After watching the GenCon video, I've got a question about a sequence that happened in it.

One player declares an attack, the other player plays an instant ability that has the effect "target ally can't attack this turn". So the attack is interrupted... but the first player still exhausts his ally afterwards in the video... Why? if the attack is stopped, why can't the ally stay ready? (anyway it wouldn't be able to attack that turn) 

It seems to me that they did it wrong. If the player was responding to the Proposal of the combat then the combat should have been stopped and the ally should still be ready. If he did it after the Ally exhausted then I don't think it should work, because at that point the Ally is already engage in the attack and it's too late to stop.

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No quote for you!

Because the "cost" of an attack is exhausting the attacker, even if that attacker is suddenly unable to attack (perhaps a shrub popped up suddenly), the Attack step will take place and the attacker will exhaust.

I'm not confident in this explanation, but I could see how this works.

You can play Frost Nova in response to one of the 4 steps in combat....

1) Propose Attack
2) Exhaust attacker
3) Defense (defender takes on state of becoming a "defender"
4) Damage

You can respond to any of those steps. (I was unclear on this at first as well.) And, it makes the most sense to wait until the attacker is exhausted, thus making your opponent waste his attack.

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886677:

Because the "cost" of an attack is exhausting the attacker, even if that attacker is suddenly unable to attack (perhaps a shrub popped up suddenly), the Attack step will take place and the attacker will exhaust.

I'm not confident in this explanation, but I could see how this works.

I see the exhausting as more of an effect than a cost.

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No quote for you!

996018:

886677:

Because the "cost" of an attack is exhausting the attacker, even if that attacker is suddenly unable to attack (perhaps a shrub popped up suddenly), the Attack step will take place and the attacker will exhaust.

I'm not confident in this explanation, but I could see how this works.

I see the exhausting as more of an effect than a cost.

It's a cost :)

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1114520:

996018:

886677:

Because the "cost" of an attack is exhausting the attacker, even if that attacker is suddenly unable to attack (perhaps a shrub popped up suddenly), the Attack step will take place and the attacker will exhaust.

I'm not confident in this explanation, but I could see how this works.

I see the exhausting as more of an effect than a cost.

It's a cost :)

Not really, because it's something that happens to the ally because of the Propose a combat step.

According to the definition of Attacker, a hero or ally becomes the attacker as it exhausts to attack. At this point is would seem impossible to stop the combat with the ability used in the demo.

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No quote for you!

I would agree with that! I don't find it logical to prevent the attack when damage is being calculated for instance...

1114520:

You can play Frost Nova in response to one of the 4 steps in combat....

1) Propose Attack
2) Exhaust attacker
3) Defense (defender takes on state of becoming a "defender"
4) Damage

You can respond to any of those steps. (I was unclear on this at first as well.) And, it makes the most sense to wait until the attacker is exhausted, thus making your opponent waste his attack.

Rulebook:

A. The Combat Step

In a basic combat, five things happen in order:

1. Propose: You choose a ready hero or ally in your party to be the proposed attacker and an opposing hero or ally to be the proposed defender.

2. Attack: Your proposed attacker exhausts (turns sideways) and attacks.

3. Defend: The proposed defender starts defending.
.
.
.

So, if you wait so play frost nova until after the opposing character is exhausted your nova will be wastet. Because the moment the attacker exhausts, he is considered to be "attacking".
If you are already attacking, an effect that says you may not attack this turn seems to be pointless, doesn't it?

teddy

yes i think thats the way it works to get most of your nova you have to play it after the proposal of the attack

You exhaust to propose to attack(step1)  if no response is made then you go into the attack which means after he exhausts you can respound with nova. The attack (step2) is stopped after you have exhausted.

pertty sure thats how it would go ..correct me if im wrong :P

Hi All,

Here's how it works:

1) You propose an attack between two characters. This puts a proposal effect on the chain. The attacker does not exhaust yet.

