Intercept vs Guard

[Borg]

Mechanically, Intercept works exactly as I would intuitively expect it to work in MW.

You can target any creature with a ranged attack but a creature with Intercept and Guard can step into the line of fire and become the target of the ranged attack. It's an option, not a must.

I wonder why Guard does not work in a similar mechanical way for melee attacks.
Meaning : allow a creature to target any creature in its zone with a melee attack but a creature with Guard can step in between and become the target of the melee attack similar to how intercept works. Again : an option, not a must.

Imo, this way you would still have all the options you currently have but you would create more choices and eliminate some weird unlogical situations,

- You could still attack the Guard first to remove his Guard counter
- You can target another creature and see if the guard steps in or not
- You don't get into a strange situation where you want to attack with a Flame attack and the guard has Flame Immunity, meaning you can't target any creature at all

So, my questions
1- would the game be better if Guard worked like Intercept ( but for melee attacks ) ?
2- Do you see any problems if this were the case ?

[zot]

this was how we played originally when we were first learning the game.

[jacksmack]

Yes

Even the rulebook suggest that you remvoe guards with small creatures.

Big part of the game.

[keejchen]

Off the top of my head, I can not think of any reason why this would not work. It would be interesting to test.

One thing to consider is that this way guards might become more powerful. It gives the choice of who soaks the attack to the defender, rather than the attacker. On the other hand, that could easily be fixed, by ruling that if a guard is targeted, another guard can not step in. That way the attacker can single out and remove guards of his preference (just like they are required do in the current rules).

Also regarding the immunities, you would then have to consider whether a guard with immunity is allowed to step in against an attack of the immunity type. And then what happens?

[jacksmack]

It would make for some new situations with the Mandatory effects such as bloodthirsty and the various taunts.

Right now a creature under one of this effects is allowed to take another action than attacking if there is a non-damaged/non-taunter creature guarding.

So it would be a nerf to the bloodthirsty creatures that they are forced to attempt an attack at a wounded target and then recieve a hit from a big full hp guard without receiving the bloodthirsty benefits.

[Halewijn]

A way around this could be that the bloodthirsty/taunted attacker is forced to ask: "will your guard protect the wounded living creatures?"

Yes:
--> bloodthirsty attacker can choose another action and does not have to attack the guard (unless the guard itself is hurt too)

No:
--> Bloodthirsty/taunted attacker has to attack a wounded creature