Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: No, you cannot get a token from Viktor in this situation. All units die at the same time in combat, so Viktor is already dead when the other unit dies and cannot trigger. Nuances: - You can decide which unit to use effects like Zhonya's on because they die simultaneously, but you don't decide the order in which they die - Viktor must be alive when another unit dies to trigger his ability

Ruling: Yi's passive is constantly checking whether the condition is met. If Yi starts with 2 units and that number drops to 1 defender during combat, the bonus activates. Yi does not select a unit - it's a passive bonus that is either in effect or not. Sequence: - Yi checks his passive condition continuously throughout combat - When the number of defending units drops to 1, the passive bonus automatically applies Nuances: - No selection is required; the passive is automatic based on current game state

Ruling: Yes, the remaining unit gets Yi's buff before combat damage. Sequence: - Attack is declared on Reavers Row where Yi is present with 2 defending units - One unit moves to base via Reavers Row's ability - Yi's continuous effect applies to the remaining single defender - Combat damage occurs with the buff active Nuances: - Yi's effect is a continuous effect that applies constantly whenever there's only one defending unit, not a triggered ability

Ruling: Z Hourglass must revive the next friendly unit to die when played as a normal gear (not hidden). Nuances: - If multiple units die simultaneously, the owner of Z Hourglass chooses which unit it saves.

Ruling: When Zaun Warrens is conquered with Super Mega Death Rocket in the trash, both effects trigger simultaneously and you can order them however you like by placing them on the chain in your preferred order. Nuances: - Super Mega Death Rocket must already be in the trash when you conquer Zaun Warrens to trigger. If you discard it as part of Zaun Warrens' conquer effect, it will miss the trigger because it wasn't in the trash at the time of conquest.

Ruling: The showdown continues even when all units are removed from the battlefield. The opponent can use Ride the Wind to return a unit to the same combat showdown. Sequence: - Zealous Fan's trigger resolves, removing units from the battlefield - Players can continue taking actions (like Ride the Wind) during the same showdown - The showdown only ends when both players pass with focus on an empty chain - If a unit returns via Ride the Wind, it participates in the same combat showdown Nuances: - This applies even in Surprise Defense scenarios - the initial non-combat showdown continues after Ride the Wind resolves, then ends when both players pass, and only then does the combat showdown begin - The showdown does not automatically end just because no units remain at the battlefield

Ruling: When the targeted unit is returned to hand by Retreat before Zenith Blade resolves, the unit is no longer a legal target. All instructions that reference that unit or use information about that unit will not execute. Nuances: - If you use Zenith Blade on an opponent's unit and they Retreat it, you do not get the stun effect since the target is invalid - If you use Zenith Blade on your own unit and then Retreat it yourself, you still get the stun on the enemy (the stun doesn't require the original target to be valid)

Ruling: While Karthus does add a second banishment trigger, the second trigger cannot reference the unit because it was already moved by the first banishment. Only one copy can be played later. Sequence: - Both banishment triggers go on the stack - The first trigger to resolve banishes the unit - The second trigger resolves but "whiffs" because it cannot reference the unit that's already been moved Nuances: - "Banished by this" is a binary state - a unit either was or wasn't banished by a specific effect, it doesn't stack - The card must exist in the banishment zone to be found and played later - Similar interaction occurs with Ekko's deathknell: if Zero Drive and Ekko's recycle trigger both occur, whichever resolves first makes the unit invalid for the second effect

Ruling: Yes, Zhonya remains in play as a gear waiting for the first unit to be killed, even though there are no units at the battlefield where it was originally hidden. Sequence: - Zhonya is hidden at battlefield 1 with one unit present - Opponent plays Charm to move the unit from battlefield 1 to battlefield 2 - A chain opens and you react by playing Zhonya from hidden - Zhonya (as a gear) goes to base waiting for the first unit to be killed - The chain ends - Charm resolves - No units remain at battlefield 1, but Zhonya is still in play Nuances: - Zhonya does not target, so it can save a unit at any battlefield regardless of where it was originally hidden - The "here" restriction on hidden cards is a targeting restriction that only applies to effects that target - Effects that don't target aren't restricted by the location where the hidden card was played

Ruling: Deadbloom recalls with 8 Might (retaining the buff from Watcher). Since Deadbloom never leaves the board when it recalls, any effects on it will remain. Nuances: - This applies to all effects on Deadbloom, not just Watcher's buff

