Rules for 27 May 2004

Your Rules for Thursday, May 27. 2004

Heart of a Hero

So lets say I destroy a personality. Then i use Ratling conjurer to give all of my cards +1F that would up it to 4F, but since it's permanent does that mean that every time i use the conjurer's ability on a different turn does it give it 4F instead of 1 force for all future uses.

No. It doesn't affect Ratling Conjurer's ability at all.

It increases the effect it generated - a force boost. Each use of Ratling Conjurer's ability creates a distinct and unique effect.

The "permanent" on Heart of a Hero means that so long as the bonus stays around, it will always be 3 higher. Most bonuses end at the end of the turn, but some last indefinitely. No matter how long or short they last, they will be at +3 for their duration.

Think of it as a "lifetime supply" - not all that important if you're not long for this world, but far more impressive if you have a lot of years ahead of you.

Move the Earth Strangeness

I have in play a Togashi's Shrine, and a Plains of Otosan Uchi. I attach Move the Earth to Kuni Jiyuna, an Earth Shugenja, and move the Plains of Otosan Uchi to the Province where Togashi's Shrine is.

Wow, that's kind of silly.

I guess you should really get an opinion on Jeff for this one. I'll forward it. In the meantime, if it comes up in a game, I'd say the last Region moved onto the Province wins.

Imperial Quest vs. Bonds of Fate

Anyway, if Jeff have ruled in the Ruby vs. Tireless that the Ruby's Personality Player may not straighten the Ruby, then, in the same way, the Questing Personality could remain bowed.

They have the same clause wording, so I think it is safe to assume that they work the same way in that respect. Unless Jeff feels the need for it to work otherwise, yes, the questing Personality may remain bowed. It doesn't specify any special conditions as to what it does, or does not apply to, so it applies to anything that would result in the Personality unbowing.

Rules Q

Can the 2nd ability of Taut Bowstrings be used with a ranged attack from a bowed personality?

I still haven't gotten a particularly solid answer on how Taut Bowstrings works yet. I'm still trying to get the Rules Team to lay down the law on that one. I'd assume not, however. You can't use the abilities of bowed cards, even if the bowing cost is waved, and the Ranged Attack is part of the ability.

But, in all honesty, that's only a stop-gap. Taut Bowstring's second ability is remarkably sketchy when it comes to actually specifying the mechanics involved.

I'll get to the bottom of this.

Chiyeko

Oke here comes the question. Everyone knows Chiyeko and the combo with brutal confrontation. A friend of mine told me that Jeff ruled on a kotei that Chiyeko isn't a legal target.

Ah, the old, "My friend told me Jeff said this at a tournament ..." routine.

If Jeff didn't put it on this list or in the Archive, chances are it isn't going to work.

But more to the matter at hand, yes, I've talked to Jeff about Chiyeko. Yes, she shouldn't be a legal target, since bowed Personalities can't performed Actions that produce challenges. Yes, she shouldn't even unbow for Brutal Confrontation because she has to pay the cost before she triggers her own ability.

No, it doesn't matter. The card never worked as worded. IIRC Dave Williams made the whole silly thing work through Designer's Fiat.

I just sort of lump it in with other mysteries of gaming like, "Why is it the at least 3 generations of the Belmonts defy gravity by falling straight down when walking off a platform rather than in a parabolic arc?" "Why were there no actual Space Pirates in the original Metroid game?" "And why did they have drunken Russians translate Zelda from Japanese to English when they weren't flunent in either language?"

On the up side, it provides a pretty easy out from Chiyeko / Brutal Confrontation if it got so abusive that Design had to do something about it. "Play as written" would put the NERF to it fast.

Helm of Thunder cheese

Having just received a copy of the Helm of Thunder, I came up with a combo that I'm not sure would work.

You've got to bow the Helm as a cost. Unless you can constantly straighten the Helm, your combo isn't going to be recursive, anyway.

Yes, the second bowing it an effect, so you can try to bow an already bowed Shugenja. Yes, you gain +2/+2 even if you target a bowed Dragon.

Cloak of Night

1) If I Show of Good Faith a personality, can I still attach cards? The text says that I can't move cards to that personality, but says nothing about attaching cards.

Sure, you can attach stuff.

2) If I can attach cards, and then I Cloak of Night to place a card face down under the personality, who gets the ability to "As an Open action any time later this game, you may turn the card face-up to bring it into play."?

The controller of the Spell at the time it was cast.

3) If I retain the ability, is the opponent allowed to at least look at the card once he regains control of the personality?

Nope. The nothing in the Spell's effects gives them permission.

Scare the living daylights out of 'em. It'll be fun.

That looks like everything from Thursday. If I missed your question, please repost it with the flag [RULES] in the subject line and I'll get back to you at the first opportunity.