rules for 1 March 2004

Overconfidence Question

Just wanted to verify, If Kyofu issue a test of might, or other duel that compares force, and then reacts with a Private Dojo you could play Overconfidence on him then right?

Yes.

Asako Naukazu

For Asako Naukazu

(Limited: Once per turn, look at the top card of your Fate Deck, if it is a spell, you may bow Naukazu and attach it to him without gold cost)

interacting with the City of Remembrance

(Once per turn, one of your shugenja need not bow to use its innate ability. That shugenja may not use innate abilities for the rest of the turn),

may I choose to not bow him when it is known whether he will bow (IE, when a spell is found) or must I make the decision to not bow him before I look at the top card?

You cannot use City of Remembrance with Naokazu. He is unusual. He does not bow to use his innate ability -- he bows to create an optional effect during it.

rules for 24 Feb. 2004

2. My opponent attacks my provinces A and B with a Yogo Soto on each province. During battle at province A, he uses Soto's ability to switch location with the other Soto. As a reaction, he bows his stronghold and uses the Right Hand's ability on the Soto who's leaving prov A, trying to keep both Soto's in province A.

What happens?

a) Both Soto's end in province A. b) the move is simultaneous, which means canceling it will cancel the whole thing, each of the Soto's will stay in its province. c) Nakata, get off my list.

From the archive, B. Only the correct term here is "negate". The Right Hand does not cancel anything.

My apologies but I'm confused. On the 18th or 19th you rules on Luring Tactics:

Luring Tactics Tactical Battle: Move the performing Tactician you control and an opposing Personality from the current battle to an adjacent one.

[my question] If you cancel or negate the movement of a Lion personality performing the action, does it cancel or negate the movement of the opposing Personality targeted?

[your answer] "No. [DE p. 72] "

How is the Yogo Soto movement any different when it is negated?

Luring Tactics is two separate movements. Soto is "switching", which is also two movements but they're not entirely separate. Unless both movements happen, there is no "switch", so if one movement is stopped, the entire switch effect is stopped.

I'm assuming that when you referred me to pg. 72 for the Luring Tactics ruling, you specifically meant the last paragraph of the Canceling Actions and Negating Effects which reads:

"If a card or action is canceled after it has already produced some effects, do not undo those effects."

No. I'm referring to the rule that preventing only one effect does not stop the others.

rules for 27 Feb. 2004

A plain reading of the cards doesn't fail. The problem is the following ruling:

An action creating a challenge must resolve before anything can happen "during" the challenge. E.g., the action can be canceled, even if reactions are not allowed during challenges. [JA, 16 December 2001]

Change "resolve" to "begin to resolve" and you're all good. (Stupid English.)

Rule question

If sozen is in a losing battle where he will not die does his yu go off?

Yes. Yu doesn't care about who lives and who dies. Yu cares about whether your army loses. [rulebook]

Akodo Ieshige question

I just want to make sure on this since I've had to argue this about four times in my group. I kept stealing him with show of good faith in a tourny and was told that I couldn't use his action when they used their stronghold to cancel the favor. Anyway, the question is: Are reactions considered actions?

The answer is in the main rulebook on pages 63, 74, and 75. Reactions are one of the four types of actions in L5R. If your friends refuse to accept that AND the FAQ, I'm not sure what to tell you.

Agasha Chieh XP

I've got this strange idea forming in my mind :

Agasha Chieh XP is considered in an army when she cast a spell. That's how she works, but what is the status to the cards in her unit?

They're not.

And what is her status (is she an attacking unit?)

If you are the Attacker or an attacking ally.

Practical exemple where this can matters : She is played out of Castle of the Wasp, does the *insert name of a Range Attack Spell here* is considered an attacking card while she cast it.

No.

clan traits

I have a question about factions. Is the Monk still the trait of a clan? Can I still choose them in... f.e. Alliance?

Yes [DE p. 65] and yes.

Some more questions.

Akodo Shiegetoshi question Lion Clan Samurai € Soul of Seppun Hotaitaka Reaction: Once per turn, after you attach a Follower to Shigetoshi from your hand, draw an additional Fate card during your next End Phase.

If you use plans within plans to attach a follower on your opponents turn to Akodo Shiegetoshi and then attach a follower to Akodo Shiegetoshi on your turn, would you draw two extra cards during your end phase.

Yes.

Akodo Ieshige questions,

The opponent has no defenders in the current battle but has a defender at another battle that is being attacked. The defender sends Akodo Ieshige home with the favor as an action. Does Akodo Ieshige gain a force bonus from this?

No.

I am guessing yes by definition of an OPPOSING PLAYER. Or is the definition of an opposing player going to be changed?

Not so much changed as clarified. "Opposing card" and "an opposing player" rely only on the current battle.

Could I get a reason why this ruling exist. "Must be in the current battle to gain his Force bonus. [JA, 4 December 2003]

Because a card that refers to "opposing cards" or "opposing players", and that can be in battles itself, refers only to those that oppose IT.

clan traits

Monk trait is not a CLAN, it is a FACTION.

