Stupefy

Q: What does it mean to "kill a unit with a spell?" It seems like Hidden Blade counts, but what about a spell that deals damage? A spell that causes a unit to deal damage? A spell that causes a unit to die in some other way, like Stupefy on a unit that has 1 more Might than it has damage currently marked on it?

This is unclear under existing rules, so the updated rules will clarify. "When you kill a unit with a spell" triggers immediately after a spell you control resolves if either of the following is true:

- That spell instructs you to kill a unit during its resolution, and that unit is put into the trash this way.

- A spell instructs you to deal damage to a unit during its resolution, and that unit is put into the trash during the cleanup immediately following that spell's resolution.

This includes "direct kill" spells you control like Hidden Blade. It also includes damage spells like Void Seeker, provided they mark lethal damage on the unit that immediately causes it to die. In all cases, the unit has to actually die-if that death is replaced by a card like Unlicensed Armory, then you didn't kill a unit with a spell.

Notably, the following do not count as you killing a unit with a spell:

- You are instructed to kill a unit by a spell another player controls, even if the spell instructs you to kill the unit (e.g., another player's Cull the Weak).

- Another player is instructed to kill a unit by a spell you control (e.g., your Cull the Weak, if you don't kill any of your own units with it).

- You play a spell like Challenge that causes a unit to deal lethal damage to another unit.

- You use a spell to mark damage on a unit and the unit dies later in the turn, even if that damage later became lethal damage for any reason.

- You use a spell to directly or indirectly lower the Might of a unit, causing damage it's already taken to become lethal damage. For example:

- You use a spell like Stupefy to lower the Might of a unit that has already taken damage, causing that damage to become lethal damage.

- You use a spell like Charm to move a unit with damage on it away from Trifarian War Camp, indirectly lowering its Might and causing that damage to become lethal damage.

- You use a spell like Rebuke to return Lee Sin, Centered to its owner's hand, indirectly lowering the Might of a buffed unit at the same battlefield that has damage on it, causing that damage to become lethal damage.

- You do anything else with a spell that causes a unit to die in any other way than the two methods listed above, or at any time other than during or immediately after the spell's resolution.

- You do any of the above, but the unit doesn't actually die.

Q: I heard that cards that reduce Might will no longer say "to a minimum of 1" on them. Does that mean Origins cards like Stupefy will receive errata?

No. This is a change to our design philosophy beginning with Spiritforged, but Origins cards will maintain their functionality.

Units' Might could always go to 0 or below; it was just really hard to actually make it happen. For example: If a Recruit was at Trifarian War Camp, it would have 2 Might (its 1 base Might, +1 from War Camp). If it got hit with Stupefy, Stupefy would "snapshot" at -1 Might, reducing the Recruit's Might to 1. If the Recruit then moved away from Trifarian War Camp, it would lose the +1 Might bonus and end up at 0 Might. It's much easier to make it happen with Spiritforged cards, though, so it's worth reviewing the rules for units with 0 or less Might.

What about casting Stupefy while I have an empowered Mel, Newly Awakened?

The chosen unit will be given -2 [M], to a minimum of 1 [M]. If it was 2 [M], it will become 1 [M].

In the case of Stupefy, Mel, Newly Awakened replaces the event of Stupefy giving -1 [M] with it giving -2 [M] instead. However, a replacement effect that replaces an event modified by the game effect that generated that event will inherit any of those modifications. In this case, Stupefy modifies the "give -1 [M]" game action and thus event with "to a minimum of 1 [M]." The replaced event will inherit the same modification.

Relevant Rules: 375.

I have a Ravenbloom Student on the board and I haven't played any spells this turn. What happens when I play Rebuttal targeting my opponent's Stupefy and pay [A] on resolution? After everything resolves, how much will Battering Ram cost? Will my opponent's Legion abilities be active?

Ravenbloom Student will trigger twice, Battering Ram will cost [4], and your opponent's Legion abilities will be active.

Ravenbloom Student's triggered ability checks whether a spell that you control resolves. You gained control of the Stupefy, and it resolved, so you will have triggered Ravenbloom Student's ability. Battering Ram and Legion, on the other hand, check whether cards were finalized. Although you gained control of Stupefy, you did not finalize it; you got it after it was already finalized by your opponent. Thus, your opponent's Legion abilities will be active, and Battering Ram will only receive a [1] Energy discount.

Relevant Rules: 419.4., 419.4.a., 419.4.b.

What happens when I conquer with Swain, Visionary, if I've only played a Patched Porobot and Stupefy this turn?

You will score 1 point.

Swain only checks whether you've played a non-token unit, a non-token gear, and a spell. Checks like that do not care whether they were satisfied by multiple cards or a single card relevant to the trigger conditions.

What happens if I play Stupefy on my 1 [M] empowered Gangplank, Naval? Will he get +3 [M] this turn?

He will not.

In order for his replacement effect to apply, the event of him being given -[M] must occur. In the case of Stupefy played on a 1 [M] unit, no -[M] is given; it is snapshot to -0 [M]. Thus, there is no suitable event for Gangplank's replacement effect to replace.

Relevant Rules: 477.3.b.

What happens if I play Dragon Form on a unit that has -1 [M] from Stupefy applied to it? Will my Fiora, Grand Duelist trigger? Is there a moment where my unit becomes 5 [M] before the -1 [M] from Stupefy brings it down to 4 [M]?

She will not trigger.

Although Dragon Form sets the base Might of a unit to 5 [M], it does so via layers. Layers are evaluated when the effect is applied and their evaluation includes all existing applied layer alterations. We process layers in order, starting from the Trait-Altering layer (where this base Might setting effect is applied), proceeding to the Ability-Altering layer (not part of this example), and proceeding to the Arithmetic layer (where Stupefy's -1 [M] is applied), but this process happens instantaneously; there is no window while evaluating layers for the unit to see itself become 5 [M] and then go down to 4 [M]. As soon as the effect of Dragon Form is applied, the unit is 4 [M].

As a side note, Might is one of the traits that is managed in the Trait-Altering layer, and it is one of the copyable traits that copy effects can replace or add to.

My 11 Might Renekton, Brute is disempowered by my own Profiteer. What happens when my opponent plays Stupefy choosing him? Will his ability trigger? What happens if instead I activated his ability?

Renekton's ability will not trigger in either scenario.

In order to "become 10 or more," his Might would have to have previously been less than 10. "10 or more" is a state, and Renekton's triggered ability checks for the event of him achieving that state. If he maintains that state, regardless of how his Might changes, he will not "become" that state.

359.3.f.2. Information referenced in an instruction in this way will be checked on execution of the instruction, unless specified otherwise by the effect. Examples: A player moves Yasuo, Remorseful to an occupied enemy battlefield and initiates combat there. In reaction to the Yasuo, Remorseful attack trigger, their opponent plays Fight or Flight from facedown targeting Yasuo, moving him back to base. When the attack trigger resolves, "here" is no longer the battlefield where combat is ongoing and the attack trigger mistargets. In reaction to a Yasuo, Remorseful attack trigger, an opponent plays Stupefy targeting Yasuo. When Yasuo's attack trigger resolves, it will deal damage equal to his current Might of 5.

505.2.a.2. Illegal Loop: A card reads "Recycle 3 cards from your trash: Ready a unit." A player with enough Energy available wants to use this to recycle 2 copies of Stupefy from their trash and 1 copy of Downstage Dramatics with an additional copy of Dramatics in hand, planning to play the Downstage Dramatics from hand, and then play each card as they draw it until there are 3 cards in the trash for them to recycle.