post for 25 July 2002

Yojiro & Ki-Rin Shrine (Jeff)

Other than errata, no major gameplay-affecting changes from the Broken Blades rulebook -- if any -- will be in effect at GenCon. We are not going to change the rules environment at such a critical time.

And this is: "Because....."?

Because it may change the environement? Because it may give some Clans/Players advantages/disadvantages? Because it wouldn't be "fair"?

Take those quotation marks off the word "fair". They don't belong. It absolutely would NOT be fair to change the rules days, if not hours, before the world championships, especially if it influenced deck construction in a biased fashion across the factions. We're not going to do it.

Boxable Personalities

So again the question goes to the designers: "Will the other clans receive a boost like the SCorpion with regards to first-turn personalities?"

No.

Question about Chi Boosts for Effects.[Jeff]

This question relates to another one I've been thinking about lately, with regards some of the new cards.

To use and old card with similar wording to what I'm thinking of for the question -

Agasha Tamori (relevant text) - 2Chi - Has a 3C bonus when casting spells

If he is casting a spell that is interrupted by Enough Talk or Witch Hunt (or any other means I cannot think of atm) that forces him into a duel while attempting to cast the spell does he keep his Chi bonus?

If the interrupting reaction is worded to happen "before" his spellcasting action, he won't have the bonus. If it triggers "when" or "after" he casts a spell, he has the bonus.

Yogo Tjeki, scorpion clan shugena

I hear proofreading is tech.

...casts a spell or kiho to challenge that Shugena to an.....

What the hell is a Shugena? :)

That's the price you pay for getting your preview cards a little early. The file those preview images were produced from was pulled off the assembly line prior to final proofreading. The actual card does not contain this error.

I hope this illustrates our reluctance to issue official rulings prior to product release dates, even ones based on our own press releases.

Thoughts on new Strongholds (Game Designers)

Unfortunally the Crab really got the short straw in this bunch. Already given a fairly ok military stronghold in APC, they really did`nt need another one.

As long as they are not scoring the majority of their victories in military fashion with their own Personalities, I will politely disagree with you.

More in the Know [Jeff]

They are open to the folks we've invited and to Kotei winners. There is going to be a 1-on-1 and a Team Multiplayer game. They will not affect the storyline. Is there anything else?

How does the team multi player work?

A team is eliminated (giving the other team a Military Victory) only when all its members have been eliminated.

A team wins an Honor Victory when the team has a combined total at the beginning of any of its members' turns of at least 40 Family Honor multiplied by the original size of the team. Do not count the Family Honor of players who cannot currently win by Honor or who have been eliminated. Losing a team member does NOT reduce a team's Family Honor requirement to score an Honor Victory.

A team wins an Enlightenment Victory when any one of its members wins an Enlightenment Victory using only his or her own Elemental Rings. Teams do not "share" Rings among their players.

Individual players are eliminated according to the normal rules. When a player is eliminated, all cards he or she owns are removed from play.

Partners do not share control of their cards. For example, they may not attach cards from their hand to teammates' Personalities, nor may they bow their partner's shugenja to cast Kihos.

Partners are not "opponents" either, not even for actions which refer to an "opponent" outside of battle, which is normally synonymous with "any player but yourself" in that context.

Partners may not declare attacks against one another, ally against or move units opposing one another, or challenge or duel each other's Personalities. Players may not ask a player to ally in an attack against that player's own teammate.

All players should sit in an order that alternates team members.

All other rules for normal multiplayer L5R apply, including determining who starts and honor gains for allying. (Yes, your partner must invite you before you can assign units to his armies, and you gain the usual Honor for doing so.)

How are the teams chosen? Do we get to chose our own? Will we get points for the tournament?

Those haven't been decided yet.

I have to say.

When you mean "bring into play" say "bring into play" when you mean "play from hand" say "play from hand." Accept that Fall on Your Knees is properly worded for what it does, and Blade of Truths is simply badly worded and Errata it.

The overhead for reserving "play" for cards rather than actions is too great, IMO.

It's beginning to look that way. While I'd love a more precise wording, it looks like we'll have to accept that the exact meaning of "play" depends on context.

The ruling on Blade of Truths will stand.

Three-Pronged Assault [SPOILERS] [Rich or Shawn]

With a POPULAR Stronghold and decent follower (Advance Scout) that foils *any* terrain-based strategy, terrains are just not good right now. There is no counter to negating a terrain, except Fall on your Knees (and even that doesn't work with Deadly Ground as I understand it).

It does if it's countering a Reaction that's taken before Deadly Ground goes into effect...like the one on that Stronghold you're talking about.

To prove how terrible terrains are, just look at this new Three Pronged Assault card. If it weren't a terrain, there would be no argument right now that it's a good (at least decent) card. A +3 Force bonus for three units! Great!

A 0-gold action that gives your army +9F? That's more than great.

But since it IS a terrain (and a delayed one at that), everyone says its a "coaster's coaster."

No, not everyone.

In other words, Terrains = easy to counter, actions/reactions = difficult to counter. Forget entirely the fact that you can't play terrains if your opponent has already done so. So which is better? If actions are better, why bother with terrains?

No reason at all. None whatsoever. But look...

Charge: +2F (or +3F), attack only Frenzy: +2F (or +3F), attack or defense, other drawbacks Strength of Purity: +3F, attack or defense, conditional playability 3PA: up to +9F, attack or defense, conditional playability

The greater potential bonus balances the higher difficulty of playing it effectively. That's a design feature.

And getting back to your original post: even if we produced no more Terrains for the entire Gold story arc, people would still use Deadly Ground and Night Battle just as much as they are now. Your Diversionary Tactics are not coming out any time soon.

Hida Hio

When Hio does his reaction and is bowed is he still considered at that Province?

No. He'll be wherever he'd be if he hadn't used it.

rules question

I am pretty sure this is legal and have this before on other sites, but i wanted to get a confirmation from someone who really knows the rules of the game. Can I use the scout ability, to play at terrain from underneath the armor of suntao as the first action of a battle?

Yes.

Hida Hio

Also, just like Plains of Fast Trouble, there doesn't have to be an attacker at the province for him to use his ability. There just has to be a battle at the province.

...and Hio needs to be in the defending army there at some point.