Relentless
- For several unreleased mechanics of the same name, see List of unreleased mechanics.
| Relentless | |
|---|---|
| Mechanic | |
| Introduced | Fifth Dawn |
| Last used | Final Fantasy |
| Reminder Text |
A deck can have any number of cards named CARDNAME. A deck can have up to NUMBER cards named CARDNAME. |
| Storm Scale | 3[1] |
| Scryfall Statistics | |
Relentless is a slang term used by Magic R&D to describe spells that allow a constructed deck to have a larger number of copies of a certain-named card than the "four-of" Deckbuilding rule (100.2a) would normally allow.
Description
This mechanic was first printed in black as a way to recapture the experience of playing Plague Rats under Richard Garfield's original Alpha rules, where there were no limits on the number of copies of a card a player could use in their deck.[2][3][4][5] It is named after the first card to feature the mechanic, Relentless Rats.[6][7] While the majority of cards with relentless are black, The Council of Colors has deemed it available to any color as long as the flavor of the card is appropriate.[5] Thus far, each Relentless card has a mechanic that magnifies the more copies that are played, making them Kindle variants.
A variant on the Relentless ability was created for Throne of Eldraine and introduced on the card Seven Dwarves.[8] It allows players to break the "four-of" deckbuilding rule but places a higher maximum limit on the card — seven, to match the flavor of the Seven Dwarfs. This restriction applies to both Limited and Constructed formats where the card is legal:[9] for constructed this is an advantage. Still, this is a restriction for Limited as Limited decks could otherwise hypothetically play any number of copies. This variation would later be used to depict the nine Nazgûl in The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth.[5]
Strixhaven: School of Mages introduced the card Dragon's Approach, which is the first non-permanent to have the ability. It requires five copies to achieve an additional effect (or four plus a spell copy).
Cid, Timeless Artificer is the first multicolored card and Legendary creature with this ability. It plays on the fact that there is a unique Cid character in each mainline game of the Final Fantasy franchise. To give it smooth gameplay, it has Cycling and an ability that scales with Artificers in the graveyard, making it play a little like Grandeur.
Cards with relentless
White
- Hare Apparent (Foundations)[10]
- Tempest Hawk (Tarkir: Dragonstorm)
- Templar Knight (Assassin's Creed)
Blue
Black
- Nazgûl (The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth) [max. nine]
- Rat Colony (Dominaria)
- Relentless Rats (Fifth Dawn)
- Shadowborn Apostle (Magic 2014)
Red
- Dragon's Approach (Strixhaven: School of Mages)
- Seven Dwarves (Throne of Eldraine) [max. seven]
Green
White-Blue
See Also
References
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (2025-03-20). "Would you still place "A deck can have any number" as a 4 on the storm scale?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (February 22, 2018). "Is the Relentless Rats ability tied to black or is black the only place it's been done?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 01, 2017). "Why did Shadowborn Apostle and Relentless Rats get an ability that lets them dodge the deck construction rules?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 12, 2017). "Is the relentless rats ability tied to creatures?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ a b c Mark Rosewater (July 3, 2023). "Stepping into the Ring, Part 3". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 10, 2019). "Is there an internal R&D term for the Shadowborn Apostle any number ability?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 21, 2019). "More City Talk". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 12, 2019). "Does "a deck can have up to (number) cards named _____" have a nickname?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Eli Shiffrin (September 11, 2019). "I was going to wait until seven people had asked...". Twitter.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (Nov 18, 2024). "Building Foundations: Something New". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.