Pocket-Reveal 'Falcon Precision' to negate 'Symbiotic Orb' after orb-cost paid?

[Arkdeniz]

@Arkdeniz: I am sorry that this makes you uncomfortable, but your interpretation is indeed wrong. It's even wrong for Academy, as far as I can see. I am less well versed on Academy rules, but as far as I can tell there is no rule like you imagine that limits defenses to only happening during the Avoid Attack step. Even if there was, the text on the card always overrides general rules and both Jade Gremlin and Symbiotic Orb say that they happen "when attacked". Which means at the end of the Declare Attack step in both Academy and in Arena. If it was meant to happen during the Avoid Attack step, then it would say that.

It hasn't been my interpretation in practice - my group has played it differently again (see above). But topics like this always make me get the rulebooks out for a closer read and get me thinking, which is always fun.

But on reflection I do not agree with your last sentence. ("If it was meant to happen during the Avoid Attack step, then it would say that.")

I would agree with you if we were talking about Arena cards. Block, for instance, clearly states that its Defense power takes effect in the Avoid Attack step. I cannot find any Arena card that does not state the specific steps in which its effect is used.

(BTW: If you can find any Arena cards that have a flat statement of "when this creature is attacked" that does not go on to state a specific step for its effect then you can reveal that card now and not bother reading further - your point will be made.)

Only Academy cards have the phraseology "when attacked" without adding any specificity. This makes me suspect something is up with that ruleset. 

Academy cards are intended to crossover between the two rulesets. And because Academy has a "Defense Step" as its equivalent to "Avoid Attack" (Oh I wish they had kept the same terminology!), the card could not give more details lest they confuse the player base. Say "in the Defense Step" and confuse Arena players; say "in the Avoid Attack step" and confuse Academy players. Say "in the Defense Step or in the Avoid Attack Step" and confuse both groups! So the cards say nothing at all, which opens it up for interpretation.***

And I don't think your interpretation is necessarily right.

If you look at it a little closer, you find that "When attacked" does not always and cleanly mean "the end of the Declare Attack step" as you say it does. The aforementioned Block, for instance, reads "when this creature is attacked, you must reveal Block during the Avoid Attack step." If you are right about the meaning of "when attacked", then Block's text will translate as "at the end of the Declare Attack step, you must reveal Block during the Avoid Attack step", which is clearly unworkable gibberish.

So for Block, and other Arena cards like it, the "when this creature is attacked" phrase must refer to the continuum that is the whole attack sequence, (and is amended by subsequent detail).

I can't possibly conceive that the intention is different for Academy and its cards, but Academy repeatedly fails to include the necessary detail.

Finally, I go back to the word Defense. Unless you can point me at chapter and verse that says Defenses can occur at different times in the attack sequence, all I see in the rulebooks, the codex and supplements is that Defenses (in both rulesets) are exclusively discussed in terms of their use in the Avoid Attack/Defense steps of the two games.

Which is why I have to conclude that when Academy cards refer to Defense, then the effect takes place in the Avoid Attack step. 


*** Academy has the same problem for cards whose effect cancels attacks (rather than avoids them through Defenses). Compare Academy's Repulsion Field ("When this creature is attacked you must reveal Repulsion Field. Cancel the attack.") with Arena's Helm of Fear ("whenever this mage is attacked, at the beginning of the Declare Attack step... That attack is cancelled"). 


Whether I convince you or not on all of this, I think Academy's designers missed a trick when they decided to use different terminology than Arena's for steps in the attack sequence, and a second trick when they did not include on the cards specifics on the step for each effect, as Arena cards have.  I would urge greater care in future.   

[Zuberi]

You are correct that the card is specifically worded the way it is to help it be compatible with both versions of the game. That doesn't change my point or the results of its writing.

I could point you back to the rulebook, but I feel like that is wasted effort at this time. What really matters is the Magic Rule. Card text overrides general rules. So we could argue about how the rules don't limit Defenses to a specific step, but it doesn't matter because even if they did (they don't) the text on the card would still break that rule.

When attacked means when you are the target of an attack. It's very clear and clean. With Block, it reads that when you are the target of an attack, you reveal Block during the Avoid attack step (so you don't reveal it when you're the attacker, for example). Dodge reads that when you are the target of an attack, you must reveal Dodge. Immediately. So, when do you become the target of an attack? At the end of the Declare Attack step. If you have to do something immediately upon being attacked, then that's the time it happens.

[Kharhaz]

@Zuberi, 100% right on this one. Page 2 is the bit about the magic rule for those interested.

However, fun Devil's advocate time

page 23,
During step 4 :

"Important: The defender must decide whether to use a Defense (see “Defenses” page 24) before the attacker proceeds to the next step and rolls the dice. "

That line requires me the attacker to ask if the defender plans to use a defense. If you refuse then one could make the argument that you have forfeited the opportunity to use a defense for the sequence???

