Warding Mage

Action: Choose a unit you control. Until the end of the phase, any opponent's effect that targets chosen unit is applied to this unit instead, if able. Limit once per phase.

Helm of Fortune

Attach to target [High Elf] unit. Attached unit gets +1 hit point. Attached unit cannot be targeted by opponents’ card effects while questing.

Suppose I have a Warding Mage attached with Helm of Fortune and is currently on a quest. Someone triggered an effect that targets a unit I control and I follow up with Warding Mage's Action. When this action chain is resolved, Warding Mage's action is resolved first followed by my opponents.

So how is it resolved? is it

1) The opponent are forced to target Warding Mage but cannot due to immunity granted by Helm of Fortune and, since there's no legal target, the effect fail to resolve .

or

2) The opponent is unable (due to the "if able" in the wordings" ) to apply the effect on Warding Mage due to Helm of fortune. Action of warding mage is deemed to have no effect and the triggered, targeted effect proceeds to resolve successfully and targets the originally intended unit.

Hope to be answered!

I'm not entirely sure how to interpret this situation since it seems that the Warding Mage creates an effect that circumvents targeting. The action states that " any opponent's effect that targets chosen unit is applied to this unit instead, if able" , which, in my interpretation, means that the Warding Mage is not explicitly being targeted here. Therefore, the Helm of Fortune has no effect other than providing an extra hit point in this case.

But I might be wrong, in which case I'd favor your 1) scenario.

I am not entirely sure as well because there isn't a section, as far as I know, in the great tome of FAR discussing such "if able" text rule :/

I thought its too good to be true to grant total effect immunity by Warding Mage + Helm of Fortune + Some Cheap Quest combo. But hey, who knows the developer's mind.

Thanks herzogar! let's hope a better lawyer saves us

Still seemed unanswered, anyone? For now i guess i'll just have to house-rule it into scenario 2) to prevent the accusation of gay-ness all over the table

Here it goes:

Action: Choose a unit you control. Until the end of the phase, any opponent's effect that targets chosen unit is applied to this unit instead , if able. Limit once per phase.

Warding Mage doesn't change targets, only to whom effect is applied, so a Helm of Fortune on him doesn't fizzle any actions.

thanks virgo! Nice insight on this, never thought about interpreting this way, now it makes sense.