Hamstrung

Legend of the Five Rings card from Celestial Edition, Words and Deeds

Card Type

Strategy

Gold Cost

0

Card Text

As a Focus Effect: Lower this card's Focus Value by an amount from 0 to 4; gain Honor equal to the amount by which it was lowered.
Reaction: Before the resolution of an action: Choose a Personality. Negate his movement into attacking armies from the action.

Focus Value

4

Legality

Destroyer War (Celestial), Race for the Throne (Samurai)

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rulings

• Erratum: Reads, "Hamstrung 0G 4FV Focus Effect: Lower this card's Focus Value by an amount from 0 to 4: Gain Honor equal to the amount it was lowered by. Reaction: Before the resolution of an action: Choose a Personality. Negate his movement into attacking armies from the action." [MRP, Celestial Edition, 29 June 2009] Comprehensive Rules, Celestial Edition, with specific card rulings, final version, February 2012, p. 135

Rules Q&A

• Q: Countermove: Tactical Battle: Target your Tactician who is not at the current battlefield: Target one of the enemy leader's Personalities who is not at the current battlefield. Move both targets to the current battlefield. Straighten their units.
  Hamstrung: Reaction: Before the resolution of an action: Choose a Personality. Negate his movement into attacking armies from the action.
  Question: I've searched the forum for this, but only found an answer containing Ambush.. and this one: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=80454&p=1052218&hilit=unpredictable+strategy#p1052218 According to this, if I hamstrung Unpredictable, both movements are negated.
  Anyhow, I have Akodo tactician X, my opponent has defender chode Y. I declare a battle, assign nobody, use Countermove to move in both X and Y. My opponent reacts with Hamstrung. Who moves? X, Y, neither? Who straightens? X, Y, neither.
  A: Unpredictable Strategy uses the defined game term Switch, which involves moving two units in opposite directions as one effect, so that if one movement is negated the other will also fail.
  Countermove moves the two units to the current battlefield, but these are separate movements: there is no dependency between them. If the movement of one unit fails, the other unit will still move. Furthermore, the straightening of each unit is independent of any movement: even if one or both movements fails, both units will straighten. Alex Jones, "Countermove vs Hamstrung", 16 Mar 2011
• Q: (announcing Acrobat Troupe, reacting with Only Actions Speak, and Reacting with Hamstrung and overpaying for Hamstrung with Acrobat Troupe):
  (If) for some reason the Acrobat Troupe were straightened..., could the acrobat troupe honor gain ability be used since it wasn't fully used the first time?
  A: As the original thread said, you have a cost that has been interfered with. So you check the rules on cost interference:
  http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Abilities_and_a ... tory_costs: "The action is still considered taken and ended, but not resolved, and the ability that created it is considered used." Emphasis added.
  So the ability was used the first time and can't be taken again. Zen Faulkes, "Only Actions Speak vs. Hamstrung", 24 Jan 2011
• Q: Zen wrote:It [Hamstrung] can legally be played at any point there is an action.
  Which might be a little confusing, if taken out of context. To effect the desired result it must be taken at just the right time.
  A: But then, anything can be confusing when taken out of context... Zen Faulkes, "Only actions speak Vs hamstrung overpay", 14 Jan 2011
• Q: What the Hamstrung does in here, I don't know. Isn't Hamstrung's reaction to a movement in Battle? It can not be in the same phase than Acrobat Troup which is a limited action...
  A: Incorrect. The only requirement for Hamstrung is, "Before the resolution of an action." It can legally be played at any point there is an action.
  See: http://rules.l5r.com/CE_FAQ#Is_an_actio ... _happen.3F
  It's an odd chain of events, but it's correct. Zen Faulkes, "Only actions speak Vs hamstrung overpay", 14 Jan 2011
• Q: Since the effect of the action is only putting the terrain into play(...)
  A: No. The immediate effect of Deployed Reinforcements is putting the Terrain into play. Targeting, moving, and straightening are still effects of Deployed Reinforcements, even though they are delayed.
