decoy trap + assassination (not a bug)

[000Spider000]

In decoy trap text is written: "the next time a friendly ally takes damage, that damage is reduced to 0", but it prevents assassination kill also(which is not damage), i think this is a bug and must be fixed.

[tman507]

Actually it technically is damage. In this game, it is ruled that any effect that "kills" an ally does so by dealing enough damage to that ally in order to kill it, however much damage happens to be required. As a result, any effect that states "damage is reduced to 0" can block even these insta-kill effects, as however much damage would have been dealt to it becomes 0 instead. Not super intuitive at first thought, but that is how the design team has ruled it for the sake of keeping various things clearer.

Hope this explains it adequately enough, and welcome to the forums

[Bobbypim]

Is this the same with decoy trap and mind control?

[Gondorian]

Is this the same with decoy trap and mind control?

Depends if the hero retaliates with a weapon and does damage with that. Decoy Trap will only block the first instance of damage. If hero has weapon and deals combat damage, then Decoy Trap reduces to zero, but then Mind Control kills the ally anyway. If no hero retaliation with a weapon then Decoy Trap will block the Mind Control damage, yes.

[000Spider000]

But what about a constant reduction like Armored Sandworm("All damage to it is reduced by 2")? Why this reduction is not triggered in a insta-kill?

[bobrossw]

But what about a constant reduction like Armored Sandworm("All damage to it is reduced by 2")? Why this reduction is not triggered in a insta-kill?

My understanding is that those insta-kill cards do some absurdly large amount of damage. It's possible that Sandworm reduces that damage by 2...but you'd never see it. It only matters when an ability prevents all damage, in which case insta-kills fizzle.

[tman507]

But what about a constant reduction like Armored Sandworm("All damage to it is reduced by 2")? Why this reduction is not triggered in a insta-kill?

Because the insta-kill will do enough damage over that reduction in order to kill the ally, so in the instance of Armored Sandworm at base stats, 7 damage.

At least that's my take on it, you do bring up a good point though since it is worded the same way on Decoy Trap and Sandworm with "reduced". I guess that's my question for Gondorian then, does an insta-kill actually do just enough damage to kill an ally (e.g. 4 damage on a 4hp ally), or does it do some huge amount of damage (e.g. 40, which if I'm remembering correctly was considered the upper limit on hp). If it does a full amount of damage like that then it would make sense why Decoy Trap fully reduces it and Sandworm wouldn't, because 40 reduced by 2 would still be enough to kill the Sandworm, lol.

Edit: Sort of ninja'd by bobrossw, lol.