Ruling Fainting Spell

[OneHitWonder]

Gengar SF
well, I´m still new to the cardgame, but I have already seen a lot of people saying, that they play uxie and shuppet... to avoid the activation of Fainting Spell.
Just to make some things clear for me:
1.the fainting spell pokepower activates if it would be knocked out by damage from an attack
2.the fainting spell pokepower affects the defending pokemon, which might not be identical with the attacking one
3.there is no time, that one player has no active pokemon (a benched pokemon needs to become active immediately)

If you have those rulings in your mind, it sounds a bit odd to me that Uxie and Shuppet work to avoid the Fainting Spell. Either the pokepower or the effect of the attack should activate first, so something should be KOed if Fainting Spell is successful!?

Just to make it clear, I only think that Fainting Spell wording should be changed officially to make those cases possible, because it is uber with the current wording(even with the coinflip and the possibility to have non damage KO´s)

Can you give me a short analysis of the example with Uxie and compare it with e.g. a switching attack, where the attacking pokemon is still in game and does not go back to your hand? I cannot see any differents in the moment, but there have to be???

 

[Craig III]

1. Correct
2. Fainting Spell targets the Attacking Pokemon, as per errata

Gengar is receiving errata for its Poke-POWER, "Fainting Spell". Fainting Spell affects your opponent's Attacking Pokemon, not your Defending Pokemon. The correct card text should read, "Once during your opponent's turn, if Gengar would be Knocked Out by damage from an attack, you may flip a coin. If heads, the Attacking Pokémon is Knocked Out." (Nov 7, 2008 Pokemon Organized Play News)

3. Correct

Uxie, Shuppet, etc. get around Fainting Spell since they are removed from play from the effect of their attack, which occurs before you check for KOs(the time at which Fainting Spell would activate).

 

[DNA]

Can you give me a short analysis of the example with Uxie and compare it with e.g. a switching attack, where the attacking pokemon is still in game and does not go back to your hand? I cannot see any differents in the moment, but there have to be?

Gengar AR's Shadow Skip is an example of this type of attack (as well as any other type of hit-and-run attack, such as Gliscor LV.X's Night Slash). This attack does 60 damage to the Defending Pokemon and reads: "Does 10 damage to 1 of your opponent's Benched Pokemon. (Don't apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokemon.) You may switch Gengar with one of your Benched Pokemon." If Gengar AR chooses to switch after dealing the 60 damage, which would result in a KO, the following happens.

1) Complete all effects of the attack. Gengar AR deals 60 to the Defending Pokemon, 10 to 1 opponent's Benched Pokemon, and then it gets to switch with one of its own Benched Pokemon. All of these effects are done before checking for KOs.
2) Now immediately check for any knockouts. If any of your Gengar SF are Knocked Out as a result of this attack, Fainting Spell triggers. The errata for Gengar SF targets the Attacking Pokemon. Therefore, even though all Gengar SF say they target the Defending Pokemon, you play the card as if it said "...If heads, the Attacking Pokemon is Knocked Out." The Shadow Skipping Gengar is still in play at this point, and therefore, you can use Fainting Spell. If you flip heads, the Benched Shadow Skipping Gengar (which was the Attacking Pokemon) is Knocked Out. If Gengar SF was your Active Pokemon, replace it immediately, regardless of the coin flip. Then both players draw prizes.

The reason Uxie and Shuppet get around Fainting Spell is because Fainting Spell targets the Attacking Pokemon. By the time all effects of Psychic Restore/Fade Out are complete, Uxie and Shuppet are no longer in play, so they cannot be targeted, and Gengar cannot return the knockout. (You can still use the Fainting Spell Poke-Power, but it won't do anything.)