Rules Roundup 2019-02-28

Questions

• On the topic of being able to choose the order of effects, how would/could Omega Supreme's bot mode ability work with another character having a Force Field?
  If two effects would apply to the same attack damage, the player receiving the damage chooses one to apply. Then, if the other still applies, apply that effect. If no other effects apply to the attack damage, the attack damage is finished.
  For example, if you have a character with a Force Field and Omega Supreme, and that character would take 6 attack damage, you could choose either of the following:
  1. Apply Force Field first, scrapping it and reducing the attack damage to 4, then use Omega Supreme’s ability to change the attack damage to: 2 to the other character and 2 to Omega Supreme.
  2. Apply Omega Supreme’s ability first, changing the attack damage to 4 to the other character and 2 to Omega Supreme. Force Field no longer applies and will stay on the other character.
• Wave 2's Dinobot Sludge has a Data Pad. I have 2 cards in hand and my opponent has 3. When do I check for each to activate? Would I be able to draw a card with Data Pad, choose to not put a card on top of my deck (bringing my hand size to 3, equaling my opponent), and still draw 2 from Sludge's ability because when he attacked I met the prerequisites of having fewer cards.
  Dinobot Sludge’s ability checks at the moment he attacks. This means both abilities will trigger at the same time, and both will happen. You can choose which ability to use first. If you use Data Pad’s ability first, and keep the card, you’ll still draw two cards from Sludge’s ability.
• Slipstream in alt mode attacks Alpha Bravo in alt mode. Both of their effects trigger. Would Slipstream's player choose the order because it is currently their turn?
  No. Slipstream’s ability will happen first. If triggered abilities controlled by both players would happen at the same time, the abilities of the player whose turn it is go first.
• Does the I Still Function! + Dreadwing rule apply generally to Combiners or is it specific to Dreadwing’s method of Combination? Suppose I control Dinobot Sludge - Mighty Stomper and have the five Dinobot components in my KO Area. Can I Brainstorm+ I Still Function! + Dinobot Enigma and expect to keep Volcanicus at the end of the turn?
  The same ruling applies. If you I Still Function! One of the Dinobots and then play Dinobot Enigma, at the end of your turn, Volcanicus will be KO’d.
• If I have 3 characters and one of them is Motormaster in alt mode. My opponent plays a Steamroll and does more than enough damage to KO one of my other two characters. Do I have to put the extra damage on Motormaster or can I put it on my third character? If I put it on my third character does Motormaster's ability cause that damage to be lost or does the Steamroll effect supersede Motormaster's ability?
  You can choose the third character and Motormaster will protect it. No extra damage is done.
• Can Crash Landing still proc its effect if I use it on my last character or does the game check for loss condition first?
  No. If Crash Landing is on your last character, its effect will never trigger.
• So, Unleash Potential, says 1-star but it’s unclear. So, if there were a theoretical 2-star card, would it be a legal choice?
  No. 1-star is 1-star, no matter your theories!
• What happens when you put the Steamroll action on Grimlock - Dinobot Leader and he KO's a character with excessive damage? Does it only do the effect of one or the other, or does it stack?
  Only one effect will work. There’s no extra damage after the first effect applies.
• Are Combiners are considered to be in bot mode? I realize they say ‘Combiner’ in that slot but asking because of cards like Marksmanship. Can that target a combiner?
  Combiner mode is a new third mode that is different than bot mode, so Marksmanship, for example, would not be applicable to a Combiner.
• If you attack with Bombshell - Decepticon Psy Ops in bot mode and the defender has the 1-star upgrade Recon System attached, is that +1 to the total number of cards to be scrapped by the attacker? No. Bombshell’s ability only counts stars from characters, not from battle cards. Are you allowed to look at your opponent’s discard pile?
  Yes. The discard pile and KO zones are areas of public information. Accurate information must be provided upon request during a game, but please be polite about it, and always ask permission before touching another player’s cards and handle them carefully.
• With regards to Skywarp - Teleporting Seeker's bot mode skill, does that ability trigger when another character on your team battles and flips a card with no icons?
  Yes.
• Can Megatron - Living Weapon have 3 of the same weapon at once?
  In bot mode, yes.
• Since you have to discard your hand to activate Dino-Chomp!, can you still play Dino-Chomp! if it is the only card in your hand?
  Yes. Discarding your hand is not a cost, but an effect of the card. If your hand is empty, you’ll discard nothing.
• How does Protected by Metroplex function in situations where damage is being dealt to multiple bots simultaneously? Let's say I have Metroplex and Slammer out, both are at 1 HP, and Slammer is equipped with Protected by Metroplex. It's the opponent’s turn and he plays Strafing Run as his action before combat, which deals 1 damage to both Metroplex and Slammer simultaneously. Is the 1 damage to Slammer moved over to Metroplex before he *dies* from the 1 damage he is already receiving?
  All damage done by Strafing Run will be done simultaneously, no matter where that damage ends up. Metroplex would end up taking 2 damage and then be KO’d in this scenario. Slammer would live on, driven by vengeance.
• How does Spare Parts interact with Vandalize? If my opponent plays Vandalize, and I have 1 bot with Spare Parts and a Grenade Launcher equipped, are both upgrades scrapped? Or does Spare Parts absorb the destroy effect targeting Grenade Launcher, even though Spare Parts is already being destroyed simultaneously by Vandalize?
  Vandalize scraps all your opponent’s weapons OR all their armors OR all their utilities. If your opponent chose to scrap weapons, Spare Parts would be scrapped instead.
  However, if a card did try to scrap Spare Parts and Grenade Launcher at the same time, Spare Parts could save your Grenade Launcher.
• For Blitzwing in bot mode, do you always flip to alt mode after battling, whether on attack or defense, or only after flipping an orange and blue during the attack phase?
  It’s all one ability. You won’t flip Blitzwing unless you’ve flipped an orange and a blue battle icon during the attack.