Mage Wars > Rules Discussion

Comprehensive Enchantment Transfusion Clarification

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keejchen:
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKE04]Enchantment Transfusion[/mwcard] (ET)

Hello to all gentlemages out there. I want to talk about a spell that has boggled the minds of both young and old mages. This thread is meant to clarify the limitations and possible interactions (combos) of Enchantment Transfusion. In my local gaming club, every time ET is cast, players start scratching their heads and confusion ensues (even for me!). Hopefully in the future I can link this thread to any new players and they will at least have the option of reading about all the capabilities of this spell in one thread, rather than having to browse the forum for individual rules clarifications, when deciding whether or not to include ET in a book.

There are already many rules threads about ET on the forum. I have skimmed most of them in order to put together this thread. Ideally, I want this to be a discussion thread that anyone can refer to, whenever there is a dispute over ET. If you come across this thread looking to settle an ET dispute, and you cannot find your answer here, then I encourage you to reply with your question, so that we may settle the dispute, and I will update this main post with the new answer.

The goal is only to clarify what the spell is capable of in RAW, and we will save the balance discussion for another thread.

To start off, I think it easiest to talk about the limitations of ET. I list these first because they will apply to all scenarios listed further below.

* As an enchantment, ET is a quick, range 0-2 spell and it will take up 2 mana. It may only target creatures.
* When you reveal ET, you may instantly move any enchantments you control (revealed or hidden) on the same creature, to a different legal target creature within range 0-2, paying mana equal to the level of the revealed enchantment(s) moved and 1 mana per hidden enchantment moved.
* When revealing ET, Line of sight (LoS) from the Mage to the creature is not required. But there must be LOS, from the creature with ET attached, to the creature receiving the enchantment(s).
* ET does not ignore the obscured trait.
* When you move and enchantment with ET, any enchantments attached to the moved enchantment(s) (arcane ward/decoy), are moved with it and preserved.
* Enchantments moved by ET does not trigger Nullify when attached to the new creature.
* Enchantments with ”once per round”-abilities (such as Akiro's Favor/Cobra Reflexes) have their own ready markers attached, they move with the enchantment(s) and remain ready/used when moved.
* Enchantments with dissipate markers will have the same amount of markers when attached to the new creature.
* And enchantments cannot affect an event that occurred before it was revealed (or before it was moved, in case of ET).The last limitation is ”when can an enchantment be revealed”. This is clarified in the Core Rulebook on page 18-19: http://www.arcanewonders.com/resources/Mage_Wars_Arena.pdf
What is worth noting here, is that enchantment reveals can only occur after a step or phase. It can never interrupt an initiated step. This is where I feel that mistakes are most commonly made. All steps and phases are detailed in the Core Rulebook.

Next comes the interesting part. With the above limitations in mind, what can ET actually do? The spell has many utilities. I will list all the interactions that I am aware of and have encountered so far. I encourage anyone to add to this list and correct any misconceptions. Hopefully this will help both you and I to better understanding ET.

Possible ET Interactions and Combos
For easier reference, the interactions will be listed by the phases or steps in which they are relevant to talk about.

ET and the Upkeep Phase:
Since enchantments can only be revealed after a step or phase, ET can not be revealed when a creature dies from effects applied during the Upkeep Phase (burn/rot/Ghoul Rot). This means that if you fear losing your ET and other enchantments during the Upkeep Phase, you should reveal ET after the Channeling Phase to move and save your enchantment(s).

Pillar of Righteous Flame:
You can now reveal enchantments during the Upkeep Phase since attacks have steps and the Pillar makes its attack during the Upkeep Phase. This does not change a lot, since you only get to reveal after the attack steps, but does open up for more interactions.

