Defenders of the Realm

Legend of the Five Rings card from Pearl Edition, Scorpion Clan Coup 2, Jade Edition

Card Type

Strategy

Gold Cost

0

Card Text

Reaction: Before an Event resolves that will destroy one of your Provinces: Negate all effects of the Event that would destroy any Provinces.

Focus Value

4

Legality

Clan Wars (Imperial), Hidden Emperor (Jade)

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rules Q&A

• Q: if I read correctly aka mizu umi says: Any Event that is about to destroy this Province has all of its effects negated. The Event is still considered to have been resolved.
  So When the Doom of the Dark Lord tries to destroy the region, the event is negated. It affects nothing more . Completely, since ALL his effects are negated. The Doom has been resolved (Another Doom event that flips in a province will have no effect) but the present one is gone. Why "until en of turn" or "my province is saved, but yours will be destroyed"?. Just "Why I am saved by my region but my opponent not, if all effects are negated"?
  I know there is a ruling with Defenders of the Realm, but is because Defedners says no provincies are distroyed this turn.
  A: It doesn't say "No Provinces are destroyed this turn," it just says "No Provinces are destroyed." But I see your point. The two cards are not nearly as much alike as I'd first believed.
  Aka Mizu-Umi will negate all effects of any Event that tries to destroy its Province, even ongoing ones. This is a REVERSAL. Jeff Alexander, "post for 31 May 2002", 1 Jun 2002
• Q: I strongly suspect this is going to be a REVERSAL...
  <smells blood>
  The answer is b). By their wordings:
  Defenders of the Realm is played BEFORE the Province is destroyed. Winds and Fortunes is played WHEN the Province is destroyed. Kharma is played AFTER the Province is destroyed.
  They'd have to be played in that order, and if anyone plays Defenders, Winds... and Kharma become unplayable.
  I don't have any twisted logic problems with this conclusion, Jeff. At least, I'm not going to bring them up. I do have a very pragmatic problem.
  There are definately some wonky rules problems within the wordings of the cards, I agree. But, because each card has a microscopically different trigger, there's a big practical problem here, too. What do you suggest we do? Wait thirty seconds after every STEP of an effect? We're already impatient about Open actions during the Action Phases of others.
  A: It's been true ever since Shadowlands that some Reactions always get played before or after others (thanks, Goshiu). Obviously it's not a really high-profile issue or it would have come up more than once or twice in the last six years. :) I don't really have any recommendations for you other than take things at a steady pace, not only to give everyone a time to react accordingly but to avoid tipping your hand. Jeff Alexander, "post for 11-12 February 2002", 12 Feb 2002
• Q: Dangerous Extremes (Event)
  For the rest of the game, no player may declare an attack against a player using the same Wind. This restriction has no effect if either the Attacker, intended Defender, or both have no Wind. Each player may end this effect on himself by destroying his rightmost Province as a Limited action.
  Defenders of the Realm (Action)
  Reaction: Play this card when one of your Provinces is about to be destroyed by an event. No Provinces are destroyed by this event.
  Can I save the province I have to give up for "Dangerous Extremes" with a "Defenders of the Realm"?
  If yes, does it save the opponent's province if he has to give it up? I am guessing no, since his province is destroyed in another turn. But what if he decides to destroy his province in the same turn I save my province by playing a "Plans within Plans"?
  A: Yes, but then the effect of Dangerous Extremes continues because you didn't pay the cost. Zen Faulkes, "Dangerous Extremes vs Defenders of the Realm", 14 Mar 2005
• Q: If yes, does it save the opponent's province if he has to give it up?
  A: Yes. "No Provinces are destroyed..." Zen Faulkes, "Dangerous Extremes vs Defenders of the Realm", 14 Mar 2005
• Q: But what if he decides to destroy his province in the same turn I save my province by playing a "Plans within Plans"?
  A: "No Provinces are destroyed..." is absolute. Zen Faulkes, "Dangerous Extremes vs Defenders of the Realm", 14 Mar 2005
• Q: Except there is. As is the case with Defenders of the Realm, which negates only the effects that destroy province rather than all or nothing.
  A: That doesn't prove a difference between my two equivalences. I'm saying "I ate the pie" is equivalent to "I ate all of the pie", and you're saying that "I ate some of the pie" proves they're different, but in the absence of further clarifying words/statements, "I ate the pie" and "I ate all of the pie" ARE equivalent, especially if all the pie is gone afterward. Brook Cunningham, "Sun and Moon #rules-questions", 28 Feb 2025
• Q: Hence why 'Defenders of the Realm can cancel part of an event's effects from resolving. Reaction: Before an Event resolves that will destroy one of your Provinces: Negate all effects of the Event that would destroy any Provinces.
  A: You JUST used the word "resolving" to describe effects occurring. How can you say it doesn't mean the same thing? 😛 Brook Cunningham, "Sun and Moon #rules-questions", 28 Feb 2025