Ride the Wind

If I play Ride the Wind targeting my unit at Vilemaw’s Lair and attempt to move them to base, what happens?

They will be readied.

This is a rules quirk that players and judges identified as a result of a small additional rule added in the Vendetta rules update. We’re going to give some clarity to this that will resolve this issue, but if you don’t understand the conversation or why it is necessary, don’t worry. This isn’t an actual change to how we’ve been interpreting and ruling cards, but smoothing out a bug.

In short, the linked instructions rules are too expansive currently on what qualifies as an “ignored” instruction. To clarify this definition: an ignored instruction is one that wasn’t performed as part of the execution of a spell or ability’s instructions because it mistargeted (i.e. because the targeted object wasn’t a legal target on resolution). This is a case where, for example, you play Hidden Blade choosing an enemy unit and they play Star-Crossed in reaction, returning their unit to hand. When Hidden Blade resolves, the unit isn’t on the board, so we ignore the “Its controller draws 2.” instruction. Alternatively, if Hidden Blade is given the Repeat keyword by the Academy and both executions target the same unit, this is the reason why the unit’s controller doesn’t draw 4 cards.

An instruction is not ignored if an ability, effect, or circumstance of the game prevents it from occurring. This could take the form of a replacement effect that replaces the event of the instruction with something else, it could take the form of an ability like Vilemaw’s Lair that says “Units can’t move from here to base.” or it could take the form of a game action like Buff or Ready being performed on a unit that already has the appropriate state. It could even take the form of a unit, gear, or spell no longer being in an appropriate zone as long as the instruction doesn’t target those objects. The instruction in these cases isn’t ignored, but instead negated. A negated instruction has its effects skipped, replaced, or prevented. A negated instruction will not cause any linked instructions to be ignored unless those instructions refer specifically to the action being performed.

Some examples:

• If a unit at a battlefield says “I can’t be killed.” and a player plays Hidden Blade choosing that unit, the unit’s controller will still draw 2 on resolution of Hidden Blade. (The instruction was negated and not ignored, so the linked instruction will still execute.)
• If a unit at a battlefield is chosen by Hidden Blade and in reaction its controller plays Flash moving it to base, that unit’s controller will not draw 2 on resolution of Hidden Blade. (The instruction was ignored, so any linked instructions will be ignored.)
• If a unit at a battlefield is chosen by Hidden Blade and in reaction its controller plays Zhonya’s Hourglass, that unit’s controller will draw 2 on resolution of Hidden Blade. (The unit is on the board and can have its information checked, and the instruction was negated and not ignored.)
• If a unit at a battlefield has been affected by Smite previously this turn and it is chosen by Hidden Blade, that unit’s controller will not draw 2 on resolution of Hidden Blade. (Although the instruction is executed, the unit is not on the board to have its information checked. Additionally, the unit was moved to a non-board zone by an effect other than Hidden Blade and thus no longer has a controller that Hidden Blade can reference.)