Sequence of play
From Legend of the Five Rings Rules
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[edit] Sequence of play
[edit] General rules on sequence of play
Triggers “after” the end of a phase or segment happen prior to any triggers “before” the start of next phase or segment. These timings happen between one unit of time and another, although they are still part of the larger unit of time in which they happen.
Triggers "before" the start of a larger unit of time happen prior to triggers "before" the start of a smaller unit of time contained within it. For example, the start of a turn comes before the start of the Straighten Phase.
EXCEPTION: A battle, and its Combat Segment, both start at the same point of time, which is referred to as "engaging."
Triggers “after” a turn ends happen prior to any triggers “before” the next turn begins. If the turn in which such triggers happen needs to be determined for purposes of wording such as “the next turn” or "once per turn", then triggers after the turn ends refer to the turn just ended, and triggers before a turn begins refer to the turn about to begin.
[edit] Turns and turn order
A game of L5R is divided into turns. Beginning with the starting player, and continuing in turn order (i.e. proceeding to the left), each player takes a turn.
References to “turn” as a unit of time, such as “two turns from now” refer to the active player’s next turn.
References to a player’s turn otherwise refer to that player’s turn only.
References to “this turn” or “the turn” refer to the current turn.
At any time after the start of the game, turn order starts with the active player and continues clockwise, to each player’s left.
Whenever an effect asks “each player” to do something, the default is to start with the active player and continue once in turn order, skipping any players who are not eligible to do that thing.
The start of a player’s turn comes before the start of his or her Events Phase, and the end of a player’s turn comes after the end of his or her End Phase.
[edit] Start of game
When a game of L5R starts, follow steps A through G in sequence.
- A. All players show their Strongholds, and any other cards that begin the game in play, at the same time. Each player starts his or her Family Honor stat at his Stronghold’s Starting Honor, applying any modifications. This is not an Honor gain.
- B. The starting player is determined; the player with the highest Family Honor goes first. If one or more players are tied in Family Honor, they resolve who goes first randomly, such as by rolling dice or flipping a coin.
- C. In turn order, each player who is not going first may search his or her Dynasty deck for a Legacy holding, show it, and put it into play (bowed) without Gold cost. Legacy holdings put into play this way cannot straighten before their controller’s third turn begins.
- D. All players shuffle both their decks separately. Players should offer their decks to the other players for ruther shuffling or cutting.
- E. All players position their Stronghold and decks and create four Provinces, filling each province in order from left to right with a card from the top of their Dynasty deck.
- F. All players draw five Fate cards simultaneously.
- G. Play begins; the starting player becomes the active player and takes a turn sequence, consisting of the Straighten Phase through End Phase below. After his or her turn ends, the next player’s turn, in turn order, begins. This continues until one player has won the game, at which point the game ends immediately.
When the starting player is determined, he or she is also considered the active player for purposes of things that happen before the first turn begins.
[edit] Straighten Phase
The active player simultaneously straightens all his or her cards in play.
[edit] Events Phase
Starting with the card in his or her leftmost province, the active player goes through steps A through E for each card in each of his or her provinces.
If a province contains more than one card, the active player decides which card is dealt with first. The active player must then deal with any other cards in the province before moving to other provinces.
- A. The active player turns a card in the province face-up, revealing it. If the card was already face-up, the other steps still happen, but the card is not "revealed "for purposes of triggering effects.
- B. If the card is a Holding or Personality, nothing happens.
- C. If the card is an Event, resolve it, following the rules on resolving Events.
- D. If the card is a Region, and the Province it is in can attach it, bring it into play attached to the Province, following the rules on bringing Regions into play.
- E. If all cards in the Province have been dealt with, or if there are no cards in the province, the active player then deals with the cards in the province to its right. If there is no province to its right, the Events Phase ends.
[edit] Action Phase
Each player in turn order, starting with the active player, has the opportunity to pass or take a legal action, continuing around the table any number of times until all players pass consecutively.
The active player can only take Limited and Open actions at these opportunities. All other players can only take Open actions at these opportunities.
After all players have passed consecutively, the Action Phase ends.
All players have the following Limited or Open abilities available to them at any time. Each action is known by a special game term, which also can refer to the Personality or Personalities performing it.
Example: A Personality performing Lobby is “lobbying.”.
[edit] Equip
Limited: Any number of times per turn, target one of your Personalities: Attach a target attachment card from your hand to him (paying all costs).
