Difference between unit and target unit?

Question

I noticed that some cards such as Cut the Strings state:

Deal 2 damage to a unit you control

While other cards such as Blood Transfer say:

Deal 2 damage to a target unit you control.

The FAQ says the term target is:

: A term that is used to identify that the effect of a spell, ability or dice power is directly affecting something (including, but not limited to, an alteration spell, a unit, a player, or a Phoenixborn).

But I'm still sure why the game uses the term target in some instances but not others. Is there a difference between a "target unit" and a "unit"?

Answer 1

The difference is actually pretty similar to the difference in Magic: The Gathering. When the word Target is present, the effect must point directly at the unit, and will trigger abilities that look for the unit to be targeted. Blood transfer, however, is worded this way to prevent abuses of similiar effects.

Assume there's a unit that you control that says 'when this card is targeted, do x". Blood transfer would let you do X on demand, which could cause things to spiral out of control.