Offices of the Emerald Magistrates

Legend of the Five Rings card from The Harbinger

Card Type

Holding

Gold Cost

2

Card Text

w: Produce 2 Gold.
Reaction: When paying the Gold cost of an action on a Strategy, if you control a Magistrate, produce 2 Gold which may only pay for that action.

Legality

Destroyer War (Celestial)

Deck

Dynasty

Printings

Rules Q&A

• Q: So I saw this ruling. I don't believe the previous rulings for Ring of Water/Ring of Void can be applied here.
  The text of Offices of the Emerald Magistrates specifically says an action "on" a strategy, rather than the "from" phrase used on the Rings.
  From the Glossary
  On An ability, a trait or a keyword on a card is one either printed on the card, or granted to it by some effect.
  The ability granted to the player is not on Southern Blockade (as an ability), It is granted to the player, by Southern Blockade. Therefore it is "From" and also an "Effect" of Southern Blockade, but not an ability "On" Southern Blockade. Thus doesn't apply to the Gold Generation Ability (the Reaction) of Offices of the Emerald Magistrates which is looking for an ability "On" a strategy. Otherwise "From" and "On" are redundant terms in the glossary and we should get rid of one of them to avoid this sort of confusion.
  Believe me I wish it were otherwise, but the rules just don't say that.
  A: On An ability, a trait or a keyword on a card is one either printed on the card, or granted to it by some effect.
  From The source is the card that the effect, action or targeting is printed on, or the rulebook if it is printed there. There are three exceptions: ... 3. Costs and effects of traits and abilities given to other cards, copied from other cards, or on created cards, come from the card they are currently on.
  The ability granted to the player by Southern Blockade is "on" Southern Blockade, and the action is "from" Southern Blockade. Alex Jones, "Offices of the emerald magistrates and Southern Blockade", 28 Apr 2011