Relapse Skeletons

StuffnSuch

With the recent invitation to create a Spooky Scary Skeleton, it got me thinking about an old mechanic I'd created that I'd like to explore more.  I created my first card with Relapse, and it just happened to be a skeleton, and soon I'd started to trend towards Relapse being a skeleton themed mechanic.  Here are a few examples:

  

Here's the challenge -

Do one or more of the following:

• Create a skeleton that has or can grant relapse
• Create a card that interacts with skeletons and the relapse effect
• Create something else that would be really be cool in a set that has Relapse Skeletons as an archetype.
• Be creative and have fun.

Favorites and such will follow.  Have fun!

EDIT:  Despite a bunch of discussion on the perfect reminder text for the Relapse keyword, there's not really been a consensus for exactly what would be ideal.  Something along the lines of (When this card enters your graveyard, shuffle a random card from your graveyard into your library) is fine.  This is just for fun, so I don't really care if you want to adjust it to your specific cards.  However, for consistent functionality it is important that the following be true:

• Relapse is a quality that a card has, so it isn't something you grant to permanents or spells, this allows it to be in effect as it changes zones.
• Relapse is triggered any time a card enters a graveyard, regardless of where from.
• The card enters the graveyard before the trigger resolves, and, therefore, can be shuffled away as well as any other card in the graveyard.
• The card shuffled into your library must be chosen randomly from all cards in the graveyard.

StuffnSuch

Here's the reminder text for Relapse, just so you don't have to hunt it down or retype it:

(When a card with relapse enters your graveyard from anywhere, shuffle a random card from your graveyard into it's owner's library)

Jadefire

Out of curiosity, is Relapse intended to stack (i.e., look for other cards with Relapse going to the graveyard, not just itself)?  With the way it's currently worded, if you control two creatures with Relapse and one of them dies, you'll shuffle two cards from your graveyard into your library.

StuffnSuch

Relapse is attached to the card, not the permanent.  If a card has relapse, that card entering the battlefield causes it to trigger.  Relapse literally does nothing when in play.  I'm not really sure how to word it to make that clearer.  Is there a way to specify a keyword as a quality of the card, not a static ability of the permanent?

Most things like that are in the type line, but I feel that would be messy.  I think, if this were designed in the real world, there'd just be a rule in the official rules stating that relapse isn't a static ability, it's a quality of a card or something like that, and it'd still end up being worded about the same.

cadstar369

Perhaps this wording will suit:

Relapse (When this card is put into your graveyard from anywhere, shuffle a random card from your graveyard into your library.)

StuffnSuch

And the reminder text for something like Cursed Burial Grounds would be:

(A card with relapse has "When this card is put into your graveyard from anywhere, shuffle a random card from your graveyard into your library.")

FireOfGolden

I am curious, why do reminder text have to mention "from anywhere", when you can go this way;
Relapse (When this card is put into the graveyard, shuffle a random card from that graveyard into its owner's library.)
Or am I missing something?

Jadefire

@StuffnSuch cadstar's wording is the one I'd go with for the most straightforward version, since reminder text doesn't need to follow as strict a set of rules as actual rules text.  Otherwise, you can say it like:

Relapse (When this card is put into your graveyard from anywhere, choose a card at random in your graveyard. Shuffle it in to your library.) 

@FireOfGolden it's worded that way for the sake of clarity the same way that Worldspine Wurm, Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre, Rest in Peace, Kozilek, Butcher of Truth, Emrakul, the Aeons Torn, and the Lorwyn Elemental Incarnations like Vigor are worded.  Not only is the functionality of the card explicity laid out to prevent disagreements, the practice follows a long line of other cards worded this way, so there's precedence.

FireOfGolden

Ah i see.

jpastor

I'm going to need a final version of Relapse... can someone post the version we are rolling with so I can get to it?

StuffnSuch

I think this is what we should go with:

Relapse (When this card enters a graveyard from anywhere, choose a card at random from that graveyard and shuffle it into it's owner's library.)

Any issues with that wording?

FireOfGolden

@StuffnSuch
Yes. "Choose a card" and "card at random" conflicts each other. I would go for "When this card enters the graveyard from anywhere, put a random card from that graveyard into its owner's library."

cadstar369

@FireOfGolden "choose a [something] at random" exists on multiple cards, including Last One Standing, Deadbridge Chant, etc.

@StuffnSuch that wording seems needlessly obtuse since, whenever relapse triggers for a player, it'll always be when a card is put into their graveyard from anywhere and it'll always return a card from their graveyard. Also, "enters a graveyard" should be "is put into a graveyard."

