Does Sett, Kingpin count himself when applying the +1 [M] buff bonus for each buffed friendly unit?

Question

Accepted Answer

Insufficient card text provided for Sett, Kingpin. Most defensible interpretation: if the ability does NOT say “other,” Sett does count himself — he counts as a buffed friendly unit if he has one or more Buffs, and each such Buff contributes +1 Might to that unit [703].

We don’t have the printed text of Sett, Kingpin. Assuming the ability reads something like “Give +1 [M] for each buffed friendly unit you control” (and does not include the word “other”), then Sett counts himself if he currently has at least one Buff. Each Buff on a Unit contributes +1 Might to that Unit, so any Buff(s) on Sett would be counted when calculating the total [703].

Check the exact wording on Sett, Kingpin. If it includes the word “other,” do not include Sett in the count; if it does not include “other,” proceed to the next step. Determine which friendly units are “buffed” (i.e., which units have one or more Buff instances on them). Include Sett in the set of buffed friendly units only if he has at least one Buff and his ability’s wording does not exclude himself. Count the number of Buffs on each unit; each Buff contributes +1 Might to that unit per [703]. Apply the resulting +[M] values as specified by Sett’s ability (summing as appropriate).

If Sett gains a Buff as part of the same effect that calculates the number of buffed units, check the card text for timing/ordering—this ruling assumes Buffs already present are eligible. If multiple Buff instances exist on Sett (from different sources), each one contributes +1 [M] to Sett per [703]. If Sett’s ability wording is ambiguous in the card text between including or excluding the source, follow the printed wording; if the word “other” is present, Sett does not count himself. Temporary or granted Buffs that are present at the time of the calculation count the same as printed Buffs for purposes of counting.

The Core Rules excerpt supplied only contains the rule that governs Buffs and Might: “703. Each Buff individually contributes +1 Might to a Unit.” That rule establishes how individual Buff instances translate to Might bonuses for units [703]. The critical question for whether Sett, Kingpin counts himself depends on the exact printed wording of Sett’s ability. If Sett’s ability says something like “for each buffed friendly unit you control” (and does not say “other”), then Sett is a friendly unit you control and — provided he has at least one Buff on him — he qualifies as a buffed friendly unit and therefore is included in the count. Each Buff on him would contribute +1 Might to him as per [703]. If the ability explicitly says “other buffed friendly units,” that wording excludes Sett from counting himself. Because you did not provide the printed text for Sett, Kingpin, I can’t definitively say which of those templates Sett uses; the most defensible interpretation is: include Sett in the count unless the card’s text explicitly excludes the source (e.g., with the word “other”) [703].