Plans Within Plans

Legend of the Five Rings card from Emperor Edition, Diamond Edition, Time of the Void, Promotional–CWF

Card Type

Strategy

Gold Cost

0

Card Text

Open: At your next opportunity to take an Open action, you may instead take a Limited action.

Focus Value

1

Legality

Age of Conquest (Emperor), Clan Wars (Imperial), Hidden Emperor (Jade), Rain of Blood (Diamond)

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rules Q&A

• Q: 1) If I play Plans Within Plans, MUST I use my next opportunity to play an open action or can I wait until my oppenent has taken a few more limited actions and then use one of mine.
  A: "At your next opportunity to take an Open action, you may instead take a Limited action." [card text]
  You can't do it later. It's your next opportunity, or never. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 6 Feb. 2004", 7 Feb 2004
• Q: A question to kinda compound someone's question from last week about Plans Within Plans and Ambush. If this happens:
  I play Plans Within Plans. My opponent Ambushes my Personality Bobby with his personality Freddy. As my first opportunity to play a Limited action, I choose to use the ability off of the Shiro Matsu stronghold.
  Would Bobby or Freddy be able to assign to battles during this made-up attack phase? If so, would anything that happens to them during the attack phase affect the original Ambush (like, being sent home, being bowed, etc). If not, could they somehow be assigned to attack with a card effect that moved them into a battle?
  A: Bobby and Freddy can only be in one place. If they move or assign anywhere, they leave the Ambush battle. If something stops them from leaving it, they can't move or assign. Jeff Alexander, "post for 25 March 2003", 26 Mar 2003
• Q: Now, if the sword were unattached and reattached (something currently done only in Open, with Plans Within Plans and a Courier to avoid bowing the personalities involved), then the bonus would be re_applied_ to the new personality, and thus defeat ISotF. Correct?
  A: The Celestial Sword would have to be transferred from an appropriately aligned Clan Personality, to a non-Clan Personality, then back to an in-Clan Personality for the bonus to be reapplied. The bonus exists whenever the Celestial Sword controlled by a Personality of the appropriate Clan, and there's no moment when it is *not* controlled by a Personality when you transfer an item. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 2-7 August 2001", 9 Aug 2001
• Q: Two questions:
  1.) If my opponent has a resolved Disgrace active, I am unable to play Plans Within Plans during his action phase and use a limited action (say Ambush), targeting one of his personalities, correct?
  and....
  2.) If the answer to 1 is no (as I believe it is), how does that follow from this ruling? Would it be because Plans says you may take a limited action, whereas Beyond the Line has you using a limited/open ability as another type of action? Or am I completely off-base and Plans will let you get around an active Disgrace
  A: 1) No, Plans Within Plans will not let you get around Disgrace with an Ambush on your opponent's turn.
  2) Exactly for the reasons you seem to be thinking. PwP doesn't turn "Ambush" into an "Open" action, but an action with two designators is only considered to be ONE of those types, based upon when it is taken. Brook Cunningham, "Plans Within Plans & Disgrace", 27 Apr 2013
• Q: Are the Player Abilities considered to be printed separately for each Player? If during Player A's turn Player B uses Plans Within Plans and then "Political Limited: Discard the Imperial Favor and a card: Draw a card. ", can Player A use that same ability if he takes the Favour in the same turn?
  A: For the purposes of Rulebook actions, each player is considered to have a separate copy of each ability. Dan Jacobson, "Each Player using the same Player Ability", 8 Feb 2010
• Q: 4: Can I play Plans Within Plans during Battle (I would think not since it doesnt satisfy relevence. and if you can play it during battle please explain why.)
  A: It does not meet Relevance. Martin Lund, "A Few Questions", 11 Apr 2005