Revive (When this creature dies, its owner may put it on the top of his or her library.)
Pros:
Feels UB
Feels like it could bleed WG
Simple, not overly powerful recursion mechanic. Triggered, so if you choose not to - it's hard to get it back.
Not card advantage. It's easy to imagine a different version of this mechanic that worked like Weatherseed Treefolk, at which point it could be degenerate in combo and would need to cost a lot. As is, in UB, this could effectively be "free" like trample is for green.
Relevant in limited due to the need for creatures, and in control since you'd need to pack less creatures.
A unique, but not overly powerful, deterrent for removal; where as hexproof says "no you can't touch me", this says "you can touch me but it won't last unless I want it to..."
Not evasion. UB get unblockable, fear, intimidate, menace, flying, and other evasion techniques already! This is why Skulk - although interesting design space - is not widely accepted. You'd rarely choose a 1/1 skulker over a 1/1 flyer, so when the color has access to both skulk feels bad.
Cons:
Doesn't change how the creature behaves on the battlefield in combat.
Not very useful or fun for you in multiples.
Sample french vanilla Revive creatures - please evaluate for fairness in limited and constructed.
Zombie Bear1B
Creature - bear zombie (C) Revive (When this creature dies, its owner may put it on the top of his or her library.)
2/2
Ebb Elemental3UU
Creature - Elemental (C) Revive (When this creature dies, its owner may put it on the top of his or her library.)
5/5
Helper SpiritU
Creature - Spirit Scout (U)
Flying Revive (When this creature dies, its owner may put it on the top of his or her library.)
1/1
Persistent Bruiser3B
Creature - Human Rogue (U) Revive (When this creature dies, its owner may put it on the top of his or her library.)
3/3
Now, bombs that use or abuse this mechanic:
Divining Dragon4UU
Creature - Dragon Illusion (M)
Flying, Revive (When this creature dies, its owner may put it on the top of his or her library.) U: Look at the top 3 cards of your library and put them back in any order. 2U, Sacrifice ~: Draw two cards.
5/5
Elcet of the Open Heavens3BB
Legendary Creature - Demon Illusion (M) Revive (When this creature dies, its owner may put it on the top of his or her library.)
Whenever ~ or another a creature card is put from your graveyard on the top of your library, create a 2/2 black zombie token.
5/4
Cards that benefit from this effect: Corpse Seller1B
Creature - Human Rogue (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put the top cards of your library into your graveyard. If it is a creature card, draw a card.
2/1
Haphazard Researcher1U
Creature - Human Wizard (U) T: Name a card, then reveal the top card of your library. If it is the named card, counter target spell unless its owner pays 1.
1/3
NecrobalanceBB
Enchantment (R)
Whenever an opponent's creature dies, you may put the top card of your library into your graveyard. If that card is a creature card, create a 2/2 black zombie token.
Useful Prediction1UU
Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, name a card, then reveal the top card of your library. Draw that card if it is the named card, otherwise put it on the top or bottom of your library.
Dead Revelation1B
Instant (U)
Put the top 2 cards of your library into your graveyard. Create a 2/2 black zombie for each creature card put into the graveyard in this way.
Black raise the alarm that can fail, but revive makes it more likely to succeed. (Sacrifice 2 1 drop revivers to a Nantuko Husk for example...)
Fatal Experiment2U
Instant (U)
Put the top 3 cards of your library into your graveyard. Draw a card for each creature card put into the graveyard in this way.
Late RevivalB
Sorcery (C)
Return target creature card in your graveyard to your hand. If that creature has revive, instead return it to the battlefield and lose life equal to its converted mana cost.
I just added a mechanic called revival as a potential replacement for regenerate to a batch of cards I plan on testing. I added a cost and don't go through the top of the library though since putting cards on top of your library prevents you from drawing new cards - this creates the same problem of repetitive gameplay that dredge has (directly replacing the card draw with a card from the graveyard). The problem is not the powerr level but the disruption of the natural card flow.
Such an effect should not appear regularly enough to warrant an evergreen keyword and actually would have a hard time justifying even a spot as a small keyword in an expension like e. g. skulk had.
Private Mod Note
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Planar Chaos was not a mistake neither was it random. You might want to look at it again.
[thread=239793][Game] Level Up - Creature[/thread]
I agree with SecretInfiltrator's assessment, but would add that the little common ones Revive would really barely be used, even in limited. It's almost always more valuable to get a new card rather than getting the same thing that just died again. Ebb Elemental would see play, but mostly due to its 5/5 for 5 body, especially in blue.
The two bombs are very bomby and I like both designs, both work even in absence of the mechanic being a set keyword. Elcet would be amazing alongside a Footbottom Feast!
The cards caring about the top of the library are all nice, clean, efficient, and playable designs that do not need Revive to work, they all would be just fine with some simple Scry; though I would make Dead Revelation a 3-mana sorcery, 2 2/2s instantly in black is a tad extreme, even with the possible wiff.
You're probably right about this. I sort of see this as being a mechanic that would work well with a counterbalance reprint (and sacrifice engines), but the mechanic itself is... rather boring in many senses.
