Can Soraka save a unit (like a Recruit) from dying in combat if they are both at the same location and would die simultaneously from combat damage?

Ruling: Soraka cannot save another unit from dying in combat if they would both die simultaneously from the same combat. Even though Soraka must be assigned combat damage last, all combat damage is dealt simultaneously, so both units go to the trash at the same time and Soraka does not see the other unit being killed in order to replace its death with a recall.

Sequence:

• Combat damage is assigned (Soraka is assigned damage last)
• All combat damage is dealt simultaneously
• All units killed by combat damage go to the trash at the same time
• Soraka's replacement effect cannot apply because she is moving to the trash at the same moment as the unit she would save

Nuances:

• The distinction between "assigning damage" and "dealing damage" is important - assignment order does not affect the simultaneity of damage being dealt
• This works similarly to Viktor dying at a battlefield along with other units (triggered abilities also don't see simultaneous deaths)
• There is some debate about whether passive replacement effects should work differently than triggered abilities in simultaneous death scenarios, but the ruling treats them the same