Ruling: Zhonya's will save the unit. When flipped from hidden, Zhonya's as a permanent enters and resolves off the chain immediately with no response window, so its effect is active before Cannon Barrage resolves. Sequence: - Player flips Zhonya's from hidden (starts a chain as a reaction) - Zhonya's immediately resolves off the chain with no response window since it's a permanent - Priority reverts to opponent who can play Cannon Barrage in response - Cannon Barrage resolves, dealing damage - Zhonya's effect saves the unit from dying Nuances: - Flipping a card from hidden is a reaction that starts a chain and extends the showdown - Permanents resolve immediately off the chain with no response window, unlike spells - Priority reverts to the opponent after the permanent resolves, allowing them to respond to the showdown continuing

Ruling: Yes, Zhonya's can protect a unit anywhere on the board when played from hidden, regardless of which battlefield it was hidden on. Sequence: - Zhonya's is played from hidden - Because gear cannot be on battlefields, Zhonya's is immediately recalled to base - From base, it can protect a unit anywhere on the board Nuances: - Zhonya's is unique among hidden cards because it is gear, and gear cannot remain on battlefields

Ruling: A hidden card is never forced to be used and you can use it whenever you would play a reaction. You can choose which unit to save with Zhonya's as long as you activate it at the appropriate reaction timing. Nuances: - If all units would die simultaneously from combat damage, you must activate Zhonya's before combat damage is assigned - If units die in separate combats or at different times, you can wait to see which unit is threatened before deciding to use Zhonya's

Ruling: Yes, Zhonyas can be played from hidden at battlefield A to save a unit dying at battlefield B. Nuances: - Zhonyas's ability is not a play ability, so it isn't restricted to the battlefield where it was hidden - Play abilities and spells played from hidden have targeting restrictions that limit them to the battlefield they were hidden at - Zhonyas doesn't target a unit when played; it saves the next unit that dies, so battlefield restrictions don't apply

Ruling: 0 damage is not damage. Units do not die from 0 damage because lethal damage requires a non-zero amount of damage equal to or higher than their current Might. Sequence: - When a 0 Might unit attacks another 0 Might unit, neither unit takes damage - The attacker returns to base as normal - Both units stay alive Nuances: - Lethal damage specifically requires a non-zero amount of damage - This applies to any situation where damage is reduced to 0, including spell damage reduced by damage reduction effects

Ruling: The unit will become a 0 Might unit and will not die. Cleanup only kills units that have damage marked greater than their Might, so units with 0 Might or less are perfectly fine. Nuances: - A unit can have 0 or negative Might and remain in play - Having 0 Might does not cause a unit to die during cleanup

Ruling: The 5 might unit survives. Master Yi's Wuju passive gives +2 might immediately, making it a 7 might unit. The 5 total damage (1 from combat + 4 from Void Seeker) is not enough to destroy it. Sequence: - The 5 might unit has 7 might during combat due to Master Yi's passive buff - 1 damage from combat and 4 damage from Void Seeker are dealt (5 total damage) - At end of combat cleanup, damage is healed and the +2 buff expires simultaneously - The unit survives because 5 damage is less than 7 might Nuances: - The +2 might buff from Master Yi's Wuju passive lasts until end of combat - Healing and buff expiration both occur during end of combat cleanup - Assault and Shield buffs also expire at the same time during cleanup

Ruling: The Poro will have 2 Might. The Watcher's -3 Might reduction snapshots when applied (reducing the Poro to minimum 1 Might, creating a -1 modifier), then when the Poro gains the defender designation and Shield triggers (+1 Might), the final calculation is 2 (base) + 1 (Shield) - 1 (Watcher) = 2 Might. Sequence: - Watcher's reduction is applied, snapshotting at -1 Might (since it can't reduce below 1) - The -1 modifier continues to apply for the turn - When the Poro becomes a defender in combat, Shield triggers giving +1 Might - Final Might: 2 (base) + 1 (Shield) - 1 (Watcher) = 2 Might Nuances: - Shield is only active during a combat showdown, not when initially playing the Watcher

