Comparing Target and Obstacle Strength
Last updated 10/7/2026
Judgment starts with two declared roles: the selected target (Yong Shen) and the element that controls it (Ji Shen, “obstacle” in this course). Do not choose a new dramatic line at this stage.
Preserve both levels
For comparison exercises, this course maps detailed line levels into broader categories. This is an explicit UAYA teaching convention, not a received rule:
| Line level | Comparison tier |
|---|---|
| Very strong | Very strong |
| Strong | Strong |
| Moderate | Strong |
| Weak | Weak |
| Very weak or Month-Broken | Very weak |
| Void or no identified obstacle line | No comparison category |
Because different states collapse into the same tier, the comparison record must keep both the tier and the original flags.
Comparison record
| Role | Position/element | Original state | Comparison tier | Adjustments with provenance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| target | ||||
| obstacle |
An adjustment is retained only when a cited rule or a complete reader-facing course calculation shows how it reaches that exact role. Do not convert general chart activity into an adjustment.
Bounded comparison exercise
Example type: invented qualitative inputs; no source case or outcome.
Assume the preceding worksheets record a moving Yin Wood target as strong and a declared Shen Metal obstacle as Void. Apply only the complete category table above: strong remains strong, while Void becomes no comparison category.
Record:
| Role | Original state | Base tier |
|---|---|---|
| target, Yin Wood | strong; moving | strong |
| obstacle, Shen Metal | Void | no comparison category |
Record any San He or transformed-line observation beside the base states, but do not let it change a comparison tier unless a cited rule or a completely stated reader-facing course rule supplies that exact category change. If no such rule is available, retain the observation and mark its effect unresolved.
Stop contrast
Example type: invented exercise.
If two unresolved Metal candidates could carry the obstacle role and their states differ, do not select the one that creates a cleaner comparison. Return to the selection record or mark obstacle unresolved; judgment stops.
Trap and stopping condition
- Do not compare the target with the whole chart.
- Do not call “no comparison category” literal nonexistence.
- Do not hide a moderate→strong or Month-Broken→very-weak collapse.
- Stop when either role, its state, or an applied adjustment lacks provenance.
Source note
Role derivation follows the reader-facing Target Relationship Map. The complete six-row category map and two-row worksheet above are explicit UAYA teaching conventions, not received doctrine or a probability model.
Next, apply the complete course comparison table or abstain: The Outcome Rules.