Rules for 14 January 2005

Your Rules for Friday, January 14, 2005

Keen Eye, The Shadow's Claw

A duel is underway between one of my personalities and one of my opponent's personalities. It's my turn to focus or strike, I play The Shadow's Claw. My opponent reacts with Keen Eye (and I don't have a counter to it). What happens next - do I still get a chance to focus normally (or strike), because Shadow's Claw was 'before' my personality focused, or is it my opponent's turn to focus or strike? (I think the former, my opponent today thought the latter.) Thanks!

Shadow's Claw is played "instead of focusing," by the Errata (Accumulated Rulings, "The Shadow's Claw) Further, it still counts as being played, even if its effects are Negated. You no longer have an opportunity to Focus or Strike.

Various scorpion issues

1) If my opponent uses his Maru to make me bow someone, and I chose to bow Shosuro Saemon, can I use Saemon's reaction to give himself a follower? I suspect the answer is yes because Saemon says "Whenever he is targetted by an opponent's action", which he is, though it isn't the opponent doing the targetting.

Saemon only cares that is is another player's Action doing the targeting, not which player is doing the targeting. It is completely legal to choose Saemon as your Maru-victim and use the Reaction to make a Follower.

This of course begs the question of why was the templating changed between Razor's Edge Dojo and other such cards ("... whenever your opponent targets one of your personalities") and the various Scorpions in Web of Lies ("... whenever one of your opponent's actions targets on of your personalities") It makes things pretty confusing when people point to previous rulings that look like they should apply to the newer cards, only to find out that they don't due to incredibly subtle changes in wording.

The two things are not the same at all. One keys off of which Player makes the targeting decision. The other keys off of which Player played the card that creates the targeting decision. They are distinct.

As for why the various templates are applied where they are, that's not a Rules Question. That is a Design Question. I can't answer it for you. I'd recommend reposting that particular question with a different heading and addressing it to Jeff Alexander in private email.

2) On a similar note, if my opponent plays overwhelmed at a battle containing Saemon, and I chose to target Saemon with one of the effects of overwhelmed, can I then use Saemon's reaction to give himself a follower? Again, it's my opponent's action, even if I am doing the targetting.

The reasoning is the same.

3) If my opponent plays an Encircled terrain in a battle containing one of my Ninja, if I target the ninja with the Encircled terrain at the end of the battle, and then cancel it with House of the Spring Chrysanthemum, it's cancelled in it's entirety, correct? He can't just take the action again like he could if the same action were on a perminent, correct?

It is completely canceled, and no, you can't just "take the action again" with a Delayed Terrain. It attempts to resolve once. If it gets Canceled, it is done with.

4) Does Bayuhsi Shusui's trait really give him the force bonus for each and every action card I play that turn? Even ones played at battles where he is not present? The answer to this seems obvious (yes, he does gain the bonus) but I had someone question this because of the way Ieshige was changed so that he now needs to be in the battle for his trait work.

"After each time you play an Action card, Shusui gains +1F/+1C."

He says nothing about Battles or Opposition. There is nothing special about that trait. Play it just as it is written.

5) If I play political outcast on my turn, during my opponent's turn is he able play Ring of the Void by it's printed method? Assume he controls no Gozoku Personalities. Just wondering if the "Limited: Reveal Ring of the Void from your hand and bow one of your Personalities" counts as being a Limited or Open action printed on a card or not.

No, it does not count. It is not an Action "on a card." Actions that other cards / strongholds create for players to use without specifying that they are added to a card (like Yogo Towers does) don't exist on a card / stronghold - much like the Actions in the Rulebook don't exist on cards / strongholds either.

Death from Dueling [RULES]

Does this entry from the Accumulated Rulings still stand or is death from a duel now a rule book effect?

Destruction due to Dueling is an effect of whatever created the Duel, not the Rulebook.

Destruction due to a Ranged Attack is an effect of whatever created the Ranged Attack, not the Rulebook

Bowing due to Fear is an effect of whatever created the Fear, not the Rulebook.

The Rulebook simply provides the long details that could never be included on all cards that use them, and are thusly represented by words like, "Duel," "Ranged Attack," and "Fear."

They are - definitions - rather than Rulebook Effects.

Akodo Rokku vs Slaughter the scout

May akodo Rokku, inmediatly after moving a personality with his ability into his battlefield, bow with slaughter the scout to kill him?

Yes. Slaughter the Scout can not ever be in an Army, thus the rule that "opposing" Actions can only be played if the card with the Action is in the current battle never applies to it.

The same thing goes for Tsuruchi Technique's Battle Action, but as a Battle Action it is bound to the Battle Action Segment and the Rule of Relevance, which tends to restrict its play to only the Current Battle.

Questions

If Kakita's trait "After each duel, the winner draws as many cards as he focused" is present on two or more distinct cards in a game, does the winner draw two or more times as many cards as he focused?

Yes. Both are separate effects and can each be resolved.

Though each printed instance of a Reaction can be used only once per trigger, since a cancelled action does not count against maximum number of uses, if a Reaction on a card in play is cancelled, can it be used again when the opportunity to use Reactions returns to its controller?

Yes. Canceling Actions is generally pointless unless the Action has a cost that is lost in its failed attempt (Gold, Bowing, Destruction, etc.) or you have something very dramatic to do before your opponent gets priority again (like destroy or bow the source of said Action before it can be used again).

Moshi Hinome(&#@!*) and Tsuruchi Armband

Is she supposed to say once per turn?

This is not a Rules Question. This is a Design Question.

Try re-titling your question and addressing it to Jeff Alexander, the Lead Designer, instead.

That should cover everything from Friday. 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.