The Direct Approach

Legend of the Five Rings card from Path of the Destroyer

Card Type

Strategy

Gold Cost

0

Card Text

Open: Target a Personality: Give him -1F for each of his keywords other than Clan alignments. If his Force is now 0, he may not perform actions.

Focus Value

2

Legality

Destroyer War (Celestial)

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rules Q&A

• Q: Direct Approach & Arrival of the Obsidian Champion
  Today a friend of mine came up with a combo using these two cards. I have a hard time believing it works. Maybe you people can help us decide who's right.
  My friend has a Asako Bairei (Experienced 4) in play. He plays The Direct Approach on him and essentially makes him a zero (actually a -6). Then he plays Arrival of the Obsidian Champion on him and premanently sets his force to 10.
  My friend contends that at the end of the turn, when The Direct Approach wears off, the -9F penalty that was administered will disappear and be added back to Bairei's force total making him a 19F. This does not sound right to me at all.
  Wouldn't Arrival of the Obsidian Champion instantly negate the force penalty given by The Direct Approach?
  i3ullseye, feel free to jump in if I'm not wording the question or scenario correctly.
  A: This works.
  The reason people often don't think it works is because they think "setting" a stat to some value is different from a "bonus." It isn't. See: http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Card_features#S ... to_a_value
  viewtopic.php?f=59&t=62056 viewtopic.php?f=59&t=68696 Zen Faulkes, "Direct Approach & Arrival of the Obsidian Champion", 28 Mar 2011
• Q: (W)ill The Direct Approach prevent seppuku from Temple of Redemption?
  A: No. The Direct Approach concerns actions. Temple of Redemption does not have an action.
  Remember: Action = Limited, Open, Battle, or Reaction. Zen Faulkes, "Temple of Redemption + Direct Approach", 18 Mar 2011
• Q: If a personality can no longer perform actions due to The Direct Approach can he seppuku?
  A: If the rulebook reaction is used, yes.
  http://rules.l5r.com/CE_The_Player#Player_abilities: "(T)he Courtier or Samurai does not perform the seppuku, by the rules on performing." Zen Faulkes, "The Direct Approach and seppuku", 16 Nov 2010
• Q: I have 3 lions in play, one of them was targeted by The Direct Approach. My opponent has Mizuhiko basic in play, and declares an attack. As a Naval action, he attaches In Aikune's Name, and uses it, destroying the two samurai that could perform actions. Can I use Chugo Seido to redirect the targetting?
  A: Assuming all the "Lions" in question are samurai with no attachments...
  By targeting two Personalities, In Aikune's Name is targeting the "one" Personality required by Chugo Seido (http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Special_wording ... _of_things). So Chugo Seido is fine.
  The Direct Approach is irrelevant here as far as I can tell, since neither In Aikune's Name or Chugo Seido concerns performance. Zen Faulkes, "In Aikunes Name + Chugo Seido", 1 Jun 2010
• Q: this came up in a tournament today and i thought that the TO made the wrong ruling so i wanted to check and see.
  my hida tobashi with a follower got direct approached. then i assign him to the battlefield. my opponent has no one there. i use Obfuscation and attach a follower to him. the TO said that while Obfuscation itself isn't performed, it creates an attachment action that is performed. i looked at the l5r rules page and found this. the equip action is performed here but as a limited. i decided to go with it. but still i don't think he made the right ruling.
  is he right or am i right?
  here are the card texts:
  The Direct Approach Open: Give a target Personality -1F for each of his keywords other than Clan alignments. If his Force is now 0, he may not perform actions.
  Obfuscation Battle: Attach a target attachment from your hand or discard pile to your target Personality. You may take an additional action to use one of the attachment's base Battle abilities.
  thank you.
  btw, it was the last province and that player had crossed 40 honor so this ruling was going to win or lose me the game.
  A: Obfuscation's action is not performed at all, and part of the effects of that action include attaching an attachment.
  The Equip action from the Rulebook is a separate action entirely and has nothing to do with Obfuscation, other than that they have a similar effect in common. Brook Cunningham, "Obfuscation vs the direct approach", 16 May 2010
• Q: It was my understanding that card effects without any stated duration, such as Force bonuses and penalties, last until the end of the turn. Am I correct?
  A: Yes, you are correct.
  http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Effects#Ongoing_effects: "Ongoing effects last until the end of the turn in which they were applied unless otherwise indicated." Brook Cunningham, "The Direct Approach and Duration", 6 Apr 2010
• Q: Thank you for your answer in advance.
  A: Happy to help. Brook Cunningham, "The Direct Approach and Duration", 6 Apr 2010
• Q: IF my opponent has only 5 personalities (or only 5 legal targets for United) in play, and i Direct Approach one of them, can he not play United, since all of them are performing the action and one of them cannot perform actions?
  United: Battle/Open: Target five of your non-Shadowlands Personalities, no two of whom share a Clan alignment: Give each of them +4F. Negate their movement home from other players' actions until the turn ends.
  The Direct Approach: Open: Give a target Personality -1F for each of his keywords other than Clan alignments. If his Force is now 0, he may not perform actions.
  A: Assuming that The Direct Approach reduces that personality's force to 0, you are correct, that personality may not be one of the 5 personalities that perform United. Dan Jacobson, "United and The Direct Approach", 18 Feb 2010
• Q: First the cards: The Direct Approach : Open: Give a target Personality -1F for each of his keywords other than Clan alignments. If his Force is now 0, he may not perform actions.
  Chuda Atsuro: 3 Force - 4Chi Spider Clan • Shadowlands • Shugenja After Atsuro enters play: Lose 4 Honor. Maho Reaction: After Atsuro enters play from a province: Create a 2F/2C/0PH Shadowlands • Undead Personality.
  Now the facts: The other player attaches a spell on a naked Atsuro, let's say a Touch of death. I play a Direct approach and target Atsuro.
  And the question: Can Atsuro perform Touch of Death or any other Action? I keep telling my buddy he can't because Atsuro is "Shadowlands", "Shugenja" and "Maho". Am I right?
  A: You are correct.
  http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Card_features#Abilities: "A card has any keywords of its abilities. Example: A card with the ability “Ninja Battle:” has the Ninja keyword." Brook Cunningham, "The Direct Approach and keywords", 13 Feb 2010
• Q: During the Limited phase I target Phoenix shugenja X with The Direct Approach, which reduces their Force to 0, thusly preventing them from performing actions. In the subsequent Attack phase, my opponent has Asako Misako at home and uses her ability, targeting the shugenja that had been previously targeted with Direct Approach. Can the Shugenja in the battle be targeted using Misako's ability?
  A: No.
  The shugenja targeted by the ability are between the colons of the ability, which means they perform the action.
  Also, "may not" means they can't be legally picked at all, rather than targeting them and the action being negated.
  http://rules.l5r.com/CE_FAQ#What_performs_an_action.3F Zen Faulkes, "Direct Approach + Asako Misako", 29 Nov 2009