Challenges: Kneel Field Spikes to choose an attacking character with STR 2 or lower. Its controller chooses either to remove that character from the challenge,or to kill that character after the challenge resolves.

Scenario: opponent attacks. I use Field Spikes, opponent chooses to kill that character after the challenge resolves. I then use Cyvasse or Ghaston Grey to return the character to opponent's hand. Is he moribund:dead at this point? Or is he moribund:hand, and then the kill fizzles?

jmccarthy said:

If the player chooses to kill the character, you're talking about a "delayed kill." The character doesn't actually die until after the challenge resolves. Specifically, it will not die until the same "passive effects" spot that Deadly would kick in. (Yes, it will conflict with Deadly and the First Player would choose.) Until then, the character is as "alive" (and "un-moribund") as any other character in play.

So, if you are trying to use Cyvasse or GG after that point, you're going to be too late. You cannot use "Challenge" effects in the middle of resolving the challenge. The character will be dead and gone if you wait until the the Field Spikes effect actually kicks in and kills the character before trying to return it to hand.

But if you are trying to use Cyvasse or GG before that point - ie, before the challenge resolves - then the "spiked" character hasn't been killed yet. Since it hasn't been killed yet, it can be removed from play the same as any other character. And removing it from play will "turn off" the "delayed kill" effect.