post for 12 May 2003

Paying costs

"You cannot produce Gold unless you are paying a cost." [GE p. 38] You MAY deliberately overpay a cost, even a cost of 0, [p. 39] but you cannot pay for nothing.

As a follow up question, are you allowed to produce gold when taking an action on a card in play that does not normally require a cost. I know you can produce gold to pay for a card with gold cost of 0, but can you produce gold to pay for any action? For example, can I produce gold to "pay" Yojiro to bring my honor back up to starting honor.

You cannot produce Gold to pay for an action with no listed Gold cost.

Enlightment Victory? Ring of Air.

Why is Ring of Air so weak? It's harder to get out than any of the others by these rulings, and its effect is weaker since 90% of what you'd want to redirect you can't hurl back at your opponent... (can't target his bowed stuff, can't make ranged attacks target his own army...)

The Ring of Air has always been an all-or-nothing Ring: if your opponent is casting spells at you it completely wrecks his plans, but it's absolutely useless against anyone else. And even with the MRP (which went into effect when Gold Edition was released, by the way), it's either the easiest Ring to play or a very close second behind the Ring of the Void.

Question re: Pulse of the Black River

Card text reads:

"For the rest of the game, each player gains 2 honor for each Shadowlands card that player destroys during a battle or duel through action or resolution, in addition to other results. That player then selects one Personality surviving that battle or duel to permanently gain the Shadowlands trait, if possible."

Here's my question (as my honor-running Yasuki deck is somewhat dependent on this event): As far as the second half of the event goes, does a player have to select a personality to gain the Shadowlands trait if there were no Shadowlands cards initially involved in the duel or battle?

No.

Re L5R CCG - Combiningr anged attacks from attached items

Hi Guys, I am just trying to clarify exactly which attached item cards can contribute to a ranged attack being performed by a personality.

The question is not which can combine, but which can be used at the same time as the Personality's.

I am sure that I read somewhere that the actions on certain items are considered to be effectively printed on the personality and in this case could not be combined due to being 'printed on the same card'.

a) How do I tell which are which?

There is no general rule like that. There MAY be some Items that work this way because they're written that way, but they will be both obvious and infrequent.

There is one funky rule in the rulebook: you cannot combine an attack on an Item with one on a Personality if bowing the Personality is a cost of the Item's RA. Otherwise you can combine any two attacks provided you can pay all costs and they are all on different cards.

b) For example can 'Xushen' with a Daikyu attatched for a 6 point ranged attack?

Yes.

Question about "Pick Your Battles"

A friend and I had a dispute this weekend about the timing of "Pick Your Battles". The wording on the card states that you are reacting to the part of the Resolution Phase where your army would normally be destroyed. (You pick one unit to be destroyed instead of the entire army...)

I would like to play "Suspended Terrain" to lock down my opponent's army and then bail out using "Pick Your Battles", but my friend said that since "Pick..." lets my army live, they would be locked down, too.

My argument was that "Suspended Terrain" clearly states that it resolves *after* the Resolution Phase, and "Pick..." happens *during* the Resolution Phase, so my units would already have been sent home bowed (and therefore would not be affected by the Terrain). But, since they were bowed by "Pick..." and not "Suspended...", they could unbow during my next straighten phase as normal (leaving my opponent ripe for destruction).

How does this work? Am I right, or is my friend?

Suspended Terrain only applies to "all units in this battle when the Resolution Segment ends". Those are the only units forced to bow and the only ones prevented from straightening.

(For what it's worth, Suspended Terrain resolves at the usual time for a Delayed Terrain. It creates an effect that happens a short time later.)

Code of Bushido(again)

If I am in a duel against a samurai, and my opponent plays Poisoned Weapon, may I use Code of Bushido to cancel it?

No. The Samurai is not taking the action.

Question!

So Tibbles was telling me about using Otomo Ambassador on a shrine after gaining its benefits (guess the shrine for no bonus points), and thus allowing another of the same shrine to come into play. So here's my question:

I bring in a Shrine of Daikoku. I bring in Otomo Ambassador and hand the shrine to my opponent. I bring in another Shrine of Daikoku. My opponent pays 10 gold to destroy the Otomo Ambassador.