[edit] Share
Open: Bow one of your attachments: Transfer it to another of your target Personalities who can legally attach it.
[edit] Lobby
Political Limited: If you have a higher Family Honor than all other players, bow one of your target Personalities with Personal Honor of 1 or higher: Take control of the Imperial Favor.
[edit] Attack Phase (optional)
After the Action Phase the active player may create an Attack Phase if he or she wishes. This attack is optional.
In addition to this normal Attack Phase, some effects create Attack Phases at other times; these attacks are normally not optional.
The Attack Phase consists of the following sequence: Declaration Segment, Infantry Maneuvers Segment, Cavalry Maneuvers Segment, Battles.
[edit] Attack Phase: Declaration Segment
In the Declaration Segment, subheadings A through C occur in sequence.
A. Declare an attack.
The player creating this Attack Phase declares an attack. He or she becomes the Attacker for this Attack Phase. He or she then chooses another player. The other player is the Defender for this Attack Phase.
From the Attacker’s point of view, the Defender is the enemy leader, and the Attacker is likewise the enemy leader to the Defender. (See “Enemy,” “Leader.”)
B. Create Battlefields.
A battlefield is created at each of the Defender’s provinces (see Battlefield).
C. Invite Allies.
Players other than the Attacker or the Defender are known as third-party players. The Attacker may invite any number of third-party players to ally with him or her. The Defender then may invite any number of third-party players to ally with him or her.
Invited players do not need to accept or decline.
The Attacker and Defender may each choose not to invite any players.
Being invited by the Attacker or Defender gives a player the option to assign or move units to battlefields (see Maneuvers Segments, below.)
A player other than the Attacker who was not invited by the Attacker can not have his or her units assign to the attacking side, move into the attacking side, or be brought into play on the attacking side during a battle. This prohibition includes the Defender and third-party players.
Likewise, a player other than the Defender who was not invited by the Defender can not have his or her units assign to the defending side, move into the defending side, or be brought into play on the defending side during a battle. This prohibition includes the Attacker and third-party players.
The first time each attack an invited player has one or more of his or her units assign to, move to, or enter play at an attacking or defending side, he becomes an ally of that side’s leader. The invited player is now known as an attacking ally or a defending ally. The invited player’s units are allied units of the player whose army he joined, and that player is considered to be his allied leader. The other player involved in the attack is considered to be the enemy leader from the invited player’s point of view.
Once a third-party player’s status as an attacking or defending ally is established, he is no longer considered invited by his new enemy leader.
Effects that move, assign, or create units controlled by another player on a side at a battlefield can establish the other player's allying status, keeping in mind that he or she must currently invited to ally by the appropriate leader for those effects to work in the first place. [ADDED Jul 23 07]
Effects can not move or assign a third-party player’s units to an attacking and defending side simultaneously – if this is about to happen, that player must choose one set of movements or assignments that do not happen.
After the first time each attack an invited player assigns one or more units, he gains 2 Honor.
If any of the assigned Personalities are dishonorable, they are all restored to honorable status instead of gaining Honor.
Honor is not gained in this way for moving units or bringing them into play.
[edit] Attack Phase: Infantry Maneuvers Segment
This segment is so named because it is the only time Infantry units can assign – although Cavalry units may also assign at this time. For determination of whether a unit is Infantry or Cavalry, see Infantry, Cavalry.
In the Infantry Maneuvers Segment, subheadings A through D occur in sequence.
A. Assign Attacking Units.
The Attacker chooses, from his home, any number of his units whose Personality is unbowed. He assigns these units to any battlefields in any arrangement desired.
B. Assign Attacking Allied Units.
Starting with the first player the Attacker invited on his left and continuing in turn order, each player invited by the Attacker may assign, from his home, any number of his units led by an unbowed Personality to any battlefields, in any arrangement desired.
C. Assign Defending Units.
The Defender chooses, from his home, any number of his units whose Personality is unbowed. He assigns these units to any battlefields in any arrangement desired.
D. Assign Defending Allied Units.
Starting with the first player the Defender invited on his left and continuing in turn order, each player invited by the Defender may assign, from his home, any number of his units led by an unbowed Personality to any battlefields, in any arrangement desired.
[edit] Attack Phase: Cavalry Maneuvers Segment
This segment is so named because only Cavalry units can assign during it.
In the Cavalry Maneuvers Segment, subheadings A through D occur in sequence. These occurrences are similar to the Infantry Maneuvers Segment’s sequence except that only Cavalry units may assign.
