Does any protect character unit need to be in the engagement to protect any character?
Protect the character
No. When in doubt, the trick is to just follow the rules and text as literally as you can.
I would say it does not need to be active in the current engagement.
From the core rules page 25:
"PROTECT [TRAIT]
A card with the “Protect” keyword may take damage
instead of any friendly card in play with the specified trait.
In other words, if a friendly card in play with the trait
specified by a “Protect” effect would take damage, the
controller may instead place any amount of that damage
on the card with the “Protect” keyword. (Damage
beyond a protecting unit’s remaining damage capacity
may not be re-assigned to the protecting unit.)
For example, the card “Guardian of Peace” has the
keyword “Protect Character.” If a friendly Character
would be damaged, the player who controls these
two cards may instead choose "
A protector can be anywhere in play. It does not need to actively be in the engagement to Protect.
Thanks
While it doesn't occur that often, many forget this part of Protect:
The damage that is being dealt to the protecting unit by the source does count against the protecting unit’s
remaining damage capacity when determining how much damage can be transferred. If the protecting
unit is receiving terminal damage, it cannot take any more damage. If it is not receiving terminal damage, it
can take damage up to its remaining damage capacity, factoring in the amount of damage it is being dealt
directly by the source.
I've had it "win" me a game, when my opponent thought that the protector could soak all the incoming damage (and it had 1 life left).
Ok kaffisch you just confused me explain that again?
He is saying if something damages multiple units at the same time including the protector then the protector cannot protect the other units if it is already at max damage.
That's how I understand it, as well.
If I may, one quick question: I have to assign ALL of the damage to a protector, yes? So no assigning one damage out of two to a Guardian of Peace with one damage, even if it would save Luke?
No, you pick and choose when and how much a protector takes, up to its remaining hitpoint capacity.
Gotcha. Thanks!