Does Sacred Shears trigger its Deathknell ability when the gear itself is killed (e.g., by Salvage)?

Ruling: Sacred Shears does NOT draw a card when the gear itself is killed in isolation. You only draw a card when the unit equipped with Sacred Shears dies.

Sequence:

  • Sacred Shears has Deathknell in its Effect Text (bottom box)
  • While equipped, this Effect Text is appended to the unit's rules text
  • The unit gains the Deathknell ability, not the gear itself
  • When the unit dies, the unit's Deathknell triggers and you draw 1 card
  • When only the gear is killed (by Salvage), it is no longer attached to a unit, so the Effect Text is no longer active and does not trigger

Nuances:

  • Gear abilities are divided into Rules Text (top box) and Effect Text (bottom box)
  • Rules Text on gear remains with the gear but becomes inactive while equipped
  • Effect Text on gear is only active while equipped and is appended to the equipped unit
  • If Deathknell were in the Rules Text instead, it would trigger when the gear itself dies