Can you use Star-Crossed as a reaction to Baited Hook's activation to return the targeted unit to your hand and prevent your opponent from summoning a new unit?

August 15, 2026 · reviewed by 121679855233400832

Need to mention the "return enemy unit to my hand" part of the question.

Yes. Star-Crossed is a [Reaction] spell, so it can be played in the Closed State created by Baited Hook's activation — and since it resolves first (LIFO), the targeted unit returns to hand before the kill instruction happens. Here's the sequence: Baited Hook activates and goes on the chain with its target chosen → state becomes Closed → you play Star-Crossed, targeting that unit and a friendly unit of your own → Star-Crossed resolves first, returning both to their owners' hands. When Baited Hook resolves, its target is no longer on the board, so the "Kill a friendly unit" instruction fails. That makes "the killed unit" null (Rule 359.3.e.12), so your opponent still looks at the top 5 but cannot satisfy the "Might up to 1 more than the killed unit" requirement — all 5 cards get recycled and no unit is played. One catch: Star-Crossed has two mandatory targets and each returns to their owner's hand, you can't put the enemy unit in your hand.