Attack Bend

Attack Bend is the term given to tapped creatures with the ability to redirect attacks.

Details

As of 2017, it is only featured on cards with the Metallica race.

It first appeared in DMR-23 Dogiragolden VS Dormageddon X on Phantasm, Moon's Radiance with the preview of the Metallica race. When the creature with this ability is tapped and your opponent attacks, you may untap it and change the attack target to that creature, or one of your other tapped creatures.

Phantasm, Moon's Radiance
Light / Creature / 6 Metallica / 8000
■ Double breaker ■ You may untap this creature to change your opponent's creatures attack to one of your tapped creatures. ■ At the end of each of your turns, you may tap one of your creatures. If you do, draw a card.

The Blocker and Guardman keywords also have the ability to redirect attacks, but only when the original creature is untapped.

In the original DMR-23 version, it was not possible to change the attack to the creature with the ability itself. This was changed after DMSD-02 Kira's Labyrinth and the DMRP-01 Here Come the Jokers!! sets.

This ability can't be used at all unless the creature that has "attack bend" is tapped.

The timing for the ability is the same as Blocker and Guardman. It is also possible to use other creatures with these abilities to change multiple forms of attacks against you.

As it's not written as "blocker", it's not affected by Blocker Based Removal cards that can remove them.

If the Blocker ability is added with an effect, blocks and attack bends can be alternately performed unless the creature is destroyed, resulting in an "infinite blocker". With an increase of power or the Win All Battles ability, they become an impassible wall.

As the ability is only able to be used after being tapped, this allows the player to be aggressive with the creature and attack, while still leaving it able to attack bend during your opponents next turn. The Labyrinth ability found on many of these same creatures also rewards this, by offering effects that trigger while you have more shields than your opponent.

Some other Metallica have a high cost-to-power ratio such as Sky Chain, Red Wrath or Ka Doubler, Red Attack Silver but are tapped as they are put into the battle zone and are prevented from being tapped by certain restrictions, and can only be used defensively when first played.

While not keyworded, it was referred to officially as Attack Bend in the CoroCoro Comic magazine.

Unofficially, it was referred to as 誘導 (Induction) by some players.