Historically there has been some confusion about how and when these 3 strike-modifiers-that-become-corruption-cards may be played. By just reading their texts, many players have been confused as to whether they may be played before the attack they are modifying, if they may be played after strikes have been assigned, what they are targeting upon declaration or while in play as permanent-events, etc.
The following rulings are noted in the CRF:
We also found some digests that clarify how to play these cards:Icy Touch
Must target an Undead attack. [CoE 2002]
If two of these are in play, they both trigger at the same time, and the second one is discarded without effect.
Morgul-knife
Must target a Nazgûl attack. [CoE 2002]
The corruption is received immediately following the attack.
The Pale Sword
The corruption is received immediately following the attack.
You must control both the Pale Sword and the Nazgûl it is played on.
ICE RULES DIGEST #123
21-08-1998 Author: Craig Ichabod O'Brien Source
QUERY 5
From: Anders Gabrielsson
Shouldn’t cards that affect the attack be played before we get this far? These cards (Morgul-knife and [_Icy Touch](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/counc ... yTouch.jpg "") for example) raise the prowess of the attack as well as cause corruption. When are these cards supposed to be played to raise the prowess of the attack?_
Between the resolution of the card causing the attack, and the assigning of strikes. Some can be done after strikes are assigned, since they don’t change the number of strikes.
ICE created other cards with similar effects in later expansions, but they used clearer wording. Some examples of this evolved templating are:CoE RULINGS DIGEST #50
14-05-2003 Author: Chad Martin Source
QUERY 73
The Pale Sword: I am confused about how to use this. It is a permanent-event so is it put in to play any time, and then used by any Nazgûl who attacks, or must it be played at the same time as the attack. After the attack it seems one of two things happen: the attack doesn’t wound so it is discarded, or teh attack wounds so it becomes a six corruption point hazard under the wounded character. If this happens can it be removed by Marvels Told or any other card?
You play it to enhance the Nazgûl attack. You cannot put it into play at any other time. If The Pale Sword is in play as a corruption card, you can Marvels Told it away.
BRING OUR CURSES HOME
PERMANENT-EVENT
Corruption. Playable on a non-Wizard character whose company is facing a hazard creature attack. Discard this card if no character is eliminated by the attack. If any character is eliminated, place creature's card with this card—creature is considered off to the side. Target character's company faces an attack from creature at the start of each movement/hazard phase if creature is playable. Discard associated crea-ture's card if this card is discarded. Discard this card if associated creature is defeated.
The main difference here, though, is that these later cards are played on a single character, whereas the 3 cards in question are more general: they are played during an attack, modify the attack, and then attach to whichever character in the company facing the attack becomes wounded.FOES SHALL FALL
PERMANENT-EVENT
Corruption. Playable on a non-Wizard character facing a strike from a Dragon or Drake hazard creature attack. If the strike is defeated, discard this card. If the strike is not defeated, place creature's card with Foes Shall Fall—creature is considered off to the side. Target character's ; company faces an attack from creature at the start of each movement/hazard phase if creature is playable. Discard associated creature's card if Foes Shall Fall is discarded. Discard Foes Shall Fall if attached Dragon or Drake is defeated. If target character is a Dwarf, he receives 2 corruption points.
In order to unify and clarify how these cards are played, this committee’s proposal is to errata Pale Sword, Icy Touch, and Morgul-Blade, by clarifying the active condition of the card akin to cards from later expansions - and in fact, seemingly every other permanent-event in the game. As a general principle, permanent-events either have no target or are played on an entity in play, which adds to the confusion of the current templating on these 3 cards despite the CoE 2002 citations in the CRF indicating that they target their respective attacks. This committee feels that aligning to the existing play pattern of being a permanent-event played on a company and then moving onto a specific character within that company more closely aligns with ICE’s evolved templating when it came to permanent-events played on characters/companies facing attacks.
This is the proposed text:
THE PALE SWORD
PERMANENT-EVENT
Unique. Playable on a company facing a Nazgul attack. The Nazgul’s prowess is modified by +1. If played on a company facing an attack from The Witch-king of Angmar, his prowess is increased by +1 plus the number of Nazgul permanent-events in play. Cannot be duplicated on a company facing such an attack. Discard if attack doesn't wound a character.
Corruption. One character of attacker's choice wounded by this attack (on whom a corruption card has not already been played this turn) receives 6 corruption points (place this card under the character). If at a Haven/Darkhaven during his untap phase, a character with this card may attempt to remove it instead of untapping or healing. Make a roll: if this result is greater than 5, discard this card.
MORGUL-KNIFE
PERMANENT-EVENT
Playable on a company facing a Nazgul attack. The Nazgul’s prowess is modified by +2. Discard if attack doesn't wound a character. Cannot be duplicated on a company facing such an attack.
Corruption. One character of attacker's choice wounded by the attack (on whom a corruption card has not already been played this turn) receives 4 corruption points (place this card under the character). If at a Haven/Darkhaven during his untap phase, a character with this card may attempt to remove it instead of untapping or healing. Make a roll: if this result is greater than 4, discard this card.
These three updated texts would make the following CRF entries unnecessary, thus removing them:ICY TOUCH
PERMANENT-EVENT
Playable on a company facing an Undead attack. The prowess of the attack is modified by +1.
Corruption. The next character wounded by the attack (on whom a corruption card has not already been played this turn) receives 2 corruption points (place this card with the character). Discard Icy Touch if it is not played with a character. During his organization phase, a character with this card may tap and attempt to remove it. Make a roll: if this result is greater than a 6, discard this card.
Icy Touch
Must target an Undead attack. [CoE 2002]
Morgul-knife
Must target a Nazgûl attack. [CoE 2002]