replies to 17 June

L5RINFO Digest - 16 Jun 2001 to 17 Jun 2001 (#2001-170)

As for personality versus holding versus ancestor counting as the same thing for uniqueness, try this. In Imperial edition the Egg of Panku was an item. Later on it was an action. They were both unique, by the same name. You can't have both in the same deck. Why? Cuz they're the same thing!

Right answer, wrong reason. You can't have both in the same deck because the one with the Item border is a misprint. The one with the Action border is the corrected MRP.

The Dark Hoturi counts as the Egg, so you can't have both! They're the same thing. Kisada xp0/xp(-1), The Great Bear, Shiryo no Kisada, they're the same thing. Only one in a deck.

Right.

Superior Strategist and Moto Gaheris

Moto Gaheris: Unicorn Clan Champion*Moto Clan Khan*Cavalry*Double Chi*Experienced*Unique Gaheris will only join a Unicorn player. Opposing players cannot play Action cards during the Battle Action Segment of a battle containing Gaheris unless the Action removes Gaheris from battle

Superior Strategist: Battle: Target a Personality you control in this battle with the Tactician trait, but who has not used the trait in this battle. Search your Fate Deck to find and immediately play any one Battle or Open action card. This action counts as the target's use of Tactician for this battle. Shuffle your Fate Deck

Addendum, from the Archive: May retrieve and play a terrain-destroying card against Deadly Ground / Night Battle, because playing of the retrieved card is part of Superior Strategist's effect. [DW, 24 May 1997. This ruling is under review and may reverse; JA, 9 February 2001]

Folowing this same train of thought: Is it possible to play a Strategist, search my Fate deck for a Block Supply Lines, and send home an opposing Gaheris?

Final ruling: no. It is not possible because the effect is not direct.

Zen, would you please also reverse the Deadly Ground/Ruined Towers ruling in the archive too, as of this date?

Poisoned Weapon Clarification

You are incorrect. That is not historically accurate back to when PW was invented. You aren't playing it the way it was originally designed to be played, but the way it plays now that rulings have changed game-mechanics, leaving the cards behind.

The foci were added on resolution, after all reactions and such were played. Hence, PW killed a personality with 3 or less chi automatically, regardless of focus. That ended the duel without resolution. That's how Poisoned Weapon was originally designed to be played.

I don't know how you know the original design intent of Poison Weapon. *I* don't know the original design intent of Poison Weapon.

What I do know is that focussing was clarified to add immediately very early in the history of the game (Emerald Edition, I think), by a split but majority decision of the then- current Rules Junta who felt Poison Weapon was too powerful if it was allowed to instantly kill any Personality of 3C or less irrespective of focussing. (He would die after the duel regardless, but it would be possible to still win the duel first instead of never getting the chance.)