archive may differ.
If I have three "Imperial Surveyors" in play can a single region be targeted only once at all or can it be targeted once by each Imperial Surveyor (means 3 times all in all).
Each Region can be targeted by each Imperial Surveyor once.
1/ I assume that Rallying Cry does not affect units that have been sent home during the course of the battle - correct?
Yes. It only affects units that were bowed by the resolution of the battle.
Hrmm...this raises a somewhat interesting timing question in my mind. In the discussion of Rallying cry recently, it was mentioned that due to the timing of it, it technically unbows your units after bowing. I can live with this. Now...my question is... A Hummingbird Tattoo does something very similar-it allows you to straighten the personality who has it after they bow at the end of resolution. My question is-since Rallying cry, which is played later temporally speaking, will prevent Dragon Tattoo'ed people and Mitsu from bowing, will the Hummingbird Tattoo do likewise? My instincts say no, since despite the timing, one card says "prevent from bowing" and the other says "straighten immediately after he or she bows." Is that the case? Or would a Hummingbird Tattoo function like a Rallying Cry in this regard?
Rallying Cry works retroactively to prevent them from bowing, but Hummingbird Tattoo is specifically worded like it is so that Mitsu/Dragon Tattooed people still bow. Hummingbird Tat is not retroactive, and anyone affected by it will still bow (albeit temporarily), and then straighten. Rallying Cry is...specal.
Hesitation R 4G You cannot take this action during battle. Open: Target another player. The player must pass next time he or she could otherwise take a Limited or Open action. The player may bow his or her Stronghold or discard two cards from his or her hand to negate this effect.
What on earth is this card supposed to do and what would I use this card for?
This has been covered fairly well already, but to give it an official nod...Hesitation can make a player to end their action phase prematurely by forcing them to pass. Then, you can pass, and their action phase is finished.
Potential uses include stopping someone from regaining the Favor, disrupting a Master of Five/Enlightenment turn, stopping a Rise, preventing someone from attaching multiple cards...
It's not the flashiest card, but it has its uses.
Here's the big problem I have with the Silence, Imperial Ambassador and Imperial Favor arguements in reference to force penalties (or bonuses) as extrapolated from Honor loss/gain issue - all of these examples are instantenous - they are played as reactions (or 'faster' in the case of Silence) and are not capable of being applied several actions after the original event occurs. The Imp Ambassador and Favor in particular *modify the gain/loss at the exact point of occurance* prior to the gain/loss actually being applied. Of course it doesn't create a new honor loss - it alters the original gain *AT THE TIME IT IS MADE and BEFORE IT IS APPLIED* (pardon the shouting). ISotF can be played well after the original modification and application has been applied (see the 'Test of Might' reference above) possible *WELL AFTER* the bonus was applied. No matter the semantics, a force reduction is occuring after the force increase, potentially well after the effects of the force increase have been felt. If you guys have ruled that it's not a force penalty despite the force reduction, we obviously have to accept that. It is, however, a very different situation from that used in the Ambassador/Favor/Silence example just by the fact of the timing.
True, but we're also talking about two completely different conceptual things. Honor gains/losses exist only instantaneously. They happen, modify your family honor, and then there is no more gain/loss. Force bonuses, on the other hand, stick around for a while. During their extended existence, they can apparently be modified. This is a new rule to me too, guys.
I'm definitely not happy with all the dirty rules bugs that have crawled out from underneath this particular rock, and I *really* wish that Battle of Shallow Waters had had a completely different coasterific effect, but making it so that a modification of a force bonus/penalty is not a new penalty/bonus seems to be the only way to make everything reconcile.
*shrug*
I have seen it mentioned on this list several times that a player with Kaiu Sensei in play could blow a Bridged Pass at one province to stop an attack on another.
Remember that Kaiu Sensei only confers the *Traits* of fortifications during battle to other provinces. The ability to end a battle via Bridged Pass is an ability, and not a trait. Therefore to use Bridged Pass to end a battle, even with Kaiu Sensei, the Bridged Pass must be at the province being attacked. The same goes for Pitch and Fire.
