How does Kayle, Justified work when?

Question

Accepted Answer

Kayle, Justified is a Unit with an Empower mechanic that can be applied up to three times. Each time she is [Empowered], she gets +2 Might. At three Empower counters she additionally has [Deflect 3] and [Ganking]. Her effective Might for combat calculations is her printed Might (3) plus 2 × (number of times she is [Empowered]). The Core Rules text needed to fully resolve timing and interactions for Empower, Deflect, and Ganking is not present in the provided rules, so I state assumptions below and otherwise apply the most defensible interpretation consistent with the card text and the provided rules about combat and playing units.

Most defensible interpretation: Kayle, Justified enters play as a 3 Might unit. You may place up to three Empowerments on her via the printed Empower cost (the card shows :rb_energy_3: as the Empower cost). Each Empowerment increases her Might by +2 immediately, so her Might becomes 5 with one Empower, 7 with two, and 9 with three. While she has three Empowerments, she also gains the keywords [Deflect 3] and [Ganking]. Her current Might (including Empower bonuses) is the value used when assigning combat damage [460.2]. Because the provided Core Rules do not define the Empower action or the keywords Deflect and Ganking, any details beyond these immediate effects (for example: when or where you may pay Empower costs, whether Empower is an activated ability or a triggered one, whether Empower can be paid while a Chain Item is resolving, or how Deflect interacts with damage-dealing instructions) cannot be answered from the given context.

To play Kayle, Justified, when you finalize playing the Unit you choose a valid Location for her (your Base or a Battlefield you control) [355.2]. When Kayle, Justified is on the board, each instance of being [Empowered] (up to three times) grants her +2 Might. Her printed Might is 3, so her current Might equals 3 + 2 × (# of Empowerments). That current Might is the value used in combat damage calculations [460.2]. When her Empower count reaches three, she gains the keywords [Deflect 3] and [Ganking] as specified by her card text. The provided rules do not define how these keywords function, so their mechanical effects cannot be resolved from the given context. If Empowering involves paying costs or placing an ability on the chain, finalizing that action will follow normal FEPR rules; a Cleanup cannot occur in the middle of finalization [FAQ:unleashed#17]. If Empower is an activated ability performed while you have priority, it should be treated like other abilities with respect to being placed on the chain (but no Empower rules are present to state the exact timing). During Combat, any changes to Kayle, Justified's Might from Empowerments that are in effect at the moment Combat resolves are used when summing and assigning damage [460.2].

If a game effect attempts to Empower Kayle, Justified more than three times, the printed text "I can be [Empowered] up to three times" indicates three is the maximum; additional Empower attempts should not increase her Empower count beyond three (this follows from normal limit language on card text, but the Core Rules text for limiting Empower is not present). If Empower is granted or removed in the middle of a chain resolving, whether that change applies for the current resolution depends on whether the Empower change has already been finalized and resolved; cleanups do not interrupt finalization [FAQ:unleashed#17], but the provided context lacks explicit rules for Empower resolution timing. Because [Deflect] and [Ganking] are not defined in the provided rules, interactions such as whether Deflect prevents assigned damage, redirects it, or reduces it are unknown from the given context and cannot be adjudicated here. If some effect queries whether Kayle, Justified is [Empowered] as part of a trigger condition or replacement effect, treat the Empower status as any other status on a permanent, but the exact timing of when the status is considered 'on' depends on how Empower is implemented (which is not present in the provided rules).

The card Kayle, Justified states: "[Empower] :rb_energy_3: (:rb_energy_3:: Empower me.) I can be [Empowered] up to three times. I have +2 :rb_might: for each time I'm [Empowered]. While I'm [Empowered] three times, I have [Deflect 3] and [Ganking]."

From the card text alone (and the Core Rules excerpts provided), the directly answerable mechanical effects are:
- Kayle's base Might is 3. Each Empower instance increases her Might by +2, so her current Might equals 3 + 2 × (#Empowered).
- When she has three Empowerments, she gains two additional keywords: [Deflect 3] and [Ganking].
- Her current Might (including Empower bonuses) is the value used for combat damage sum and assignment during the Combat Damage Step [460.2].

Relevant Core Rules that bear on the above:
- When you play a Unit you pick where it enters the board [355.2].
- Combat uses the unit's current Might when summing and assigning combat damage [460.2].
- Cleanups cannot occur during the finalization step of FEPR, which constrains when changes applied during finalization take effect relative to Cleanups [FAQ:unleashed#17].

Missing from the provided context: the official rule text for the Empower keyword (how Empower is paid, whether Empower is an activated ability, whether Empower is placed during a specific step, and whether Empower markers are counters or statuses), and definitions/mechanics for the keywords [Deflect] and [Ganking]. Because those rules are not included in the given Core Rules context, I made conservative assumptions (listed above) to produce a working ruling. If you can provide the official Empower, Deflect, and Ganking rules text, or ask a more specific scenario (for example: "If I Empower Kayle during combat after damage is assigned but before it's dealt, what happens?"), I can give a definitive, step-by-step ruling using the exact Core Rules and the precise timing sequence.