Hairtrigger Reflexes: “Whenever a non-hero target enters play, Expatriette may deal that target 1 projectile damage.”
Fowl: “When this card is played from the villain deck, play the top card of the villain deck.”
How does Hairtrigger Reflexes interact with normal Fowl cards during the villain Play a Card phase?
Both cards have trigger effects. To me, “Whenever a non-hero target enters play” and “When this card is played from the villain deck” are effectively triggered at the same time, i.e. when a Fowl card is played, i.e. when a Fowl card lands on the tabletop.
So since both trigger effects were triggered at the same time, the one that was in play earlier takes effect first (i.e. order of play rule).
For example, a Fowl card enters play. Going by order of cards rule, HtR was in play before the Fowl card, so it triggers first, dealing 1 dmg to that Fowl card. Fowl card gets destroyed. That Fowl card cease to exist and it’s trigger effect was canceled and no more villain card will be played.
My interpretation = (a) the fowl card is played, which means that the top card of the villain deck is played too, since the two parts of the sentence are linked. After that, (b) Hairtrigger Reflexes can destroy it. The only way Hairtrigger Reflexes could interject itself into the middle of that fowl’s ability would be if both parts of the fowl ability were separated into individual sentences.
My interpretation is that as soon as a Fowl enters play, before we even read its text, HtR is already triggered, so therefore HtR needs to be resolved first.
If the fowl said ‘when this comes into play, it deals x damage to y target,’ then htr would negate its effect. However, the fowl being in play does not have any bearing on whether or not it was played from the villain deck, so Matriarch would be free to play another card even though the fowl is now dead.
I think what you guys have said is the intended interaction between HtR and Fowls.
However, for me, the strange wording is making me confused. Essentially, the question is, how do I interpret the trigger conditions? Between the phrases “Whenever a non-hero target enters play” and “When this card is played from the villain deck”, which triggers earlier with respect to the other? Or do both trigger at the same instant?
Well, technically, you would play a card from the villain deck before the card enters play, otherwise where did the non-hero target come from? So, I’d say the wording supports the inrepretation.
I'm dealing with this exact situation right now. Before arriving here (thanks to a Google search!), I reasoned that the Fowl card would play another card from the villain deck, then was destroyed by Expatriette's ongoing ability. I also resolved Matriarch's 'Her Avian Majesty' game play ability (The hero with the highest HP had to destroy an equipment or ongoing card or the take the psychic damage from The Matriarch). This procedure continued twice until Horrid Cacophony was pulled and Hairtrigger Reflexes was destroyed.
I gotta say, thematically, I love the way this plays out: all these birds flying about, Expatriette shooting them down, heroes taking damage, and the screams of the combating birds dealing damage to the heroes. What avian mayhem! Lots of tense, feathery fun!
