Rules for 4 Decemeber 2004

Your Rules for Saturday, December 4, 2004

Kakita, dueling and focusing

Kakita is in play. Kakita says that "personalities must focus at least once per duel if able". So we know that this is not just for Kakita's duels. However, he also reads: "the winner draws...". I notice that there is no "may draw". So this means that they must draw? Correct?

Correct.

When Kakita focuses, it says that he 'may focus', but why does it say 'may' when his previous text indicates that he clearly must focus?

Because it says, "May only focus once." That phrasing is there to tell you that you can't focus with Kakita more than once in a duel.

Also he may only focus once, with this can Kakita play Smoke and Mirrors or ditch Wrath of the Emperor (since both are "instead of focusing"), and if so, can he focus 2 more cards with either of them or did they take up the entire ability of focusing thrice?

Kakita does not focus thrice. He focuses once, using up to 3 cards instead of just 1.

And no, you he can't play a Reaction instead of Focusing - this would clearly violate the rule laid down by his Trait.

What about if I use Shadow's Claw with Kakita? Do I get to focus thrice still (even though one of the cards came from Shadow's Claw) or only once?

You couldn't focus thrice. It replaces Kakita's original focus (the one with the triple-card use) with its own focus and special instruction to focus with one card selected from the 5.

Also, if I keen eye Shadow's Claw, does he still get to focus thrice?

No. Keen Eye only negates the effects of Shadow's Claw. It will not change the fact that Shadow's Claw was played "instead of focusing" as noted in The Shadow's Claw's Erratum in the Accumulated Rulings.

"Is a Reaction taken instead of focusing. [Erratum, JA, 19 March 2003]" (Accumulated Rulings, "The Shadow's Claw")

If I focus Fortune's smile, and my personality is dishonored, would that rehonor him rather than gain 2 honor?

Using the card as a focus in a duel would seem to make the Personality "involved" in the honor gain. Page 87 of the Diamond Edition Rulebook uses a pretty broad statement there.

Are cards focused using Tsuma Dojo considered as if you focused it from your hand?

They aren't focused from your hand, nor do they count as such. They are merely used to focus.

Could Kakita still focus 2 more cards if using the reaction off of Tsuma?

Yes. Tsuma Dojo lets you use the card from your Discard Pile in the stead of a card from your hand when focusing. Kakita lets you focus with up to 3 cards. Normally, these would come from your hand. Tsuma Dojo would make sure one of them was the card in your Discard Pile.

And would he be rehonored from a Tsuma'd Fortune's Smile?

Yes.

If I focus weigh the cost with a double chi personality, do I double the cards value first and then add +1 or do I add 1 first and then apply double chi?

Any modifications to the Focus Value apply first. Then you apply twice the Focus Value as a Bonus to the Personality's appropriate stat. Since Weigh the Cost happens after the bonus has already been initiated, the bonus conferred to a Double Chi personality would be increased by 2.

And finally to reiterate my earlier non-answered by you guys questions: Dragon player X using Uso sensei duels me during battle. I react with Nizomi to increase my relative statline but I still end up losing the duel. Does my personality die? Does Nizomi prevent their death?

I thought I answered this question a couple of days ago ...

Nizomi still prevents the death. It doesn't matter how many different "destroy the loser" effects a duel has added onto its outcome, Nizomi makes any effect of the duel that destroys the loser bow the loser instead.

Second question, I am playing blade of truths and Kakita is on the table. I become involved in a duel. I react with the blade of truths and name a 2 which is the only thing in their hand. Does this count as having to focus but only "if able"? Or in other words, can they focus, must they focus, or

If they don't have any legal cards to focus (either due to having no hand, or only ineligible cards in their hand) then they aren't able to focus.

Shosuro infiltrator, recruiting drive and few against many

I've heard that the above combo is legal, but may i ask who exactly does the "original personality" stated on shosuro infiltrator refer to?

Does it refer to the very first personality it was attached to, the last, or any one it was ever attached to from the first to the last?

Each use refers to the Personality that had the infiltrator attached when you made that use of the ability.

If you have multiple conflicting effects telling you to go to return the card to play attached to several different otherwise legal locations, the active player can choose the order in which they resolve. The first one to resolve returns to the card to play, and normally all the other attempts would be negated since the infiltrator is already in play.

The Tao and relevance to battle

Does it fulfil the rule of relevance to bow the Tao during battle to straighten all rings? I personally don't think so and thus it can't be used, but the other members of my playgroup were adamant that it could be done and would only accept an official ruling to believe otherwise.

So who's right here?

You are right. Your friends might find it helpful to re-read the Rulebook section on the Rule of Relevance.

The only way this would meet Relevance would be if the Tao or the Rings were in the battle itself somehow, or a card at the battle's status somehow changed due to the rings being unbowed - gained or lost stat points, became untargetable, something like that.

RULES

Does the box transform a battle ended with units on your side and no units on their side into a win, yes or no?

No. The battle is only counted as a "win" for Amarasu's Pride's ability's effect. It does not change the general definitions of "win a battle" for anything but its own effect's tally.

If it does, what happens to an unopposed person in a raid battle that you've played rend the soul on? Does the box transform the battle into a win, and then rend makes it a tie? So you don't get the gold bonus?

Since the battle wasn't a win (Aramasu's Pride only counts it as such for its own tally), Rend won't have any outcome to change to a tie.

That should cover everything from Saturday. If I missed your question, 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.