Revealing ET during a move action to restrict further actions:
Movement restricting spells (Enfeeble/Force Hold/Turn to Stone...):
Since ET can be revealed after any step (move actions have several steps), you can use it to move Enfeeble to the acting creature after the move, to immediately end its turn, or something restraining such as Force Hold to prevent further movement.
If you reveal or ET a restraining effect after the "Wall Attacks" step of a move, then you can damage the acting creature with the wall it is trying to walk through, after which it is held in the zone it was trying to leave, because the actual move step comes after wall attacks.
Note that in case of restraining effects, the affected creature may still perform a quick action, after being manipulated by your trickery.

Revealing ET after a ”Roll to Miss” step when your opponent is making an attack, to interrupt and counter the attack:
Forced reveal ”counter enchantments” (Block/Reverse Attack...):
If one of these spells are attached to a creature together with ET, and an opponent targets a second creature with an attack, you may reveal ET after the ”Roll to Miss” step for your opponent, to move your ”counter enchantment” to the target, and thus counter the attack. In case of an attack spell, this means that the spell is affected as normal (blocked or reversed) and the opponent loses any mana spent.

Defense enchantments (Force Sword/Force Orb/Cobra Reflexes...):
If one of these spells are attached to a creature together with ET, and opponent targets a second creature with an attack, you may reveal ET after the ”Roll to Miss” step for your opponent, to move your defense enchantment to the target, and then use the defense against the attack. In case of an attack spell, this means that the spell is affected as normal (defense is rolled) and the opponent loses any mana spent.

Using ET to maximize attack modifiers:
After the "Avoid Attack" step of an attack, you may reveal ET to move enchantments to the acting creature, giving it melee +X, piercing +X, charge +X, etc. If you do, these bonuses will apply to the attack roll. If you move the enchantments again later in the round, they may be used once more for the same bonuses on the new creature.
If you, after the first strike of a doublestrike, move any enchantments away with ET and then back to the same creature with another ET, then it may receive the bonuses again on the second attack.
Enchantments that penalize attacks (Agony, Deblilitate, Tangleroot), apply to all attacks by the affected creature, without need for ET.

Demonhide Mask and Demonic Link combo:
Demonic Link can normally not be cast on mages, but if you reveal ET during an attack, while wearing the Demonhide Mask thus gaining the demon trait temporarily, you may move Demonic Link to your mage.

Revealing ET after a ”Pay Cost” step when your opponent is casting a spell, to interrupt and counter the spell:
Forced reveal ”counter enchantments” (Nullify/Arcane Ward/Reverse Magic/Jinx/Mind Shield...):
If one of these spells are attached to a creature together with ET, and opponent targets a second creature, you may reveal ET after the ”Pay Cost” step, to move your counter enchantment to the relevant target, and counter the spell as normal. This means that the spell is countered, and the opponent loses any mana spent (except in case of Jinx or Arcane Ward that refund the mana).

Spells that targets one of your enchantments (Dispel/Disperse/Seeking Dispel/Reveal Magic...):
If another enchantment you control is targeted, and you also have ET attached to the creature in question, you may reveal ET after the opponents ”Pay Cost” step. Thus moving your enchantment before resolving the opponents spell, saving your enchantment from being affected and the opponent loses any mana spent.

Spells that remove many enchantments, without targeting enchantments (Purge Magic/Destroy Magic):
As with the example above, you can reveal ET after ”Pay Costs” to move and save your enchantments and the opponent loses any mana spent. If, however, you reveal ET to counter Destroy Magic, and you move the enchantments to a new creature in the same zone, the enchantment(s) will still be destroyed.

Spells that interact with Line of Sight (Lesser Invisibility/Blur):
If your opponent targets a creature with a spell, you may reveal ET after the opponents ”Pay Cost” step to move an enchantment that would cause LoS to be broken, and the spell is cancelled.
Note that this does not work against standard non-spell attacks, since LoS is only checked during the first step "Declare Attack" and you cannot interrupt an initiated step. You would have to move the LoS-breaking enchant before the attack is even declared.

