Q1 Rules Update
It’s time rules, fellow Warlords!
We have a pretty light list of rules updates this quarter but I do want to highlight the minor additions as well as the one item we’re categorizing as a true “change” as opposed to a minor clarification or addition.
As is always the case, you can find the Warlord Rules page here.
401.17. Effects that “rearrange” the places of two or more characters are not considered to “move” either character, and thus actions or effects that would affect the character moving or entering the new position do not affect or take place during the rearrangement.
First up, we have two small additional rules under section 401, which I find particularly fun myself as we don’t have to dive into formation changes very often.
The first is 401.17, which essentially clarifies that to "rearrange" the character within a rank via something like Ent Father is not, in fact, movement, similar to switching places with something like Treewalk.
401.18. Effects that reference the “direction” a character moves through a formation(s) are referring to either moving forward, or moving backward, and thus the “direction” of movement is either forward or backward.
The second is 401.18 which defines “direction” as forward or backward. This is relevant for exactly one old card at the moment, VoTaurr Plains, but as it is something we may want to use in the future and something that doesn’t have a true definition, we did want to go ahead and define the word.
508.10. If a character is not in play at the time a trigger for a React occurs, they may not React to that trigger. Likewise, if a trigger specifies something happening to a card that is in a particular rank or within a particular number of ranks, and the character that would react to the trigger was not in that rank or within the specified number of ranks during the trigger, they may not React to that trigger.
Next we have a couple adjustments that add to an existing rule in order to clarify a similar situation. The first is 508.10. Originally this just clarified that if you have a react with a trigger such as “After a character in this rank dies”, the character performing the react needs to have been in the pertinent rank for the trigger at the time of the trigger (in this case the character’s death). They can’t have fallen forward or otherwise moved into that rank during the react window and then still react. The same would also be true for any reacts like Death From Below where the distance of the character is stipulated. 508.10 now covers these instances as well.
511.5.1. If a character cannot be targeted by an action or a particular type of action, or if the action could not target that character via zero effect, a mass-targeting or multi-targeting action can still be performed as long as there is at least one legal target.
The second adjustment is for 511.5.1, which originally just clarified how mass-targeting actions interacted with characters that could not be targeted by them. It now also includes multi-targeting actions as well, stipulating that in either circumstance anything that can be targeted is, and everything that can’t isn’t.
509.4.2. If an action or effect instructs a character to perform a ranged strike targeting a specific character, that character need not be exactly two ranks away.
The last minor addition is 509.4.2. This is essentially a mirror of 509.3.3, but for ranged strikes. This clarifies that if there is a specific target for a ranged strike, regardless of how far away the character is, it can be targeted by that ranged strike. This is relevant for cards like Baraz or Countershot that specify a target.
603.10.6. If a scribed Action card is detached and performed, no effect of that Action card may re-attach that Action card to the character performing the Action. Other actions or effects on the Action card may still be performed.
Finally, I want to talk about the largest change of the day, 603.10.6. This is a new rule under Scribe that stipulates that a character cannot use an effect on a scribed action card that would re-scribe the action to that character. This may be a little confusing, so I want to walk through it a bit.
In essence what this means is that if I have an action card scribed to my character and that scribed card has an ability like “Order: Attach this action card to this character as if scribed. This character gains +2 ATK this turn.” I could detach and use the scribed card to gain the attack bonus, but then the card would go to the discard pile as I am unable to use the effect to re-attach the action. Furthermore, if the ability on the action card was simply “Order: Attach this action card to this character as if scribed.” I would not be able to perform that action at all as I can not use the effect, making the action illegal.
At this point there have not been any action cards that have an ability to re-attach themselves “and” an additional effect, with Flame Blade being the only current action that has an ability to attach itself as if scribed. In the case of the Flame Blade “or” effect, in light of 603.10.6., a character would be able to detach it to perform a strike, but could not continually use the order to reattach it as if scribed.
This change comes for two big reasons:
It allows for a no passing play pattern, meaning you could forgo the risk of passing by simply performing the action to reattach it over and over.
Any action that can be continuously repeated and potentially reacted to is bound to cause a loop with something at some point and almost always worth heading off.
In short, this is a “big” change in that it stops players from doing something they could have previously done, but it’s also not something we find people have been doing. We do, however, apologize to anyone who was waiting to spike the next big Ancients event with their Qultan the Apprentice or Lord Barrow + Flame Blade deck . As a fellow combo player, I feel for you.
And that wraps it up for Q1 rules changes!
If you’d like to view those or any of the other changes this quarter please take a look at the Comprehensive Rules Changelog here. As a further reminder, if you have a rules question please reach out using the “Ask a Rules Question” link on the Rules Page.
