post for 11 December 2001

Different Text for cards?

A long time ago, there was another error similar to this, in the Shadowlands release. There was two versions of this card. The one found in the preconfigured section of Naga Clan Decks has a gold cost of <5>, while the one found elsewhere costs <6>. These were played as written until the MRP of the card in Gold making it cost 6 gold. This bites actually for some of our Naga decks that built forest around this hotty.(Yeah like you guys actually care about Naga decks.) Luckily, we had aruling that has been erased that says the cards are played as written. Sadly that is now gone. In a naga deck there is a big difference from buying an out of clan personality for 5 gold or buying her for 6.

No ruling was erased. Until Gold Edition, Yuki no Onna was played as written because both the 5g and the 6g versions were just as recent as each other, not because she had a special "play as written" ruling made just for her. When Gold printed and she reappeared, the MRP rule was simply enforced as it is with any other card.

post for 10 December 2001 / Dark Oracle Question

<snip>

I just finished our local SotSh tournament, and got a Dark Oracle of Earth. I looked over the card, and came up with a question. If you use the Dark Oracle on the Province that the experienced Hida Yakamo is in, may he enter play? He won't enter paly if you have any shadowlands cards in play, and vice-versa, but you don't have any in play when he is trying to enter.

He'll enter.

No, he won't. Last time I looked, the Dark Oracle of Earth was a Shadowlands card.

Um..."oops". Sorry about that. Couldn't see the forest for the trees. You're right.

If, somehow, you end up with a Shadowlands Yakamo still in your Province and no Shadowlands cards in play, his own trait will not prevent himself from entering, but that wasn't the case in the example given. Sorry for the confusion.

Odd question on basic concepts

I look at these two items and I realize that I have some questions regarding basic concepts:

The first: overpayment. Are we allowed to bow Holdings to overpay for any card with a Gold cost? (Specifically, 0 Gold cost Action cards?)

Specifically, yes. AOF rulebook, p. 42.

If so, could (in the first example with the Sac Altar) a SLH player, realizing that he or she is out of options in the fight that just didn't turn his way, sac a unit to the altar to 'pay' for a Refugees to return another of his attacking units home (presuming the target of the Refugees has no Followers)?

Yes.

Or in the case you describe Vaughn, with Feign Death, if a dying unit gets sac'd to the altar instead, does that trump the battle resolution death and thus deny the defender Honor for that sac'd unit?

Feign Death is played after the destruction, by its own wording. All your other cards are already dead by that point too, so honor has already been gained and you have nothing left to sacrifice. If you had a reaction that gets used before destruction, that would do what you're trying to do.

The second concept: 'can' and 'may'. There are several cards, Toshiken just one of them, that have an action or trait qualified with one of these two words. Does the acting player have a choice to use the clause, or should we treat these as 'will' instead?

Effects preceeded by "may" or "can" are optional.

One of the big culprits of the 'may' clause is the Path of Wisdom, "Immediately before your end phase, if this card is in your discard pile, you may place it in your fate hand." May I choose to let the Path sit for a couple turns (for instance if I'd have to discard anyhow) and on a turn that it's convenient for me to do so, immediately before my End phase, pick it up?

Yes.

Tsuno A Family?

Hey all--

I asked this once before, but never did see a reply from any of the rules guys (my apologies if there was one and I missed it). Is "Tsuno" a family name, a la "Bayushi" or "Mirumoto"?

Yes.

Bitter question and towers of the yogo

We come with this question in a prev tournament, and I will like to know how this mechanic works.

First a little background. On the rules and errata section in alderac (http://l5r.alderac.com/rulings/), we found (http://l5r.alderac.com/rulings/#Bow):

a.. Abilities on Items that do not require the attached Personality to bow can still be used when he is bowed, provided the Item is not. [DW, e-mail, 2/7/97]

My oponents use his towers of the yogo ability to bow my pep with bitter attached.

bitter: (from l5rseach.com)

Unique Weapon* A Personality with Honorable as his or her only Weapon can attach Bitter. If this Personality ever has under 1 Personal Honor, destroy him or her. Battle: This Personality issues an unrefusable challenge to an opposing Personality with 0 Personal Honor.

Ability can be used any number of times. [JA, 7 November 2000] a.. Destroys a dishonored Personality before he or she can commit seppuku. [VRD, 8 November 2000]

So acording to the first ruling about items, if my personality is bowed by towers of yogo, I still can use his ability when my pep is bowed, because the personality doesn´t need to bow, right?

In general, it'd be allowed. However, under the Gold Edition definition of targeting, Bitter targets its own Personality with its Battle action (unlike, say, the Daikyu). It cannot be used if the Personality is bowed.

Otaku Shiko

Can Otaku Shiko use her "move in" ability if she has no followers at all?

Yes.

Battle Question

If, at resolution, one army is completely bowed out, and the other side has a single 0 force personality straightened, what is the outcome of the battle?

A) Both armies are destroyed

B) The army with the lone unbowed personality wins

There are armies on both sides of the battle and their total Forces are equal. The answer is A).

Engage the Enemy question

With Engage the Enemy, can one bow, for example, a follower and the personality in one go? That is, are the two cards targetted before either is bowed, or is one targetted and bowed and then the second?

Targets are chosen simultaneously. Engage the Enemy cannot bow both cards in a two-card unit together.

My thoughts on the Mantis and TA

Wow inexpierenced Kitao has the naval trait? I am new in gold and I like the Mantis could you explain to me how it is that she has the naval trait?

By way of errata. (It's fairly evident to everyone that she was supposed to be Naval, considering she's the captain of a ship.)