Formal Apology

Legend of the Five Rings card from Second City

Card Type

Event

Keywords

Unique

Card Text

After you reveal cards in your Provinces at the start of your turn, if this Event is face-up in one of them, after the next time this game your Honor is below its starting value, you have a tea ceremony; gain 5 Honor.

Legality

Age of Conquest (Emperor), Destroyer War (Celestial)

Deck

Dynasty

Printings

Rules Q&A

• Q: So I saw this and that last part I disagree with a little. Formal Apology says "after the next time this game your Honor is below its starting value, you have a tea ceremony; gain 5 Honor." (emphasis mine) So that leads me to believe that it doesn't matter if your honor is currently below your starting honor because that is the current time and not the next time. So you would not gain the honor immediately if your honor is below the your starting honor.
  A: "Next" in this case is not an event caused by a change in honor totals, but instead a constant check referring to any point in the future. Therefore, if you're already below your starting honor, one second after Formal Apology is in play is the "next" time you're below your starting honor, and it will trigger. Jon Palmer, "Formal Apology timing cont", 5 Feb 2012
• Q: I have already resolved Formal Apology and am currently at my starting honor. My opponent plays an action that will cause me an honor loss and announces Only Actions Speak. Am I correct to think that the honor gain from Formal Apology will be negated?
  A: Yes, if the honor loss is not a delayed effect of the announced action. If it's a delayed effect, the honor loss would occur after the action's resolution, not be subject to Only Actions Speak, and Formal Apology would work as normal. Zen Faulkes, "Formal Apology timing", 2 Oct 2011
• Q: How would it work with The Thriving Light?
  A: Pronoun trouble. By "it" here, I am guessing you mean Formal Apology?
  Also, do you mean that you are playing The Thriving Light in response to the action causing the honor loss, or Only Actions Speak? Zen Faulkes, "Formal Apology timing", 2 Oct 2011
• Q: Does the Thriving Light allow you to choose whether you want to reduce an honor gain or an honor loss?
  A: Clarifications above are needed to be absolutely sure we're answering what we think we're answering. But there is a previous ruling that may help; it points out that The Thriving Light just looks for the next change in Honor. There is no choice involved. See: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=82601 Zen Faulkes, "Formal Apology timing", 2 Oct 2011
• Q: And when exactly does the "next time" thing triggers? If I resolve Formal Apology and I'm already below my starting honor, do I immediately gain 5?
  A: Yes. It starts checking honor totals immediately after it resolves. Zen Faulkes, "Formal Apology timing", 2 Oct 2011
• Q: I play Scandalous Rumours. How many units must my opponent send home not to instantly dishonour out? (i.e. does Formal Apology push him back up above -20 before the rules check for dishonour elimination)?
  A: Since both the delayed effect of Formal Apology and being eliminated from the rulebook definition of Dishonor loss have the same trigger ("After" you lose sufficient Honor) and the same timing (Step B here), the active player chooses which occurs first. Brook Cunningham, "Formal Apology timing", 29 Sep 2011