Can I gust a reflection a unit before it copies the unit it targets?

Question

Accepted Answer

It depends on how the Reflection token is being created. If the copy is applied as part of the same spell/ability that plays the token (e.g. resolving Mirror Image), you cannot Gust it in between those internal steps — you can only Gust before the spell resolves (but then the token doesn't exist yet). If the token is played first and a later trigger copies it (e.g. LeBlanc - Deceiver's reflexive trigger per the official FAQ), the token will be on the battlefield and you can respond with Gust to return it before it becomes a copy.

You cannot Gust a Reflection token 'between' the play and copy if the same effect both plays the token and immediately makes it a copy during that spell/ability's resolution (so you cannot stop Mirror Image's copy by Gusting after the token is played but before it becomes a copy). However, when the token is played first and the copy is done by a subsequent trigger that goes on the chain (as with LeBlanc - Deceiver per [FAQ:unleashed#18]), the token will exist ready on the battlefield and you may play Gust in response to that later trigger to return the token before it becomes a copy.

Mirror Image scenario: You play Mirror Image choosing a unit. The spell's resolution executes 'Play a ready Reflection unit token to your base' then 'It becomes a copy of that unit' then 'Give it [Temporary].' Those instructions are part of the single resolution of the spell. You can play Gust in response to Mirror Image before it begins resolving, but you cannot insert Gust between the internal instructions once resolution has begun, so there is no window to Gust the token before it becomes a copy. LeBlanc - Deceiver scenario: You trigger LeBlanc - Deceiver and pay costs; when the effect resolves it plays one or more 0 [M] Reflection tokens onto the chain and then a reflexive trigger to copy them is placed on the chain. The tokens finalize and enter the battlefield ready before the reflexive trigger that makes them copies resolves (see [FAQ:unleashed#18]). At that point the opponent may play Gust in response to the reflexive trigger to return the Reflection token(s) before they become copies. Keeper of Masks and similar: If the copy instruction is part of the same resolving effect that plays the tokens (no separate trigger), treat it like Mirror Image — no in-resolution window. If the token is played first and copying happens later on the chain, treat it like LeBlanc - Deceiver — you can respond with Gust before the copy resolves. Checks: Gust can only return a unit with 3 or less Might; per [184.6] Reflection tokens are 0 Might, so they are valid targets while they exist on the battlefield. If the token becomes a copy and that copied form has >3 Might, it will no longer be a legal target for Gust per [359.3.e.4].

Replacement effects that modify the token-play event (e.g. a Zilean-like replacement that plays an extra token) can change the order/timing of when tokens enter and when the reflexive trigger is resolved — see [375] and [FAQ:unleashed#18]. These interactions can create multiple tokens entering ready before the copy trigger resolves, and you can still Gust in response to that later trigger. If a Reflection token is created but then moved to a non-board zone before you attempt to target it with Gust, it ceases to be the same object and is no longer a legal target per [359.3.e.4]. If the Reflection token becomes a copy and that copy's Might is increased above 3 by some effect applied during resolution, Gust can no longer target it once it meets that higher Might state per [359.3.e.4].

Short answer: It depends on HOW the Reflection is created. If the effect that plays the Reflection also immediately makes it a copy as part of that same resolution (for example the copy happens as a contiguous instruction of the resolving spell/ability such as Mirror Image), there is no opportunity to play Gust 'between' those instructions — you can only play Gust before the spell begins resolving, in which case the Reflection token does not yet exist to target. If the token is played first and the copy is performed by a separate trigger that is placed on the chain (for example the LeBlanc - Deceiver reflexive trigger flow explained in the official clarification), the tokens will resolve and be on the battlefield ready before that copy trigger resolves; you may respond to that later trigger by playing Gust to return the token(s) before they become copies. Rationale and citations: Reflection tokens are 0 Might units ([184.6]) and thus are valid targets for Gust while they exist. Copying is a Trait-Altering effect applied in Layer 1 ([472.1.b.1]). When token creation and subsequent copying occur as separate items on the chain (the typical case for a reflexive trigger like LeBlanc - Deceiver), the tokens resolve and are on the battlefield before the reflexive trigger resolves, giving the opponent a window to react — see the stepwise explanation in [FAQ:unleashed#18]. Replacement effects that alter the token-play event inherit modifications and can change how many tokens are played and their ready/exhausted status ([375]), but they do not remove the window that exists when copying is a later trigger. Also note that a target ceases to be legal if it changes zones to a non-board zone or if its Might increases above 3, which can stop Gust from targeting it ([359.3.e.4]). Therefore, whether you can Gust a Reflection before it copies is determined by whether the copy is applied later as a separate trigger (you can Gust) or immediately as part of the same resolution (you cannot Gust mid-resolution).