Rules for 15 September 2004

Sorry for being behind, folks. I spent the weekend out in CT and wound up staying an extra day caring for newborn kittens that couldn't be left with their mother. I had my hands full with bottle-feeding and hiney-wiping for these little critters that can't even open their eyes yet.

It was a rewarding experience, but I'm glad to be back to a task that doesn't involve small animals deciding to urinate on me.

Anyway, on to your Rules for Wednesday, September 15, 2004

Overlaying, and shadowlands losing honor.

In a recent discussion on many temple master, it was mentioned that he doesn't retain the name of the previous personality...

So how does this interact with characters whose abilities that reference themselves? like Mirumoto Kenzo or Kitsuki Iweko?

Can they still use them, or are they SOL?

This is the same situation as copying abilities from other cards. The name is not relevant. Self-references mean "this card," and do not care about name changes.

In addition, it's stated that overlaying "supercedes" traits... I'm curious if that means any traits that would conflict, or ALL traits... would, for instance, my overlayed Kenzo keep sumarai? my overlayed Iweko, tactician? etc...

Traits are not carried over in an overlay. The traits of any cards below the top-most one are discarded. M-TM overlaying Iweko is not a Samurai and is not a Tactician.

I recall something about them not being able to choose a course of action that would result in an honor loss if another choice was available... does this apply to Iaijutsu challenge, wherein the honor loss will be an inevitable result of their decision?

No. Iaijutsu Challenge gives you a choice between Accepting and Refusing. That's the limit of the scope of the decision. Any effects on other cards or further clauses in the card which say, "If you refuse ..." or "If you accept," are NOT considered part of the decision.

or more specific to Kakita Mai where the honor loss is a requirement of one of the choices?

Required for the choice of refusing. If you can't lose the honor, you can't choose to refuse. See also Jeff's ruling on the subject:

http://www.deathseeker.com/email/2003/09/19/162948.shtml

paying costs after cancelation

Sometimes an action gets canceled during targeting, before costs are paid. You still have to try to pay costs, but how hard do you have to try?

You have to use any sources that don't involve abilities. So, non-ability gold production on your cards, your Stronghold's gold production, destroy cards, bow cards and strongholds, etc.

I have only a bowed stronghold, a Pillar of Flesh and a merchant caravan in play. I'm holding a 0F, 2F and a 4F card in hand. I know I have to bow the Pillar of Flesh. Do I have to bow the Merchant Caravan? Do I have to discard a card to the MC

You have to bow it if you have any cards in your hand, because it can produce gold for the cost. You can, however, bow it without discarding to produce 0 gold, as per the card text. Nothing forces you to optimize the gold produced from your sources.

I have a bowed stronghold, a Pillar of Flesh and a Glassblower in play. Do I have to use all 4 of my Glassblower tokens to pay for the canceled Kolat? Do I have to use any of the Glassblower tokens?

You don't have to use Glassblower's Reaction, thusly you do not have to remove any tokens from Glassblower.

I have an unbowed Temple of the 9th Kami, a Merchant Caravan and a Pillar of Flesh. Do I have to bow my stronghold to make gold even though it makes only 0 gold? (i.e. do I have to try to make all the gold I possibly can even if it's not going to generate any gold in the process)?

If bowing your Stronghold - can't - produce any gold towards the payment, you don't have to use the resource, as per Vaughn's ruling back in the days of Oni no Ogon.

Lotus at Dusk question

Does the following sequence of play work:

I am defending in a battle with three Samurai. 1. As my first Battle action, I play Lotus at Dusk. 2. I get an extra Battle/Open action (from the rulebook) because I have played a formation. 3. I get another extra consecutive Battle/Open action from Lotus at Dusk.

"Q: What is "a normal Battle or Open action"? I need to know for Lotus at Dusk. And how many actions can I take after playing it? Two or three?

A: Your normal action is the one you get from your one opportunity to take an action or pass. Nothing else counts, not even the extra action you gain after playing a Formation. If you play Lotus at Dusk as your normal action, you may take two more actions after it -- one from its text, and one for the inherent extra action that playing a Formation grants. If you play it some other way, you only get one." (L5R FAQ, http://l5r.alderac.com/ccg/faq.html)

Yeah, maybe I should Read Superior Strategist, huh? (Was: Rules for 11 September 2004)

Whoops! Sorry folks.

Yes, Superior Strategist asks for "An Action card with an Open or Battle Action," not "a card with an Open or Battle Action." You can't search for Blade of Thorns because it is not an Action Card.

I was a bit pre-occupied with trying to figure out how my first attempt to write a post for the 11th I made back on the 13th vanished without a trace and left me having to write the whole thing over again.

My bad.

- Marty Lund Deputy Rules Monkey

That should be everything from Wednesday the 15th. If I missed your question unrelated to Dawn of the Empire, please repost it with the flag [RULES] in your clear and distinct Subject Line. I'll get back to you at the first opportunity.