Rules for 14 December 2004

Rules for Tuesday, December 14, 2004

Kakita and Mirumoto traits

I have a question about kakita and Mirumoto traits: Does it apply in duels involving kakita and mirumoto or ALL the duels issued by your personalities while those two are in play?

They both have some traits that do not specifically reference them, but rather apply to all duels while they are in play.]

This would include: "Personalities must focus at least once per duel if able. After each duel, the winner draws as many cards as he focused," for Kakita and, "After each duel, the winner draws a card," for Mirumoto.

In search of the future / singular on regions without a MRP

A member of my playgroup has repeatedly insisted that in search of the future cancels the bonus granted to my personality from my celestial sword...

He's wrong. You can refer to him to the L5R FAQ at http://l5r.alderac.com/ccg/faq.html. In Section 4, there is a passage called, "Focus on... In Search of the Future." The last note in that passage covers the mechanic at issue with the Celestial Swords.

I thought it was fairly obvious that the rule in the diamond edition rulebook about regions being singular was now a "game rule" and not a "diamond edition rule", but (the same member actually) insisted that it only applied to diamond edition games, and that regions without an MRP weren't singular... so he could have out 3 otaku fields

This is not a Storyline Simulation special rule or anything. This is a GAME RULE, period. If you want to try and play L5R by the Gold Edition or Jade Edition Rulebook, that's certainly your prerogative, but those Rules are not used in sanctioned events, not even those using pre-Diamond Cards like the Age of Man events run at Origins.

Targets a unit and Suitengu's Surge

1. I have a Personality with a Follower attached. My opponent plays a Kolat Assassin. Could I React with Suitengu's Surge?

Yes.

2. I have a Personality with no cards attached. My opponent plays a Kolat Assassin. Could I React with Suitengu's Surge?

Yes.

My problem is the "targets a unit" requirement. Some actions target the whole unit (To Do What We Must, Fear effects, Ambush, Block Supply Lines, ...), and others target only the Personality itself (duels, Kaeru Fields, Refugees, ...) Then I am not sure if I could react with Suitengu's Surge when the action only target the Personality who leaders the unit.

An effect that targets a unit also targets the Personality leading it, and vica versa. (Diamond Edition Rulebook, page 73, last sentence of the final paragraph, in italics).

Also, I don't know If a Personality with no cards attached that is targeted by an action that seeks "a Personality" is considered that the action is truly targeting a unit, and make it legal for Surge's Reaction.

As noted above, targeting a Personality is considered to be targeting a Unit.

hordes of the nezumi question

hordes of the nezumi pay 6 gold gain a province for rats. question: it returns to your hand when you use it to pay a cost. what is considered using the card to pay the cost.

Paying the cost is considered to be paying the cost, as outlined in the Diamond Edition Rulebook: "Do X as a cost," "Do X to do Y," and "Cost : Effect" are the most common formats of the last couple of years.

1-ratling conjurer,

Ratling Conjuror says, "Bow Ratling Conjuror and discard a card from your hand to give all Ratling cards +1F."

The "discard a card from your hand," comes before "to." It is a cost.

2-ratling sensie

Tomorrow Sensei says, "discard a Ratling Personality from one of your Provinces to," and "Discard a card from your hand to." Both have you discard as a cost.

3-seppun jin ratling raiders.

Seppun Jin says, "Bow Jin and discard a card from your hand to." That's a cost.

is 4-paying 6 gold gain a province a valid return of the card

No.

"Although cards go to the discard pile after being played, this does not count as "discarding a card." [JA, 8 April 2003]" (Accumulated Rulings, "Discarding")

In addition, that isn't part of the - cost - of the Action either.

Bishamon's Fury - RULES

Do all Shugenja that you destroy have to be in the battle? It says that you target opposing units, but do they only have to be opposing the Shuggie with the spell, or all the shuggies you destroy?

"All Shugenja bowing to perform a Ritual during a Battle Action Segement must be at the same location, whether it be at a battle or in your home." (Diamond Edition Rulebook, page 90)

All the participants need to be at the same location.

Sezaru [Rules]

If you (or your opponent) has Sezaru in play, and you draw multiple cards (say with Doom of the Dark Lord), do you have to flip each card up before you draw it, allowing your opponent to see it?

Yes.

"Each card draw is separate. You may take actions between them or give up individual cards that are part of multiple-card draws to pay for abilities such as Kyuden Hitomi. [Reversal, DW, email, 18 August 1998]" (Accumulated Rulings, "Drawing")

In page 99 of the Diamond Edition Rulebook, it defines "draw" to mean, "Take the top card of your deck into your hand." That means each card must become the top card of the deck before your draw it, and thus must become face-up for a moment before you add it to your hand.

Two rules questions

1. Re Hordes of the Nezumi. You may take this card back into hand from discard "before your turn ends". Is this point in time before or after the point at which you must discard down to 8 cards? In other words: can you pick up Hordes of the Nezumi after you have discarded down to 8, effectively increasing your hand size?

"before your turn ends" will always come before drawing during the End Phase and discarding down to your hand size maximum.

2. Re Savagery of Moto and Plains of Otosan Uchi If Savagery is used by the attacker to switch Plains of OU into the defender's province, and this province is then destroyed, who loses the 10 Honour? I think it's the attacker, since he would still control the Plains regardless of where they are, and the text of Plains doesn't give any reason to suppose that anyone other than their controller would suffer the honour loss.

Correct conclusion.

Correct explanation.

We have a winner. :)

In search of the future / singular onregionswithout a MRP

To be a little longer : The old In Search did cancel the celestial sword bonus. But the old wording of in search was one of the most messy ever seen. When it came to Diamond, they decided to simplify it (at least, I guess that was the goal).

There were two goals: make the effect clearer and change it to do what it was originally supposed to do. The fact that it stopped cards from giving bonuses to themselves was both unintended and unintuitive.

Rules Correction - Tsuruchi's Retreat [RULES]

I incorrectly ruled that you must pay the Gold Cost of a Holding you target with Tsuruchi's Retreat's ability. When a card effect instructs you to put another card into play without specifying whether or not you pay that card's cost, the default is that you do not pay the cost.

I got a bit confused since most of the recent cards have an explicit instruction on them one way or another. My bad.

- Marty Lund Deputy Rules Monkey

Fwd from Jeff - Moving Plains of Otosan-Uchi [RULES]

Here is a forward from Jeff about moving around Regions that let you hold more than 1 card in a Province.

- Marty Lund Deputy Rules Monkey

Rules Question - Moving Plains of Otosan-Uchi

Hey Jeff,

If Plains of Otosan-Uchi moves off a Province, leaving you with a Province with 2 cards in it and only a 1 card holding capacity, does the owner of the Province immediately discard a card from it?

By past precedent with other rulings, yes.

Timing and winning the game.

If a player wins the game during the resolution of an event, but before the event has totally resolved...

Does the game continue until the event resolves? Does the game end?

The game ends immediately when someone wins.

Suitengu's Surge ruling

Greetings,

There's been some behind-the-scenes discussion about Suitengu's Surge within the Rules Junta. The following ruling, which has just been added to the Archive, is the result:

"No new effects will apply to the targeted unit while it is out of play. Existing effects will continue for their normal durations. If this causes a card or token in the unit to be removed from the game before the unit returns to play, that card or token does not return with the unit."

This reverses an earlier ruling made regarding Fury of Hida.

That should take care of everything from Tuesday. 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.