Cloud of Flies is both an attachment and a spell . The card text reads as follows:

"Attach to a target unit you control. At the beginning of your turn, you may deal 1 uncancellable damage to this unit and to one target unit."

Plague Monk has this for the text:

"Destruction Only. Kingdom. ACTION: Whenever you play a Spell , look at the top two cards of any player's deck. Discard any number of those cards and place the rest back on top of the deck in any order."

Most spells in the game are tactics, Cloud of Flies is the only spell that I can think of that's not a tactic but is an attachment. So, does attaching Cloud of Flies to a unit count as playing a spell (for purposes of using the Plague Monk's ability), or is using the ability of Cloud of Flies the spell?

I can honestly see the merits for both sides of the argument and was wondering what everyone else thought. If this has already been ruled on, I apologize.

I would be shocked if it wasn't playing the actual attachment that counted as the spell. You are playing the action on the spell when you trigger Cloud of Flies - but you are not playing the spell.

Clamatius said:

Right. The attachment itself is the spell.

That makes sense, but the one thing that is giving me pause is that Cloud of Flies MAY be used. It doesn't have to be. You're essentially gaining a benefit from a spell you may never use, as opposed to traditional spells which are tactics which, once you play the card, automatically happen.

It's just a different kind of spell, an enchantment if you will. Bear in mind that you get a loyalty bonus from it even if you never use its ability. I'd expect there will be more enchantment-type spells in the future.

jabrams007 said:

Maybe you just summon the flies, but don't order them to be aggressive

Nurgle/Pestilence nets you flies pro bono .

Hi!

"PLAY" something is "pay a cost to play a card". You actually PLAY a spell while playin' Cloud of Flies from your hand. Choosin' or not to activate its ability isn't playin' it.