Kaiu Sensei also lets you use abilities on your Fortifications as if they were in the battle being resolved. Using Bridged Pass to end a battle where it isn't is perfectly kosher if you're a Kaiu Sensei man.
Exactly Scott, now maybe I am wrong but *abilities* doesn't mean actions. The word *abilities* is in reference to the *Trait* of the card, not the actions on the card. Try getting a ruling from Jeff, or Vaughn, about it. I hope I am wrong, but I don't think I am.
From the SW rulebook, pg. 60:
Ability - Text in a card's text box prefaced by "Limited", "Battle", "Open", or "Reaction".
My question is this: Can this be used in any case where a Focus value is revealed besides a duel, such as bringing Gambling House into play, Test of Honor, so on and so forth? If you can't, why wouldn't the card explicitly say "When a Focus in a duel is revealed.... etc." ?
I'd like to say that you can use Snow Crane in response to any Focus being used at any time, but we just got a dictionary definition of reveal the other day. From the Archive:
Reveal: To show cards focused after a strike is declared. [JA, 2 November 2000]
There are a few other cards that use 'reveal', but almost none of them refer to focus values. So, for right now, play it as you have been, and I'll check with Jeff to see if he wants to apply the strict definition of 'reveal' to SCT.
Caveat: The Armor and Katana do not give a bonus for each Ancestor attached, but only care whether or not you have an ancestor attached.
Why don't they count multiple times? If a province can be affected by multiple fortifications of the same kind in a cumulative manner, e.g., Moat or Unscaleable Walls, then why can't the Armor and Katana have cumulative effects from multiple ancestors as well.
Wording.
Armor and Katana of TM are both 'while' cards. While X is true, do this. Even if X is true multiple times, you only do this once.
Kaiu Sensei is worded differently, so it has a different effect.
I know, I know, but my real point is that counting Unscaleable Walls or Moat multiple times is kind of silly. Each province should check to see if it is affected by a given fortification. If it is, then the bonus applies, if not, then not.
There is no rule about provinces checking to see if they are affected by Fortifications, and Kaiu Sensei in no way implies that it institutes such a rule. There is a rule about having multiple Forts of the same type attached to a province, but that rule never comes into play here.
Pretend that there was a Fortification that gave a province strength bonus to all of your provinces. If you have one, then it affects all of your provinces. If you have two, then they both affect all of your provinces. Kaiu Sensei works a lot like that. It makes it so that all of your Fortifications have an imaginary phrase added onto them so that they affect and can be used at all of your provinces. That's all.
Seer - I.A. Promo - 4G Retainer
Reaction: Bow the Seer as an event is turned face-up during a player's events phase. The event is turned face-down and has no effect this turn, but is resolved normally when it is turned face up. The seer can affect an event only once.
Does the event have to be revealed during the next applicable events phase, or can you reveal it with things like Call Upon the Wind, thus creating a sort of controlled "event bomb"? Multiple Seers can delay an event for several turns, and it would be very nice to just have the event hanging around waiting for to be triggered...
As a general rule, any time an Event is turned face up outside of your Events phase, it doesn't do anything. It just sits there, waiting for your next Events phase so it can resolve normally. Seer/Call upon the Wind is no different.
Hello everyone. I wanted to ask a question for a local Ninja dishonor player. He has a little scenario he would like to know if it is legal. Here it is:
Strong Hold is the Dark Path of Shadow:
First - supposing Doji Shizue appears in a province with 'Morikage' (the region), thus acquiring the ninja trait as she enters play
Second - suppose I attach the 'Night Medallion' to her (which can only attach to a kolat or ninja - she would be legal because of Morikage)
Third - her ability, after modification by the Night Medallion would allow her to bow to increase an honor gain or loss by 3 points (not 1) and gain 3 points for me at the same time (not 1).
Fourth - suppose I have 3 ninja shapeshifters, which allow for copying a single ability on a personality, and all 3 of them copy the modified Doji Shizue.
