I have a unit at a battlefield. Elder dragon is played and tries to ping that unit. I react with flash to move it to base. I have no other units in base. Do I still get pinged on that unit? What about if I had another unit in base, would the elder dragon player get to choose which one from base he kills?
No, your unit will not be dealt damage in either scenario.
According to RiftJudge FAQ #9919 and the Rules FAQ Clarification (2026-04-29), Elder Dragon's play effect has specific targeting restrictions based on location. It targets "up to one enemy unit at [a specific location]."
Your First Scenario
- Playing Elder Dragon: When your opponent plays Elder Dragon, its "When you play me" ability is placed on the chain. Your opponent must lock in targets at specific locations (e.g., "the unit at Battlefield 1").
- Reacting: You play Flash in response, which is added to the chain on top of the Elder Dragon ability.
- Resolution: Flash resolves first, moving your unit to your base.
- Check on Resolution: When Elder Dragon's ability attempts to resolve, it checks the location of its target. Because your unit moved to your base, it no longer fulfills the targeting restriction of the ability (which required the unit to be at the battlefield). Consequently, your unit is unaffected by the damage.
Your Second Scenario (Unit already in Base)
Even if you already have a unit in your base, the Elder Dragon player does not get to choose between them when the ability resolves.
- When Elder Dragon is played, the opponent must lock in their targets at each location (e.g., "the unit at Battlefield 1" and "the unit at Base").
- If they specifically targeted the unit at the battlefield, and you move that unit to the base, that specific targeting relationship is invalidated because the unit is no longer at the battlefield.
- The Elder Dragon ability does not "re-target" to another unit at the new location; it simply fails to affect the original target because it no longer meets the targeting requirements.
As stated in the official clarification: "If you play Flash in reaction to the play effect of Elder Dragon, any units that are moved to a location other than the one where they were targeted will no longer fulfill the targeting restriction of the Elder Dragon play effect and will be unaffected by the ability as it resolves."