What happens to the first shrine?

a) The opponent keeps it b) It gets discarded (into my discard pile) c) It gets discarded (into my opponent's discard pile) d) It sits in limbo, waiting for the second one to disappear at which point I get it back. e) Get Tibbles off my list.

Opponent keeps it until you can legally get it back.

timing question

do i have to announce the target(s) for an actions before paying the actions's cost of after?

Before. [GE p. 46]

for example: i'm attacking with to any 3 peeps. i play sneak attack an then to do what we must, (over)paying it by sacrificing one of those peeps on my sacrifial altar. may i no as a reaction play a be peprepared on an opposing unit and target one of the enemys peeps with th to do that i could not have targeted without the +2F?

No.

questions for jeff

Maybe this one was answered recently...

I play Show of good faith on one of my opponent's personality. Then I play Loyalty renewed on it so I gain permanent control of this personality. Can I declare an attack? In other words, is the restriction of show of good faith (not being able to attack my opponent while the personality is under my control) still running after I play loyalty renewed?

There is no break in your control when you play Loyalty Renewed. You are still unable to attack that player, and will remain unable for as long as the stolen Personality remains in play under your control.

Can I use Agasha Hamanari's reaction on my opponent's avoid fate when he uses it to cancel my say Welcome home?

Yes.

L5r-ccg digest, Vol 1 #414 - 12 msgs (Jeff)

Does the choosing of a Personality to sacrifice for I Give You My Name occur simultaneously with the Shugenja's bowing to cast the spell or afterward. i.e. can you choose the casting Shugenja as the Personality to be sacrificed?

You may destroy the casting Shugenja.

A few quick questions

Kaneka's Blockade: Is haveing no wind considered a different wind then anyone with a wind?

No. You must target a player with a Wind.

Sezaru's Mask: I understand the shugenja counts twice, but is this only useful for spells which go by number of shugenja, or can the personality also add his/her chi twice to a ritual?

Only those that count the number of Shugenja.

Tattoo of the Void questions

Tattoo of the Void reads:

Limited: Target one of your Personalities with the Tattooed trait and without a Tattoo of the Void. For the rest of the game, the Personality has a Tattoo of the Void, may not be target with action while he or she is in an army unless the action's player discard a card as an additional cost of the action, and does not count towards whether his or her controller has units in a battle.

If an army (attacking or defending) consists only of units with Tattoo of the Void:

1) Can my opponent take actions that target my units in the battle - since I am considered to not have any units per the wording of Tattoo of the Void.

2) What happens during resolution? Obviously, I have no units - but can I destroy their army if I win or tie? And can they destroy my army if I lose or tie?

All the Void Tattoo does is prevent the Personality from counting towards the Rule of Presence for his or her controller. Players can still target it, including you, though you have to think harder than usual whether you meet the Rule of Presence, and even you have to pay the higher cost of the extra discard. The unit also still adds its total unit Force to the army.

Jester

I have Jester attached to Hiruma Tatsuzo, I bow the Jester to cancel an action targeting the unit. Is Hiruma Tatsuzo's force still 5 and his chi still 5 or are they 4??

"Bowing does not affect Follower bonuses with a "+" sign, Item bonuses of any kind, or Chi." [GE p. 55]

Tatsuzo is still 5F/5C.

Enlightment Victory? Ring of Air.

Is using Finding the harmony considered playing a ring?

"Kiho Limited: Bow one of your Monks or Shugenja to permanently switch an Elemental Ring in your hand with one you have in play. THIS IS NOT CONSIDERED PLAYING A RING. The new Ring does not count toward an Enlightenment Victory." [card text]

I cant switch the ring of AIr in and out more than once a turn? Say i have Ring of Air in play from an earlier turn i have 3 spell effects in hand or showing on the board, or 3 Finding the Harmonys . Can i Switch a ring in play (Air) with one in hand and then Switch the Ring of AIr back in with another ring in play. Then switch out the ring of Air agian thus creating 3 spell effects then legally put the Ring of Air in play. Does the Play once per turn rule Screw my move up or What?

The Ring of Air can only be played immediately after the third innate ability and/or spell effect you create in one turn. There is no direct rule or ruling that it is only playable once per turn -- it's a natural side-effect of being restricted to the third "magical" action only. (You could play multiple Rings of Air after the same trigger if you manage to get more than one in your hand.)

