Rules for 27 August 2004
A rules digest from the L5R CCG rules team, copied from the mailing list archive for Oracle of the Void. The askers' names are left out. Rulings are as they stood on this date; later rulings, the rulebooks and the Rules Archive may differ.
You Rules for Friday, August 27, 2004. I'm answering Wrath of the Emperor Questions, but not Dawn of the Empire.
RULES Question: Souls in Harmony
The new card for phoenix, Souls in harmony. With this formation the SPELL gains an ability (the ability doesn't require shugenja at all). Can you use the newly gained ability while the shugenja is bowed? Does using the ability count as casting a spell?
Abilities on Spell Cards are used by Casting the Spell. Shugenja cast Spells, and can't cast while they are bowed. This applies both to printed abilities of Spells and to abilities added to Spells.
Companion Spirit Question? [RULES]
Is the Companion Spirit Cavalry unit created by the casting of this spell permanent?
Yes. Creating something is permanent. That's why effects that temporarily create something tell you to remove it from the game after a certain point in time.
Player A attempts to play For the Empire on player B's Samurai. Player B uses Moto Gurban to cancel it. Player A plays Keen eye and negates Moto Gurban reaction..Or does it?
Keen Eye can't be played against Gurban's ability. Gurban's ability gets played when the player using For the Empire gets to the targeting step of playing the Action. He picks a legal victim for the Action, then Gurban Cancels it. No Challenge or Duel ever happens. There is no timing window for Keen Eye, which must be played during a Challenge or Duel.
Player B then trys to a Turn of Fortune. Player A has another Keen eye. Can Keen eye negate Turn of fortune as well?
Keen Eye can't do anything there, either. Targeting (and typically redirection Reaction) happens well before the Action can ever produce effects like Challenges or Duels. Keen Eye becomes playable far too late to affect Gurban or Turn.
ERRATA: Rend the Soul
Effective immediately, Rend the Soul's Battle action is to be played by the following wording:
Battle: Give one of your Personalities in this battle +5F. If that Personality is in your army when it wins this battle, this battle is tied instead. Your army cannot destroy Provinces this battle.
That's everything for Friday the 27th of August. If I missed your non-Dawn related question, please repost it with the flag [RULES] in your distinct and clear subject line. I'll get back to you at the first opportunity.