This FAQ is maintained by the ever-vigilant Jeff Alexander and can be found via the FRPG website (www.frpg.com) or directly at WWW.zdi.net/jwa/15r/15r.faq

Q.- Is it true that Strongholds count as cards now?

A: No, it isn't. Consider this errata to the Pearl Edition rulebook and Strongholds.

Q.- Hat about Regions? The glossary says they're Holdings now.

A: Thats another mistake. Regions are still their own, separate card type.

Q: How, exactly, do Siege of Sleeping Mountain cards work in' regular or tournament play? Are they Jade legal? Can I even use them?

A: The Siege of Sleeping Mountain is part of the Hidden Emperor story arc. All cards and Strongholds in SSM are jade-legal. If you DO use stuff from Sleeping Mountain, remember that it never counts as the Most Recent Printing. Basically, think of Sleeping Mountain as being made ten years ago. Anything that was reprinted with different text will still work like the 'real' version, not the SM one, if you play it outside a Sleeping Mountain only game.

Q.- Can I use the Palace of Otosan Uchi's reaction if it's bowed? Can I use both its reaction and its normal gold production on the same Follower?

A: No and yes.

Q. Do the Eternal Halls of the Shiba, Creating the Monkey Clan, or The Agasha join the Phoenix remove any existing clan alignments?

A: No.

Q. The Eternal Halls of the Shiba says 'You cannot use this ability twice with the same Kiho.' Is that by title or per card? Mat about Naka Kuro Exp., who 'cannot perform any kiho more than once per turn?'

A: The Eternal Halls is per card. Naka Kuro is by title.

Q. Wow, that Dark Path of Shadow ability is confusing Does it work against Deadly Ground? Mat about the Armor of Earth? Can I use it when I don't have any defenders?

A: If you get a chance to perform a Battle or Open action, you can use the Stronghold ability. Period. Even if its illegal. Deadly Ground won't stop it, nor will Night Battle or a lack of defenders. Effects that resolve the battle immediately will get around it since Battle Actions can no longer be used. The Dark Path's action can also be cancelled by an appropriate countermeasure, such as the Armor of Earth (but not A Test of Courage, since the Dark Path doesn't target anything). And it won't send home until that can't be removed from the battle.

Q. Bowed cards don't add any Force to their army. Do they still add Chi?

A: Yes.

Q. A Dark Path player is immune to honor losses from Events too, right? And Iaijutsu Challenge?

A: Events are cards. Events that aren't yours can't make you lose honor. Refusing an Iaijutsu Challenge won't cause a loss either, though your Personality will still be dishonored.

Q. Can my opponents do anything bad to my honor?

A: They can reduce or cancel your gains. They can increase losses you cause yourself Deeds, Not Words will make your own cards turn against you. And you still lose honor if your Personalities die dishonorably even when they're Ninja.

Q. If I bring a Personality into play with the Ninja Stronghold holding, do I gain his Personal Honor?

A: No. The Ninja Stronghold waives the gold cost. It neither pays it nor reduces it to zero.

Q. Does a card that 'Can only be attached to a ninja' count as a ninja card?

A: No. To be a ninja card (or a forest card, or a temp card, or ... ), the card must have the word 'ninja' more or less by itself in its title or in the boldface traits an at the top of its text box. For Action cards only, a kei word will also count if it appears in the prefix of one of the card's actions. Keywords inside long phrases, like the 'ninja' in your example, can't be singled out.

Q. About this Ninube 0goku, can she--

A: Whoa! Hang on! There's only so much room in this FAQ. Let me just give you the answers: She follows all the same rules as allies when she assigns. This means she can be assigned to a battle all by herself. Assigning her to an army does not make you an Ally if you were not invited. Having units in both armies does not change your overall role in the battle or let you take actions twice as often. Having her illegally in an army does not allow you to put additional units into that army, even with cards like Ninja Shadowalker and Way of Deception, unless those units are also allowed to illegally move into armies. Any card that refers to 'your army'may be played from the point of view of either your real army or the army Ogoku is in. Her clause about never gaining honor only refers to the 2 points gained by allying.

Q Can you discard as many cards as you want when you play Flattery?

A: You cannot stop discarding until either your hand is empty or you've discarded enough to end the battle. You can discard more than you need to. You cannot play the Ring of the Void until you've stopped discarding. Oh, and you can't play Flattery if there is no opposing army..

Q. What? Why not?

A: The definition of 'army' has officially changed. It is now 'One or more units involved in the attack or defense of a Province, ' (This overrides the rulebook which got printed before this change could be added.) Zero units is not an army anymore, and cards that refer to an 'opposing army' cannot be played if there isn't one. Flattery and Crushing Attack are affected most by this.

Q. What's the deal with Kitsuki Kaagi's journal? Can I do anything to it or its bearer once it's in play?

A: Let's read the journal: 'Cards in this unit may not be targeted with actions. Actions which target ninja can target cards in this unit however, even if the target card is not a ninja' So there are some things that work. Kitsuki's Coin is legal, as is Doji Shizue Exp. The journal offers no protection against Events or against untargetted actions like Narrow Ground and Evil Portents. But pretty much everything else is illegal.

Now for the good news: they're illegal for everybody, including the journal's own player. Once the journal is down he can't attach any more cards to that unit, unless they're cards that only attach to ninja -- attaching is a targeted, Limited action. Bowing to exchange cards is illegal, too (with the same exception). And no monks or shugenja in that unit can be selected to cast kiho.

Q. Jurojin's Touch says the card I remove 'may not ... have an effect on play by any means. if a card has an ongoing effect, like, say, Peasant Revolt, can I use Jurojin's Touch to end it early?

A: No. Jurojin's Touch won't cancel any effects already set in motion, only brand-new effects that come from or refer to dead or discarded cards, such as returning to play or counting towards a Clan Banner or Bon Festival. It's just a reminder that the card is completely gone from the game now, not in the discard pile.

Errata

March of the Alliance (HE5): actions on Strongholds are also allowed.

Seppun Hotaitaka (Sleeping Mountain): the extra draws don't happen until your next End Phase.

Arrows From the Woods (Pearl): Gold cost is still 0, not 7. Focus value is still 3, not 2.

Tetsuya's Bo (Pearl): Focus value is 4, not 2.

The Dark Path of Shadow: only sends home the army in the current battle.

The Agasha join the Phoenix: should read All your Personalities from that family in your deck and Provinces swear fealty to your Clan.

Crystal Nagamaki: is a Weapon.

Daidoji Rekai (Exp): is a Samurai.

Tsuruchi (Exp): is a Samurai.

Ropp'tch'tch: is a Creature.

Shotai: his ability is usable only once per battle.

Rise from the Ashes: is removed from the game when cast not discarded from play.

Ambition is truly not a Weapon.

Ashigaru Archers and Ashigaru Spearmen are to be played as written.

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