  [Additional: Slight correction / clarification: The only immediate effect when the Terrain is played is the Terrain entering played, but it is a rulebook effect, not a card effect.] Zen Faulkes, "Deployed Reinforcements + Hamstrung", 1 Aug 2010
• Q: (T)hat personality would still move, correct?
  A: Incorrect. "Negate his movement... from the action" applies to all effects of the action, not just the immediate ones. Zen Faulkes, "Deployed Reinforcements + Hamstrung", 1 Aug 2010
• Q: What's the ruling now for reactions? can you perform a reaction even when you have no units in current battlefield?
  Hamstrung: Reaction: Before the resolution of an action: Choose a Personality. Negate his movement into attacking armies from the action.
  Unwavering Assult : Battle: Target a Samurai Personality in your home: Straighten his unit. Move him to the current battlefield.
  A: Reactions have never needed presence unless card text explicitly requires it ("target one of your units at the current battlefield, etc).
  Reactions are not, nor have they ever been under the Rules of Presence and Location. Dan Jacobson, "Unwavering assult vs Hamstrung", 29 Jun 2010
• Q: I bow my personality to lobby for the imperial favor. I then react four times with 2x Cowed by Wisdom and 2x Hamstrung. Having resolved these 4 actions, I put the Ring of Void into play.
  A: Legal.
  That a Reaction will prevent some effect does not mean that other Reactions to the same trigger that will also prevent the effect cannot be played.
  When there's a trigger for Reactions, you go around the table playing Reactions to that trigger until everyone passes (http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Sequence_of_play#Action_Phase). One Reaction doesn't automatically "force" anything to move forward. Zen Faulkes, "Reactions and Failing Effects", 3 Jun 2010
• Q: To be clear, The Thriving Light must be played immediately before the challenge is issued, before the opponent chooses to accept or refuse, correct?
  A: In a case where the challenge being issued is the action's first effect, that is correct. Thriving Light must be played before Resolution, where an action's effects begin to resolve. Brook Cunningham, "The Thriving Light + Hamstrung", 2 Apr 2010
• Q: So, there is no way to wait and see if my opponent focuses hamstrung or wins the duel first, I must play the Thriving Light before I know if either of those things are going to happen, right?
  A: Correct. Brook Cunningham, "The Thriving Light + Hamstrung", 2 Apr 2010
• Q: MacBeth2001 said "Since Focus Effects aren't actions, their resolution (which occurs during the resolution of Steel on Steel) wouldn't trigger The Thriving Light." this means that hamstrung's honor gain would go through.
  A: No, that's not what my statement means. Alex is correct, and my post has no bearing upon his.
  The answer I gave was in response to being asked if a player could wait until Focus Effects began resolving to play The Thriving Light's Reaction. I was only saying that a Focus Effect's resolution is not a valid trigger to play The Thriving Light. Brook Cunningham, "The Thriving Light + Hamstrung", 29 Mar 2010
• Q: Regarding this viewtopic.php?f=59&t=82601
  The only question I have is in regards to timing. The Thriving Light relevant text is Reaction: Before an action's resolution: Until that resolution ends, reduce the next Honor gain or loss by 5 (minimum zero).
  When exactly does a Duel action resolve? If someone plays Steel on Steel in a battle may I wait until after Focus effects are revealed but before they resolve to play The Thriving Light as Steel on Steel hasn't resolved yet?
  A: An action begins resolving in its Resolution Step.
  This is the step that comes after Announcing it, making Required Targeting, and Paying Costs and where its effect begin being applied. In the case of Steel on Steel, its first effect is the issuing of the challenge. So, just before that is when you would React with The Thriving Light.
  Since Focus Effects aren't actions, their resolution (which occurs during the resolution of Steel on Steel) wouldn't trigger The Thriving Light Brook Cunningham, "The Thriving Light + Hamstrung", 29 Mar 2010
• Q: in response to this:
  http://www.alderac.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=82601
