Stand Against the Waves

Legend of the Five Rings card from Gold Edition, Crimson and Jade, Pearl Edition, Celestial Edition 15th Anniversary, Gathering Storms, Three Dynasties

Card Type

Strategy

Gold Cost

0

Card Text

Battle: If each unit in your current army has at least one Follower: The enemy leader must target and bow a number of Personalities without Followers in his current army equal to the number of units in your army. If he is unable do so, this action bows all Personalities without Followers in his army.

Focus Value

3

Legality

Clan Wars (Imperial), Four Winds (Gold), Hidden Emperor (Jade), Shattered Empire, Three Dynasties

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rulings

• The attacker / defender may bow allied units. [FAQ] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 34
• Initially targets another player, not their cards (Card text). May be played if you are a Yodin Sensei player, but if played against you in a multi-player game, you may not bow allied Personalities. [JA, 4 December 2001] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 34
• The first effect always occurs (or attempts to) and always targets Personalities (i.e., Reactions to an action targeting a Personality are always playable). It does not sometimes skip to the second, untargeted effect. [JA, 18 December 2001] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 34
• Q: Does Stand Against the Waves target Personalities? Can it be canceled by something like the Asako Towers or Flee the Darkness? A: Stand Against the Waves targets either the Attacker or the Defender, as appropriate, and then forces that player to at least try to target some of the Follower-less Personalities in his or her army, even if that player doesn't have enough to bow for the first part of Stand's effect. Reactions that respond to targeting Personalities can be played at this point. That includes the Towers of the Asako and the latest printing of Flee the Darkness. Legend of the Five Rings FAQ, May 21, 2003, p. 10
• Q: Can I target any opposing player with Stand Against the Waves, or just the main Attacker/Defender? What if no one player controls enough bowable units, but there are enough in the army as a whole? A: Stand Against the Waves always gets played against either the Attacker or the Defender, but he can bow any Follower-less units on his side that he wants, no matter who they belong to. Legend of the Five Rings FAQ, Version 3.6.2, May 1998, p. 9

