post for 3 April 2002

False Alliance

False Alliance will change your role from attacking ally to defending ally (or vice versa) for the duration of the current battle only. You retain your original role in all other battles. Any of your units moved from the current battle to another will move into the army on your original side.

post for 2 April 2002

Hey, Jeff, can April be National Rulebook Month too?

Sorry. It's already been declared National Ruling Archive Appreciation Month. It's out of my hands.

Asako Yuya's trait

Her trait reads: Once per turn, Yuya may bow a Spell instead of herself as a cost of casting that Spell. (A Spell cannot be cast while it is bowed.)

My question is whether she can bow a spell and then cast that exact same spell?

No, because "a Spell cannot be cast while it is bowed". (It's a special case of the "actions on bowed cards and Strongholds can't be used" rule, if you must know.)

I thought since she was bowing the spell as a cost of casting it, she would pay all costs first (bowing the spell instead of herself) and then try to cast it and be unable to (because she was trying to use an ability on a bowed card).

That's reading too deeply into things.

e.g. Asako Yuya only has Walking the Way on her. She is casting it with her trait to bow the spell instead of herself as a cost of casting it. What happens?

You would bow and destroy the Spell. All costs other than bowing the Shugenja must be paid normally.

I guess I'm just asking if the trait is self-refrencing when referring to "a Spell" and then "that Spell"?

Absolutely. You can't bow one Spell to cast another.

Koku for Cards

Who would I contact to ask about which cards can be used as Koku for the purpose of adding to deck, booster and Imp.Cert.'s. koku for redemption.??

I can answer that.

The reason I ask is because I find I have cards that you can basically put in 2 categories. 1. Printing errors i.e., wrong colored backs, wrong size like some HB, Arrows from the woods with its 2 wrong versions, etc.

OR

2. Cards like Traversable Terrain, that had a serious text change, completely altering the card. Kitsu Okura with 3 FH req. Garrison with 0 gold cost.

Cards that have had text or numbers changed through MRP or errata are NOT redeemable for koku. Only gross errors in the layout or cutting of a card qualify.

A couple Questions

A couple of questions came up in a five way open game I was in last night.

1. Do the Ninjas loose the honor because of Suspicions?

Suspicions is a card. If it's someone else's Suspicions, you don't lose honor from it.

2. If the event Moon and Sun is revealed and I reshuffle Suspicions, and it comes up again will they loose two honor a turn?

Yes, in two separate 1-point losses.

3. For the event Architects of The Wall does it resolve EVERY time for each player or is for only the person who revealed the event?

"Every time for every player". [MRP, Pearl Edition]

dark allies

hehe what do you think of Shinsei's Staff? AFAIR, it makes all focusses over 3 become 3.

BTW, Jeff, 2 questions:

1) Asaku Yuya and Light a Candle. Can I bow the spell an keep it bowed?

No. In fact, if Yuya is unbowed and you bow the Spell instead of Yuya, the effect ends immediately.

2) shinsei's staff and blade of truths (on a dragon for instance) What happens if I nominate 3? Does this mean "3 or over"? This would rock so much it is silly :)

It means 3. The Blade of Truths cares about their focus value before they're focussed, and the Staff does not change it until it is. (It does not change all the focus values on all the cards in the opponent's hand.)

Hoshi Tadao question

Does the Ring permanently keep the "does not count towards an Enlightenment Victory" condition (like Finding the Harmony), or if you play it by filling its conditions at a later time in the game would it count towards Enlightenment?

Forwarded to the Rules Team.

Rules Question

If I have played Political Marriage on Player A's Personality and I currently oppose him in a Battle as an ally to the attacker -- Player B -- may I now play False Alliance to switch to Player A's side (as am automatically invited to his side)?

I would say yes.

dark allies

Wouldn't their focus values when focused for Perfect Cut and Burning Your Essence be not zero because they change? At least for the purposes of Shinsei's staff. I suppose it depends on actual wording of the card, which I don't have in front of me. Maybe there could be a ruling by Jeff on that?

Anything that restricts your focusing choices in a duel based on focus values does so based on the cards' values before they're focused.

DA Question

How does Face Me! work?

Reaction: Play after one of your challenged Personalities enters a duel and target both duelists. Replace their Chi with their Personal Honor until the duel ends.

Check me on this: It essentially creates a duel using personal honor.

That would have very similar results, yes, but it's not identical. One difference is that Reactions that always affect Chi would still matter.

If this is true, then it would replace "Current Chi", but a personality with 0 ph would now blow up.

A Personality with 0PH will die to this card anyway.

Can we also clarify it to read "...their Chi (or other stat used in the duel)".

That would not be a clarification. That would be errata, since it's different from what the card says.

In any event, how does this card interact with "Perfect Cut"?

Exactly according to its text.

"When played as a focus in a duel, this card's Focus value equals your opponent's Chi before entering the duel (or other stat used in the duel, if it is not a duel of Chi)."

The key phrase is "before entering the duel". Since Face Me! says "Play after one of your challenged Personalities enters a duel," A Perfect Cut would use the Chi your Personality had before Face Me! changed it.

If it's not a Duel of Chi, Face Me! will still replace Chi with Personal Honor, but A Perfect Cut will copy the duel-related stat.