Exude Confidence and the Resolution Step

[shy wraith]

I'm looking for some clarification on exude confidence and its ability.

7.2.4c If the attack-target is a hero, that hero and their controller become the “defending hero” until the
active chain link resolves, for the purposes of rules and effects. If an effect of a source on the chain
link refers to the defending hero, it refers to that hero until the combat chain closes

Exude Confidence has the text “If Exude Confidence isn’t defended by a card with
equal or greater {p}, the defending hero can’t play or activate instants or defense reactions
this combat chain.”, which is an effect that refers to the defending hero of the chain link that
Exude Confidence is attacking on. If Exude Confidence is targeting a hero on chain link 1, and
then an attack on chain link 2 has a different attack-target, Exude Confidence’s effect will still
refer to the same hero.

My interpretation of this is "exude confidence looks for who the defending hero is when it's ability turns on in the attack step then remembers it even after the defending hero stops being the defending hero" instead of "it's constantly looking for who the defending hero is and as soon as they aren't defending exude doesn't apply to them, so as soon as the resolution step starts the defending hero is no longer defending and is no longer under exudes effect"

Actually, looking through CR change logs I have my answer!

7.2.4c Update to specify that only if a hero is targeted, that they are a defending hero (because only a defending hero can declare defending cards during the defend step). Added that effects that refer to defending hero are “sticky” and will continue to refer to the same hero even if the term “defending hero” no longer applies after chain link resolution (along with example).

[vestal gale]

good futureproofing for multiplayer

[shy wraith]

Totally, and pesky oldhims can't blizzard me in the resolution step when they're no longer defending

[jolly bloom]

It was also a product of making Ally attacks work properly

Say you attack with your hero to CL1, then an ally to CL2; if the defending hero status didn’t “psuedo turn off” then players could do weird stuff like Oldhim Def React (if there were a mix of hero and allies as targets).

[quiet zinc]

can I jump back into this for clarification? this was asked in our server and I think I understand but want to make sure I got it right.

[shy wraith]

When exude's ability turns on it asks "who is the defending hero?" and from then on its ability should be read as "If Exude Confidence isn’t defended by a card with equal or greater {p}, the hero I picked earlier can’t play or activate instants or defense reactions this combat chain."

[quiet zinc]

So Exude would would remember that you're the defending hero that was targeted by Exude til the chain closes, I get that.

but once the attack resolves you're not considered defending for rules and effects, so before 7.7.2 there's a priority window. so blizzard could be played because you won't be defending again until 7.2.4, right?

[shy wraith]

No

Because exude remembers who it was who was defending and that player is not able to play/activates instants or defense reactions until the chain closes regardless of if they're currently defending

Basically, the end condition is "when the chain closes" not "when the player is no longer defending"

[quiet zinc]

Exude woukd remember who was considered the defending hero, correct.

but 7.2.4 also states that they are not the defending hero for rules and effects once the attack resolves, until they are targeted for an attack again, how does this work with your justification

[shy wraith]

Added that effects that refer to defending hero are “sticky” and will continue to refer to the same hero even if the term “defending hero” no longer applies after chain link resolution (along with example).

If Exude Confidence is targeting a hero on chain link 1, and
then an attack on chain link 2 has a different attack-target, Exude Confidence’s effect will still
refer to the same hero.

[quiet zinc]

these are log notes, not CR wordings.

[shy wraith]

The second one is an example from the CR

[quiet zinc]

the way it reads to me is once you are defending again, it remembers exudes effect, but only while defending

[shy wraith]

From 7.2.4c

If an effect of a source on the chain link refers to the defending hero, it refers to that hero until the combat chain closes.

And the change log specifies that it means that the effect applies to that hero until the chain closes