Can a gear be at a battlefield alone, and specifically can a hidden Zhonya's Hourglass be used to save itself when the only unit at that battlefield is targeted by Charm?
Ruling: A gear cannot be at a battlefield alone. If a gear is at a battlefield without a unit, it is immediately recalled to base. You can reveal a hidden Zhonya's Hourglass before the unit is moved by Charm to save it from being trashed.
Sequence:
- Opponent plays Charm, targeting your only unit at the battlefield where Zhonya's is hidden
- Opponent passes priority
- You reveal and play Zhonya's
- Zhonya's immediately resolves
- A cleanup happens and recalls Zhonya's to base (since no unit remains)
- Priority passes back and forth
- Charm resolves and moves your unit
Nuances:
- The gear must be revealed before the unit is moved to avoid being trashed while hidden
- Permanents cannot be reacted to - once they enter the chain, they immediately resolve
- There was discussion about a rules ambiguity regarding permanents with reaction speed in the middle of a chain, but the intended behavior is that permanents resolve immediately