When Spectral Matron's ability lets you play a unit from trash 'ignoring its cost', do you still need to pay additional costs like Cruel Patron's 'kill a friendly unit' requirement?
Ruling: When cards say "ignoring costs" they refer to the base costs in the top left only. Additional costs still need to be paid.
Sequence:
- You play Matron, resolve it, and put it on board
- Matron's "when played" ability triggers, targeting a unit from trash, and goes on the chain
- You don't pay for the targeted unit yet at this point
- Opponent can respond to the trigger
- When the ability resolves, you play the targeted unit and must pay any additional costs
- If you cannot pay the additional costs (e.g., no unit to sacrifice), the ability fails
Nuances:
- "When you play" is the same as enters the battlefield; there is no separate "cast" concept in this game
- The unit from trash is not "pending" when the trigger goes on the chain - it only gets played during resolution