My apologies if a post already exists on this topic. I always search first, but FFG's search feature on the new forums is AWFUL (can you hear this FFG??) because it searches across all forums, not just the one you're interested in, making it practically useless for finding something like "lowering hit points".

I found my answer under at least two other questions on Horrific Mutation. Sorry for the extra post.

Please allow me to apologize in advance for a lack of card names. I don't have my cards with me as I write this, and I'm not yet familiar enough with the cards to remember all the names.

Certain cards can reduce the hit points other cards have. If a unit's hp is reduced to zero by this effect (not by damage), does the unit die? The rules say that any time the number of damage tokens equals its hp, a unit dies. So, it seems they would (0 hp = 0 dmg tokens).

For example, there is a Chaos card that is a 1 cost attachment. It reduces the number of hit points of units in the target zone by 1 when the unit it is attached to attacks. Does that mean if it attacks a zone where there are three 1hp units that all three will immediately die (presumably because this is indirect damage, not combat damage, and is applied immediately)?

That seems awfully powerful for a 1 cost card. Plus the attackers' damage would also make it through to the capitol since the defenders were removed by the card effect.

This reduction of hp also bypasses any Counterstrike ability or damage redirection ability because it's killing the units without dealing damage.

I just wanted to make sure I understood how this works.