How does Scuttle Crab work when?

Question

Accepted Answer

When you play Scuttle Crab its “When you play me, draw 1.” effect becomes part of the Chain created by playing the card and will resolve like any other triggered/played effect [333]. If Scuttle Crab is killed and sent to the Trash, its Deathknell effect (“Choose an opponent. They reveal their hand. You can look at their facedown cards this turn. Gain 1 XP.”) triggers, is added to the chain as a Pending Item before the card is moved to the Trash, and will be finalized and resolved from the chain like other triggered abilities during Cleanup and chain resolution [808] [323]. If the card is not sent to the Trash when it would be killed (for example, it was recalled instead), its Deathknell will not occur [808.1.d.1]. The card’s printed reminder “(Units with 0 :rb_might: can conquer and hold.)” is a card text effect to note for gameplay; the Core Rules text provided does not add extra timing beyond the card wordings.

Play: Playing Scuttle Crab creates a Chain [333]. Its “When you play me, draw 1.” is handled as the played/triggered item on that chain and will resolve normally (you draw 1). Death: If Scuttle Crab is killed and will be sent to the Trash, its Deathknell triggers and is added to the chain as a Pending Item before the card is moved to the Trash; note its location and attributes, then the trigger is finalized and resolved in the usual way [808] [323]. If the card isn’t sent to the Trash (e.g., it’s recalled or a replacement prevents the move), the Deathknell does not occur [808.1.d.1]. Multiple Deathknells are added separately and their controller chooses the order [808.2.a]. Cleanups cannot occur while Chain Items are resolving, so Deathknell triggers added to the chain will be resolved through the normal FEPR/chain process rather than being lost to intermediate cleanups [321].

Playing Scuttle Crab: You play the card; playing a card creates a Chain [333]. The controller who played it becomes first with Priority [333.1]. The card’s played-trigger “When you play me, draw 1.” is handled on that chain and, when it resolves, you draw 1. The card is now present as a Unit (Might 0) and the printed note that Units with 0 Might can conquer and hold applies per the card text. If Scuttle Crab is killed: When damage/kill causes the Unit to be killed and it would be sent to the Trash, its Deathknell trigger is created and added to the chain as a Pending Item before the card is moved to the Trash [808.1.d.2]. Before moving it to the Trash, note its location and attributes for the Deathknell effect [808.1.d.3]. During Cleanup task 3a, Deathknell triggers are noted and added as Pending Items [323.4], then in task 3b the unit is moved to the Trash [323.5]. The pending Deathknell trigger will be finalized and then resolved on the chain in the usual FEPR/chain process. If the unit wasn’t sent to the Trash (for example a recall replaced the kill), the Deathknell does not trigger [808.1.d.1].

If an effect replaces the kill so Scuttle Crab is not sent to the Trash (for example, it is recalled), its Deathknell will not occur [808.1.d.1]. Deathknell triggers are added as Pending Items before the card moves to the Trash; they get finalized and placed on the chain and can be responded to like any other chain item [808.1.d.2] [808.1.d.3]. If multiple Deathknell triggers exist (from this card or other cards), their controller chooses the order to add them to the chain [808.2.a]. Cleanups cannot interrupt the resolution of chain items; if the Deathknell’s addition or resolution would cause a Cleanup, that Cleanup becomes an Outstanding Task and will be handled between chain steps, not during an individual resolution [321] [321.1]. The provided Core Rules/context do not define any additional timing for the printed reminder “(Units with 0 :rb_might: can conquer and hold.)” beyond the card text itself; treat it as card text to apply when appropriate.

Short play scenario: When you play Scuttle Crab the act of playing a card creates a Chain [333]. Because the card’s printed rules include “When you play me, draw 1.” that effect is handled on the Chain created by the play and will resolve in the normal FEPR/chain process; when it resolves you draw one card [333]. The card then exists on the board as a Unit with Might 0; the card’s reminder text that Units with 0 Might can conquer and hold is part of the card text to be applied during gameplay.

Death scenario (killed and sent to Trash): Deathknell is a triggered ability whose trigger is the permanent being killed and sent to the Trash [808]. The rules require that the Deathknell trigger be added to the chain as a Pending Item before the card with Deathknell is moved to the Trash [808.1.d.2]. Before moving the card to the Trash, you must note its location, attributes, and any other details relevant to resolving the Deathknell so the trigger can be processed after finalization [808.1.d.3]. During Cleanup, the tasks that handle Deathknells and killing run in order: Cleanup task 3a adds Deathknell triggers for applicable units as Pending Items (noting details) [323.4], and task 3b then kills and places those units in their owners' Trash [323.5]. The Deathknell pending item will be finalized and resolved on the chain like other triggered abilities. If the kill is replaced so the permanent is not sent to the Trash (for example, a recall replaced the kill), the Deathknell does not occur [808.1.d.1].

Practical consequences: if Scuttle Crab simply dies during Combat Cleanup or as part of some effect that results in it being sent to Trash, its Deathknell will let you choose an opponent, make them reveal their hand, allow you to look at their facedown cards this turn, and gain 1 XP — but those outcomes occur via the Deathknell trigger placed on the chain and resolved normally. If an opponent responds to that chain item, they can interact with it; Cleanups won’t improperly interrupt the chain because a Cleanup cannot occur while chain items resolve and any arising Cleanup becomes an Outstanding Task to be handled between chain steps [321] [321.1].

If you want a ruling for a specific timing window (for example: playing it during a Showdown, dying during Combat Damage step, being killed by a specific card that replaces the kill, or interactions with other triggered abilities), give the exact sequence or the other card names and I will walk the exact order of tasks and chain events using the Cleanup and Chain rules cited above.