Purify/Remove Curse:
There was a big discussion on Purify some time ago. Laddinface sums it up like this: ”Purify calculates it's cost when it resolves. In this case the X is just there to remind you that the spell could have a variable cost.”
This means that if you move enchantments away with ET after the ”Pay Cost” step, the opponent will not have to pay anything, though of course the spell is still lost. Remember that enchantments are still destroyed if you hold ET until after the ”Resolve Spell” step.
Please note that it was clarified that this is only true for Purify and Remove Curse, not other spells with X cost.

Healing spells and Poison blood:
As with examples above, you can reveal ET after ”Pay Costs”, but before the "Resolve Spell" step where healing dice are rolled, and in this case move a Poisoned Blood to the target, effectively countering the heal.

Destroyed creatures and ET:
Since enchantments cannot interrupt an event, it is not possible to reveal ET upon creature death. You must time your ET reveal to the step just before it dies. If for example a creature dies during the Upkeep Phase, ET cannot be revealed, and all enchantments are destroyed.
If a creature dies from an attack, you can reveal ET after the ”Roll Dice” step, to move your enchantments before the creature is damaged (objects and any attachments are discarded the instant they receive enough damage to be destroyed).

Rise Again/Second Chance:
Note that enchantments that trigger on destruction are also moved before the destruction and therefore cannot trigger if they are moved with ET.

Drown:
Drown is another example, suffocate markers move with Drown, but since Drown only applies its effect while attached to a creature, it is not possible to save Drown with ET when a creature would die due to dmg overflow caused by Drown. However, assume you hit a creature with enough damage to destroy it without the attached Drown, you could reveal ET after the "Roll Dice" step to save it.

Zuberi:
I really like this thread. You've done a remarkable job. I see only a few things that I feel may need corrected or clarified.

1. With the most recent Arena Rules, Move Actions now have steps and you can reveal enchantments after each of these steps. That means you can reveal as late as after the Walls step and still prevent them from successfully moving. A very mean trick if they were trying to go through a wall or suffered any Leaving Zone Effects, but even if it just interrupts their plans it's pretty cool.

2. When an object is destroyed, it is discarded immediately. You can't reveal Enchantment Transfusion on a creature after the damage and effects step if it was destroyed during that step. However, you can reveal after the Roll Dice step, when you see that it's about to be destroyed but haven't actually applied the damage yet.

3. I also feel like mentioning that you can wait longer than after the Declare Attack step to reveal ET and move enchantments that provide Defenses, like Block, Reverse Attack, and Cobra Reflexes. You can reveal these as late as after the Roll to Miss Step (When the attacker rolls for Daze).

keejchen:
Good points. Of course the timing with the steps is important, and the idea is to show off all the exploits in detail, so I will be changing the post according to your second and third point.

I wasn't entirely sure that the creature died in the damage and effects step, but that's mostly because the rulebook is vague about when it actually happens. I interpreted it as dying after the step.

You will have to redirect me to these new arena rules on movement steps. I am not sure I entirely understand your point. I think I do, but I hope that I don't, because it sounds really silly.

Edit: Ok, I found the movement rule and ofc you are correct. I guess we are interpreting it as "the creature walks into the thorns and takes damage, before then suddenly being pulled back by forcehold (or other restraining effect)". It makes sense in a roundabout way. I will add it in.

Schwenkgott:
Great overview. Finally we all can understand how this works :)

But one thing I am not so sure about:


--- Quote from: keejchen on September 13, 2016, 06:18:35 PM ---Furthermore, if you, after the first strike of a doublestrike, move any enchantments away with ET and then back to the same creature with another ET, then it may receive the bonuses again on the second attack.

--- End quote ---

This does not sound very realistic to me. A creature can only benefit from Cards like Bear Strength once per attack action. F.e. you can reveal the card for the first strike of an double strike attack or wait for the second strike. But receiving the bonus and then moving the card two times does not allow you to use the bonus once again in the same attack action.

Coshade:
This post should get pinned. There are a lot of players that are experienced that still do not know all the ways Enchantment Transfusion functions. The most common misconceptions I see is how it interacts with Nullify and Reverse Attack.

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