How does Enthralling Protector work when you spend xp to give it a buff, and does that occur at action or reaction speeds?

Question

Accepted Answer

Spending 2 XP to give Enthralling Protector a buff is an activated ability that, when it resolves, places a single Buff object onto Enthralling Protector if it does not already have one. If the unit already has a Buff, no additional Buff is placed. The card text does not include the [Reaction] keyword, and the Core Rules text provided does not include the general timing rules for abilities, so the timing (action vs. reaction) cannot be 100% proven from the supplied context; the most defensible interpretation is that this is an activated ability used at normal (action) timing rather than a Reaction. [See assumptions.]

When you activate “Spend 2 XP: [Buff] me.” you pay the cost and, on resolution of that ability, place a single Buff object on Enthralling Protector if it does not already have one. If it already has a Buff, nothing is placed. The rule text provided does not include the general ability-timing rules, so because the card lacks the [Reaction] keyword it is most reasonably treated as an activated ability usable at normal (action) timing, not a Reaction.

Player announces they will use the ability “Spend 2 XP: [Buff] me.” on Enthralling Protector and finalizes that action, paying the 2 XP as the cost (this is the cost portion of the activated ability). [FAQ:unleashed#17] The activated ability becomes a chain item (it can be responded to by legal reactions or other items on the chain while the chain is open). When that chain item resolves, its effect is to place a Buff object onto Enthralling Protector (the effect text is an instruction to Buff the unit). [702.2.a] [704] If, at the moment the effect would place the Buff, Enthralling Protector already has a Buff, you do not place another Buff (the instruction to add a Buff does nothing). [702.3.a] [702.3] If the Buff is successfully placed, it remains on the Unit as a Buff object until removed or spent by some effect. [702] [704]

If the unit gains or loses a Buff between the time you finalize the ability and the time it resolves (for example via another chain item or effect), the resolution follows the current board state: if it has a Buff at resolution, the added-Buff instruction does nothing per [702.3.a]; if it does not have a Buff, the Buff is placed per [702.2.a]. Because adding the Buff is the effect of the ability, nothing is considered Buffed until that effect resolves. If some other rule/ability in the provided Core Rules prevented the ability from being activated or changing timing, that rule text was not included here and is listed in Assumptions.

What “Spend 2 XP: [Buff] me.” does: The card’s instruction is an effect that places a Buff object onto Enthralling Protector. Buffs are objects placed on Units [702]. The specific method for placing a Buff is given in the rules: to Buff a Unit you choose the Unit and then place a buff on it [702.2.a]. Rule constraints: there can only be one Buff on a unit at a time [702.3], and if an instruction would add a Buff to a Unit that already has one, that new Buff is not placed [702.3.a]. Buffs are Game Objects and remain on the Unit until removed or spent [704] and can be referenced by other effects. Timing: The supplied Core Rules excerpt does not include the general ability timing rules (rule 360 text is not provided), so I cannot quote the formal rule that defines whether the “Spend 2 XP: [Buff] me.” line is an Action-speed activated ability or otherwise. The card does not include the [Reaction] keyword; the correct, most defensible interpretation given standard card templating and the other provided card examples (for instance, Kha'Zix - Voidreaver uses similar “Spend X XP, :rb_exhaust:: [Buff] a unit.” wording without the Reaction keyword) is that this is an activated ability used at normal/action timing rather than a Reaction. Operationally: you pay the 2 XP when you finalize the activation; the add-Buff effect happens when the ability resolves; if the unit already has a Buff at that moment, nothing is added [702.2.a] [702.3.a]. Finally, remember that finalization and resolution interact with cleanups per the FAQ: a cleanup cannot occur during finalization and cleanups only happen between FEPR steps [FAQ:unleashed#17].