However, since in this particular case the card Alliance refers to factions, not clans, it will in fact work for them. However, there are some cases where a card could refer to Clan instead of Faction, in which case it is important to remember the difference between the two.

This is misleading. There is NO DIFFERENCE. "Clan" and "Faction" mean the same thing. "Clan" is an old term that we don't use any more. If you see it on an older card, it means the same thing "Faction" does on current ones.

We deliberately switched to the term "Faction" in Gold Edition because we had some clan alignments that had the word "clan" in them, and some that didn't, and some other traits that had the word "clan" in them but weren't clan alignments. That was confusing.

Opposing Player Questions.

Most of the Opposing Player text on cards is straight forward, but I have a couple of questions.

Blade of truths says Weapon € Unique Reaction: After this Personality enters a duel, name a Focus value. The opposing player cannot play Focus cards or Reaction Action cards with that Focus value during the duel. Because of the definition of opposing player, can this trait be only used in a duel during battle?

No. In the context of a duel, "opposing" means the other Personality in the duel, or possibly his controller.

Mirumoto Tachiyama reads. Dragon Clan Samurai. While opposed by one or more Personalities in a batle or duel, Tachiyama gains a Force and Chi bonus equal to half the number of cards in the opposing player's hand, rounded down. Does he gain this bonus during a duel outside of battle?

Yes.

Bloodied Ground Reads Delayed Terrain . Attacker and Defender only. Political Battle: You may play a Fate card face down from your hand. If you do, the opposing player may likewise play a card. Alternate until one of you refuses to play a card. Turn all these cards face up, add their Focus values to your respective army totals (even if an army has no units) then discard them. This is not a duel.

If your opponent has no defenders at the time that Delayed Terrain resolves, does this mean they can not play a fate card for the bonus to the army totals? If they have a defender that is oppossed in another battle, can they play a card?

Bloodied Ground refers to "THE opposing player". There will always be one regardless of presence -- either the Attacker or the Defender.

Moto Gaheris Question

Unicorn Clan Champion*Moto Clan Khan*Cavalry*Double Chi*Experienced*Unique Gaheris will only join a Unicorn player. Opposing players cannot play Action cards during the Battle Action Segment of a battle containing Gaheris unless the Action removes Gaheris from battle.

If an opponent has no personaliteis in the battle, could the opponent or ally of the opponent in theory play actions to bring personalities into the battle to opposed Gaheris, like say Tireless Assualt?

Yes.

Uji no Shiryo:Crane Clan Ancestor * Unique * Battle: If there are one or more units in the opposing player's army, bow Uji to give this Personality -1F/-1C and move this unit into the current battle. If you have no units in an army, and you have a Crane personality with Uji no Shiryo attached, can you move that crane personality into the battle using Uji no Shiryo? I would assume yes, but technically, the person is not an opposing player until AFTER the crane personality moves in.

Again, this is a card that specifies THE opposing player, which always exists.

A question of rarity

Just out of academic curiosity what is it that makes a card rare in L5R?

Unique cards have a strong tendency towards being rare. Events are split roughly evenly between rare and uncommon so we don't have entire class of cards that's rare-only. Other than that, a high Gold cost and an unusual or highly situational effect steer a card in that direction.

An Open Question

OK this came up in a game a few nights ago. If Ninja Shapeshifter copies Hida Wukau (Experienced) Ability and uses it on say Hida Kuon does it last until The ninja shapeshifter uses it again or does it fall into the "May remained Bowed" Catagory on PG68?

It falls into the latter category. It ends when the ability disappears.

Hoshi House Guard question...

I'd like to know if I can recycle kihos using the Hoshi House Guard if it's attached to a non-Monk personality and I'm playing Temple of Hoshi.

No.

The card is not identical to the Ring of Air.

Temple of Hoshi makes your Personality count as a Monk while (and only while) he's casting the Kiho.

The Ring of Air cares if the Personality is a Monk when he bowed to cast the Kiho, so it's usable. Hoshi House Guard is used after the Kiho is cast and requires that the Personality be a Monk then.

Hiruma Ashihei and Led Into Darkness

If Hiruma Ashihei is targeted with Led Into Darkness and brought into play...

A) Does he retain the shadowlands trait, because it is listed on Led Into Darkness before the dishonoring

or

B) Does the active player decide, since they would appear to happen at the same time.

or

C) Something else

A.

The Egg of P'an Ku and Poisoned Thread

Is the ongoing effect of poisoned thread a permanent change which the Egg of P'an Ku copies, or just the -1/-1 tokens that the personality has already received from it?

Both are permanent effects. [card text] (By the way, it doesn't technically use tokens.)

Rule of Presence vs Relevence for Battle Actions on Personalities

When performing a battle action on a personality do they have to be in the current battle if their battle action does not say opposing?

