Can Hoarmurath of Dir and/or Dragon’s Breath target an automatic-attack?In order to contribute to this thread please follow these rules:
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Short answer: Yes
Felipe asked:
Yes, both Hoarmurath of Dir and Dragon’s Breath can target an automatic-attack during a company’s movement/hazard phase. This has already been covered in several digests; in fact, Mark Alfano did a very good job in CoE #117 defining which resources and hazards can be played on automatic-attacks. With that said, here are some additional citations to solidify his interpretation.Hi,
I’d like to ask for a clarification about Hoarmurath being able to target an automatic attack, and if cards like Dragon’s Breath can be used too on automatic-attacks that are a manifestation of one of the named Dragons (e.g. Smaug at Home)
Thanks!
First, an automatic-attack is considered a type of attack, per the MELE rulebook:
Second, cards that affect attacks also affect automatic-attacks, per ICE 49:Attack: An action against a company that lists a number of strikes and prowess. Most attacks are either hazard creature attacks or automatic-attacks, though certain cards cause attacks which are neither of these. Most attacks are further described with a creature type though they do not have to be. An attack must be the first declared action in a chain of effects.
Automatic-attack: An attack a company must immediately face when it declares it will enter a site before it takes any actions at the site.
Third, an automatic-attack at a company’s new site may be targeted by hazards during the company’s movement/hazard phase, again per the MELE rulebook:Does Plague of Wights work on undead automatic-attacks?
Yes. Cards which affect attacks also affect automatic-attacks.
And finally, Dragon’s Desolation was actually given as an example of this exact situation in the METW rulebook:Clarification: An automatic-attack at a company’s new site may be targeted by a hazard during the company’s movement/hazard phase. Such a hazard may be played even if the attack ultimately will not be faced (i.e., if the company decides not to face the automatic-attack during the site phase).”
This final citation is particularly notable, since the wording of Dragon’s Desolation indicates that it affects “attacks” and not just “automatic-attacks.” Extrapolating the above to other hazard effects that would affect an “attack,” such as Hoarmurath of Dir and Dragon’s Breath, means that they too can target and affect an automatic-attack during the movement/hazard phase, just like Dragon’s Desolation. Further, a card like Dragon’s Breath could be played on-guard and then revealed when the company enters the specified dragon’s lair, since it could have been legally played during the preceding movement/hazard phase.Clarification: An automatic-attack at a company’s new site may be targeted by a hazard during the company’s movement/hazard phase (e.g., Arouse Minions, Dragon’s Desolation, etc.). Playing such a hazard does count against the hazard limit. Such a hazard may be played even if the attack ultimately will not be faced (i.e., if the company decides not to face the automatic-attack during the site phase).