Ruling: The unit will be at 1 Might. Might increases and decreases snapshot based on the current value when they are applied, taking timestamps into account. Sequence: - Unit starts at 2 Might - Trif Warcamp gives +1 Might (unit is now at 3 Might) - When -2 Might is applied, it looks at the current Might (3) and reduces it by 2 - Final result: 1 Might Nuances: - All Might modifiers snapshot when they resolve - they take effect once and then other effects modify that resulting value - If a reduction would bring a unit below 1 Might, it stops at 1 Might (minimum) - Subsequent modifiers continue to work off the current modified value, not the original base value

Ruling: When a buffed unit is reduced to 1 might by Watcher, the buff is already factored into that 1 might. If the buff expires afterward, the unit goes to 0 might but does not automatically die. Sequence: - Unit starts at 2 might, receives +1 buff to become 3 might - Watcher reduces it to 1 might (the calculation is 2 + 1 - 3 = 1, with the buff included) - If the buff expires, the unit drops to 0 might - The unit only dies if it takes damage while at 0 might Nuances: - Equipment works the same way as buffs in this interaction - Being at 0 might does not automatically kill a unit; it must be damaged to die

Ruling: The unit dies. The chain resolves in reverse order, so the 2 damage spell resolves first, killing the 2 might unit before En Garde can resolve. Sequence: - En Garde is played targeting the 2 might unit (goes on chain as link 1) - Opponent responds with a 2 damage spell (goes on chain as link 2) - Chain resolves starting with most recent: the damage spell resolves first - The spell deals 2 damage to the 2 might unit - Cleanup occurs after the spell resolves, and the unit dies - En Garde attempts to resolve but its target is no longer in play, so it does nothing Nuances: - Cleanup happens after each spell resolves, not after the entire chain resolves - When a card's target is no longer in play when it resolves, it does nothing

Ruling: The unit will have 1 might. Smokescreen reduces the might that the buff gives because bonuses are applied before minuses. Sequence: - Buffs are applied first - Debuffs (like Smokescreen) are applied second - Smokescreen snapshots its effect when first applied and maintains that reduction for the rest of the turn Nuances: - Snapshotting means any increase or decrease with a restriction applies based on the initial condition only, then maintains that same value for the rest of the turn - If a unit is debuffed and then buffed later, the debuff amount stays constant (e.g., a 2 might unit with -1 from Smokescreen that gets buffed by X would be 2+X-1)

Ruling: The unit goes to 2 might. Debuffs like Thousand Tail check on resolution how much they will reduce a unit's might, then apply that fixed amount. The buff is applied after the debuff resolves, so it increases the might from 1 to 2. Sequence: - 3 might unit gets debuffed by Thousand Tail/Watcher (reduces to minimum 1 might) - Unit is now at 1 might - Buff is applied after the debuff resolves - Unit goes to 2 might Nuances: - The debuff amount is set when it resolves and doesn't continuously recalculate - Units can exist at 0 might and won't die unless they have at least 1 damage marked on them - If a buffed unit at 2 might (originally 1 might + buff) takes 1 damage and then loses the buff, it becomes a 1 might unit with 1 damage and dies - Might does not equal HP; damage doesn't lower might, only marks damage on the unit

Ruling: Yes, a 4 might unit targeted by Void Seeker will be killed before showdown calculation and will not contribute its might to combat. Sequence: - Void Seeker resolves, marking 4 damage on the 4 might unit - Cleanup occurs during Void Seeker's resolution - The unit dies during this cleanup - Combat resolution happens after, but the unit is already dead and does not contribute Nuances: - Damage marked on a unit does not reduce its might value - Might decrease effects exist separately (like Smoke Screen) - A unit with higher might than the damage marked would survive and deal its full might value

Ruling: The unit survives because assault applies when a unit becomes an attacker, which happens before the opponent can play actions like Void Seeker. Sequence: - Unit with assault +1 declares attack on battlefield - Unit becomes an attacker and assault triggers, increasing might to 5 - Opponent gains priority to play actions - If opponent plays Void Seeker at this point, the unit has 5 might and survives Nuances: - Assault only applies if there is an opposing unit at the battlefield; if attacking an open battlefield, assault would not be active

