Okay, this doesn't make any sense to me, and I am a little confused by this. Predatory Strikes says that I get +2 ATK while attacking in bear form. Okay, any other card that gives you bear form, like say, Bear Form says that if you swing with a weapon, you lose bear form. Would that not mean that you can strike in bear form?

This is something, that has just been bugging me, please help me keep from going insane.

You can attack without swinging a weapon.

Any time you have priority with an empty chain on your turn and your hero is ready, you can propose an attack with it.

Once you are in the attack you can swing a weapon but you don't have to.

Your attack is checked at the end of the combat. If you are in bear form and have a predatory strikes (or several) in play, your attack will be +2 for each one.

Also, if you time it correctly, you can swing with a weapon, and THEN play one of the three cards that turns you into a bear (they are all instant). You will then get the bonus from predatory strikes AND from the weapon.

See, I was a little concerned about that, because all that the rulebook says is that a hero can swing with a weapon. There is nothing that says that he cannot swing without a weapon. It just makes sense in my opinion with Predatory Strikes giving the +2 ATK and you not being able to swing with a weapon, because that takes you out of bear form.

So, thank you, and if anyone has anything else to add to this, please let me know.

I think you are getting confused because you have your terms slightly wrong.

'Swinging' is not the same as attacking. You attack by exhausting an ally or hero as specified above.

'Swinging' is the act of exhausting a weapon during the defender step to add to your heros attack strength for that attack. An attacker or defender can do this but does not have to and you can only swing one weapon per combat.

You can attack/defend without swinging, but you cannot swing outside a combat.

I am using the wrong terms. Thank you for correcting me. So, that makes me feel better now knowing that I can "attack" with my bear. Because, well, he is a Bear, and he isn't "Old Bones".

Actually, the term is "Stike", not "Swing".

sparrow you have it backwards. you should play the card to turn into the bear first, then in response to your own chain you "strike" with the weapon. that way the weapon resolves first, then you turn into a bear and get the predatory bonus. the way you have it, you would turn into a bear first, then use the weapon and lose the predatory bonus. at least by timing that should be the way to do it unless UDE has said something different. the damage should resolve as 1 chain, not in individual steps.

You can play the bear card and in response strike so the strike resolves first, but my way works as well and is slightly simpler.

I didn't say to play the bear card in response to the stike (you are correct that that would destroy the bear form when the strike resolved) but to rather play the bear card AFTER the strike has resolved. You can add the strike to the chain, wait for that to resolve and THEN add the bear card to the chain.

Davin: You are correct I keep thinking it is swing for some reason (works till I swing my bow :D ). Guess I have swinging on the brain

Waiting for the card to resolve would have resulted in your hero being tapped and combat damage already done. Stacking Bear and Predatory Strikes wouldn't do anything afterwards, unless you can untap the hero again. Happytonamy's method is correct, I believe.

No.

You can add effects to the chain after other effects have resolved (in this case during the defender step). The hero will already be exhausted (once the attack became legal), and combat damage won't be dealt until both people pass on an empty chain during the defender step.

I can during the defender step (as I already mentioned) EITHER:

1) Exhaust the weapon to strike. Once both people pass that will resolve. Then I can play one of the bear cards. That will resolve, and then you can go to combat resolution if you want.

OR

2) Play the bear card. In response you can exhaust to strike. In this case the strike will resolve and then the bear card will resolve and you can then go to combat resolution.

Either way you will end the combat with the attack bonus from striking with your weapon as well as the attack bonus from each of your predatory strikes.

Sparrowhawk is correct, furthermore your hero would be tapped during the propose attacker step before you even get to the swinging weapons part.

Unless of course Ongoing abilities work like they do in VS where they become active as soon as the card hits the field.

If that's the case then you can only play pred strike after you have resolved the weapon strike.

Of course since they still haven't released the comp rules we don't know for sure.

LOL Yes thats true. Its slightly different however as ongoings in VS are flipped from the resource row wheras they are played in the same way as allies and equipment in this. I am kinda assuming it doesnt hit the table (and turn on) until it resolves but we will have to see when the comp rules come out.

If they work immediately (not using the chain) then only scenario 1 above is valid.

the comp rules are out

306.2c An ongoing ability is either attaching (306.3) or non-attaching. As a non-attaching ability card resolves, it enters play in its controller’s hero row.

so the effect isn't active until the ability resolves. In other words, not like VS