I am positive this topic has been covered elsewhere, but I can't seem to find it. So....
Rather than try and just explain my conundrum, I'll make it more interesting with a scenario. My starting fellowship includes
Gandalf, Leader of Men. In my deck, I have a better version of Gandalf that I want to play. Prepared for this, I have two copies of
Sent Back on the table. I discard one to use its text: "discard each minion skirmishing a Wizard; place that Wizard in your dead pile", discarding all minions skirmishing Gandalf and placing Gandalf in my dead pile. My plan is to use my remaining
Sent Back to play my better Gandalf during the regroup phase.
My opponent, sniffing out my plan, has
Grima, Footman of Saruman in play. He immediately jumps for joy, claiming he now gets to use Grima's ability: "Each time a Free Peoples character is killed, you may spot another
minion to exert each companion." I argue that Gandalf has not been "killed", but instead "placed in my dead pile", and state that the two are seperate actions.
So, my question: who is right? Is being "placed in the dead pile" just a longer way of saying "killed"? Are the two identical, or seperate actions?
By the way, that scenario is bogus. What I'm REALLY wondering is if I can burn
Theoden, Tall and Proud with
Saved From The Fire (which also "places a companion in the dead pile") and grab an extra
companion using Theoden's text. If so, I think I found a truly awesome combo.
And if not, I may just weep a little instead.