I realize this forum is for the revamped LCG version of L5R, but it is the only active forum I was abe to find in my web searches. The following questions pertain to the discontinued CCG, but i hope that is permissible.

As a backstory to my questions, I have been collecting the L5R ccg on and off for 18 years due to my love of the game's universe, but never managed to get any friends to play it with me until a few months ago. As we tried to play and make decks, my understanding of the game has been tested as 18 years of card text and rulebooks clashed in my head. These are all very basic rules that I'm confused about, however, and the many, many old forums I've visited offered little help as they were mostly concerned with more advanced, card-specific problems.

So, I'm hoping some of you might clarify a few of these basic issues for me. The most recent cards and rulebooks in my possession are from the Emperor Edition arc, so that's as up-to-date as I'm trying to bring my rules knowledge:

1. Do Reactions require Presence?

- This is a longstanding rules question for me. For example, if I want to use the ability on Akodo Rokuro during a battle, does he have to be at the same battlefield as the Personality being bowed?

2. Can you bow the same Holding twice in one turn to produce gold?

- Let's say that during my Action Phase I bow a Remote Village to pay for Veteran Skirmishers, and then straighten Remote Village with Agasha Kodo. Can I then pay for a card during battle or the Dynasy Phase with that same holding? Or is Kodo's ability just meant to straighten a holding during an opponent's turn so that I have gold available?

3. Starting and ending Duels

- This is another longstanding source of confusion for me. As of Emperor Edition, are duels by default unrefusable and do they result in destruction? (unless otherwise noted, of course)

- An older version of Steel on Steel states the challenge is unrefusable, but doesn't state the outcome. Emperor Edition's Steel on Steel says the loser is destroyed, but doesn't say if it can be refused.

The ability on Kitsuki Daisuke seems pointless if the challenge can be refused, while a card like The Last Strike only mentions the fate of the winner. Add years of different card text and rules, and you begin to see why I'm lost.

4. Can a Personality perform an action if he/she is bowed?

- This is my final source of mass confusion. I thought bowing prevented performing actions, in addition to not contributing Force, and was why 'bow cards' were powerful. This idea conflicts with many cards, however.

- For instance, Back to the Front certainly implies that a bowed personality can perform it. What about the battle action on Traditions of Steel ? It's a simple rules question, but confusing to me nonetheless.

- Furthermore, can a bowed card equip attachments? Isn't 'Equip' an action performed by the personality. Can the Items on a bowed Personality be used, as I thought the Personality himelf performs the actions on his items. If so, a card like Pearl of Embers would never work. Similary, can actions on Spells be performed if their shugenja is bowed?

Again, these are very basic rules I'm having trouble with, and the years of collecting seem to have only made my understanding worse. Any assistance with these questions is greatly appreciated so that I may continue to treasure, and hopefully play, Legend of the Five Rings even as it lives on in FFG's caring hands.

WillyB

Don't worry about asking CCG questions. It's not like the LCG's around to discuss and growing the community is always a good thing.

As to your questions:

1) Reactions (which were renamed as Engages and Interrupts in Ivory Edition) require presence unless they specifically say otherwise. Absent means they can be used without Presence and Home means they can be used even if the performing personality is at home (but not if they're at another battlefield, I think). Older Editions will have text that provides the equivalent effect.

2) Holdings produce gold from traits so as long as you can keep straightening it you can bow it for gold as much as you want in the same turn.

3) Duels aren't my specialty, but I believe they're unrefundable unless they say otherwise. I wasn't playing in Diamond Edition, but I would assume based on that version of Steel on Steel that duel destroyed by default back then. My reading of The Last Strike is that it only increases the Force of the winner and doesn't do anything to the loser.

4) I know a Personality's printed abilities can't be used if they're bowed unless the ability says otherwise or is Tireless . The latest version of Back to the Front says you target a Personality so it isn't being performed, but older versions say you choose a performing Personality so it's possible it worked differently then. Traditions of Steel has me very confused since the text in the card image on Oracle of the Void doesn't match the text in the description so I don't know what the case is with that.

4a) Actions on attachments can be used if the attached Personality is bowed unless the card says otherwise. I think Equip targets the Personality and I'm pretty sure you can attach to bowed Personalities.

Please keep in mind that my knowledge is for Emperor Edition and later and may not be applicable to older versions of the game. I stand ready to be corrected if anyone chooses to do so. My apologies if my answers are not as helpful as they could be.

1) Reactions (which were renamed as Engages and Interrupts in Ivory Edition) require presence unless they specifically say otherwise. Absent means they can be used without Presence and Home means they can be used even if the performing personality is at home (but not if they're at another battlefield, I think). Older Editions will have text that provides the equivalent effect.

This is incorrect. Reactions weren't renamed, they were just no longer printed.

Reactions, unlike Interrupts or Engages, do not require presence.

4) A personality may not use their own abilities when bowed unless it it Tireless. As for actions coming from other cards, wording is very important. Usually, a card will specify if it requires an unbowed personality. If the card only says 'your target personality'' or something similar, it can be used even when bowed.

If you link images, try to use Oracle of the Void: http://imperialassembly.com/oracle/

You could also ask about CCG at L5R Facebook fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/groups/160842683946823/