Can you play Harnessed Dragon if the opponent doesn't have a unit out?

Ruling: Yes, you can play Harnessed Dragon even if the opponent has no units. The ability will fail to finalize (enter the chain) if there is no valid target.

Sequence:

  • Play Harnessed Dragon and it resolves fully
  • The "When you play me" trigger is evaluated
  • If no enemy unit exists, the ability fails to finalize and does not enter the chain
  • There will be no chain item to react to or resolve

Nuances:

  • This is not a Silver Rule situation about fulfilling as much as you can during resolution
  • "When you play me" triggers are evaluated after the unit fully resolves
  • If killing a unit were required to play Harnessed Dragon, it would need to state "as an additional cost"