Combat Phase - Attack Declaration
General Rules:
First, a player declares an attack. After an attack declaration, the turn immediately enters the combat phase.
Attack declarations cannot be responded to and no player receives Opportunity as a result of an attack declaration.
Attack cards must first resolve and enter a champion’s intent before attack declarations can be made and combat can begin.
After an attack is declared, any On Attack triggers are placed onto the Effects Stack and players will be able to respond at the beginning of the Retaliation Step of combat.
Combat will not end as a result of either all defending or all attacking units leaving the field during combat; the combat phase will still proceed through all combat steps and sub-phases.
Declaring an Attack
To declare an attack, players must go through a series of steps to enact the attack as fully declared and verified as a legal attack. Steps are listed under rule 2 of Declaring an Attack (below).
The steps must be followed in order, but are considered to all happen at the same time.
If any effects were to trigger due to state-based effects that would occur during declarations, those triggers will be placed onto the effects stack the next time state-based effects are checked.
If, after selecting an attacker in step 2.a., one or more effects or restrictions would cause that attack to become illegal, the attack declaration will be considered invalid/illegal, and any steps taken for the attack to be declared are reversed.
If any effects instruct that a player must attack with an object, that player can't proceed to the End Phase from their Main Phase without attempting to declare an attack with that object. If the attack is deemed illegal, no further attempts are necessary.
E.g., If a player under the effect of an opponent's Tariff Ring must attack with a Fervent Lancer, they must attempt to declare an attack. However, during step 2.d., they may opt not to pay the extra 2 reserve. This would render the attack illegal, and any steps taken to declare the attack will be reversed.
The following steps must be done in sequence:
A player first selects the object they wish to declare an attack with.
The object must be able to attack (either granted permission due to an effect, or, if an ally or champion, must be awake).
Awake allies and champions that are chosen under 2.a. must be rested as a cost to attack.
Second, the attacking player may choose, if able, any additional weapons or objects they may add to the attack, such as weapons.
The selected objects will be treated as part of the combat phase after declarations but will not receive attacker roles (only the attacking unit/object is treated as an attacker).
Third, the attacking player must choose an attack target (i.e., what becomes the defending unit).
If the attacker is granted Cleave by either an ability it possesses or due to a Cleave ability of an object they are using in conjunction with the attack declaration in step 2.b., the attacking player will instead choose a player whose units will become defending units. The defending units will not be treated as attack targets.
Fourth, after all objects involved in combat are selected and targets have been chosen, any calculated costs (including additional costs) to declare attacks must be paid during this step.
Fifth, the player must acknowledge and reconcile any restrictions that may alter costs to be paid to declare the attack or that may modify the legality of the attack.
Any extra costs imposed that are not explicitly declared as "additional costs" to declare the attack must be paid during this step.
Players are not required to pay these costs; if a player refuses the pay the cost, the attack will be considered illegal.
Any restrictions that are imposed, such as targeting restrictions via Taunt abilities, must be fulfilled.
If one or more necessary conditions or restrictions on the attack declaration are not fulfilled, the attack is considered illegal and all steps taken to attempt to declare the attack are reversed; players must fulfill all mandatory restrictions to have a legal attack. The game will resume at the point in time prior to the attack declaration.
E.g., Both Tariff Ring and Bulwark Sword invoke extra costs to declare attacks. Tariff Ring is not an "additional cost" needed to declare and thus must be opted for in 2.e. Bulwark Sword, on the other hand, is an explicit additional cost and must be paid in step 2.c. after it is selected to be used in the attack.
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