replies to 8 September

No Distincitve Borders for APC?

Is it just me, or are the borders for APC identical to those for Gold Edition? I realize the microprinting at the bottom says "APC Illus. by [Artist]" but is that it? Looks like sorting just got a lot harder!

They're both solid black. Identical. It was a deliberate decision to mark the sets with text instead of border designs. It's always possible to distinguish the former.

APC: Acquiring Favor Question

After reading the card a couple of times, I have a question regarding Acquiring Favor.

Does using this card constitute using the favor to trigger actions on 4 Winds? For example, if you are using Toturi Tsudao, can you discard Acquiring Favor and bow your stronghold to send a unit home from a battle?

Yes.

Questions

Here is a crosspost of a question from a friend of mine, followed with a few of my own....

**************************************** Show of Strength Political Battle: This action may not be played if you have passed or taken a battle or open action this battle. If you destroy this province during resolution, you gain the imperial favor and, until the beginning of your next turn, the defender may not lobby and is ignored during otherplayer's lobby attempts

1) If you play this card successfully, on your next turn can you lobby for the favor if you are at a lower honor than your opponent?

If it's a 2-player game, yes (and quite possibly if there are more as well). You ignore your opponent, which guarantees that you've got the highest Family Honor.

2) If i play this card and am at a higher honor than my opponent on my next turn, if i lobby can they play cards like Enough Talk! to intervene?

Yes.

what I really want to know is 3) what the hell does ignored mean?? : P

You don't take his Family Honor into account. If you're using the old lobbying rules, he cannot petition or give gifts either.

Can Way of the Void cancel the card drawing effect of the Ring of the Void?

Yes, but it can just be triggered again, so it's usually pointless.

Can you Way of Shadow a Spell targeting a Ninja?

You mean casting one on a Ninja? Yes.

The spell Endless Deluge cancels all actions on stronghold, traits are unaffected, correct?

How many licks to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop?

I've never made it without biting. Ask Mr. Owl.

Seeds of War

Question: The dead line for sending in your Seeds of war results was extended to Sept. 30th correct?

It is September 30th. I'm not sure that's an extension.

Emperor's Under-Hand Reversal

The argument is that because the use of the Favor for the Under-Hand is not a cost for the *entire* action, it does not fit the old definition of "Political."

Ok, quick question...does this mean that Shadylands can use EU?

Yes.

I vaguely (it's 2am) recall that Horde can't use political cards (or actions or something) does this include holdings?

They can't use Political actions. It doesn't matter what type of card they're on.

Master of destiny

Just to confirm: If my opponent plays a Master of Destiny when my Welcome Home resolves, so the honor will be gain by him, right? So, if he is a Spirit player, the Welcome Home simply won't resolve? It's something like an Avoid Fate when played by a Spirit player?

Master of Destiny does not make an Event resolve for you immediately. It steals the Event from your opponent before it resolves and puts it in your Province. Then, on YOUR first following Events Phase, it resolves using all the normal rules...which means that, as a Spirit player, you won't get anything.

Rules Question for Atoshi

Ok, here it goes:

Kakita Atoshi: Crane Clan Samurai Soul of Kakita Torikago Atoshi can remain bowed. Political Limited: Bow while you have the Imperial Favor. Select a bowed Personality. The target Personality may not straighten until after one of the following occurs: Atoshi straightens or is destroyed, or you lose the Imperial Favor.

Player 1 has an Atoshi and another personality in play, and has the favor. On my turn, I attacked with my personality, and now it has come home bowed from the battle. Once his turn starts, he uses Atoshi to keep my guy bowed. He then spends the favor on something (say, Sezaru) and then bows for it again. Now, since he *lost* the favor, which *sounds* like it meets the conditions on Atoshi, can my guy straighten at the beginning of my turn? Or is Atoshi able to keep my guy bowed, because he regained the favor?

As soon as either Atoshi straightens (or leaves play) or your opponent loses the Favor, Atoshi's effect ends. You may straighten your Personality on your turn in this example. What your opponent should have done was use the Favor, lobby to get it back, and THEN use Atoshi.

Errata

Yes, folks, much as it pains me to do this, I'm forced to invoke that "E"-word you all know and love so much.

Effective the 1st of October:

The Emperor's Under-Hand will have its last sentence changed from "You may discard the Imperial Favor to discard one of those cards." to "You may discard the Under-Hand to discard one of those cards."

........

Why?

Why? Because the card is overly strong in the Gold environment. It wins games all by itself, it's purely a matter of luck who gets it first, it's its own best protection, it's a rare card from an out-of-print expansion...

Why errata? The Under-Hand's original inclusion in the Gold environment was an oversight much akin to Evil Feeds Upon Itself's. For that reason, and due to the fact that the Under-Hand isn't nearly so dominating in the Open environment, led me initially to favor applying the same solution: simply remove the Gold bug. However, EFUI was discovered and addressed immediately. It was taken from the Gold environment before the Gold environment existed. Not so with the Under-Hand...as one of our playtesters pointed out, removing the Under-Hand's bug at this point would effectively be banning it. That made up my mind for me.

Why now? Because the card is doing too much damage to the play environment to wait for an MRP and Oni's Fury's sell date to fix it.