Question about the rules: which one's first?

[Dro~]

I read the latest rule book from hidden legends. On 'in what order do you attack', it says that you're supposed to do anything the attack requires you to do IN ORDER to use it (For example #26 team aqua's corphish "dark poison" reads 'discard a basic energy card attached to team aqua's corphish or this attack does nothing'), AND THEN check for effects like smokescreen. But from what I've heard before, discarding energy is considered as an EFFECT of an attack and you're supposed to do the effect AFTER the smokescreen check. I'm confused here.

 

[PokePop]

There are two types of energy discard in an attack.
Those that are a cost ("in order to") and those that are an effect ("discard an energy card").
The first happens early in the Attack steps.
The second happens at the end, with all the other effects.

 

[Dro~]

ya, I understand that. but the example they use in the rulebook says that 'discard an energy (w/o 'in order to')' happens early in the steps, not at the end.

 

[PokePop]

The phrase "or this attack does nothing" is equivalent to "in order to" and should be treated the same for this purpose.

 

[Mr. Grass]

Pokepop: So does that mean that if Clefable Metronome's an attack that says to "Discard a :fire: energy card or this attack does nothing" that the attack will still work even if Clefable doesn't have a :fire: energy card?

 

[White Gryphon]

No, whatever the attack has you do in order for it to do anything would apply to a pokemon copying the attack as well.

 

[PokePop]

Clefable can't ignore it. That's exactly why I said "for this purpose".