Can Eagle of the North attach to Eagles of the Misty Mountains?

By GrandSpleen, in Rules questions & answers

Eagle of the North is a new player card. It’s an encounter card so it gets shuffled into the encounter deck and has the Encounter keyword. Rules for that keyword state:

• If a player card with the encounter keyword leaves play, it is removed from the game. Do not place it in a player’s discard pile or in the encounter deck discard pile.

When this eagle leaves play, can you attach it to Eagles of the Misty Mountains per that card’s effect, or does it get removed from play before you can trigge the Reponse?

http://hallofbeorn.com/LotR/Details/Eagles-of-the-Misty-Mountains-RtM

EoMM: "Response: After another Eagle character leaves play, you may attach that card facedown to Eagles of the Misty Mountains."

RR Removed from Game [emphasis added]:

Quote

A card that has been removed from the game is set aside and has no further interaction with the game in any manner for the duration of its removal. If there is no specified duration, a card that has been removed from the game is considered removed until the end of the game.

I would say that the Eagle of the North getting removed happens, and EoMM's Response then whiffs, as there is no longer a referent for that card.

Edited by sappidus

Looks correct to me too— thanks!