Also the "counts as a defense" bit is very important regarding the "can only use one defense per attack" rule. So you can't roll a defense, not succeed and then sym orb as insurance.

[DaveW]

It sounds like the way to do it, then, is to reveal the Falcon Precision prior to activating the creature that will be making the attack.

[Arkdeniz]

I'll accept the will of the council on this one.

But...

Does anyone closer to AW than I am have any thoughts on why during the design of Academy it was decided that there would be no guidance on any of the cards about which steps the cards' effects would happen, when this is/was standard practice on Arena cards. 

[exid]

Also the "counts as a defense" bit is very important regarding the "can only use one defense per attack" rule. So you can't roll a defense, not succeed and then sym orb as insurance.

i'm affraid i missed that... i use academy's defences after the declaration step and arena's defences during the avoid step, but i must remember i can't use both on the same attack...

Does anyone closer to AW than I am have any thoughts on why during the design of Academy it was decided that there would be no guidance on any of the cards about which steps the cards' effects would happen, when this is/was standard practice on Arena cards. 

as often, official rulling would be helpfull!
i think it's very difficult to build cards for a game. building cards for 2 games, thinking of all the cross effects, is perhaps too much.

[Zuberi]

For every Academy set other than the core set, I’ve helped write the cards. You can find my name listed as a “design consultant” (Ivan Kidd). So I’m about as official as you can get on that question, even though I’m not actually an employee and don’t speak for the company (disclaimers blah blah blah).

Basically, you already hit on the answer earlier when you corrected something I had said in a rush. These cards are designed to be compatible with two different games. Therefore we can’t mention or make use of anything that’s only in one of the games. We will and do mention when things happen, including mentioning the steps they happen in, but we also have to work within design constraints such as this.

For example, several Academy cards have effects during the counterstrike step. That’s a specific step we can mention as it is in both games. Many of those though aren’t something we would choose to put in the counterstrike step if they were Arena only, being more akin to a damage barrier, but Academy doesn’t have damage barriers so we couldn’t use that.

Since Academy doesn’t have an Avoid Attack step and Arena doesn’t have a Defense step, you’ll never see these mentioned on an Academy card. That doesn’t change the fact that the cards do tell you when to use them. The reason we have you use them at the end of the Declare Attack step may be due to compatibility, but that is still what we mean when we say “when attacked do this”.

[Arkdeniz]

Righto. Thanks Zuberi. I was not aware that your involvement had been as close as that.

Any insight on why Academy didn’t run with the same terminology as Arena for the Avoid Attack/Defense step? I seen o practical difference between them.

[Zuberi]

Yeah, I don't throw that out too often. Saying "this is how it works, because I helped write it" feels cheap and dishonest, just shutting down the conversation. I feel it should be explainable purely within the context of the rules you have available to you. And also, since I'm not an Arcane Wonders employee, I don't typically feel I have the right to claim to be some kind of authority.

Unfortunately I don't have any insight into that decision. Both because I wasn't a part of the decision, and also because I'm under an NDA which I probably toe the line of more often than I should already. That's the real problem with my status as a non-employee. Even if I know the official answer, I don't have the authority to disclaim it. I feel like my previous comment was safe because everyone knows the cards are designed with both games in mind. But if it's not already public knowledge (at least arguably so), I'm not going to be able to answer your questions.

[exid]

Yeah, I don't throw that out too often. Saying "this is how it works, because I helped write it" feels cheap and dishonest, just shutting down the conversation. I feel it should be explainable purely within the context of the rules you have available to you. And also, since I'm not an Arcane Wonders employee, I don't typically feel I have the right to claim to be some kind of authority.

it's important to discuss and question rules interpretation, but when we have turned it inside down and upside out, i think it's good to have clear shut.
thank you to have say it clearly! (nothing cheap or dishonest here)

Unfortunately I don't have any insight into that decision. Both because I wasn't a part of the decision, and also because I'm under an NDA which I probably toe the line of more often than I should already. That's the real problem with my status as a non-employee. Even if I know the official answer, I don't have the authority to disclaim it. I feel like my previous comment was safe because everyone knows the cards are designed with both games in mind. But if it's not already public knowledge (at least arguably so), I'm not going to be able to answer your questions.

I think we miss somebody with a clear status, who wouldn't answer to quickly (let us discuss an question) but would give us insight sometimes (and edit them in a new rules supplement!)

[werner]

Thanks (all)!

Summary (please correct me if mistaken):

1. Falcon Precision must be revealed before the Avoid Attack Phase
2. If defender announces they are using the Symbiotic Orb, it's too late to reveal enchantments

[exid]

if you want to counter an orb, you must reveal FP befor declaring the attack.
(it's not clear for me if the orb happens during the declaration or just after it... if it's after, you could reveal SP between the declaration step and the orb if you have the initiative... anyway! better to reveal before declaration step!)