post for 26 September 2002

Reaction timing after a strike in a duel

For Reactions played in response to a player calling a strike in a duel, I'd easly rule that the player causing the trigger is the one who struck, and therefore the first player to get to react to it (assuming all Reactions had the same timing) would be the player to his left.

However, Poisoned Weapon isn't played "after a strike". According to its latest wording, it's played "during a duel after players reveal Focus cards (if any) and before the duel resolves". This probably falls into the realm of splitting hairs, but that kind of phrasing is more accurately an instance of the "play during such-and-such a part of such-and-such a Phase" situation, which means the active player is considered the triggering player, giving the first Reaction to the player to HIS left.

Questions for Jeff A.

1. Peep A with 3 chi targets Peep Z with 2 chi with an I. duel. Peep Z strikes. Both players have a poison weapon in their hand. As it was Peep A that issued the duel, Peep Z has the first reaction to the same trigger.

Actually, see above. In a two-player game, the first chance to play Poisoned Weapon goes to whoever isn't the active player.

So Peep Z plays poison weapon instantly killing Peep A. My question is, can Peep A play his poison weapon and kill Peep Z as well? Or is Peep A already dead so he can't play anything?

As soon as one duelist dies, the duel ends without resolution. It is no longer possible to play Reactions such as Poisoned Weapon -- it is no longer "during a duel after players reveal Focus cards (if any) and before the duel resolves".

2. DA rulebook pg. 65 " When giving a bonus to the Yu value of a Samurai who does not have the Yu trait, permanently give the the Samurai " Yu 0 " first, then add the bonus "

If Peep A with the trait " all samurai in this personalities army have +2 Yu " is in an army with Peep H, who does not have the Yu trait but is a samurai, what is Peep H's Yu value? 1 or 2?

You give him "Yu 0" first.

Then you add the +2 Yu bonus.

That makes . . . 2.

May I ask how you're calculating the 1 result?

questions

Agasha Chieh is still just a Phoenix clan Magstrate/Shugenja, no matter how many families she has the psuedo-name to, right?

Right.

I mean if you bring her out with a Crane stronghold, even though she is Asahina/Daidoji/Doji/Kakita Chieh as well she isn't a Crane Clan shugenja, right?

Right. She's not.

Next is a request for clarification:

Errata on "The Dark Path of Shadow" states that "Being bowed does not stop a card from adding its Chi to the army."

That's not errata to the Stronghold. That's a clarification on whether the rulebook rule about bowed cards not providing Force extends to other stats.

Can a bowed card then still use it's chi to for force in an army with Tsudao's Challenge in play? [Personalities add their Chi instead of their Force to their armies' total Force.] I expect the answer to be no, since the errata I found states "Units led by bowed Personalities do not contribute force to their army's total Force, regardless of what stat the Personality would add to the army's Force total if he or she were unbowed". [JA, 15 October 2001]

However, since Tsudao's Challenge mentions adding to the *army's* total instead of adding to each unit's total there might be a case to say that bowed cards can ideed add their chi as force to the army. Since the unit is bowed it cannot contribute to it's own force. But since their chi is being applied to the army as well...

It just seems like these two rulings are conflicting, and I wanted to get clarification.

Gold rulebook, p. 55: "No cards add to the Force of a unit when the unit's Personality is bowed."

Tsudao's Challenge should say "unit Force", not "army Force". Cards don't add directly to army Force to begin with -- army Force is defined in the rulebook as "the sum of the Force totals for its units."

So being bowed trumps Tsudao's Challenge. "No cards add to the unit's total" beats "one of the cards adds this second number to the total instead of adding this first one".

Stat Q

Are stat changes due to stronghold and card traits in effect when the card is not in play?

It depends on what's providing the bonus.

Does the Spawning bed bonus apply to shadowlands cards not in play? (adding to the length of time required to stay in forgotten tombs)

Yes. By MRP, it applies to all cards you "own". You own all cards in your deck at the start of the game, all game long, no matter where they are or who controls them. [glossary]

If you are over 20 family honor is Doji Kurohito 5f/6c (due to his trait) while in the dynasty deck or discard pile?

Yes. [GE p. 33]

Hante Kachiko question

In her traits it says "Experienced 3 Bayushi Kachiko", does it means it is a MRP of the previous Exp. 3? (Please Nooo!!!) Or it is supposed to says "Exp. 3 KYD Bayushi Kachiko" on the actual card and the preview is different?

She's the first ever card titled "Hantei Kachiko". She can't be an MRP of anything. This is not a storyline retcon like what happened in Jade Edition with Togashi Hoshi and Togashi Mitsu. That kind of MRPing was a mistake. We try not to do that anymore.

Can someone tell me the rules regarding Exp. KYD versions (deck building, uniqueness...)?

The "Experienced N" and "Experienced N-KYD" versions are separate cards. In Open format, both may be in your deck, and neither impinges upon the other's uniqueness. For purposes of overlaying, ignore the presence or absence of the "KYD" completely.

Question for Jeff

I just pulled this off the the rules page. It seems to contradict an earlier ruling.

Imperial Census Checks Personalities' current gold cost. [VRD, 12 January 2001] Compares costs to printed stronghold Gold production (i.e., the value in the gold coin / grey diamond), not any traits or abilities that cause a stronghold to produce more or less gold for Personalities. [JA, 9 September 2002]

Does this mean that Shinjo Osema does not bow when this event goes off if I am playing Utaku Palaces? Or is his actual gold cost 7? Isn't the cost reduction a trait?

Key point: it's not a "trait...that causes a Stronghold to produce more or less gold for Personalities".

Osema's Gold cost in an Utaku Palaces deck is 7. The Stronghold's Gold production is 5. He bows to the Event.

Ambush

Here's a question that is probably obvious, but darn it, I'm asking it anyway since I've finally acquired some of these sought after cards:

Does the attacking unit in an ambush bow after the ambush just as if it were a battle.

Yes. It's a full-fledged battle.

KYoD release date

We are processing orders in blocks as they come. We have already begun shipping.

OK, but when's the release date?

It becomes tournament-legal November 1st. I suppose you could say the release date is October 2nd.

Rules Question (Jeff)

Ok, I got some rules questions.

If I have the new Shiba Tsukune KYoD exp2 in play and I or my opponenet plays one life one destiny, can I still bring a 2nd copy of the KYoD shiba Tsukune into play because she says she is not unique?

All copies of her are unique now. The card played later takes priority. Tsukune's "non-Unique" text is needed to override the rulebook's statement that all Experienced cards are Unique by default.

What about having the Shiba Tsukune exp2 from DJH in play, can I bring the KYoD version of Tsukune exp2 into play? What about the reverse.

Yes and yes. They're not both Unique.