I have a question on the rules, can anyone help me?

[taper100]

i actually have 3 questions

1) If a card says "this attack does 10 damage times the number of damage counters" and if that card has no damage counters on it , does this attack do 0 damage or 10 damage?

2) If a card says "swap with a bench pokemon after you attack if you have any" and if you do have a benched pokemon do you HAVE to switch?

3) If a card says " discard all energy cards on your pokemon and this attack does 50 damage plus 50 more for each energy discarded" Are you required to discard all your energy cards on that pokemon?

Please help me out, Thanks

 

[transcender]

1) that attack would do 0 damage. An attack may never do less than zero damage, though it may remove damage counters from the defending pokémon, but ten is in no way a minimum of damage dealt unless specified by the card.

2) The magic word for choice is may. If "may" is not stated, you must follow the directions on the card. You can't just ignore effects unless another card says you can for whatever reason.

3) Same answer as number two. The wording sounds off, though, are you sure that is exactly it? What card is it?

 

[Krucifier]

i actually have 3 questions

1) If a card says "this attack does 10 damage times the number of damage counters" and if that card has no damage counters on it , does this attack do 0 damage or 10 damage?

2) If a card says "swap with a bench pokemon after you attack if you have any" and if you do have a benched pokemon do you HAVE to switch?

3) If a card says " discard all energy cards on your pokemon and this attack does 50 damage plus 50 more for each energy discarded" Are you required to discard all your energy cards on that pokemon?

Please help me out, Thanks

1) If the attack said "This attack does ten damage times the amount of damage counters on this card." and that card had no damage counters on it, then the attack would do nothing. Zilch. Zip. Zero.

2) The way you worded it, yes, you would HAVE to switch with a benched Pokemon. (Providing you had one of course, if you didn't, you wouldn't switch, obviously.) If it said something like "You MAY switch", then you have the option to switch or not.

3) The way you worded it, yes. You would have to discard ALL energies attached to the Pokemon. If it said something like, "You MAY discard", then you have the option. (Except, you would have to discard the energies to get that added effect, or damage.)