Ruling: Immortal Phoenix does NOT trigger. The spell that resolved immediately prior to the cleanup was Stupefy, which did not apply damage. Only spells that both apply damage AND resolve immediately prior to the cleanup get kill credit. Nuances: - Void Seeker cannot get kill credit because another spell (Stupefy) resolved between Void Seeker and the cleanup where the unit died - "Resolved immediately prior" means with nothing in between, not "most recent spell that dealt damage" - The unit dies from system rules checking Might vs marked damage during cleanup, not directly from either spell - Strategic takeaway: Use Might reductions before damage spells when playing against Immortal Phoenix

Ruling: No, they do not trade. The unit with Stupify applied (now 4 might) dies, while the 5 might unit survives. Nuances: - Damage marked on a unit does NOT decrease its might (a 5 might unit with 3 damage marked still deals 5 damage) - Effects like Stupify DO decrease a unit's might - A unit with damage marked on it still deals its full might in combat, but requires less additional damage to be destroyed

Ruling: Yes, the unit dies. Units die when they have non-zero damage marked on them greater than or equal to their might. Sequence: - Void Seeker deals 4 damage to the 5 might unit - Stupify reduces the unit's might to 4 - The unit now has 4 damage marked and 4 might, so it dies

Ruling: Yes, the unit dies before Call to Glory resolves. Sequence: - Void Seeker marks the 5 might unit for 4 damage - Hexray deals damage to the unit (bringing total damage to 5 or more) - Opponent chains Call to Glory - Stupify is chained to Call to Glory - Cleanup happens after Stupify resolves, killing the unit (since it has damage equal to or exceeding its might) - Call to Glory attempts to resolve but the unit is already dead Nuances: - Cleanup occurs after each resolution, not just at end of turn - Units die during cleanup when they have damage equal to or greater than their might

Ruling: Yes, the Stormbringer kills the Yi unit. The unit dies to the marked damage before a combat can be staged and initiated, so Master Yi's passive (which requires the defender designation from an initiated combat) never comes into effect. Sequence: - Stormbringer deals 6 damage to the Yi unit during the move action - In cleanup (322.4), the Yi unit dies from the marked damage - This happens before a combat can be staged and initiated (322.10 and 322.14) - Since combat never initiates, the Yi unit never gets the defender designation - Without the defender designation, Master Yi's passive never activates Nuances: - If the Stormbringer had 5 might instead, it would deal 5 damage, move to the battlefield, and then in cleanup the Yi unit would survive. A combat would be staged and initiated, giving the Yi unit the defender designation and activating Master Yi's passive (making it 8 might with 5 damage marked) - This interaction creates a rules hangup (contested battlefield controlled by a player with no units where neither showdown nor combat can be staged) that wasn't fixed in the Spiritforged rules update

Ruling: Neither spell receives credit for the kill. The spell that resolved immediately prior to cleanup must have applied damage markers to be considered the source of the kill. Sequence: - Hextech Ray applies 3 damage markers to a 6 might unit - Smoke Screen targets the unit but does not apply damage markers - Unit dies during cleanup - No spell receives responsibility for the kill action because Smoke Screen (the most recent spell before cleanup) did not apply damage

Ruling: The unit dies after Stupefy resolves during the next Cleanup, because it has damage marked on it equal to its Might. However, Stupefy is not considered the spell that killed the unit because it did not apply damage. Sequence: - Falling Comet deals 6 damage to the 7 Might unit - Stupefy resolves, reducing the unit's Might to 6 - During Cleanup, the unit is killed because it has 6 damage marked on it equaling its 6 Might - Falling Comet (the spell that applied damage immediately prior to that Cleanup) is responsible for the kill action, not Stupefy Nuances: - Only spells or abilities that applied damage can be responsible for kill actions during Cleanup, not effects that reduce Might

Ruling: You can only defeat one enemy unit. Stun prevents the stunned unit from dealing combat damage, but does not remove its might from the total defending might. Sequence: - Your 7 might attacks their combined 8 might (5 + 3) - The stunned unit cannot deal combat damage - The unstunned unit has 5 might to assign as damage - Your attacking unit gets recalled since 7 might is not enough to defeat 8 might Nuances: - Stunning a unit only prevents it from dealing combat damage, not from contributing its might to the defense total

