Powerbombing their way back into the ring, the rules tag-team Joshua “Judge Dreadnought” Scott and Niccolo “Iron Gavel” Paqueo are here to help you bring the smackdown in Super Slam’s constructed formats. Stay locked in: knowing these might make YOU the showstopper at your next event!
Can I target a defending attack action card using Cheater’s Charm?
No. Cheater’s Charm does not work with defending attack action cards with 6+ power.
There is a difference between an attack action card and an “attack”. The former doesn’t count as an “attack” unless it is on the stack or attacking on the combat chain. When something specifies “attack” it doesn’t mean an attack action card that’s defending.
Does Tear Limb from Limb work with Big Bully and Kayo, Underhanded Cheat?
No. The value of X from Tear Limb from Limb’s continuous effect is locked in at the time the Brute attack action card is played.
Big Bully’s continuous effect only starts to apply when Big Bully resolves on the stack and becomes an attack on the combat chain, and Kayo, Underhanded Cheat’s ability can only be applied after Big Bully (or another attack action card) has been played. Both of these effects modify the base power of the card after the value of X has been determined for Tear Limb from Limb’s effect.
Tyler plays Tear Limb from Limb, discarding a card with 6+ power from its effect. Tyler announces they are attacking with Big Bully, which at this point has Tear Limb from Limb’s continuous effect apply to it. The X at this point is determined to be 4 as that is Big Bully’s base power when it is played, resulting in Big Bully’s total power being 8{p} (4 base + 4 modifier). During the defend step, Tyler resolves Kayo’s ability to set Big Bully to 6 base {p} and plays Cheater’s Charm to have the crowd boo them. After this, Big Bully’s total power is 16{p}: (12 base + 4 modifier).
If an opponent attacks me with my own A Good Clean Fight, do all my cards still lose their abilities?
Yes. Playing an opponent’s A Good Clean Fight against them can be done in a number of ways (e.g. Infiltrate, Gorgon’s Gaze). If an opponent attacks you with A Good Clean Fight you own, your non-equipment cards you own will lose and can’t gain abilities. This includes the Good Clean Fight itself which may seem odd at first.
Without going into too much depth, the state of the game is “reevaluated” after every change that happens through a series of staging rules – this is the primary reason why things like Snag work retroactively. During this evaluation, once you take the effect from A Good Clean Fight’s ability to apply to all the cards, it doesn’t matter what happens to the original ability. The arrow has been loosed from the bow and now the bow being lost does not affect the damage the arrow has done. This is one of the benefits of the staging system to avoid otherwise messy indefinite logic loops.
Tyler hits Nic with Infiltrate and banishes A Good Clean Fight from the top of their deck. Tyler plays the banished A Good Clean Fight (owned by Nic), causing Nic’s non-equipment cards they own to lose their abilities (including A Good Clean Fight). Tyler resolves Pummel (red) targeting A Good Clean Fight giving it +4{p}; however, it won’t gain the “when this hits” triggered ability due to A Good Clean Fight’s own effect that has been applied.
Both players reveal Overturn the Results during a clash, who wins?
The second player to apply their Overturn the Results will win. Both players are booed.
Generally speaking, when there are multiple replacement effects from both players that can be applied to a single event, the turn player must select the first player who will apply their replacement effects first for every type of replacement effect. This order does not change until all replacement effects have been applied.
In this scenario, both players have failed to win the clash, making both Overturn the Results’ effects active. If the turn player chooses the opponent as the first player to apply their replacement effect, the opponent will apply their Overcome the Results causing them to win and the crowd boos them. However, this also means the turn player has still failed the clash causing them to apply their own Overturn the Results, causing them to ultimately win and the crowd boos them.
If my opponent uses Overturn the Results, can I still use Victor Goldmane’s effect to clash again?
Yes, you can if it is the first time you would fail to win a clash this turn.
If you fail to win a clash after your opponent applies Overturn the Results and it is the first time you failed to win a clash this turn, this can cause Victor’s outcome-replacement effect to be active. You will finish applying Overturn the Results’ replacement effect, then you may apply Victor’s replacement effect to destroy a Gold, put 1 of the revealed cards on the bottom, and clash again.
Tyler is playing as Victor Goldmane, High and Mighty. During Tyler’s action phase, they clash with Nic. Tyler reveals Grind Them Down (blue) and Nic reveals Overturn the Results resulting in both players failing to win. Tyler as the turn player selects Nic to apply their replacement effects first. Nic applies their Overturn the Results, causing them to win (for the time being) and the crowd booing them. Next, Tyler chooses to apply Victor’s replacement effect, destroying a Gold, putting Nic’s revealed card on the bottom of their deck, then initiating a clash again. In this clash, Nic reveals a card with less power than Tyler’s Grind Them Down (blue), and thus Tyler wins the clash.
Does Quickdodge flexors have 2 defense against Smash with Big Rock?
Yes. Setting or modifying the base defense value is not considered gaining/losing defense for the purposes of rules and effects. In general, the base value is the “starting point” for regular modifications and is not subject to effects that prevent gaining/losing.
There are several other interactions to be conscious of. Kayo, Underhanded Cheat and Big Bully both modify the base power, and effects that would prevent attack action cards from gaining {p} (e.g. Chokeslam, Buzzsaw Trap) would not prevent the base power from being determined.
Tyler playing as Kayo, Underhanded Cheat, controls a Might token and has less life than Nic. Tyler starts their turn, their Might token is destroyed to give their next attack +1{p}. Tyler attacks Nic with Big Bully. The crowd boos Tyler and he activates Kayo’s ability to set the base power of Big Bully to 6 which is then doubled to 12 base power – so Big Bully has a total of 13{p} (12 base + 1 modifier). Nic plays and resolves Buzzsaw Trap. Big Bully’s power is now 12{p} because Buzzsaw Trap does not prevent modifications to the base power of a card.
If I discard a 5{p} card as Kayo, Armed and Dangerous, then lose my hero’s ability from Liar’s Charm, does it still count as discarding a 6{p} card?
Yes. Most Brute card effects care about the power of the card at the time you discarded it. The discarded card had 6{p} at the time you discarded it (5 base + 1 modifier from Kayo, Armed and Dangerous’ effect) as you were not yet affected by Liar’s Charm. This means you still satisfy most Brute card effects that care about the power of the card.
Tyler as Kayo, Armed and Dangerous, begins their action phase by playing Bloodrush Bellow, randomly discarding Smash with Big Tree (blue) when paying for its additional cost. This Smash with Big Tree has 6{p} (5 base + 1 modifier from Kayo’s ability). Nic responds and resolves Liar’s Charm, targeting Kayo and causing them to lose their hero abilities. Tyler resolves Bloodrush Bellow and doing so allows them to draw 2 cards and get go again because Smash with Big Tree had 6{p} at the time it was discarded, before Liar’s Charm was played and resolved.
That’s it for this Rules Reprise. Next time you hear from us, it will be us cheering you on with the crowds as you decimate your opponents in the Deathmatch Arena during the upcoming World Championship season! Good luck!