Does that work?

I believe it does work.

Under Resolving Enemy Attacks, pg.18

When resolving enemy attacks, the players follow these 4 steps, in order. Players may play event cards and take actions at the end of each step.

1. Choose an enemy

2. Declare defender

3. Resolve shadow effect

4. Determine combat damage.

So you choose the enemy, Gondorian Spearman is declared, and before resolving the shadow effect, you play Feint which does not allow the creature to attack. The shadow effect is resolved. Which the shadow effect may still effect you if it is not a direct boost to the creature. Then determine combat damage and the creature is no longer to do this because of Feint.

Feint : Combat Action: choose an enemy engaged with  a player. That enemy cannot attack this phase.

The weird thing is you would think that since the Enemy is already engaged when you go to combat that it is already attacking and there is nothing you can do about as according to the rules The second sentence under Phase 6: Combat states, " All enemies that are engaged with players attack each round." Which would imply they are already attacking and there is nothing you can do about it. But Feint is a combat action and cannot be used in any other phase except combat. So the Gondor Spearman/Feint trick works. Unless of course something comes about on an FAQ.

Hastur360 said:

It also states that if something on a card contradicts the rules, the card takes precendence.

Basically, the section you refer to it what would happen under "normal" circumstances, but Feint allows the player to override those normal circumstances.

That is true. Feint is a card that falls under "The Golden Rule".

Can I respectfully disagree here?

Once you go to the four stages of resolving attacks, the attack has already been made and it is too late to play Feint. In my opinion, the only time Feint can be played is right after Shadow cards have been dealt (i.e., in the interval defined by the first green box in the Combat Phase labelled 'Player actions', rulebook p.31).

So I would say it is impossible to declare the Spearman as a defender and then play Feint, as Feint has to be played prior to attack resolution.

 Even the card name should give you a clue that you can play that during combat. To feint an opponent is a combat move.

You can play the card before combat sure, but if you have a reason not to (ie spearmen) go right ahead.

Troymk1 said:

Well, obviously you have to play it during combat because it's a Combat Action. However, that doesn't automatically mean you can play it any time you like during the phase. My reasoning is it can only be played before the first stage of resolving enemy attacks, as explained above.

I would say that Feint should be played before the attack actually happens.  Once it has been declared as an attacker - it is already attacking.  Saying "It cant attack" is too late.

Happy to be proved wrong.

I guess that's another card that should receive an entry in the FAQ once they release it.

I always played Feint after the Shadow cards were dealt and before the attack was resolved. I agree that once the 4 steps of 'resolving enemy attacks' begin it is too late for Feint. (It would correspond to the fact that the character also decides in advance (when the card is played) to try and use a feint, but still has to wait and time it accordingly...just to make it flavoury.)

Of course we can take actions after every step in the attack, but I think Feint should be played before th attacks start to be resolved.