  according to AkodoGilador, The Thriving Light will stop Hamstrung's effects. But Focus effects are not actions so how can Thriving Light be used to stop it? Is Hamstrung's honor gain effect considered part of the duels effects during resolution?
  A: The Thriving Light's Reaction isn't triggered by a gain or loss of honour: it's triggered by an action's resolution being about to happen. Furthermore, the honour loss or negate reduced by The Thriving Light is not required to have come from the action it's triggering off, merely that it occurs during the resolution of that action.
  The Thriving Light's Reaction will reduce the first gain or loss during that resolution which can be of any type, including an honour gain or loss from that action, from a rulebook effect (for example an honour loss due to a Personality dying dishonourably) or from a trait (which includes Focus Effects). It won't reduce an honour loss or gain from a delayed effect, such as the 5 honour loss from Ambush, since that occurs after the Ambush action's resolution. Alex Jones, "The Thriving Light + Hamstrung", 26 Mar 2010
• Q: My opponent uses Impromptu Duel targetting my personality. I have The Thriving Light in hand. What I'd like to do is one of the following: 1) If my opponent uses Hamstrung's Focus Effect, I'd like to reduce that gain to 0. 2) If my opponent wins the duel, I'd like to reduce the 2 honor gain from Impromptu Duel to 0. 3) If my opponent neither wins the duel nor focuses Hamstrung, I would like to have not played my Thriving Light.
  So the question is, what is the timing of playing The Thriving Light for options 1 and 2? 1) If I want to reduce the honor from Hamstrung's Focus Effect, when do I play The Thriving Light? 2) If I want to reduce the honor gain for Impromptu Duel (the 2 honor for winning the duel), can I play that after the outcome of the duel is decided, or is that too late? Do I have to play it before the duel starts?
  A: You cannot choose the timing for The Thriving Light: it can only be played "Before an action's resolution". If you play it, you cannot choose which honour gain or loss will be reduced. It will reduce the first honour gain or loss by 5 and no other.
  If your opponent uses Hamstrung's Focus Effect to try to gain honour (and no other gain or loss has occured first), The Thriving Light will reduce that gain to zero. If your opponent wins the duel, and would gain 2 honour from doing so (and no other gain or loss has occured first), The Thriving Light will reduce that gain to zero. If your opponent neither wins the duel nor focuses Hamstrung, your The Thriving Light will probably have been wasted. Alex Jones, "The Thriving Light + Hamstrung", 26 Mar 2010
• Q: My opponent (the attacker) plays deployed reinforcements. Can I play hamstrung... A) Immediately, choosing any personality (who may or may not be targeted by my opponent before battle resolution to move in)?
  A: Yes. Not only can you play Hamstrung then, you can only play Hamstrung then.
  Deployed Reinforcements only has delayed effects, so the action resolves (trigger for Hamstrung) before any of its effects happen. Zen Faulkes, "Deployed Reinforcements + Hamstrung", 21 Oct 2009
• Q: If I control a dishonorable personality in a duel and focus a Hamstrung, can I gain honor from the Hamstrung or just rehonor my personality from it?
  A: Hamstrung reads: Focus Effect: Lower this card's Focus Value by an amount from 0 to 4: Gain Honor equal to the amount it was lowered by.
  Honourable and Dishonourable includes: There are a number of ways to rehonor a dishonorable Personality. * Before a player gains Honor from an action or trait that targeted, came from, or was performed by one or more of his or her dishonorable Personalities, the Personality is rehonored and the player does not gain the Honor. * Before a player gains Honor from attaching a card ... * Before a player with one or more dishonorable Personalities in his or her army ...
  The second and third of these clearly aren't relevant. For first one, you're gaining honour from a Focus Effect, ie, from a trait on a Strategy card. It's not Performed (only actions are Performed), and it doesn't target your Personality, so this doesn't apply: you gain the honour as normal from Hamstrung and the Personality is not rehonoured. Alex Jones, "Rehonoring/Hamstrung", 4 Aug 2009
• Q: If my opponent is attacking with 2 provinces, 1 with Personality A, and 1 with Personality B. He plays Unpredictable Strategy targeting his 2 personalities. Can I play 2 copies of Hamstrung and have them both be successfully resolved?
