Rules for 20 November 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.
Your Rules for Saturday, November 20, 2004
Timing of Post-Duel Reactions
Kakita has a trait which takes effect "after each duel." Legendary Confrontation is played "after a Duelist you control wins a duel." (Many other cards have this same timing, including Mirumoto's Haori and Omoidasu. I'm just using Legendary Confrontation as an example, this isn't a Web question per se.) The Ring of Fire may be played "after winning two or more duels in one turn." It may be bowed "after a duel involving one of your Personalities ends."
"Winning" a duel happens when you compare focus values - just like "winning" a battle happens when you compare force totals. It is definitely before the end of a duel, and thus before any "after a duel" responses.
In what order do these triggers occur after a duel?
1. I win a duel with Kakita. I draw cards equal to the number I focused, including a Legendary Confrontation. May I play it?
"After winning a duel" comes well before "after each duel." It even comes before the outcome of winning or losing (gain 5 honor, destroy the loser, etc.), which also happen earlier than "after each duel."
2. I win another duel with Kakita. I draw cards equal to the number I focused, including the Ring of Fire. May I play it?
No. Again, Kakita happens when the duel is concluded, which is different that after you win a duel.
3. I win another duel with Kakita. I play the Ring of Fire in reaction to winning the duel. May I bow it in reaction to the duel ending?
Yes. You play it after winning, then you use the ability after the duel itself ends (which comes later).
4. I win another duel with Kakita (he must have a Kenshinzen or something). I bow the Ring of Fire to draw cards equal to the number I focused, including a Legendary Confrontation. May I play it?
No. Ring of Fire draws cards after the duel is over. It is too late to play triggers in response to "winning" or "losing" the duel.
Basically, duel resolution and battle resolution are very similar. You win or lose when you compare totals. That's where you play "after winning" triggers. Then you usually resolve some consequence effects that are also part of the overall Battle or Duel. After all that, the duel or battle is over and you can play "after" Reactions to the whole shabang itself.
Scribing the Dark Rings
My question, is the "Elemental Benifit" considered to be an ability that can be copied by Scribing the tao? It's written as if it were an ability (Bold text followed by a colon) but it doesn't use any of the ability keywords (Reaction, Battle, Limited, Open) so I just wanted to be sure.
It doesn't have "Battle," "Open," "Limited," or "Reaction" on it, so it isn't an ability, regardless of font-weight and various other formatting. :)
That should cover everything for Saturday. If I missed your question unrelated to Web of Lies, please repost it with the flag [RULES] as part of your Clear and Distinct subject line. I'll get back to you at the first opportunity.