If you've already played the Ring of Air once, then Finding the Harmony will be at least your fourth spell effect/innate ability. You can't play the Ring of Air anymore.

rules questions

How does exactly work toshimoko no shiryo?

Just like Shosuro Aroru. "No Reactions can be made to a challenge, refusal, or duel involving this Personality except Reactions that cancel the action or negate the challenge or duel." No Reactions can be taken by any player from the moment the challenge is issued until after the duel ends or the results of refusing are applied. Reactions CAN be taken to the targeting or playing of the action that is going to issue the challenge -- Toshimoko no Shiryo's protection does not begin until it is known that the challenge will happen.

it refers as "cannot play reactions TO a challenge, refusal or duel", which is different from "reactions during a duel" or just cannot play reactions as does Kakita rensei.

Kakita Rensei offers even less protection than Toshimoko no Shiryo. Rensei's trait only applies during the duel. Reactions can still be taken during the challenge step.

second question, who can be selected to attach the followers retrieved by Necromancer exp.

They must be attached to the Necromancer.

Region 24 Kotei Results

I'm curious as to why the H&E cards seemed to be legal for this Kotei, while H&E isn't even street legal yet. Can a Kotei TO override that legality?

Yes. AEG's tournament guidelines allow TOs to modify the rules provided they give advance notice to prospective players.

Porcelain Mask Question

When a personality attaches the Porcelain Mask of Fu Leng, does he gain the Shadowlands trait or the Porcelain tokens first?

Tokens first. [card text]

For instance, if I have Akodo Ijiasu in play with Yakamo's Claw attached as well as three Ashuras, if Ijiasu also gets the Porcelain Mask, Do I get 5 Porcelain tokens or 9 Porcelain tokens?

Only 5, sorry.

Yu and fortifications questions

What is the exact timing of Yu, before Resolution or beginning or end of REsolution?

During resolution, after calculating army totals but before destroying the losing side.

How does it work with To The Last Man?

They both work fully.

What if I play Surrender?

Again, they do not interfere with each other at all. The Yu trait is activated by having the smaller army when Force totals are compared. Your units do not need to die.

Surrender could interfere with To the Last Man, though... To the Last Man requires that your entire army be destroyed.

Can two different fortifications be attached to one province? For example, an Empty Crevasse and a Poorly Placed Garden? Or only one fortification per province?

You can have as many as you want, provided they all have different titles.

Jester question...

Say I have Peep A with Judgement and Peep B with a jester attachted. My opponent has peep C, who is dishonored and has a printed personal honor 2. I bow peep A to challenge peep C, who then proceeds to die in the duel. Can I bow jester to double the honor loss from the peep C dying dishonorably? So that in this case my opponent would lose 4 instead of 2. Is the honor loss from dying dishonorably a card effect or rulebook effect?

It is a rulebook effect. Jester cannot double it.

Re[2]: [L5R-CCG] My deck, plz comment

I seem to remember, right after gold was released, that if you used Daidoji Hachi from Spirit Wars, then the honor requirement was only 3 out of the Iron Fortress. Has that changed recently?

I think that Sam got it wrong. Even the rules archive says that Yasuki hachi is distinct from Daidoji, and Daidoji Hachi has the Gold bug.

Daidoji Hachi and Yasuki Hachi are both played as written in all tournament formats. Only Daidoji Hachi receives the benefits of the Iron Fortress Stronghold.

By Steel Redeemed

Can you play this, if your personality is bowed when they cause the honor loss? Seppuku doesn't target?

Regular seppuku is not an action. By Steel Redeemed is. You cannot play it if the Personality is bowed.

post for 9 May 2003

For the slow of whit amonst us and those that use the web is this section "6" of the detailed play section? If so, while it doesn't *explicitly* forbid other actions I don't doesn't seem to implicitly allow them. So, can I have a "for example" of something you could do during the end phase?

Any Reaction played "during your End Phase," for one. Also, the extra draws granted by Kyuden Hida and the various Ashigaru followers may be taken after your standard draw as easily as before it, though it rarely ever matters.