Ruling: No, the Hidden card does not stay. If the battlefield isn't contested (i.e., outside a combat showdown) when the unit is killed, control is lost the moment the unit dies and the Hidden card gets trashed. Sequence: - Unit is killed by spell outside of combat - Control of the battlefield is lost immediately (since no units remain and it's not contested) - Hidden card is removed during the next Cleanup Nuances: - If the unit is killed during a combat showdown (not due to combat damage), control is not lost yet and the Hidden can remain there - If all defender's units are killed due to combat damage, the Hidden also gets trashed (unless there is some trigger from death like deathknell, which is awaiting Riot's clarification)

Ruling: The Merchant dies immediately during the cleanup after Ride the Wind resolves, as soon as it loses the Cleave might bonus from leaving combat. Sequence: - Merchant is cleaved and moves into combat (now has 5 might) - Opponent plays Hex Ray dealing 3 damage - Player plays Ride the Wind to move the Merchant - When Ride the Wind resolves, the Merchant loses the Cleave bonus - The Merchant dies during cleanup with 3 damage marked on its base 2 might Nuances: - The showdown/combat continues even after the Merchant dies, until both players pass focus in succession - Combat continues even if only one player has units remaining at the battlefield - If moving to another battlefield with enemy units, the Merchant still dies before the new combat can start, as the current combat must close first and the staged combat hasn't begun yet

Ruling: Combat and the attacker designation (which gives the Poro +3 Might) don't end until both players pass focus instead of starting a chain, even if attacking or defending units are removed from the battlefield. The Poro retains its +3 Might bonus. Nuances: - If the Poro is moved away from the battlefield with an effect like Fight or Flight, it will lose the attacker designation in the cleanup that follows that effect - As long as the Poro stays on the battlefield where combat is happening, only both players passing focus and going to combat cleanup will remove the attacker designation

Ruling: No, Viktor does not get a token from Rocket Barrage because damage spells deal damage to both targets during resolution, but units only die during cleanup, meaning both units die simultaneously. However, if a hypothetical Repeat spell said "kill a unit" (not deal damage), then the kills would happen sequentially and Viktor would get a token if the other unit was killed first. Sequence: (for damage-based Repeat spells like Rocket Barrage) - Both damage instances are applied during spell resolution in the chosen order - Both units are marked as having lethal damage - During cleanup, both units die simultaneously - Viktor's ability does not trigger because Viktor dies at the same time as the other unit Sequence: (for hypothetical "kill" effect Repeat spells) - First kill effect resolves, killing the first target - Viktor is still alive and sees the death, triggering his ability - Second kill effect resolves, killing Viktor - Viktor's controller gets a token Nuances: - Damage spells and kill spells behave differently for on-kill triggers in Riftbound - Damage effects only become kill effects during cleanup - Kill effects happen immediately during resolution, not during cleanup - Repeat enlarges the text box to do the effect twice, but it's still one spell instance (relevant for countering)

Ruling: You can target a unit on the same battlefield with Azir's ability and switch equipment to Azir, but no token is created because the unit did not actually move. When Azir swaps with a unit at Vilemaw's Lair, both units end up at Vilemaw's Lair due to "can't beat can" rules. Sequence: - Play Azir Ascendant onto the same battlefield as Sand Soldier with Eye of the Herald - Recycle 1 green to target the Sand Soldier on the same battlefield - Switch Eye of the Herald from Sand Soldier to Azir - No token is created because there was no movement Nuances: - If a unit is targeted to move to the battlefield it is already on, it is not considered to have moved - For Vilemaw's Lair interaction: if either Azir or the target unit was originally at base, both units will end up at Vilemaw's Lair after the swap

Ruling: Yes, the opponent can react to the temporary trigger before the Sprite Token dies. Sequence: - Sprite Token's temporary trigger occurs at the start of the turn (before scoring) - Opponent can react to this trigger - Opponent can flip Consult the Past during this reaction window - Then the Sprite Token dies

Ruling: Yes, when a Sprite dies it will trigger Viktor's passive to create a recruit unit because the Sprite is killed and is not itself a Recruit. Nuances: - The recruit unit created by Viktor does not get readied

Ruling: Yes, Zhonya's Hourglass keeps the Sprite token on the board when Temporary would kill it. Nuances: - The token retains the Temporary keyword, so it will be killed again during the next beginning phase