I think my top 2 everygreen UB keyword candidates now are:
1. Violate (When ~ deals damage to a player, that player puts the top card of their library into their graveyard until a land is put into the graveyard in this way.)
2. Abyssal (Whenv ~ deals damage to a player, that player discards a card.)
Honorable mention: curiosity (This feels more UG than UB... but if the black guy had some pain involved, it could work...
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Revive (When this creature dies, its owner may put it on the top of his or her library.)
Pros:
Cons:
Sample french vanilla Revive creatures - please evaluate for fairness in limited and constructed.
Zombie Bear 1B
Creature - bear zombie (C)
Revive (When this creature dies, its owner may put it on the top of his or her library.)
2/2
Ebb Elemental 3UU
Creature - Elemental (C)
Revive (When this creature dies, its owner may put it on the top of his or her library.)
5/5
Helper Spirit U
Creature - Spirit Scout (U)
Flying
Revive (When this creature dies, its owner may put it on the top of his or her library.)
1/1
(Don't blame me, WOTC obsoleted Flying Men first! Faerie Miscreant, Judge's Familiar, Mausoleum Wanderer)
Necrotic Ooze 1B
Creature - Ooze (U)
Deathtouch
Revive (When this creature dies, its owner may put it on the top of his or her library.)
1/1
(This feels like less versatile Stinkweed Imp.)
Persistent Bruiser 3B
Creature - Human Rogue (U)
Revive (When this creature dies, its owner may put it on the top of his or her library.)
3/3
Now, bombs that use or abuse this mechanic:
Divining Dragon4UU
Creature - Dragon Illusion (M)
Flying, Revive (When this creature dies, its owner may put it on the top of his or her library.)
U: Look at the top 3 cards of your library and put them back in any order.
2U, Sacrifice ~: Draw two cards.
5/5
Elcet of the Open Heavens3BB
Legendary Creature - Demon Illusion (M)
Revive (When this creature dies, its owner may put it on the top of his or her library.)
Whenever ~ or another a creature card is put from your graveyard on the top of your library, create a 2/2 black zombie token.
5/4
Cards that benefit from this effect:
Corpse Seller1B
Creature - Human Rogue (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put the top cards of your library into your graveyard. If it is a creature card, draw a card.
2/1
Haphazard Researcher1U
Creature - Human Wizard (U)
T: Name a card, then reveal the top card of your library. If it is the named card, counter target spell unless its owner pays 1.
1/3
NecrobalanceBB
Enchantment (R)
Whenever an opponent's creature dies, you may put the top card of your library into your graveyard. If that card is a creature card, create a 2/2 black zombie token.
Useful Prediction 1UU
Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, name a card, then reveal the top card of your library. Draw that card if it is the named card, otherwise put it on the top or bottom of your library.
Dead Revelation 1B
Instant (U)
Put the top 2 cards of your library into your graveyard. Create a 2/2 black zombie for each creature card put into the graveyard in this way.
Black raise the alarm that can fail, but revive makes it more likely to succeed. (Sacrifice 2 1 drop revivers to a Nantuko Husk for example...)
Fatal Experiment 2U
Instant (U)
Put the top 3 cards of your library into your graveyard. Draw a card for each creature card put into the graveyard in this way.
Late Revival B
Sorcery (C)
Return target creature card in your graveyard to your hand. If that creature has revive, instead return it to the battlefield and lose life equal to its converted mana cost.
Such an effect should not appear regularly enough to warrant an evergreen keyword and actually would have a hard time justifying even a spot as a small keyword in an expension like e. g. skulk had.
Finally a good white villain quote: "So, do I ever re-evaluate my life choices? Never, because I know what I'm doing is a righteous cause."
Factions: Sleeping
Remnants: Valheim
Legendary Journey: Heroes & Planeswalkers
Saga: Shards of Rabiah
Legends: The Elder Dragons
Read up on Red Flags & NWO
Dark Revenant
Avenging Angel
Arashin Sovereign
Pulmonic Sliver
These are all the cards that currently do this. The first two are just plain bad, as they don't give the option, so you just lose your draw over and over again.
I agree with SecretInfiltrator's assessment, but would add that the little common ones Revive would really barely be used, even in limited. It's almost always more valuable to get a new card rather than getting the same thing that just died again. Ebb Elemental would see play, but mostly due to its 5/5 for 5 body, especially in blue.
The two bombs are very bomby and I like both designs, both work even in absence of the mechanic being a set keyword. Elcet would be amazing alongside a Footbottom Feast!
The cards caring about the top of the library are all nice, clean, efficient, and playable designs that do not need Revive to work, they all would be just fine with some simple Scry; though I would make Dead Revelation a 3-mana sorcery, 2 2/2s instantly in black is a tad extreme, even with the possible wiff.
Oh, and Necrotic Ooze is taken.
I think my top 2 everygreen UB keyword candidates now are:
1. Violate (When ~ deals damage to a player, that player puts the top card of their library into their graveyard until a land is put into the graveyard in this way.)
2. Abyssal (Whenv ~ deals damage to a player, that player discards a card.)
Honorable mention: curiosity (This feels more UG than UB... but if the black guy had some pain involved, it could work...