StuffnSuch

Okay, so we're at:

Relapse (When this card is put into a graveyard from anywhere, shuffle a random card from that graveyard into it's owner's library.)

I think that works and, somehow, is also the shortest reminder text I've put up so far.

FireOfGolden

@cadstar369 right. My bad.

FireOfGolden

@StuffnSuch
Here are it! I hope you don't mind some Fox Skeletons. ?

StuffnSuch

Awww!  They're so cuddly...sorta.

FireOfGolden

@StuffnSuch
If it's a thing, I would keep it as a pet without hesitant. It would be cool to own a skeleton pet. ?

Jadefire

@StuffnSuch Relapse is your mechanic, so you can do what you want with it, but there's no need to tweak what cadstar suggested or open it up for further opinions because the best answer to the issue of the reminder text has already been given.
Firstly, Relapse won't ever apply to anyone other than the card's owner because, wherever the card begins, it can only end up its owner's graveyard (no one else's). Secondly, using the examples of Audacious Swap, Chaos Warp, Deglamer, Lembas, Mirror-Mad Phantasm, Oblation, Riftsweeper, and Unravel the Aether, it's a card's owner who shuffles it into their own library, even if the effect that causes that to happen is controlled by someone else (and only cards owned by the the same owner as the Relapse card can be shuffled this way). Therefore, saying "your graveyard" and "your library" is the most clear and correct wording compared to "a graveyard" and "it's owner's library," as if it could apply to anyone else or another player could end up performing that action. Food for thought.

jpastor

Firstly, @StuffnSuch
Thank you for hosting a halloween contest with a fun challenge!

Secondly, just wanted to point out that Relapse, as it's worded, could become a keyword ability.

Relapse - When [card name] is put into your graveyard from anywhere, [effect].

I wonder if it's too late to edit the main description to add this option to the table to make things more flexible around here. 

Perhaps you could set up the challenge to be, create either or to see which way is more interesting for card creations. Nonetheless, here are my bunches of entries.


Relapsebone by jpastor | MTG Cardsmith


Necromantic Resurgence by jpastor | MTG Cardsmith


Soul Harvest Ritual by jpastor | MTG Cardsmith


Boneforge Relapser by jpastor | MTG Cardsmith

StuffnSuch

@jpastor I don't believe the equipment would work, because the creature is not equipped anymore when put into a graveyard, but I really like the modal spell (though that option might have to read "this card gains relapse as it resolves" or something like that.  The timing is funky.)  My absolute favorite is the Necromantic Resurgence, though.  Such a great design.  Two thumbs up!

@Jadefire You're absolutely right.  I'm cursed with having had spent very erratic times of playing magic and not playing magic regularly, and I feel like there was a time where they were a lot more specific about things before going back to the old school wording since you can't ever have a card you don't own in certain zones.  I tend to still feel like I need to specify specific zones like that, despite not having any real reason to do so.  Oh well.  Guess I should have done a bit more research before settling.

smax765

I have made a card for relapse:

https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/endless-unearthing

FireOfGolden

@jpastor
Relapse is only triggered when a RELAPSE card enters the graveyard or is put into the graveyard from anywhere. When I cast Soul Harvest Ritual, and I chosen "Relapse". Nothing happened. I would swap that ability for "* Soul Jarvrst Ritual gains relapse until end of turn." So that way, as it resolves, it's put into the graveyard with Relapse still remaining on it then Relapse is triggered from it.

Same idea for Boneforge Relapser, see @StuffnSuch

cadstar369

@StuffnSuch @FireOfGolden Boneforge Relapser should function the same way as effects like Malakir Rebirth (i.e. it gives a creature a death trigger that the card itself doesn’t have in the graveyard). It might look funky because equipment normally has the trigger on itself and relapse in general works from anywhere, but it should be fine.

FireOfGolden

@StuffnSuch
I got another idea, hence, here's bonus card;

https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/bodys-disintegrate

Jadefire

https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/bone-herder


Bone Herder was created as a fixed Bridge from Below that you'd actually want to play for its own sake, since it's also a Relapse lord.  The graveyard trigger includes your opponent's creature cards so that you can include a graveyard hate strategy while forwarding your own board development.  The Warrior creature type was added to the Skeleton tokens to further increase the potential for interaction with other cards.

StuffnSuch

That's really cool!  I like the fact that his ability is most potent in the graveyard, but also that's where he's most at risk of getting shuffled away and lost forever.  I love cards that are walking that line of helping and hurting themselves.

Jadefire

Thanks, it's a bit of built-in balancing and some incentive to not just dump all of them into your graveyard as soon as you draw them.

FireOfGolden

Thank to @121092, a better border been added to this card;