Playing Against Minion - Strategic Highlights

[Theo]

Adding a note about Sudden Call, since I find every time I play minion when I haven't for a while I forget about it.

[Konrad Klar]

Successful strikes from detainment attacks tap instead of wound. Detainment attacks cannot be defeated. The following attacks become detainment against minion companies:
* Keyed to a Dark-domain (by name or symbol).
* Keyed to a Shadow-land (by name or symbol) if man, orc, troll, or undead.
* Keyed to a Darkhaven, Dark-hold, or Shadow-hold (by name or symbol). However, these six Shadow-holds state otherwise: Moria, Under-gates, Under-leas, Dead Marshes, Shelob's Lair, Goblin-gate.
* Nazgul attacks (always).

From where "(always)" in "* Nazgul attacks (always)." ?
Site cards like Goblin-gate contain the stipulation "Non-Nazgûl" in their special text "Special: Non-Nazgûl creatures played at this site attack normally, not as detainment." Balrog versions of some do not contain this stipulation. World Gnawed by the Nameless says " All hazard creatures the company faces this turn keyed to attack normally, not as detainment.

[Theo]

From where "(always)" in "* Nazgul attacks (always)." ?

Any Nazgul attack against a minion company is a detainment attack.

MEBA summary says it even more succinctly.

I don't want this thread to turn into rules debate. Van implied Nazgul could attack normally in the cases you give in ICE Rules Digest 576. But the detainment rule based on keying to site types is a different restriction from the detainment Nazgul rule, so I would think that the Nazgul would need to be explicitly referenced to not apply (e.g., "(even Nazgul)") when the modification in made with reference to the site.

Simulation-wise, even Van confirmed that Nazgul automatic-attacks are detainment against Balrog companies.

And anyway, if you want to go with Van that the override is broader here, then those cards' text just as easily override my summary here.

[Konrad Klar]

"even" would be needed to beet "always".
Otherwise "creatures played at this site attack normally, not as detainment" and "All hazard creatures the company faces this turn keyed to attack normally, not as detainment." are even able to beat statement on creature card that says that its attack is detainment (without stipulating that always).

[Theo]

Like I said I'd like rules debates to be elsewhere, so I changed the post to "All Nazgul attacks" which echoes MEBA summary and should be consistent with either side of whether the "played at/keyed to site" card texts are meant to contextualize the detainment modification narrowly or broadly.

[SuperNovice]

Adding a note about Sudden Call, since I find every time I play minion when I haven't for a while I forget about it.

It took me a disturbingly long time to realize that you only need to put one Sudden Call in your sideboard then bring it into your deck when you get down to 10 cards or so.