What happens when Imperial Decree is played, then Bellows Breath with Repeat is cast on an opponent's Irelia who has Guardian Angel attached at a battlefield?

Ruling: Irelia will be killed. Guardian Angel saves her from the first kill trigger (destroying the Guardian Angel and recalling/exhausting/healing Irelia), but the second kill trigger from Imperial Decree will still find and kill her even though she's been recalled to base.

Sequence:

  • Imperial Decree is played and resolves, creating an active effect for the turn
  • Bellows Breath with Repeat is cast targeting Irelia
  • Bellows Breath resolves, dealing 1 damage to Irelia
  • Imperial Decree triggers, placing a kill trigger on the chain
  • The Repeat deals 1 more damage to Irelia
  • Imperial Decree triggers again, placing a second kill trigger on the chain
  • The first kill trigger resolves: Guardian Angel replaces Irelia's death by being destroyed, and Irelia is healed, exhausted, and recalled to base
  • The second kill trigger resolves: Imperial Decree kills Irelia regardless of her location (even though she's now at base)

Nuances:

  • Guardian Angel acts as a replacement effect that intercepts the first kill effect from Imperial Decree
  • Imperial Decree's kill effect does not require the unit to be at a specific location - it will kill the unit wherever it is
  • Damage is not checked for lethality until a spell finishes resolving, but Imperial Decree creates triggers during spell resolution when damage is taken