Rules for 31 March 2004

Rules for Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Standard Duels

Hey all, I was hoping one of the rules boys could tell me the definition of a "standard duel", as in the type that is fatal by default. Considering A Game of Go explicitly states death doesn't occure while Stormheart reminds us that it does I'm a little lost as to what is lethal by default and what a card has to have to make it non lethal.

So yeah, what defines a 'standard' lethal duel, and what does it take to overide the rulebook effect of death for losing?

Thanks.

[MARTY] A standard duel consists of the duel mechanics stated in the Rule Book and nothing else. Challenged Personality has first option to Focus or Strike. Focus to add to Chi. Strike and compared Chi. Loser Dies. That's all. That's the abbreviated run-down on what a duel defaults to.

Any other bells, whistles, or changes need to be explicitly added by some sort of in-game effect. If part of the duel is defined by card effects, don't impose the default.

So, if you have an Iaijutsu Lesson, the loser is Bowed - not Bowed AND Destroyed.

If you have a Test of Might, you compare Force - you don't compare both Force AND Chi.

No Hiding Place timing

<SNIP>

I believe I got this in the last digest, but it was posted after you re-posted your question. Sorry you had to wait on that.

In summary, you play it after declaration of the Action or Effect (in the case of consecutive Ranged Attacks) but before you choose targets and pay costs. For more details, check out "Rules for 29 March 2004"

Kenson Gakka

Kenson Gakks says: Your non-Tactician Lion Clan Samurai with more than 2 Chi gain Tactician while in armies but cannot gain Force bonuses from Tactical actions. Does that mean: A: These Samurai may not use the Rulebook action to get a Force bonus. or B: May use the Rulebook action, but the bonus is immediately reduced to 0.

C: May use the Rulebook action, paying all costs and successfully taking a Tactical Action for that battle, but the Action generates no bonus.

So you can discard to draw with Matsu Taniko or use the ability as a costly pseudo-Philosopher.

Traveling Ronin

Hey, can anyone tell me why you can't attach Traveling Ronin from your discard pile.

Thanks.

Under normal circumstances, you can not use abilities on non-Action cards in your Fate hand. Those cards must be in play to use their abilities.

There are cards that explicitly override this rule, and they work via the Cardinal Rules. However, Traveling Ronin gives you the ability to play it from your hand. It does not confer the ability to play it from your Discard Pile.

"To the Last Man" and Yu

Say I have a Crab army, and I have force less then my opponent in a battle at X province. We both pass, and he wins. I want to play “To the Last Man” do I take care of the Yu effect first or “To the Last Man”?

You use your Yu effects once your side loses the battle - during the Resolution Segment.

You play "To the Last Man" after the Resolution Segment.

They have no interaction with each other. You can use them as a nasty one-two punch against an opponent who squashes your army, however.

Armed and Ready and Barren Fields

Hello... Well, maybe it's a silly question but... If someone plays barren fields and all my personallities have a weapon, may I play Armed and Ready to prevent them bowing?

Armed and Ready says:

"Reaction: Play at the start of a Resolution Segment to straighten all your Personalities at this battle with a Weapon or an Armor (or both)."

So it does not prevent anything. It'll unbow Personalities, but that isn't the same as preventing them from bowing. That's an important distinction for effects that key off of becoming bowed or straightening (like Fires of Dishonor).

As for the timing of these cards, Delayed Terrains (like Barren Fields) take place immediately before the end of the Battle Action Segment. (basically, after all players pass in a row on their opportunity to play an Open or Battle action)

The Battle Action Segment comes before the Resolution Segment, so Barren Fields will bow a bunch of cards, and then you can play Armed and Ready to straighten Personalities with attached Weapons and / or Armor.

bloodspeaker sanctum

can i use bloodspeaker sanctum to turn none bloodspeaker shugenja into bloodspeakers

Bloodspeaker Sanctum only requires that the Personality it targets be one that you control. Whether or not the Personality could already cast Kiho as a shugenja does not matter.

{rules] Open question

If a horde player uses nio sensei and then oni no ogon (zipperhead), the personality says the SH is bowed and produces no effect. Does this mean that the restriction on not being able to gain or lose honour still applies - or do they lose for going to -20 instantly from the sensie effect.

Oni no Ogon's text is merely a reminder that if he forces a player to bow their stronghold, they don't suddenly get the effects of one of its bow-costed abilities (no gaining 2 Honor from Esteemed House of the Crane, etc.)

It does not "turn off" any of the effects of the Stronghold's traits or on-going efffects of Actions already played.

Address Book

A timing question

I play a To Do What We Must, and my opponent is playing Kyuden Ikoma. I have a reaction I want to play in response to the destruction of my personality, but I don't need to play it if the To Do goes through. Can I wait to see if my opponent cancels the action?

Jeff provides a nice, concise answer for this back in February.

"Kyuden Ikoma, like all Reactions that implicitly or explicitly cancel an action upon it first being taken, are used after all the preliminaries are done (announce, target, pay costs) but before any effects resolve." ("rules for 11 Feb. 2004")

Destroying your Personality is paying the cost. The opportunity for Reactions to such a death pass long before Kyuden Ikoma must be played.

Zen and Jeff already hashed out Matsu Taniko + White Shore Plains, so we'll leave it at that.

As always, if I missed your question in this digest and it wasn't answered in-thread by myself or a member of the Rules Team, please repost the question with the flag [RULES] in the subject line and I'll get to it at the first opportunity.