Fifth - suppose I play Breach of Etiquette (-5 honor) on a player and then... Doji Shizue #1 (Night Medallion) bows - honor loss is now -8, and I gain 3 Ninja SS #1 bows - honor is now -11, I gain 6 Ninja SS #2 bows - honor is now -14, I gain 9 Ninja SS #3 bows - honor is now -17, I gain 12 Doji Shizue #2 (no mods) bows - honor is now -18, I gain 13 Doji Shizue #3 (no mods) bows - honor is now -19, I gain 14
This works just fine. The Ninja trait you get from Morikage is okay for the Night Medallion, and Shapeshifters will copy an action as it currently exists on the card they are copying.
Does Nightmare mean that personalities are bowed by fear effects like follows are?
No. Personalities are not 'immune to fear'. They just aren't affected by it. It's like trying to shoot an item with a Ranged Attack. A card that let you shoot items that are immune to Ranged Attacks as if they were not immune would still need to trigger off a Ranged Attack that could shoot items. If that's clear at all, that's how Nightmare works.
Infantry Charge: Battle Terrain: This Terrain takes effect when played. While this Terrain is in play, no Personalities or Followers are immune to Fear.
Does this mean that Fear will bow Personalities without another Trigger?
No.
If so, then these cards will give life to an underused ability.
Nope. Sorry about that. While I'm thinking about Fear, though...
Noekam will gain a force bonus from Fearsome Strength, as will Hida O-Ushu exp2 and anyone else whose Fear effect hides a number in words. If you can determine the absolute value of the Fear number without any random influence (for ex, flipping a Fate card off the top of your deck), then Fearsome Strength will be able to give that card a force bonus. Same holds true for Ambush Strategist, and cards that have a Ranged Attack number hidden in text (Ikiryo, Isawa Toiko, Lieutenant Uji).
On a similar note, may Uso exp (or someone with Shiryo no Kakita) who focussed a First Shout focus both a Second and Third Shout the next time he is eligible for a Focus?
Uso exp can, because his text says he can focus them in any order. However, Shiryo no Kakita just says that you can focus with two cards instead of one, meaning that they both hit the table simultaneously. Any effects that depend upon the order of focusing (Strike of Flowing Water) will not work while you are inside the window of Shiryo no Kakita's benefit.
I'm building a Seven Thunders Deck using Hoshi Sensei and Temple of Divine Influence is confounding me somewhat. Here is the card text: Limited: Bow the Temple of Divine Influence and one of your Personalities to lay a more- or less-experienced version of the Personality from your Dynasty deck over or under the original. Do this as if you had laid the more-experienced version over the less-experienced one. Reshuffle the deck.
Now my question about this card is how do I reshuffle a deck?
Well, there are several known methods...
My real question is do I have to pay the difference in the gold cost when I fetch an Exp 2 version to lay overtop of a non-experience version?
Yes. "as if you had laid the more-experienced version over the less experienced one". That means that all normal rules about overlaying apply, including paying cost differences.
Just remembered a question that came up this weekend. Is destroying the province considered a cost? It would seem so but lacks the "do ________ to ________" template. Assuming it is a cost, this then prevents use with Mystic Ground right? (since using the MG would effectively prevent you from paying the cost).
It seems like it should be, but it's not. It's just another effect of the card.
Can a player retrieve an Empty Crevasse when Restoring the Doji Treasury resolves? If so, where can she attach it?
Possibile answers: Yes, you can put it on any of your provinces. Yes, you can only put it on the province that revealed RtDT (opponents may not get an Empty Crevasse) No. Yes, to any province in play (quite unlikely).
You can put it on any of your provinces.
People on #L5R always talk of putting a Dragon Tattoo on a tattooed Shugenja and by doing this they have an infinite innate ability.
Their reasoning is the Dragon Tattoo states,
Open: Gain up to three 1F/1C Fire tokens.......
So a shugenja with this tattoo can gain zero, (since zero is a number} Fire tokens to satisfy a shugenja performing an innate ability.
Is this a correct?
Yes. Zero is a legitimate number for Dragon Tattoo.