Teemo, Strategist

Teemo, Strategist

[NEW TEXT] [Hidden] (Hide now for [A] to react with later for [0].)

When I defend, choose an enemy unit here and reveal the top 5 cards of your Main Deck. Deal 1 to that unit for each card with [Hidden] revealed this way, then recycle the revealed cards.

[OLD TEXT] [Hidden] (Hide now for [A] to react with later for [0].)

When I defend or I'm played from [Hidden], reveal the top 5 cards of your Main Deck. Deal 1 to an enemy unit here for each card with [Hidden], then recycle them.

Teemo, Strategist

Q: What does this card do, and when can it do it? If I play him from Hidden during combat, does his ability trigger twice?

We're issuing a rules update that changes how Teemo and other defend and attack triggers work, and we're issuing a minor errata for Teemo in accordance with it. We're also clarifying what his ability does and how many targets it has. This contradicts some previous guidance we've given on this card, as we've examined what it says, what it's intended to do, and what our rules can support.

Teemo has a "when I defend" trigger. Under previous rules, attack and defend triggers happened only at the beginning of combat. Teemo's dual trigger condition was meant to cover this-he either triggered at the beginning of combat, or he triggered when you played him into combat.

Teemo, Strategist (revised text)

[Hidden] (Hide now for [A] to react with later for [0].)

When I defend, choose an enemy unit here and reveal the top 5 cards of your Main Deck. Deal 1 to that unit for each card with [Hidden] revealed this way, then recycle the revealed cards.

Under the updated rules, attack and defend triggers trigger any time a unit becomes an attacker or defender-whether that's because combat began, because the unit was moved into combat using a spell or ability, or because the unit was played into combat somehow. (And yes, this means that a unit that starts in combat, moves out somehow, and then moves back can trigger these abilities twice. We think this is fine-moving a unit at Action speed isn't easy to do, and doing it twice is even harder, so we don't mind there being a substantial reward.)

One thing to note about this change that doesn't apply to Teemo directly: Assault and Shield are not attack or defend triggers, so they'll work the same way they did before. They apply while a unit is an attacker or defender in combat as appropriate, stop applying once the unit is no longer in combat, and start applying if it joins or rejoins combat partway through. This rules change makes the "played from [Hidden]" part of Teemo's text redundant. And since the ability only does anything if enemy units are present, we're issuing errata to clarify that it only triggers once as intended, whether Teemo is played into combat or was there from the start. We're also rephrasing the ability to make it clearer that it only has one target.

Teemo, Strategist

Q: How many enemy units do I target with Teemo, and when do I choose them?

Teemo has only a single target, an enemy unit, chosen when his triggered ability is placed on the chain. That ability will deal a variable amount of damage to that unit based on how many units with Hidden you reveal. This is a change from previous rulings.

Teemo, Strategist

Q: Which cards count for Teemo? Does Ember Monk count? What about Noxus Saboteur?

Teemo counts cards that have the Hidden keyword, but not cards that mention Hidden but don't actually have it. Ember Monk and Noxus Saboteur do not have the Hidden keyword.

135.2.b.5.a. The complement of a game action is made up of the players or Game Objects that perform that game action, that that game action is performed on, the condition under which it is performed, and the duration for its effect to last. Some game actions omit a complement entirely. Example: Void Seeker is made up of two instructions. The first is "deal 4 to a unit at a battlefield." Here "deal 4" is the game action, while "a unit at a battlefield," is its complement. The second instruction, "draw 1," has no complement. Example: Teemo, Strategist's defend trigger reads "When I defend, choose an enemy unit here and reveal the top 5 cards of your Main Deck. Deal 1 to that unit for each card with Hidden revealed this way, then recycle the revealed cards." There are four instructions here: "choose an enemy unit here," "reveal the top 5 cards of your Main Deck," "deal 1 to that unit for each card with Hidden revealed this way," and "recycle the revealed cards."

715.4. If no damage was Dealt, then Bonus Damage will not apply. Example: Teemo, Strategist is a unit that reads in part "When I defend, choose an enemy unit here and reveal the top 5 cards of your Main Deck. Deal 1 to that unit for each card with Hidden revealed this way, then recycle the revealed cards." He has Rabadon's Deathcrown attached to him. An enemy unit moves to the battlefield where Teemo is located and a combat opens there. Teemo's controller reveals the top 5 cards of their Main Deck and reveals no cards with Hidden. Although the ability has 3 Bonus Damage from Rabadon's Deathcrown, no deal action is performed for the Bonus Damage to apply to.