Deathbone kill and Madelin's Scepter odd reactions

Threbin 2-6 vs AI Majiya
October 1, 2020
about 9:30 AM EST
Threbin Turn 8, I kill a Deathbone using Righteous Strike and heal Justicar Alysia on board. Threbin takes no damage from killing Deathbone. A later kill of a second Deathbone was fine.
Sometimes Madelain's Scepter is not displaying the button for using the ability, just green highlighted card. Click on it to zoom in then click again to return except it moves off to side to use ability but button never displayed.

Attachment 8008

Does Madelain's Scepter's 0SE ability count as an ability or item?

Had Threbin vs AI Lance 2-8 today.
Lance played Kurt Whitehelm.
I attacked Lance using Threbin with Madelain's then used Scepter's 0SE effect on Whitehelm who takes 2 damage, I expected him to only take 1 due to his taking 1 less damage from abilities.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Storknest

Does Madelain's Scepter's 0SE ability count as an ability or item?

Had Threbin vs AI Lance 2-8 today.
Lance played Kurt Whitehelm.
I attacked Lance using Threbin with Madelain's then used Scepter's 0SE effect on Whitehelm who takes 2 damage, I expected him to only take 1 due to his taking 1 less damage from abilities.

---

The item is causing ability damage when you use its ability. When you hit with it, it is combat damage.

All damage in the game *from cards* is either combat or ability damage. Then there are subtypes like bow, electrical, etc.

Just for completeness ... The only other type of damage (not combat and not ability) is empty deck damage from no cards left in deck when a card was meant to be taken from there (to hand or discarded) and that is unpreventable and can’t be reduced.