Battles
From Legend of the Five Rings Rules
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[edit] Battles
Battles are L5R’s way to represent military conflict. They usually happen in an attack (see Attack Phase) but sometimes happen as separate card effects.
In each separate battle, the headings from "Choose Battlefield" through "Final Steps" happen in sequence.
Battles created by a card effect that does not create an Attack Phase are treated as normal battles, except:
- Such battles are (slightly) delayed effects that begin once the action or trait that created them has resolved, and the opportunity to play Reactions to the end of the action or trait has passed, in a manner similar to additional phases and actions. [CHANGED June 3 2008]
- Such battles have no Declaration or Maneuvers segments. Assignment and battlefield creation prior to such battles happen through card effects, and there is no opportunity to invite allies.
- Rules prohibiting third-party players from taking part in battles if they have not been invited, also apply to battles not created by an attack.
An effect that creates an extra battlefield does not immediately create a battle; the battle at the new battlefield will happen following the normal rules. [ADDED Oct 17 2007; CLARIFIED Mar 19 2008 to cover battles outside Attack Phase]
[edit] Choose Battlefield
The Attacker chooses a battlefield whose battle has not yet ended, and the attacking and defending sides there engage. Engaging is the time point at which the battle, and the Combat Segment, both begin. Specifically, things that are triggered “before engaging” do not occur in or during the battle, and things that are triggered “after engaging” do occur in and during the battle. “During a battle” includes both the Combat and Resolution Segments. [ADDED 5 August 2007]
The phrase “armies engage” only indicates this time point. It does not depend on the presence of armies with one or more unit at the battlefield.
[edit] Combat Segment
In the Combat Segment, the Defender gets the first opportunity to either take a Battle Action or Pass. That opportunity then goes to the player to his left, and follows the sequence of play leftwards after that. After all players pass in sequence, the Combat Segment ends and the battle proceeds to the Resolution Segment.
Multiple effects that change who gets the first opportunity to act do not stack; if the attacker gets the first opportunity to act from two separate effects he can not thereby take two Battle actions before the Defender.
During the Combat Segment, the only action types that can be taken are Battle and Reaction Actions. Battle actions must follow the additional rules of Presence and Location. Reactions are not subject to rules of Presence and Location.
[edit] Rule of Presence
The Rule of Presence: Battle actions can only be taken by a player who controls a unit at the current battlefield.
EXCEPTION: A player who controls no units at the current battlefield can take an Action if its costs or effects say they can move one or more of his units there. He must then make choices within the action, if possible, such that it does move one or more of his units there, fulfilling Presence. This Exception does not apply to effects that create a unit, or cause a unit to enter play at the current battlefield; such effects still require pre-existing Presence. (Entering play clarification added 15 August 2007.)
Note that if a unit that was in an attacking army at any point during a battle’s resolution tries to move to any battlefield during the same Attack Phase, the movement effect does not happen. This is not negation of the movement. See Glossary, Move.
Even if the movement is known beforehand to fail -- for example, due to ongoing negation effects, or due to the unit having been in an attacking army during the Resolution Segment of another battle -- the action can still be taken, because of the Blind cards rule. [CHANGED Jan 20 2008]
Example: Winter Warfare ("actions can not move units to or from battlefields") is in effect. It is legal to play Rout ("Battle: Move home a target unit. Destroy one of its attachments (if any).") even though the movement effect will be negated. The destruction of an attachment still occurs because effects are independent.
The phrase “Even if you control no units at the current battlefield” is intended to waive the rule of Presence, but not necessarily Location.
Third-Party Players Without Presence: A third-party player without units at the battle may sometimes be able to take an action there anyway. When this happens, he takes it as if he were an attacking player if only the Attacker invited him, and as if he were a defending player if only the Defender invited him. If both players invited him, he chooses after announcing the action whether he will take it as an attacking player or a defending player. Such decision, by itself, has no implications for allying.
[edit] Rule of Location
The Rule of Location: This rule has two parts:
- Any cards in units must be at the current battlefield to be legally targeted by a Battle action.
- If a Battle action is on a card in a unit (a Personality or attachment in play), the unit must be at the current battlefield in order to take that action.
EXCEPTION: A Battle Action can target or be taken by a card in a unit at another location if its costs or effects say they can move the unit to the current battlefield. Choices within the action must then be taken, if possible, such that they do move the unit there.
By the rules on movement, if a unit that was in an attacking army at any point during a battle’s resolution tries to move to another battlefield during the same Attack Phase, the movement effect does not occur. This is not negation of the movement. See Glossary, Move.
Even if the movement is subject to known effects that will cause it not to happen -- for example, due to ongoing negation effects, or due to the unit having been in an attacking army during the Resolution Segment of another battle -- the action can still be taken, because of the Blind cards rule. [CHANGED Jan 20 2008]
When found on a card in a unit, the phrase “Even if [ the card itself ] is not at the current battlefield” waives only the second part of the Rule of Location. It does not necessarily waive the Rule of Presence or the first part of the Rule of Location. [Clarified 2 December 2007]
[edit] Special Actions Available to Players
During the Combat Segment, all players have the following abilities.
