Grimgor's Spike: "If attached unit is defending alone, destroy all attacking units when they take combat damage this phase."

How do other people interpret this? I can't figure out if all attacking units are destroyed as long as some units take damage (sort of the inverse of the "dealt damage" rule in the FAQ), or if only the units that were specifically damaged are destroyed.

I would assume the second interpretation, but I'm bothered because the word "all" seems superfluous with that interpretation.

lol this is kind of ridiculous. there's 3 possibilities.

1. Destroy ALL attacking units when they ALL take combat damage from lone-defending host unit.

2. Destroy ALL attacking units when lone-defending host unit damages at least one.

3. Destroy all damaged attacking units when those damaged units are damaged by host unit.

I'm pretty sure it should be #3. 3 is so-so; not that great. #2 is cool but way too much, #1 just sucks and find it hard to believe that's what designer(s) intended. So playing as #3 for now. But seriously, there are so many cards with phrasing that has 2-3 ambiguous meanings that really, I'm surprised about.

If #3 was intended, why would you not phrase as "If attached unit is defending alone, destroy each attacking unit it damages during combat (phase)." ?

It's almost like very little thought was put into phrasing. Either way, in an orc deck it's not worth replacing something else with it lol

I believe what they meant was that if an attacker takes damage during that combat phase and there is just the one defender that then they die. It doesn't have to be from the defending unit, but any damage from any source as long as it's in that particular phase.

Ringarin said:

Grimgor's Spike specifically states "combat damage", which is done by Units in combat (either as attacker or defender).

Artemus Maximus said:

I personally have no problem with this. Even if you do take the wording literally, it does state all those that take combat damage. Combat damage has been cleaned up to mean actual damage done by units in combat and not any damage done during this combat. However, I see no reason to suppose that other attacking units that do not have combat damage done to them, have to be destroyed. I think the confusion arises from the cleaning up of which units did what damage, in case some had special abilities. All units apply some of the damage so are assumed to have been successful. In this case there can only be one defending unit, so it doesn't matter. If that unit does damage to one or more attacking units, all those units are destroyed. Cheers!

further to this I contacted the powers that be

here is the reply

Jonathan,
Thanks for the question, it is rather ambiguous. Grimgor's Spike will only destroy each attacking unit that has combat damage assigned to it.

Lukas Litzsinger

Very impressed by the quick response to this so hats off to you Lukas.