Rules for 6 December 2004

Your Rules for Monday, December 6, 2004

Wear him down and Duelist trait.

Hopefully a simple one. Is Wear Him Down considered focusing for the purposes of drawing cards with the effects of the Duelist trait?

Well, that effect doesn't exist anymore, but Wear Him Down does instruct you to Focus the card itself, so you - do - Focus.

Winning Raid battles

If you are unopposed in a raid battle and you have 1 or more force, you will "win" the raid battle even if you are unopposed according to the Aramasu's Pride stronghold.

No. You will not "win" the battle. Aramasu's Pride merely counts such a battle as a "win" for the effect of its Action. No other card, stronghold, rule, or effect sees such a situation as a "win."

1) Will actions/reactions that key off of winning battles be available to Mantis players who have 1 or more force in a Raid battle against no opposing units?

No, as noted above.

2) Do you "win" the Raid battle as an attacker when there are no opposing units at the battlefield if a) you have an army with unbowed units, but your army force total is 0 (Moshi Amika by herself in a battle)? b) you have an army with all bowed units so that your army's force total is 0?

No. You still need a force total greater than that on the defending side. 0 is not greater than 0, even if you have units and the other side does not.

Agasha Chieh (Experienced) Clarification

Agasha Chieh (Experienced) Her trait causes her entire unit to be considered in the current battle, not just herself. [Reversal, JA, 4 March 2004]

Does this mean that when you take actions with her she is considered in the battle because of the trait and therefore has presence in the battle or for the purpose of her and anything attached to her, her unit has presence when it performs an action if there is another unit present but is not part of the battle.

I don't quite understand what you are saying here.

Look at Chieh's text: "During battles where you control other units, Chieh may cast Spells as if she were in your army regardless of her location."

While Chieh is casting a spell, you can have her unit be considered to be at the battle if you have any other units at that battle, even if Chieh is normally positioned in your home or a different battle.

At any other time, Chieh is considered to be wherever you put her.

Based on the ruling here it sounds that if the condition is met she has presence. Which would make her a legal target for attacks. So if I declare an attack and preform a sneak attack I could chose her for a target with my first action because she is present due to her trait. Or at least can target her after she or a card attached to her takes an action.

How would you possibly target her with your first Action? She isn't casting a Spell then, so her trait has no effect on where she is.

The way she is usually played is that she can do actions from outside the battle but no be affected by the battle. This ruling as pointed out to me the way it is worded means she is a valid target as long as the condition of her trait is met.

Sure, but the condition of her trait is only met when Chieh is casting Spells.

You could use Reactions and triggered effects of Traits during the casting of the spell against her as if she were in the battle - something like Shosuoro Tsuyoshi's Reaction to targeting if Chieh made him the target of the Spell she's casting.

But trying to hit her with Battle or Open Actions that only work on cards in armies or "opposing" or the like when she is at Home is practically impossible. Her trait only works while she is casting.

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?

Yes.

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?

"May" has to do with extending the option to him use your choice of 1-3 cards to Focus instead of just one. This is still a - Single - Focus.

Also, as Jeff has explained to me, Kakita's statement of "must focus at least once if able," prohibits you from Striking unless you've already struck or can not focus. You can still use Reactions instead of Focusing freely.

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 (or is it 3) more cards with either of them or did they take up the entire ability of focusing thrice?

It takes up the entire opportunity to Focus, regardless of how many cards you are allowed to put down as a single Focus.

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

No. Shadow's Claw replaces Kakita's opportunity to Focus in which he could focus as many as 3 cards with its own special instructions to Focus with that ONE card you selected.

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

The Re-honor rules are very broad. Gaining Honor as the effect of a card the Personality focused in his duel would qualify the Personality as "being involved in the Honor Gain." He would get restored to Honor.

Tsuma Dojo Are cards focused using Tsuma Dojo considered as if you focused it from your hand? Could Kakita still focus 2 more cards if using the reaction off of Tsuma? And would he be rehonored from a Tsuma'd Fortune's Smile?

No. They are not considered to have been Focused from your hand. Tsuma Dojo lets Focus a card that isn't in your hand in the stead of a card from your hand. It can be one of the 3 cards you use in Kakita's focus - and you will focus it face-down like any other card you focus.

Yes, traits on the Focused card would still trigger, such as Fortune's Smile.

Weigh the Cost 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?

Double Chi adds a bonus of double the Focus Value of a card you use to Focus, rather than the ordinary value. If you increase the Focus Value of a card by 1, the bonus added to a Double Chi Personality would increase by 2.

Last questions, 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 cards they can legally focus, then they are not considered to be "able" to focus, and may choose to strike.

Shrine to Daikoku's effect on A Favor Returned

If I use Shrine to Daikoku's effect on A Favor Returned, will it produce 4 gold for holdings?

Yes.

Rules

When you use Savagery of the Moto to switch two Regions does control of the Regions switch also?

No.

Say I switch my Fields of the Sun to my opponent's province, and destroy one of his Personalities...does he gain 2 honor?

"You" references and the like still refer to the Controller of the Region. If you put your Fields of the Sun on your opponent's Province and attack it, you would gain 2 Honor for each of your Personalities that died at the province.

That should cover everything for Monday. 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.