post for 14 December 2001

post for 12 December 2001

<snip> Path of Wisdom : Immediately before your end phase, if this card is in your discard pile, you may place it in your fate hand. Shinjo's Breath : If the unit is led by a Unicorn Personality, you may return this card to your hand at the beginning of the current player's end phase. (Do each of these have a repeatable trigger, if the player wishes to avoid discarding down to 8 at the end).

No, and irrelevant. You discard at the end of the turn, so cards that enter your hand "before" or "at the beginning of" your End Phase will always be there before it's time to discard.

Hm. The current rulebook says that you discard down to eight after drawing a card. There is no requirement that you cannot have more than eight cards at the end of your turn. Tamori Hiroko allows you to draw more cards as a reaction to your discard, giving you up to eleven (or more with Kolat Masters, Eggs, etc :-) See the wording in the rulebook p 59...

The original question concerned whether it was possible to return these cards to your hand multiple times in one End Phase. The reason I say "irrelevant" is that they're both worded so they return to your hand before your normal discard happens. Since your normal discard is pretty much the only thing that will ever put one of these cards back into your discard pile (barring a possible one or two rarely-placed Reactions I can't think of offhand -- ask Leon), it doesn't matter what the general rule is on "reacting" more than once to a trigger which is really a continuous condition.

It's just the opposite: it was clarified that it IS a targeted action. Because of that, the separate rule that only unbowed Personalities could attach cards could be eliminated.

So is attaching always an action, even when it's the effect of a trait?

No.

Ronin promos

Where and when, exactly, were the ronin promos (Zokusei, Shousa, Kihei, and Kuso) released?

None of them have been formally released yet. Two are about to.

AOF - any doubly-printed cards?

Are there any cards printed with multiple backgrounds, alternate art, etc. in AOF?

No.

P.S. I noticed the pack-in promo doesn't say "N of 7" like the APC promo Hunting Tiger did. When will those other cards come out?

We don't like giving that sort of information out beforehand.

Outmanuvered by Force questions

I have a few questions that revolve around Outmanuvered by Force and was just looking for an official ruling or clarification. :)

1) When calculating total force in your home, do bowed personalities and followers count for 0 or for their full normal value?

0 *is* their full normal value. "These rules [about the Force of bowed cards] hold true any time at which you need to know a unit's or army's Force total, not just during battle resolution." AOF rulebook, p. 55.

2) When exactly does a personality gain you honor for coming into play? After they're actually in play or as they're entering?

After.

3) Are there any cards in Gold Edition that should have the political trait but don't? I had originally thought Shame would be political, but apparently it's not.

Well, Bayushi Kaukatsu's action "should" have, what with Kaukatsu being the Soul of Bayushi Goshiu (whose action is Political), but it doesn't, and the official ruling is that there is no ruling. He plays as written.

Shame has never been Political.

Imperial Scrutiny

Imperial Scrutiny: Political Reaction: Play before another tharget player loses honor due to one or his or her won cards to increase the loss by the players starting Familiy Honor (Honor loss from dying dishonorably is not due to a card).

I a samurai commits sepukku in response to an action, which cause its controler 1 honor loss can someone play this card to increase the honor loss?

Seppuku does not cause a 1-point loss. It reduces a larger loss to 1. The source of the loss does not change, either, only the amount, so if the samurai didn't cause the original loss, Imperial Scrutiny cannot be played against the samurai.

Attaching Question (was: Rules for 12 Dec) [JEFF]

It's just the opposite: it was clarified that it IS a targeted action. Because of that, the separate rule that only unbowed Personalities could attach cards could be eliminated.

Question of clarification, Jeff. There is a spell in AOF that states, and I paraphrase: "Battle: Bow this shugenja to move a follower from one Personality to another Personality controlled by the same player." Now, if there is now no explicit prohibition against attaching a card to a bowed Personality, and I can target my opponent's bowed Personalities with actions, may I move a follower attached to an opponent's Personality to another, bowed, Personality controlled by that same player?

Yes.

Another question on this card. May I use the spell ability mentioned above to move a follower from a bowed Personality I control to an unbowed Personality I control? I would say no, since the spell seems to target the Personalities as well as the Followers involved, but I would like to hear your ruling on it.

You are correct.

Similar question. May I Ninja Thief an Item and attach it to a bowed Personality controlled by the same player, or is the 'legally attach' wording on Ninja Thief going to prevent the attachment?

You may move it in that fashion.

post for 13 December 2001

Wait wait wait, I am certain that I read in the new rulebook (AOF one) that Wind's are NOT to be considered cards? Which would mean that you cannot use the Wish to kill a wind, b/c if you could do that, you could use it to kill their SH. And that would be definately wrong.

The Gold Edition and Perfect Cut rulebooks contradicted themselves on whether or not Winds were cards. This was fixed for Oni's Fury. There are no longer any special rules saying that Winds are not cards, so they are.

If you found a spot that still says Winds aren't cards, let me know where it is so I can take it out.

Oracle Questions

I can't answer your questions, but this brought to mind a question of my own: is there a storyline reason for why the "Oracle of Air" has become the "Oracle of Wind" in Gold Edition?

It didn't change. It's been called "Oracle of Wind" in every printing so far. (The Dark Oracle uses "Air", though.)

post for 13 December 2001

In other words, does the challenged personality also have the option to strike at this point?

No. You can either focus one additional time or...not focus.

Is there a sequence this choice happends in and how can the sequence be determined for cards in general?

Judgement of Toshiken was MRPed in Gold Edition with a specific order given (challenge-ee first). In general, the active player would start unless the card makes it clear.

If Judgement targets the personality with the sword attached why doesn't Arrowroot Tattoo target the personality?

Targeting Guideline #2: "An effect that applies only to its own card does not target." Tattoo abilities are put onto the Personality they're played on.

3) Tsukune Ascends. I'm pretty sure that the answer is no, but does this event effect your personalities not yet in play?

No. It really does mean "your".

Your now means in play? This is probably ok but realy needs more support in the rulebook.

"Your" is defined as "controlled by you" in most past editions of the rulebook. (I'll see about putting it back in the glossary.) And only cards in play have controllers. The problem isn't so much the definition of "your" but its improper use on certain cards.

Rules Question [Jeff]

An opponent plays Iaijutsu Challenge, challenging one of my Personalities to a duel. My personality refuses, and one of my 7C shugenja TWTs the honor loss back to the player who initiated the Challenge. May I then play Imperial Scrutiny on the 7-pt. honor loss?

Yes.