Rules Q&A

• Q: Stand Against the Waves doesn't target. You opponent must bow as many of his peeps as you have in your army (assume your army meets the requirements for playing Stand). There is no instance when the opponent targets his peeps. Even if he only has one guy, he's not targeting and bowing that guy. He's bowing as many peeps as I have with Followers. Or everyone.
  If Stand Targets, please explain to me that logic?
  A: The first effect targets because there are potential choices involved. At this point, even if it cannot be fully completed, it can be responded to by Reactions to targeting.
  If the targeted effect cannot bow a sufficient number of Personalities, the second, untargeted effect occurs as well. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 22 March 2004", 23 Mar 2004
• Q: 4. Tattoo of the Void vs Stand Against the Waves Relevant text on Tattoo of the Void: For the rest of the game, the Personality has a Tattoo of the Void, may not be targeted with actions while he or she is in an army unless the action's player discards a card as an additional cost of the action, and does not cout towards whether his or her controller has units in a battle. Situation: A battle is underway. My opponent and I each have 3 units in the battle. All of my opponent's units have followers and none of mine do. 2 of my units (A & B) are led by personalities who have a Tattoo of the Void. My opponent plays Stand, after playing Stand he has only 1 card left in hand. Question: Is the targetting of Stand sequential or simultaneous?
  A: Sequential.
  *However*, this does not save your units from the Stand. When your opponent plays the Stand, he has the option of discarding cards to meet the additional cost. If they choose not to discard the cards, you cannot target your Void Tattooed personalities with Stand - the action is *not* canceled. So, you are unable to target your personalities with the Stand, and they then become bowed by the second, untargeted effect. Vaughn Derderian, "Post for July 15th, 2003", 15 Jul 2003
• Q: Can I select Ishi as one of the guys who gets bowed but have him end up not being bowed because of his trait?
  A: Yes. Rules Archive, Targeting (http://www.legendofthefiverings.com/rulings#Target). Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 1 July 2003", 2 Jul 2003
• Q: Jeff,
  Per your ruling, Stand Against the Waves targets personalities. I wanted to know why stand targets, but Imp Census/Peasant Revolt do not.
  A: To start with, here's the text from Stand Against the Waves:
  You may play this card only if you have units in this battle and each Personality in your army has Followers. Battle: Your opponent must bow as many Personalities in his or her army who have no Followers as you have units in your army. If he or she cannot do so, bow all opposing Personalities without Followers.
  Why does Stand always target? Because the first effect of the Battle action always happens, even if the second part is guaranteed to happen, too. So, after Stand is played, you first force your opponent to target and bow X personalities. Then, you create a second, usually pointless effect that bows all the opposing personalities without Followers. So, that said... Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for June 11th - Part One!", 11 Jun 2003
• Q: * Akodo Rokuro: the opponent plays a Stand Against the Waves, Rokuro can only save one Personality from bowing, right? Also, against a Block Supply Lines or Tsudao's Favor, he can use his ability, right? But then, it only keeps the Personality unbowed - the rest of the unit is bowed, right?
  A: Right, right, right. Jeff Alexander, "post for 19 May 2003", 21 May 2003
• Q: I had two units in a battle without followers defending against a personality with a follower. I bow his follower (Yogo) then straighten using inner fire. He plays Stand Against the Waves. Can I bow the guy I straightened with inner fire?
  A: No. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 10 April 2003", 11 Apr 2003
• Q: 1) With Stand Against the Waves, is all targeting simultaneous?
  A: All the targeting is done before any of the bowing is. Jeff Alexander, "post for 17 March 2003", 18 Mar 2003
• Q: This may have been covered already, but if it was I missed it. Can Yoritomo Soetsuko use her reaction when the card effect that is bowing her target is also bowing her (for example, Stand Against the Waves)?
  A: Since she uses her Reaction "before" the bowing happens, yes. [card text] Jeff Alexander, "post for 19 December 2002", 20 Dec 2002
• Q: If all my personalities with attached followers are bowed in battle, let's say 3, can I play Stand and bow 3 of my opponents personalities, assuming he has 3 unbowed? How about if I only have 1 bowed peep, does it ever target any of my personalities?
  A: Stand Against the Waves does not target its player's own Personalities. It does not count only unbowed units, nor do you need to control all unbowed units in order to play it. Jeff Alexander, "post for 4 December 2002", 5 Dec 2002
• Q: OK, someone just brought up a question that none of us can agree on, so I thought I would try for an official answer. Here's the situation:
  I attack with 2 units with followers. My opponent defends with 5 peeps without followers. I play Stand. He bows 2 peeps and passes. I play a second Stand. Now, what happens?
  A)He bows two more people (my answer) B)He choses to "bow" the two guys who are already bowed since its not his action who's doing the targeting and my actions can target his bowed cards.
  A: He has to choose two more unbowed Personalities to bow. Jeff Alexander, "post for 12 November 2002", 13 Nov 2002
• Q: 2- Can Agasha Hamanari cancel a Stand Against the Waves if it is effecting everyone in his army? If yes, why? as it doesn't seem to be an action that effects the battle itself.
  A: Read the card:
