The situation : Baratheon vs Targaryen

On the Baratheon table side:

2 cards on shadows

1 shadow enchantress in play

1 bearer of the light in the discard pile (str 1, 0 cost weenie)

Plot phase:

Targaryen shows Threat from the north

Baratheon shows Melisandre's Scheme

• Shadow enchantress reads: If there is at least 1 card in Shadows, Asshai characters gain a icon and get +1 STR for each card in Shadows.

• Threat from the north reads: All characters get -1 STR and are discarded from play (cannot be saved) if their STR is 0.

If I understand correctly:

• there are two passive effects: gaining the military icon and the chars getting -1 STR

• and two constantly checking effects, getting the +1 STR for each card in shadows and discarding chars from play if they get to 0 STR.

So, if the Baratheon player during the marshalling phase chooses to play a Bearer of the light from the discard pile, when it would enter play it would gain a military Icon and be reduced to 0 strength instantly.

Then, the two constantly checking effects would kick in, and the first player would choose in wich order they resolve, having to choose if the Bearer of the light lives or is discarded from play.

Is this correct?

Many thanks in advance

No. You've got a couple things backwards.

The continuous effects here are: gaining the icon, getting the +1 STR and getting the -1 STR.

The passive effect is "discard at 0."

When a character enters play, all relevant CONTINUOUS effects are applied immediately (because they "just are"), then any passives that can initiate will initiate.

So, the Bearer comes into play with both the +1 and the -1 already active, canceling each other out, and leaving it with its printed STR of 1. Then, you check passives, and since its STR is not 0, the passive doesn't initiate and the Bearer is not discarded.

I think now I understand. So, basically all constant abilities (that does not have a specific end) are applied first, and then passive abilities (constantly checking conditions to trigger an effect with a specific end) are checked.

Althrough the "+1 STR to asshai for each card in shadows" has an "if" part, it is only there to check if the effect is active or not. The important part is that the effect (the +1 STR) is continuous, and that is why is considered a continuous effect.

The "discard at 0" is considered a passive effect BECAUSE the effect (discarding the card) has a finite effect.

Many thanks for your insight ktom, you rule