How does Shadow Order Disciple work when I burn more than 1?

Question

Accepted Answer

The Disciple's trigger is a single optional trigger that asks you to Burn 1 as a cost to give it +1 Might this turn. You may pay that Burn 1 once for that single trigger. To Burn more than 1 you need additional separate instances of the trigger (e.g., multiple moves or copies of the trigger).

You cannot burn more than 1 from a single resolution of Shadow Order Disciple's triggered ability. The ability's “you may [Burn 1] to give me +1 Might this turn” is a single optional cost; paying it once is the only option for that trigger. Multiple burns require multiple triggers or effects that create additional instances of the ability.

The unit moves, meeting the trigger condition on Shadow Order Disciple: "When I move…" and its triggered ability is created and added to the chain as a Pending Item [401]. When finalizing that Pending Item, you decide whether to place the ability on the chain (the "you may" adjacent to the cost is the decision to place it on the chain) [FAQ:unleashed#1] [FAQ:unleashed#2]. If you choose to place the ability on the chain, the cost within the instruction ([Burn 1]) becomes the base cost for that single chain item and is paid during finalization [337]. Paying that Burn 1 (putting the top card of your Main Deck into your Trash) resolves the cost and the effect of that single instance: Shadow Order Disciple gets +1 Might for the turn. There is no provision in the text or rules that lets you pay that same base cost multiple times for the same single triggered instance. To get additional +1 Might increments from Burning, you need additional triggered instances (for example, the unit moving multiple times, or an effect that creates extra copies of that trigger). Each trigger is a separate Pending Item that can be finalized and paid separately [401] [337]. If burning attempts to move more cards than exist in your Main Deck, Burn Out rules apply [431].

If another effect copies or creates an additional instance of Shadow Order Disciple's trigger (for example, an effect that duplicates triggers or the unit moves multiple times), each instance is a separate triggered ability and may be finalized and paid separately, allowing you to Burn 1 per instance [401] [337]. If an effect changes the wording of the ability to allow multiple payments (e.g., 'you may Burn X times'), that changed wording would govern; this ruling assumes no such rewording is present [assumption]. If you attempt to Burn 1 but have insufficient cards in your Main Deck, follow Burn Out procedures (recycle trash, choose opponent to gain 1, etc.) [431].

The text on Shadow Order Disciple reads: "When I move, you may [Burn 1] to give me +1 :rb_might: this turn." Under the triggered-ability sequencing described in [FAQ:unleashed#1] and illustrated in [FAQ:unleashed#2], the "you may" that appears next to the cost is the decision to place the triggered ability on the chain, and the cost within the instruction ([Burn 1]) becomes the base cost of that triggered ability when it is placed on the chain. When the unit moves, that trigger is added as a Pending Item on the chain [401]. During Finalize (Step 1) you decide whether to put that triggered ability on the chain; if you do, you finalize it and pay its base cost(s) during finalization [337]. Because the Burn 1 is part of the cost within the instruction for that single triggered ability, you pay it once as part of finalizing that single chain item. There is nothing in the card text or the rules excerpt provided that allows paying that same base cost multiple times for the same single triggered ability instance, so you cannot burn more than 1 for that single trigger. If you want to Burn additional cards to grant more +1 Might increments, you need additional, separate triggers (for example, if the unit moves again later, or an effect creates/copies the trigger). Each separate trigger is its own Pending Item that can be finalized and paid separately [401] [337]. Finally, if attempting to Burn causes you to try to move more cards from your Main Deck than you have available, follow Burn Out rules [431].