If my opponent plays Unchecked Power, can I Thrill of the Hunt my unit to save it?
Yes, you can use Thrill of the Hunt to "save" your unit from Unchecked Power, but it will not make the unit immune to the damage.
Because Thrill of the Hunt has the [Reaction] keyword, you can play it in response to Unchecked Power while the spell is on the chain.
The Sequence of Events:
- Opponent plays Unchecked Power: They place it on the chain.
- You play Thrill of the Hunt (as a [Reaction]): You place it on the chain in response to Unchecked Power.
- Chain Resolves (LIFO - Last In, First Out):
- Thrill of the Hunt resolves first: Your unit is banished and immediately played to a battlefield of your choice. It is now a new game object at that location.
- Unchecked Power resolves second: It deals 12 damage to ALL units at all battlefields.
- Final Outcome: Your unit is now on a battlefield when Unchecked Power resolves. Unless your unit has a way to prevent, shield, or replace the damage (such as a Shield keyword or a replacement effect), it will still take the 12 damage and likely be killed.
Why this is useful: While this doesn't protect the unit from the damage itself, reacting with Thrill of the Hunt allows you to:
- Move the unit to a different battlefield if you believe that location will be safer or more advantageous after the cleanup.
- Trigger "When you play me" effects on that unit when it re-enters the board.
- Keep a unit from being discarded or sent to the trash if the spell's effect had other conditions (e.g., if you needed to move it to maintain control of a battlefield elsewhere).
According to the rules regarding chain resolution (LIFO), Thrill of the Hunt must fully resolve before Unchecked Power deals its damage. Since the unit is re-played to a battlefield, it is present on the board when the damage instruction from Unchecked Power executes.