Can Bellows Breath target the same unit multiple times with one cast to deal multiple damage to it?

Question

Accepted Answer

No. When you play Bellows Breath the instruction “Deal 1 to up to three units at the same location” requires you to choose up to three units as the targets of that single execution, and you may not choose the same unit multiple times within that same execution. If you pay the Repeat cost and execute the spell again, you may choose the same unit(s) for the additional execution(s) and thus deal additional instances of 1 damage to the same unit (each execution is a separate Deal action). [355.13] [820.2] [820.1.d]

A single execution of Bellows Breath cannot target the same unit multiple times to deal multiple damage from that one execution. Each execution chooses up to three units (distinct choices for each of the up-to-three selections). If you pay the Repeat cost you will perform the instruction again and may choose the same unit(s) on that separate execution, causing additional damage. [355.13] [820.1.d] [820.2]

When you play Bellows Breath you make the relevant choices: choose up to three units at the same location to be dealt 1 each by that execution of the spell. [820.2] [349] Those chosen units are targeted (choices are considered targeted and chosen independently). You cannot list the same game object multiple times as multiple of those independent choices for the same execution; you are choosing up to three (distinct) game objects. [355.13] As the spell resolves, the Deal action applies 1 damage to each of the chosen units (each chosen unit receives the 1 as a separate recipient of that Deal action). [417.1.d] If you paid the Repeat cost when playing Bellows Breath, after the first execution completes the spell’s instruction is executed again. During the initial Make Relevant Choices step you also make choices for the additional execution(s) (and they need not be the same choices). You may choose the same unit again for the repeated execution(s), causing it to be Dealt additional instances of 1 damage. [820.1.d] [820.2] If a chosen unit leaves the board (goes to a non-board zone) before resolution it is no longer the same game object and the targeting relationship is severed; it cannot be affected. If it moves between locations on the board such that it no longer satisfies the location requirement, it will typically be unaffected as the spell resolves. See the relevant FAQ clarifications. [FAQ:unleashed#22] [FAQ:unleashed#20] [359.3.e.3]

You cannot select the same unit multiple times in a single execution to convert the 'up to three units' into multiple damage instances on one unit. The rules and examples treat 'each of up to N units' as N distinct recipients. [355.13] [715.2] If you pay Repeat, you can target the same unit on the repeated execution(s) and thus deal multiple separate instances of 1 damage to it (each execution is a separate Deal action). [820.1.d] [820.2] If the unit is killed or moved to a non-board zone between executions (or before resolution) it ceases to be the same game object and cannot be targeted or affected by later executions. [359.3.e.3] [FAQ:unleashed#22] If a chosen unit is moved to another location on the board such that it no longer meets the 'at the same location' restriction, it will generally be unaffected when the spell resolves. The spell’s controller still 'chose' it, but per-location restrictions can prevent the effect from applying. [FAQ:unleashed#20]

The card Bellows Breath reads (in essence) “Deal 1 to up to three units at the same location.” When you play the spell you choose the targets for that instruction during the Make Relevant Choices step of playing the card. Choices that select ‘some number’ of game objects are treated as targets chosen independently — you are choosing up to three units as the recipients of that Deal instruction, i.e. up to three distinct game objects to be targeted by that single execution. [355.13] [349] [417.1.d]

The provided rules and examples treat wording like “each of up to N units” as designating multiple distinct recipients of the effect (see the example in the Bonus Damage rule showing a spell dealing to “each of up to two units” and applying effects to both) — the natural reading is that the up-to-three selections are separate choices among units (distinct game objects). [715.2]

Repeat interacts as follows: Repeat is an optional additional cost that makes the spell’s instructions be executed an additional time if you paid it when playing the spell. Choices for the additional execution are made at the usual time and need not match the first execution’s choices, so you may choose the same unit again on the repeated execution(s). Thus you cannot pick the same unit multiple times inside one execution to give it multiple 1-damage hits, but if you paid Repeat you can cause multiple separate executions that each can target the same unit and thereby deal multiple instances of 1 damage total. [820.1.d] [820.2]

Movement and zone changes can alter whether the chosen unit is affected at resolution. If a chosen unit leaves the board (to a non-board zone) while the spell is on the chain, the targeting relationship is severed and it will not be affected. If a unit moves between locations on the board so that it no longer satisfies Bellows Breath’s per-location restriction, the spell will generally be unable to affect it as it resolves (see the clarifications on targeting and movement). [359.3.e.3] [FAQ:unleashed#22] [FAQ:unleashed#20]

Therefore the most defensible ruling given the provided Core Rules and examples is: one execution = up to three distinct unit targets; same unit cannot be chosen multiple times within that execution. Paying Repeat allows separate execution(s), and you may target the same unit on those separate executions to deal additional damage. [355.13] [820.1.d] [820.2] [417.1.d]