Rulings for 15-16 April 2001

Winds Truth Question

I thought this had been ruled by the Junta that each honor gain was considered a separate honor gain in terms of redirecting. If this is not so then my group is going to be very happy.

It's going to be very happy. There has never been such a ruling. The honor for winning or tying in a battle is one single gain, as per the rulebook, in terms of redirecting it or of anything else.

Olyah

May Olyah use his ability over himself infinite times? Does this work?

General ruling: cards cannot copy off themselves. No.

Political Marriage

Political Marriage:

"Target any human or Naga Personality in play. While this Personality is in play, you may ally with that player's armies as if you had been invited as an ally for any battle in which they are either the Attacker or Defender. You gain 1 honor instead of 2 when you ally with this player."

A friend states that you can play this card in a Duel game to ally with your opponent and send units as the attacker and the defender. I know he is wrong, because you can't be invited as an ally by your opponent, but he says that with this card you're already invited and you can attack sending also units to defend his provinces. Does the card need any clarification or are we misunderstanding something on the rules?

You cannot commit units to attack yourself. This is a very strong rule and it takes explicit text on a card to override it.

Ruling Questions

To All,

I had a few questions on different subjects. First of all with regards to In Search of the Future -

1. How does In Search interact with cards like Shosuro Technique and Ninja Shapeshifter since they are "raising force"? Does "raising" and "copying" force equate "force bonus?"

Raising a stat, or copying a value that's higher, both count as bonuses.

2. How does In Search interact with stat switching effects like Energy Transference and Within Your Soul?

If the Personality's Force is higher than it was before, ISotF will zero out the bonus and return the Force to what it was.

With regards to Senseis 1. Can a player using Seppun, or any other sensei which prevents you from causing an honor loss, use the Ancestral Swords since they cause a 6 point honor hit, but only under certain circumstances?

Short answer: it only stops you under certain circumstances. Long answer: see my post titled "Smart Cards".

2. How does Deeds, Not Words interact with Seppun? I was assuming that they wouldn't retroactively loose the honor from other sources like holdings,

They don't anyway. Deeds, Not Words is not retroactive. It only affects gains that happen after it's played.

but after Deeds had been played, the other sources would cause honor losses.

That's correct. Deeds, Not Words does not cause honor losses. It's legal to play under Seppun Sensei.

Imperial Quest

I have a question about the event Imperial Quest. When does the 2 honor gain happen... during the end phase?

From the archive:

] You gain the honor every Straighten Phase where the Personality ] would normally straighten but you choose not to. [DW, l5rinfo, ] 12/9/97]

It says for every turn that you remain bowed, you gain 2 honor. Does this include the first turn when the person is originally bowed? Or does it only count for each straighten phase that you don't straighten during?

It counts "remaining bowed" only. Becoming bowed in the first place doesn't count, so you don't get honor that first turn. Since the gain happens during the Straighten Phase, you wouldn't gain it the first turn anyway -- the Events Phase happens later.

And if the honor gain happens during the straighten phase, do you retroactively lose the 2 honor if you straighten the personality later that turn with some effect?

No.

Ruling Questions

It is my understanding that effects like Uncertainty will still be affecting the Personality - ISotF only reduces Force bonuses to zero, not Force penalties.

You would be correct there.

Ninube Ogoku

I want to know if Oguku's trait allows her to join in a cavalry army? Does her trait override cavalry maneuvers segment restriction that only cavalry units can assign during it? Is her trait the same as assigning?

Her trait is the same as assigning. She has to be Cavalry to assign in the Cavalry Maneuvers Segment.

Rules Question: Isawa Norikazu

Regarding Isawa Norikazu (Experienced 2):

When using his ability against another player's Dynasty deck, does it affect face-down (and/or face-up) cards in provinces, or not?

Not.

If not, why not?

Because he says "The player must discard all versions of that card from his or her appropriate deck and Fate hand.", and cards in Provinces aren't in either.

His ability specifically mentions that it does not affect cards "in play", but cards in provinces are not cards in play.

It was a bit of redundancy added to help forestall questions and make the card clearer. Funny how often that backfires, isn't it?