Can I use Deathgrip on a unit on the same battlefield as Soraka?
Yes, you can use Deathgrip on a unit at the same battlefield as Soraka, Wanderer. However, the interaction will likely result in the unit being saved by Soraka rather than being killed, which will prevent the rest of Deathgrip's effect from occurring.
The Interaction:
- Playing Deathgrip: You play Deathgrip and choose a friendly unit at the same battlefield as Soraka as the target to kill.
- Replacement Effect: When the unit would die, Soraka's replacement effect triggers (provided the target has less Might than Soraka).
- Resolution: Soraka's effect replaces the "die" event with "heal it, exhaust it, and recall it."
- Result: Because the unit was saved and did not actually die, the "If you do" condition of Deathgrip is not met. Consequently, you will not receive the Might bonus for another unit, though you will still draw 1 card as part of the spell's resolution.
Important Rules:
- Replacement Effects: According to Rule 366, replacement effects like Soraka's intercede during the execution of a game effect (the kill instruction from Deathgrip) and alter its execution.
- "If you do": Deathgrip requires the unit to actually be killed to trigger the subsequent effect of giving a Might bonus. Since Soraka replaces the death with a recall, the unit is not considered "killed" (Rule 734.1.d.1).
- Targeting: Deathgrip targets a friendly unit to kill. Soraka's ability does not prevent you from targeting or attempting to kill the unit; it simply changes the outcome of that kill attempt.