2) All players must pass before a combat step begins. This is the time to play Frost Nova if your goal is to stop the proposed attacker from attacking. As the Nova resolves, the proposed attacker takes 1 damage.

3) Then, as the proposal effect resolves, it rechecks the legality of the attack. Because the proposed attacker can no longer attack, the proposal fails. The proposed attacker does not exhaust and a combat step does not start.

4) The turn player gets priority, but can't propose another attack with the same character because it has been frozen.

Alternately, if Nova is not played in the above window, the proposal resolves successfully, the attacker exhausts, and a combat step starts. Playing Nova during this combat step will deal 1 damage to the attacker, but it won't "stop the attack" or anything like that because the attacker has already passed the legality check.

To clear up one other point, exhausting the attacker is not a "cost" of any kind.

Thanks,

PR

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paul_ross@upperdeck.com
UDE TCG Rules

Aye well i got off my lazy ass and looked it up in the rules too
quoted straight from the rule book..

1. The Combat Step
In a basic combat, five things happen in order:
1. Propose: You choose a ready hero or ally in your party to be the proposed attacker and an
opposing hero or ally to be the proposed defender.
2. Attack: Your proposed attacker exhausts (turns sideways) and attacks.
3. Defend: The proposed defender starts defending.
4. Damage: The attacker and defender deal combat damage to each other equal to their ATKs. This
is the only damage that counts as combat damage.
5. Conclude: The combat step ends.

So you would need to cast it after the proposed attack is resolved and before the attack proposed is resolved.  (as stated above :)  )

As for

To clear up one other point, exhausting the attacker is not a "cost" of any kind.

I think some people see it as a "cost" simply because you to exhaust which takes away the ability to use any other abilities on the card that require to exhaust. So techincaly you could view it as you paided the "cost" of exhausting to attack and now it cant be used to pay for its "exhaust" affect (if the card had one)

1120110:

Hi All,

Here's how it works:

1) You propose an attack between two characters. This puts a proposal effect on the chain. The attacker does not exhaust yet.

2) All players must pass before a combat step begins. This is the time to play Frost Nova if your goal is to stop the proposed attacker from attacking. As the Nova resolves, the proposed attacker takes 1 damage.

3) Then, as the proposal effect resolves, it rechecks the legality of the attack. Because the proposed attacker can no longer attack, the proposal fails. The proposed attacker does not exhaust and a combat step does not start.

4) The turn player gets priority, but can't propose another attack with the same character because it has been frozen.

Alternately, if Nova is not played in the above window, the proposal resolves successfully, the attacker exhausts, and a combat step starts. Playing Nova during this combat step will deal 1 damage to the attacker, but it won't "stop the attack" or anything like that because the attacker has already passed the legality check.

To clear up one other point, exhausting the attacker is not a "cost" of any kind.

Thanks,

PR

You know, with your forum ID you should close out each rulings post like:

"The Moorf has spoken.  Nyaaaaah."

5 points for anyone who knows what I'm referring to.

1120110:

Hi All,

Here's how it works:

1) You propose an attack between two characters. This puts a proposal effect on the chain. The attacker does not exhaust yet.

2) All players must pass before a combat step begins. This is the time to play Frost Nova if your goal is to stop the proposed attacker from attacking. As the Nova resolves, the proposed attacker takes 1 damage.

3) Then, as the proposal effect resolves, it rechecks the legality of the attack. Because the proposed attacker can no longer attack, the proposal fails. The proposed attacker does not exhaust and a combat step does not start.

4) The turn player gets priority, but can't propose another attack with the same character because it has been frozen.

Alternately, if Nova is not played in the above window, the proposal resolves successfully, the attacker exhausts, and a combat step starts. Playing Nova during this combat step will deal 1 damage to the attacker, but it won't "stop the attack" or anything like that because the attacker has already passed the legality check.

To clear up one other point, exhausting the attacker is not a "cost" of any kind.

Thanks,

PR

So in other words. If someone interrupts your attack with a frost or frost-like card your ally should remain ready but unable to atatck for this turn. This seems logical.