If there is nothing in the card's grammar that refers to other cards in that Personality's army, or to cards in the opposing army, or to "this battle" or "this Province", that Personality himself does not need to be in the battle every time.

However take Isawa Toshiji for example. Can he take his battle action of discarding a card to force you to discard one if he is not in the battle. I would say no because it refers to "this battle."

You would be correct.

rules for 27 Feb. 2004

You may use Maru if either:

She is in the current battle, or

You have someone in the current battle AND the only possible Personalities the other player may target with her action are in the current battle.

If she's not actually in the battle, is Relevance still met when using her ability, since she targets another Player and not directly a personality?

She targets both. However, only the choice of player is made when her action is first used.

Maru's action is guaranteed to meet Relevance if all possible targets for her bowing effect are in the current battle, so her action is legal even though she hasn't actually done so yet.

Akodo Ieshige

a) My opponent plays Control the Field, destroys my terrain and plays his terrain;

+1F. It is one action.

b) My opponent plays Rage, I refuse and he searches his deck for another card and plays it; I think Ieshige gains +2F on both cases but I'm not sure about it. Thanks!

+1F.

Chasing Osano-Wo question

Small question about chasing Osano-Wo. Can you cast in on a peep in a battle with a shugenja at home?

As long as you have at least one unit in the current battle, yes.

Request for official ruling on Suitengu's Uncertainty

Ok I know there was a discussion early on:

Suitengu's Uncertainty Immediate Terrain Elemental Water Kiho Battle: You must target one of your unbowed Shugenja or Monks in this battle to play this card. Each time any unit leaves this battle, you may have it move to an adjacent Province of your choice instead of its original destination.

If the attacker has played this terrain, at the end of the battle attacking units:

a) move to another province bowed.

b) go home cause it is not movement

c) other ________

I believe the consence was B but would like an official ruling for tourneys

It is B. Returning home because a battle ends is not considered movement.

Heroic Sacrifice & Tsudao's Tanto

Just wondering what would happen with someone who has Tsudao's Tanto attached, granting them the Double Chi trait and then them making a Heroic Sacrifice.

"Battle: One of your Personalities with Double Chi or with more than one Weapon issues two consecutive unrefusable challenges to opposing personalities. Before the first challenge, permanently remove your duelist's Double Chi trait, or destroy one of his or her Weapons if your duelist is not Double Chi."

Can they lose the Double Chi trait or does it simply remain there because the Tanto is constantly granting it to them?

They lose it. Last effect wins.

If they do lose it can they regain it by reattaching the Tanto?

Yes.

Rules Question

Quick rules questions

Shrine to Ebisu

ìBow Shrine to Ebisu and shuffle it back into your Dynasty deck to produce 5 gold.î

Ebb & Flow

Open: Bow this shugenja to straighten a bowed holding. Destroy that Holding the next time this turn it becomes bowed.î

So if I bow the shrine for 3g, straighten it with Ebb and Flow and bow for 5g Which effect goes first?

A) I get the 5 gold and reshuffle the shrine which can no longer be destroyed since it has left the game or

B) I get the 5 gold, the shrine is destroyed and cannot be reshuffled? Or

C) I bow the shrine to get 5g, destroy it and put it in my discard and then remove it from the discard reshuffling it into my deck (the difference between A & C being if all discards go out of the game due to say an Onisu effect it would be gone)?

C.

Bayushi Kaukatsu

Is the reaction on Bayushi Kaukatsu considered to be modifying that honor loss?

No.

two questions

I'm attacking a province with Bayushi Tai and Yogo Soto, and my opponent's defending with Agasha Seruma and Shiba Danjuro. Danjuro has the Celestial Sword of the Phoenix attached, and is say, 7F/9C as a result.

I play Wounded in Battle on Agasha Seruma. As a reaction, my opponent bows Danjuro to redirect the Wounded in Battle to himself. My opponent then plays Superior Swordplay, straightening Danjuro.

- Can I now attempt to play a second Wounded in Battle targeting Agasha Seruma?

Yes. The first one targeted Danjuro.

- If I can legally play that second Wounded in Battle targeting Seruma, can Danjuro bow to redirect it to himself again?

No, because you could not have played it on him in the first place.

Two:

I've managed to dishonor my opponent's Isawa Yoriko, and during my turn, play Fires of Dishonor on her.

During my opponent's next action phase, I play Unrequited Love on the dishonored Yoriko. My opponent chooses to bow Yoriko for Unrequited Love.

Which of these happens, and why?

a) Fires of Dishonor takes effect first, causing Yoriko to die dishonorably. The honor gain from Unrequited Love never occurs.

b) Fires of Dishonor takes effect first, causing Yoriko to die dishonorably. The 1 honor gain from Unrequited Love then occurs.

c) The 1-honor gain takes effect first. Because Yoriko is dishonored, the honor gain is negated and Yoriko is instead restored to honor. She then dies - honorably - from Fires of Dishonor's effect.

Forwarded to the Rules Team.