The Killing Grounds

Legend of the Five Rings card from Emperor Edition, Before the Dawn

Card Type

Strategy

Gold Cost

0

Keywords

Terrain

Card Text

After the first time, while this card remains in play, that a player passes instead of announcing a Battle action: He chooses and destroys one of his Personalities at the current battlefield.
Battle: If there are no Terrains at the current battlefield: Put this card into play there.

Focus Value

1

Legality

Age of Conquest (Emperor), Destroyer War (Celestial)

MRP

The Emperor Edition version of this card was an MRP in the starter decks.

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rules Q&A

• Q: This is in reference to and slightly repetitive of viewtopic.php?p=1334433#p1334433, but I'd like to make sure I understand correctly (and that a firm/direct ruling exists, as I intend to implement this strategy if my understanding is correct).
  If I'm ever in a situation where I "may" take an additional action, I can choose to not take that additional action. And if I choose to decline the additional action, my act of declining that extra action is NOT a "pass". The Killing Grounds wouldn't trigger, the phase wouldn't end if my opponent then passed, etc. Correct?
  Thank you!
  A: Note that if you pass a non-optional additional action (or if you choose to have an optional additional action and then pass), while you will trigger The Killing Grounds, you do not count as passing for determining the end of the action round. Only normal opportunities to take an action count for that, not additional ones. Alex Jones, "Not taking an action when you "may" take an additional one", 7 Mar 2013
• Q: In response to this thread: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=101268
  Your response makes it seem as though there are only two options: Use the additional action opportunity to play an action, or use the additional action opportunity to pass. But doesn't the wording "you MAY take an additional option" imply that I have the option as to whether the additional action ever happens? Any other "may do X" effect seems to work this way, either you do X or you decline doing X. For Awed Witness you either do create a 2/2 personality or you decline creating a 2/2 personality. For additional action cards you either do take an additional action or you decline taking an additional action. The difference in semantics between "passing" and "not taking the additional action" is relevant for The Killing Grounds.
  A: If the ability states "You may take an additional action to ...", then during the resolution of the action you must decide whether or not you wish to gain the additional action. If the ability states, "Take an additional action to ...", you always gain an additional action.
  In either case, the additional action happens after the original action has finished resolving (together with effects, triggered traits and Reactions triggered by this), and you still get the choice of taking an action or passing. If you pass, this will trigger The Killing Grounds; if the original action said "You may take" and you choose during its resolution not to gain the additional action, you do not get the opportunity here to take an action or pass and hence cannot trigger The Killing Grounds. Alex Jones, "Additional Actions", 15 Jan 2013
• Q: Does killing grounds affect the first person who passes, or everyone who passes?
  A: I'm not seeing how Jon's answer is in any way ambiguous. Alex Jones, "The Killing Grounds", 28 Feb 2012
• Q: We are having a problem agreeing on how The Killing Grounds work. Some of us think that you can pass once, but every time after that you pass you must destroy a personality. Others of us believe that the first person who passes must destroy a personality, but only the first time. How is this card supposed to be played?
  A: "After the first time", as this card is worded, can only happen once. Jon Palmer, "The Killing Grounds", 27 Feb 2012
• Q: Regarding the question in http://alderac.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=95893:
  The two terrains are MRPed in EE starters to have the updated text. Going from my deck lists (so pretty sure what actually made it into the starters. Haven't checked yet.) 2 Rocky Terrains in each of Lion, Crane, Mantis. 2 Killing Grounds in each of Unicorn, Scorpion, Phoenix
  [While we appreciate your wanting to help out a fellow player, Shunsuke, please only post questions or follow-up questions in this forum.
  The Reply feature is disabled here to discourage answering others' queries. -- MacBeth2001]
  A: Please see this announcement, point #2. Brook Cunningham, "BtD Terrains (Rocky Terrain and The Killing Grounds)", 24 Jan 2012