A. Assign Attacking Cavalry Units.
The Attacker chooses, from his home, any number of his Cavalry units whose Personality is unbowed. He assigns these units to any battlefields in any arrangement desired.
B. Assign Attacking Cavalry Allied Units.
Starting with the first player the Attacker invited on his left and continuing in turn order, each player invited by the Attacker may assign, from his home, any number of his Cavalry units led by an unbowed Personality to any battlefields, in any arrangement desired.
C. Assign Defending Cavalry Units.
The Defender chooses, from his home, any number of his Cavalry units whose Personality is unbowed. He assigns these units to any battlefields in any arrangement desired.
D. Assign Defending Cavalry Allied Units.
Starting with the first player the Defender invited on his left and continuing in turn order, each player invited by the Defender may assign, from his home, any number of his Cavalry units led by an unbowed Personality to any battlefields, in any arrangement desired.
[edit] Attack Phase: Battles
One by one, a separate battle (see Battles) is fought at each of the attack’s battlefields. The first battlefield is chosen by the Attacker, and a battle is fought there. Once a battle ends, the Attacker chooses the next battlefield, which must be one where a battle has not happened yet.
The Attack Phase ends immediately once the Attacker is at the opportunity to choose a battlefield, but battles have happened at all battlefields.
[edit] Dynasty Phase
The Dynasty Phase is when a player normally brings Holdings and Personalities into play from Provinces.
During the Dynasty Phase, steps A and B happen in order.
A. Bring cards into play.
During the Dynasty Phase, the active player may, one at a time, pay the Gold Cost of any Holding or Personality face-up in his Provinces to bring it into play, in any order desired and as many times possible.
Personalities and Holdings have rules specific to their card type that may modify their costs, entering-play restrictions, or card state when they enter play. See Using Personalities and Using Holdings for more information.
Holdings enter play bowed.
During the Dynasty Phase, when a player recruits a Personality aligned to his Clan, that player has options to modify the Gold cost paid for bringing the Personality into play:
- He may increase the Gold cost to play the Personality by 2. If he does so, he may waive the Personality's Honor Requirement to bring him into play.
- He may reduce the Gold cost to play the Personality by 2. If he does not choose to do so, he may choose to gain Honor equal to the Personality's Personal Honor just before he enters play (also know as "buying for Honor"). A player may only gain Honor this way once per turn.
A player may freely choose to use either of these options, none of them, or both of them. So, when waiving such a Personality’s Honor Requirement, one may pay the Personality’s normal cost (plus two then minus two) to have him or her enter play without Honor gain, or the normal cost plus two to have him or her enter play with Honor gain.
Paying a Clan discount or waiving Honor Requirement does not reduce or increase the Gold Cost stat of the Personality for the rest of the turn, as it is a change in payment and not in the Gold Cost stat.
Honor gain from buying for Honor is an entering-play effect. If anything causes the Personality not to enter play, the Honor gain does not happen.
Buying for Honor does not necessarily mean that the Personality's full Gold cost is paid.
Example: A Personality may be bought for honor, but at less than full cost, if another effect reduces his cost further.
These rules about waiving the Honor Requirement for Gold, Clan discount, and buying for Honor do not apply to Personalities brought into play outside the Dynasty Phase.
B. Discard cards.
Before the Dynasty Phase ends, a player may discard any face-up cards in his or her Provinces, one at a time. If an effect refills these cards face-up, he may discard them again. After the player discards any cards this way, he or she cannot bring further cards into play from Provinces that phase.
All players have the following ability:
Reaction: After your Dynasty Phase ends, if you have brought no Holdings into play this turn, bow your Stronghold: Search your deck, then your Provinces, for a Legacy Holding. Put it into play without Gold cost.
[edit] End Phase
The End Phase is when the player normally draws from the fate deck. During the End phase, steps A and B happen in order:
A. Draw a card.
The active player draws a card from his or her Fate deck. This card draw is not optional. Effects that modify card draw "during" the end phase modify this card draw, and happen at the same time as it does.
B. Discard to maximum hand size.
The active player checks the number of cards in his hand against his or her maximum hand size, which is normally 8. If he has more cards in hand than his maximum hand size, he discards cards from his hand, one by one, until his hand is at the maximum size. A player may not choose to discard more cards than necessary through this procedure.
After the End Phase ends, the player's turn ends. The next player in turn order becomes the active player.
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