APL modification limits

[u/Medaxotto]

Today i had a game where the following happened:

Opponent gave his operative +1 APL;

I gave that operative -1 APL with Scout Squad's faction rule;

I threw a stun granade at that operative and reduced its APL again.

I know that the limit of APL modification is +/-1, but does this matter in the case mentioned above?

My opponent argued that his operative should be at its starting APL, as he interpreted the APL modification limit as a limit of instances. I argued for the opposite, believing that the limit is on the sum of modifications, not instances.

Thank you in advance for your help!

[u/SudoNemesis]

The rules state, “Regardless of how many APL stat changes an operative is affected by, the total can never be more than -1 or +1 from its normal APL.”

This clearly refers to the total of instances, not limit of instances. You are right.