Weird Neurotoxin thing

[ElementalDearWatson]

I like to try to do things that aren't so obvious when making Arena decks and, having got a Psion from the Oracle, I thought I'd try to make a and deck.  So I made a deck that, besides having the Psions, was a Dune Scorpion deck, with the Scorpions' attack coming from Quintessence/Anubis and a Shard of Wisdom.  However, if you boost the Scorpions' attack in this manner, they don't infect the opponent with Neurotoxin. 

Surely they should?

[Absol]

They should, but thematic sense dictates that they don't.
I myself refers to the mechanics, so i say it should be fixed.

[ElementalDearWatson]

I don't see why the theme should mean that they don't.  Can you explain?

[Chemist]

I don't see why the theme should mean that they don't.  Can you explain?

Because the scorpions are no longer stinging your opponents, but hurling spells at them instead.

[ElementalDearWatson]

But poison, in any case, isn't a physical attack.  The card Poison is a spell.  If you can have a Poison spell, you can have a spell which poisons.

Also, I forget exactly what the discussion was, but a while ago I had a discussion with many people on this board about the mechanics of scorpions and at the time I was the only person who was saying that the poison was a physical attack, rather than a separate non-physical attack.

[ElementalDearWatson]

I've just remembered what the discussion I referenced in my previous post was - it was the question of why an antimattered Scorpion didn't take poison counters away.  The consensus was that it didn't do so because the poison was a separate attack, rather than part of the Scorion's physical attack.

[shadow303]

I noticed that last thing too and it's kind of weird, you have your dissipation shield (or whatever) up and don't get hit, then you antimatter the scorpion and the thing will start infecting you.. it's at least not what you'd expect from applying a negative effect on your enemies creature.

[Pineapple]

I've just remembered what the discussion I referenced in my previous post was - it was the question of why an antimattered Scorpion didn't take poison counters away.  The consensus was that it didn't do so because the poison was a separate attack, rather than part of the Scorion's physical attack.

You mean that poison is both separate from and triggered by the physical attack, right?

I'm pretty sure the consensus is that antimatter'd attacks count, thematically, as successful physical attacks, and +1 poison is a status that is inflicted on successful physical attacks. There's no such thing as an "anti-successful" physical attack, so you can't apply a "counter-status" of -1 poison.

[whatifidogetcaught?]

I assume the Dune Scorpion isn't quinted first yes? That means it is still a physical attack.

[ElementalDearWatson]

I assume the Dune Scorpion isn't quinted first yes? That means it is still a physical attack.

Quinted, yes.

[whatifidogetcaught?]

Sorry, sped read a little too quickly.

If you notice, spell damage does nullify Vampire too, so venom and neurotoxin isn't that surprising.

[ElementalDearWatson]

Sorry, sped read a little too quickly.

If you notice, spell damage does nullify Vampire too, so venom and neurotoxin isn't that surprising.

I don't think that should be the case, either.  Siphon Life is a vampirism spell so, again, there's no reason why a spell shouldn't be able to inflict vampiric damage.