[edit] Tactical Force Bonus
Tactical Battle: Any number of times per turn, discard a card and target one of your Tactician Personalities: Give him a Force bonus equal to the Focus Value of the discarded card.
This action may only target each Tactician once per turn due to the rules on performing Tactical actions (see Tactician).
[edit] Naval Ability
Reaction: If you are the Attacker and your current army has more Naval cards than the opposing army, once per battle after engaging, target your Naval Personality: You have the first opportunity to take a Battle action, which must be performed by the targeted Personality or one of his Naval Followers.
[Ability UPDATED 28 June 2008]
In cases where multiple cards perform a Battle action, only one need be Naval.
[edit] Resolution Segment
Effects “before a battle resolves” happen after the Combat Segment ends and before the Resolution Segment begins.
Headings A through C happen in sequence as part of the Resolution Segment.
A. Compare the total Force of each army. Whichever army has the most Force wins (see Force total). A side with no units has zero force for purposes of this comparison, and does not count as an army for effects that alter the force of an “army”. The calculation and comparison of army force is made only once. Any changes to army force after this point (e.g., units on the winning side being destroyed to to reactions) do not alter the outcome. [ADDED 10 November 2007]
The winning army’s leader (the Attacker or Defender) is the winner of the battle.
If both armies have the same Force and both armies contain one or more units, the battle is a tie.
Any other result (such as an army with total unit force of zero versus a side with no units) has no defined outcome.
B. Follow one of the procedures under this heading, in order, depending on the battle’s outcome.
Honor gains, rehonoring, and destruction of cards from these procedures are effects of battle resolution. [ADDED 14 October 2007]
If the Attacker Wins:
1. The Attacker simultaneously destroys all cards in the defending army.
2. If the attacking army's Force was greater than the defending army’s Force plus the Province Strength of the province the current battlefield is associated with, the Attacker destroys the province.
3. The Attacker gains Honor from resolution equal to twice the number of cards in the defending army that were destroyed by the effects of resolution. Before the Attacker gains 1 or more points of Honor from resolution, if the attacking army contains one or more dishonorable Personalities, these Personalities are all restored to honorable status, and the Honor gain from resolution is negated.
If the Defender Wins:
1. The Defender simultaneously destroys all cards in the attacking army.
2. The Defender gains Honor from resolution equal to twice the number of cards in the attacking army that were destroyed by the effects of resolution. Before the Defender gains 1 or more points of Honor from resolution, if the defending army contains one or more dishonorable Personalities, these Personalities are all restored to honorable status, and the Honor gain from resolution is negated.
If the Armies Tie:
1. The attacker and Defender simultaneously rehonor any dishonorable personalities in their own army, and then destroy all cards in their respective enemy leader's army.
2. If no personalities in his army were restored to honor or remained dishonorable during resolution, the Attacker gains Honor from resolution equal to the number of cards he destroyed this way. The Defender then does the same if none of his personalities were restored to honor or remained dishonorable during resolution.
NOTE: Destruction of Provinces and cards, Honor gains, and rehonoring, as results of the above procedures, are all effects of battle resolution, and come "from" battle resolution and "by winning" the battle. Card effects that may be applied "in" or "during" battle resolution are not effects of, and do not come "from" resolution or "by winning" the battle. [ADDED April 28 2008]
C. Resolution then ends. If a unit that was in the current attacking army at any point during a battle’s resolution tries to move to another battlefield during the same Attack Phase, the movement fails. This is not negation of the movement.
[edit] Final Steps
[CLARIFIED 29 May 2008]
Once a battle’s Resolution Segment ends, or once the Combat Segment has ended if something makes Resolution not happen, follow steps A through C in order.
A. Regardless of who wins, loses, or ties in the battle, all attacking and allied units at its battlefield return home, and these units are then bowed if they returned home. Both the change in location and bowing are effects of the battle's resolution, even though they happen after it.
Surviving defending units remain at the battlefield, unless the Province was destroyed, in which case they return home at the same time as any attacking units would.
Returning home in this manner is not considered “moving.”
B. Discard all Terrains in play at the battlefield that just resolved; this cannot be negated.
C. The battle ends.
If no battlefields that haven’t ended a battle remain, then when the battle ends all units still at battlefields return home, are bowed by resolution if they were attacking or allied, and all battlefields cease to exist.
If one or more battlefields that have not resolved or ended a battle remain, repeat the battle procedure starting with Choose Battlefield.
If a province is destroyed for any reason other than resolution during a battle or attack, its battlefield ceases to exist and any Terrain in play there is discarded. All units still there return home. These units bow if they were in an attacking army or if they were allied units.
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