  A: You can play both, but only the first is successful. After the first Reaction resolves (and they always resolve one at a time), the second has nothing to affect, as above. Zen Faulkes, "Hamstrung + Ring of the Void", 30 Jul 2009
• Q: A quick question: If I focus both Traditions of Steel and Hamstrung, I decide to reduce Hamstrung to 0, so that I gain 4 honor. What happens next?
  Will Traditions of Steel set Hamstrung back to 3: In which case I only gain 1 honor?
  Will Traditions of Steel Set Hamstrung back to 3: In which case I still gain the 4 honor?
  Will Traditions not work at all, and Hamstrung is sitting at 0?
  A: Hamstrung's Focus Effect reduces its focus value immediately, whereas Tradition of Steel's raises focus values as a delayed effect. Regardless of the order the Focus Effects resolve, Hamstrung's reduction happens before Tradition of Steel's raise: you gain 4 honour from Hamstrung, then its focus value is raised to 3. Alex Jones, "Traditions of Steel with Hamstrung", 1 Jul 2009
• Q: Hamstrung: Focus Effect: Lower this card's Focus Value by an amount from 0 to 4: Gain Honor equal to the amount it was lowered by.
  Ring of Fire: Focus Effect: You may give this card -2 Focus Value. If you do, after the duel ends, put this card into play if you won the duel during a battle.
  Changing Paths: Battle/Open: Target your unbowed Shugenja or Monk: Name a Ring. The next time this turn you would trigger its base trait that would put it into play from your hand, search your discard pile, then Fate deck, for that Ring. Show it. Put it into your hand. (You then have a chance to play it by its own text.)
  Q: If you decreased the focus value, on Hamstrung, by 2, would that allow you to use Changing Paths to search and play the Ring of Fire?
  [mod edit - thread title - LH]
  A: The Ring of Fire's requirement (for the purposes of Changing Paths) is that you focus the Ring of Fire.
  Focusing a card with a similar focus effect will not work for Changing Paths. Dan Jacobson, "Ring of Fire and Hamstrung's Focus Effects", 30 Jun 2009
• Q: If I use Hamstrung in a duel with a personality who has double chi, what happens first. Will the focus be raised to 8, then I can reduce it by 0-4, or do I have to reduce it and then double what is left?
  A: Double Chi doesn't double the Focus Value.
  http://rules.l5r.com/Legacy_Format_Changes_to_the_Current_Rulebook#Double_Chi: "When a Personality in a duel has the Double Chi keyword, the focus value of each of the Personality's focused cards is added twice instead of once to the Personality's duel resolution score."
  The tallying of scores happens in Step G of dueling. Focus Effects occur in Step F (see here). So, Hamstrung will have already been reduced (if at all) by the time it's counted (or counted twice, as for a Double Chi Personality). Brook Cunningham, "Hamstrung vs. Double Chi", 30 Dec 2008
• Q: If I have Mirumoto Yozo in a duel against Kakita Bob and I focus Unauthorised Duel (or any 1 or 2 focus card) and my opponent focuses Hamstrung. Before focus effects resolve I react with Mirumoto Yozo's action and reduce Hamstrung's focus value to 1 (Unautorised Duel's focus value).
  When focus effects then resolve can my opponent still choose to reduce Hamstrung's focus value by 4?
  If so, what effects would that cause? Does the card count as having -3 focus value? Does it count as 0 and no other negative effect?
  Thanks
  A: Your opponent can try to lower Hamstrung's Focus Value by 4, giving it a -4 penalty as the card's Focus Effect allows, but the stat itself would be considered 0 (as per step B below):
  http://rules.l5r.com/Card_features#General_rules_about_stats: "To get a stat's current value at any given time, do steps A through C, below:
  A: Apply all current bonuses and penalties. B: If the total is below 0, treat it as 0. (Does not apply to Family Honor, Honor Requirements, and stats with a + or – sign such as an Item’s Force and Chi stats.) C: If the total is less than a minimum or more than a maximum, treat it as the minimum or maximum."
  When the second part of the effect checks to see how much it was lowered by, it sees that it was 1 (thanks to your Yozo) and is now 0, so your opponent would gain 1 Honor. Brook Cunningham, "Mirumoto Yozo + Hamstrung", 20 Sep 2008