Ruling: Yes, the Sprite will still deal its full 5 damage in the combat damage step and can kill both blocking units. Marked damage does not reduce the amount of damage a unit deals in combat. Sequence: - Hextech resolves, leaving 3 marked damage on the Sprite - Combat damage step occurs - Sprite distributes its full 5 damage to blocking units - Blocking units distribute 4 damage to the Sprite (only needs 2 more to kill it) - Once all damage is assigned, units with damage equal to or above their power are killed Nuances: - A unit deals its full combat damage regardless of how much marked damage it has on it - The Sprite only needs 2 more damage to be killed (since it has 5 power and already has 3 marked damage), but it still deals all 5 of its damage

Ruling: The unit would become 2M. When the unit changes control and moves to the Warcamp, the -3M effect is locked in at -0M (since the unit was already at minimum 0M), and then the Warcamp's +1M is applied on top of that. Sequence: - The Watcher's -3M effect reduces the 1M Recruit to 0M (minimum) - When Charmed to the Warcamp, the -3M effect is locked at -0M at the moment of resolution - The Warcamp then applies +1M - Final result: 1M base + 1M from Warcamp = 2M

Ruling: The hidden unit must be flipped before taking the damage. You cannot flip it after damage to save it from being trashed when you lose control of the battlefield. Sequence: - Unchecked Power deals damage to the unit - If the unit dies and you have no other units at the battlefield, you immediately lose control - When you lose control, any hidden card at that battlefield is immediately placed into the trash Nuances: - There is no window to flip the hidden unit in reaction to losing control of the battlefield - The hidden unit will either die from Unchecked Power (if flipped before damage) or be sent from the hidden zone to trash during cleanup (if not flipped)

Ruling: The unit does not die from having 0 might alone. Units only die if they have damage equal to or greater than their might. Nuances: - Smoke Screen and other might reducers snapshot their effect once and are not continuous - You can have 0 might units in the game - Under current rules, cleanups don't happen before a spell resolves, so the opponent would need to add something else to the chain (like exhausting a rune) to trigger a cleanup that would kill a damaged unit at 0 might - Under updated rules, cleanups will happen more frequently and would resolve this situation differently

Ruling: The unit does not die. Units can have 0 or even negative might without dying - they only die if they have non-zero marked damage and their might is reduced to 0 or below. The unit would go from 0 might to 3 might when Call to Glory resolves. Sequence: - Unit starts at 5 might (4 base + 1 buff) - Smokescreen reduces it to 1 might - Call to Glory is played, removing the buff (reducing might to 0) - Cleanup occurs but unit survives (no marked damage) - Call to Glory resolves, granting +3 might - Unit ends at 3 might Nuances: - A unit with marked damage equal to its might would die during cleanup after the buff is removed but before Call to Glory resolves (e.g., a 4 might buffed unit with 3 damage would die when the buff is removed, making it 3 might with 3 damage)

Ruling: A buffed unit retains its buff even when damaged. Unless the unit dies (takes damage equal to or exceeding its buffed Might total), it will fully heal and keep the buff. Nuances: - A unit only loses its buff if it dies, which occurs when it takes damage equal to or greater than its total buffed Might (base Might + buff) - Damage does not remove buffs from surviving units

Ruling: No, you cannot use Sett's legend effect to save a buffed unit and also trigger the card's death effect. Nuances: - Sett's ability is a replacement effect, so the unit never actually dies

Ruling: Yes, you can respond by revealing Hidden Blade to kill your own unit before Void Seeker resolves. The player who played Void Seeker still pays all costs (including any deflect cost) when they first cast the spell. When Void Seeker resolves, it does as much as it can - the target is gone so it doesn't deal damage, but the caster still draws 1 card. Sequence: - Player A plays Void Seeker, pays all costs, and chooses the target - Void Seeker goes on the chain - You respond by revealing Hidden Blade targeting the same unit - Hidden Blade resolves: you kill the unit and draw 2 cards - Void Seeker resolves: target is gone so no damage is dealt, but the caster draws 1 card Nuances: - Costs are always paid when you first cast the spell, regardless of what happens during resolution - This includes deflect costs if any were required

Ruling: A unit with 0 might does not automatically die. It only dies if it has non-zero damage marked on it equalling or exceeding its might. Sequence: - Unit's might is reduced to 0 - Unit survives unless it has at least 1 damage marked on it - If it has 1 or more damage marked, it dies (since damage equals or exceeds its 0 might) Nuances: - Units cannot have 0 marked damage, so damage must be at least 1 to trigger death - This interaction is intentional design