  "When a player plays an Action card from his or her hand that targets you, your cards, or your tokens (or, if Hamanari is in a battle, that affects the battle, such as a Terrain), bow Hamanari to cancel the action."
  Stand Against the Waves targets you (and your cards), and Hamanari cancels cards as soon as they're played. He can stop it. Jeff Alexander, "post for 23 September 2002", 25 Sep 2002
• Q: If I play Mushin, then in the first action play Blackened Sky: Is the first Ranged Attack considered as the second action of Mushin or can I play then (after the ranged attacks) another action, let´s say Stand Against the Waves?
  A: Blackened Sky gives you a brand new set of extra actions that happen after Mushin's first extra action but before its second. You still get one action after Blackened Sky ends. Jeff Alexander, "post for 5 August 2002", 6 Aug 2002
• Q: I recall a brief period of time recently when there may have been a ruling that you may not target your bowed personalities with your cards, but that you could (because of a minor change in the way the rulebook was worded) target your personalities with other players' cards (Stand Against the Waves, Encircled Terrain played by an opponent, etc.).
  Because I recently lost all my Dark Allies rulebooks (don't ask) and A Furry Oni is the rulebook currently available at http://l5r.alderac.com, could Zen or Dave please confirm or deny the ruling-ness of this, um, ruling? Can you target your bowed personalities with other players cards?
  A: You may target your own bowed Personalities with other players' actions. [p. 46] Jeff Alexander, "post for 30 July 2002", 31 Jul 2002
• Q: Help!
  I keep looking at this card, my intuition tells me it is a good one, but I can't for the life of me figure it out. Reading it over and ver I deduce that my opponent must bow as many peeps with no followers as I have, and if he can't he, all opposing peeps get bowed.
  A: Not all opposing, just all opposing with no Followers. It's to avoid people saying, "Well, I have to bow four, but I only have two, so since I can't bow four I don't have to do anything." (The card is from before the era where the All Cards Resolve As Thoroughly As Possible rule came into full force.) Jeff Alexander, "post for 1 July 2002", 2 Jul 2002
• Q: Can Flee the Darkness cancel Stand Against the Waves (in whole or in >part)? Stand is a Battle action. If it targets one or more of your Personalities, Flee can cancel it.
  I distinctly remember it being ruled that Stand Against the Waves does not target and as such could not be canceled by Asako Tower, Flee the Darkness etc....
  has this now changed.
  A: It has not "now" changed. It changed December 18, 2001.
  "The first effect always occurs (or attempts to) and always targets Personalities (i.e., Reactions to an action targeting a Personality are always playable). It does not sometimes skip to the second, untargeted effect. [JA, 18 December 2001]" Jeff Alexander, "post for 12 June 2002", 13 Jun 2002
• Q: Two quick questions,
  Can Flee the Darkness cancel Stand Against the Waves (in whole or in part)?
  A: Stand is a Battle action. If it targets one or more of your Personalities, Flee can cancel it. Jeff Alexander, "post for 10 June 2002", 11 Jun 2002
• Q: Can you play Stand Against the Waves or Wall of Steel in a battle where you have no personalities, but do have a card like Garrison that counts as a unit?
  A: No, because the Garrison does not meet the requirements for those actions. Unless you know how to put Followers or Weapons on the Garrison so you can legally play those actions. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 28 April 2002", 28 Apr 2002
• Q: When a card refers to "your army" (e.g. Prepared for the Enemy, Stand Against the Waves) does it mean "the entire attacking or defending army (allies included) of which you are part," or does it mean "just your units in the army of which you are part?"
  A: The former. [AOF rulebook p. 70] Jeff Alexander, "post for 4 February 2002", 5 Feb 2002
• Q: Greetings,
  Question 1) Suppose my opponent attacks with two personalities and I defend with one I Block Supply Lines on personality A and he responds with Test of Courage. He passes. I then play Stand Against the Waves. Can he choose to bow the personality that was Tested? (In other words, is selection of a personality to bow from *my* Stand counted as targeting with an action)
  A: It is counted. He can't select that Personality. But don't forget that if he can't target the required number of Personalities, SAtW then creates a non-targeted effect which bows all of them. Jeff Alexander, "replies to 15-20 July", 26 Jul 2001
• Q: A Tested personality cannot be targeted by its controller with any actions, even actions controlled by your opponents.
  To be sure, then: KK Journal, the results of A Test of Courage, and Isawa's Helm will now all definately protect (in their own ways) against Stand Against the Waves?
  A: Yes, but the only one of those that's new in Gold is Test of Courage. Also note that all this stuff about protection from Stand due to targeting goes out the window if he has more personalities with followers than you do personalities in your army. In that case, Stand is *not* targeted, and all of your guys (even those with targeting protection) without followers are bowed. Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for July 25th", 25 Jul 2001
• Q: Greetings,
  Question 1) Suppose my opponent attacks with two personalities and I defend with one I Block Supply Lines on personality A and he responds with Test of Courage. He passes. I then play Stand Against the Waves. Can he choose to bow the personality that was Tested? (In other words, is selection of a personality to bow from *my* Stand counted as targeting with an action)
  A: Yes. A Tested personality cannot be targeted by its controller with any actions, even actions controlled by your opponents. Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for July 23rd", 23 Jul 2001