When Switcheroo exchanges stats between Ornn (who has high stats from gear) and a low-stat unit like Noxus Hopeful, does Ornn drop to base stats and then reapply gear bonuses, or does the exchange work differently?

Question

Accepted Answer

Swap exchanges the current Might totals of the two units as they exist when the swap happens (including any attached gear bonuses). The swap creates arithmetic Increase/Decrease modifiers so Ornn keeps her gear attached and those gear bonuses still exist — the swap simply adds/subtracts to reach the swapped totals for the duration of the effect.

When you resolve Switcheroo to swap Ornn's Might with Noxus Hopeful, you determine each unit's current Might (including attached gear bonuses), compute the difference, then apply an arithmetic Increase to the lower and a Decrease to the higher to make their totals swap. Gear stays attached and continues to provide Might; the swap does not remove gear or reset base Might. [433.1.b] [472.3.c] [433.2]

Identify the two units to swap (e.g. Ornn and Noxus Hopeful) and note each unit's current Might total — this includes base Might plus any attached gear bonuses because Might bonuses from attachments are applied in the arithmetic layer. [472.3.c] Determine the numeric difference between those current Might totals. [433.1.b] Apply an arithmetic Increase equal to that difference to the lower Might total and an arithmetic Decrease equal to that difference to the higher Might total, creating effects that make the two totals reversed for the duration specified by the swap effect. [433.1.b] Leave attachments (gear) in place; the swap does not remove or reapply attachments. The swap's Increase/Decrease coexist with attachment Might bonuses in the arithmetic layer to produce the final swapped totals. [472.3.c] [433.1.b]

If the two units already have the same Might, swapping has no effect. [433.1.c] If another effect limits a unit's Might (for example a 'to a min of 1' restriction), that limitation is snapshot/remembered at the time the arithmetic effect is applied; the swap will operate with those limits in place per snapshotting rules. [472.3.b] If attachments are added or removed after the swap resolves, those attachment changes will be applied in the arithmetic layer together with the existing swap Increase/Decrease modifiers — so the units' final Might can change again as attachments change. Because swapping is a Limited Action, it only happens when a Game Effect directs it (e.g. when Switcheroo resolves). Other simultaneous effects that also modify Might could interact depending on exact timing, but the swap calculation uses the relevant current values when it is performed. [433.2.a]

Swapping, per the rules, is the act of reversing numeric values by determining the difference and then applying an Increase to the lower and a Decrease to the higher so that the two values become swapped. [433.1.b] When you cast Switcheroo to swap Ornn and Noxus Hopeful, you use each unit's current Might value at the time the swap is performed. Because Might bonuses granted by attached gear are applied in the arithmetic layer, those bonuses are part of the units' current Might totals used to compute the difference. [472.3.c] The swap therefore does not 'strip' Ornn down to base Might and then reapply gear; instead, the swap creates arithmetic modifiers (an Increase and a Decrease) that, together with the existing attachment bonuses, produce the swapped final Might totals for the duration of the effect. [433.1.b] If both units have identical Might when the swap is computed, the swap does nothing. [433.1.c] If there are limits or minimums affecting Might, those are snapshot/remembered at application when relevant, which can affect how much the swap's arithmetic change actually is. [472.3.b] Finally, note that swapping is a Limited Action and only occurs when a Game Effect (like resolving Switcheroo) directs it. [433.2.a]