Deciduous

The term Deciduous, as in the context of "a deciduous keyword", refers to keywords, keyword actions or other mechanics that are not evergreen, but may show up from time to time in a set that needs it. 
==Description==
Deciduous mechanics are a tool in R&D's toolbox that they're allowed to use, but they're not something they expect to use in every set. Most of these are spell mechanics; as spells make up a much lower density of a set's file, needing certain old mechanics are less relevant. Additionally, only one fixing mechanic is usually needed per set, so if the set already has one developed, mechanics such as Clues, Blood, cycling or surveil are less necessary.
The term is derived from the botanical sense, in which deciduous is the antonym of evergreen.
As of 2022, R&D is considering making other mechanics deciduous, like they did with cycling. In October 2022, surveil and landfall were promoted to deciduous status. Additionally, cards from previous sets that had those mechanics written out without the keyword (i.e. and ) had their Oracle text updated to include them. 
==Current deciduous mechanics==
Mechanic 	Type 	Colors	First used in 	First keyworded in 	Made deciduous in
Affinity 	Keyword ability 	 	Mirrodin 	Mirrodin 	Phyrexia: All Will Be One
Anchor word 	Rules text 	 	Fate Reforged 	N/A 	Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms
Basic landcycling 	Keyword ability 	 	Conflux 	Conflux 	The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
Battle 	Card type 	 	March of the Machine 	N/A 	March of the Machine
Blood tokens 	Artifact type 	 	Innistrad: Crimson Vow 	Innistrad: Crimson Vow 	Innistrad: Crimson Vow
Cantrip 	Rules text 	 	Ice Age 	N/A 	Ice Age
Changeling 	Keyword ability 	 	Legions 	Lorwyn 	Bloomburrow
Charge counters 	Counter 	 	Ice Age 	N/A 	Ice Age
Clue tokens 	Artifact type 	 	Shadows over Innistrad 	Shadows over Innistrad 	Shadows over Innistrad
Colored artifacts 	Artifact type 	 	Future Sight 	N/A 	Kaladesh
Convoke 	Keyword ability 	 	Ravnica: City of Guilds 	Ravnica: City of Guilds	Duskmourn: House of Horror
Curses 	Enchantment type 	 	Innistrad 	N/A 	Innistrad
Cycling 	Keyword ability 	 	Urza's Saga 	Urza's Saga 	Streets of New Capenna
Transforming double-faced cards 	Keyword action 	 	Innistrad 	Innistrad 	Innistrad
Double-faced tokens 	Token 	 	March of the Machine 	N/A 	March of the Machine
Enchantment creatures 	Combined card types	 	Future Sight 	N/A 	Theros
Finality counters 	Counter 	 	Innistrad: Midnight Hunt 	N/A 	The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
Flashback 	Keyword ability 	 	Odyssey 	Odyssey 	Phyrexia: All Will Be One
Food tokens 	Artifact type 	 	Throne of Eldraine 	N/A 	Throne of Eldraine
Hybrid mana 	Mana 	 	Ravnica: City of Guilds 	N/A 	Shadowmoor
Keyword counters 	Counter 	 	Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths	N/A 	Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths
Kicker 	Keyword ability 	 	Invasion 	Invasion 	March of the Machine
Landfall 	Ability word 	 	Ravnica: City of Guilds 	Zendikar 	The Brothers' War
Nonartifact spells with generic mana costs	Spells 	 	Rise of the Eldrazi 	N/A 	Rise of the Eldrazi
Phasing (Phase out) 	Keyword action 	 	Mirage 	Commander 2017 	Commander 2017
Protection from [...] 	Keyword ability 	 	Alpha 	Alpha 	Alpha
Prowess 	Keyword ability 	 	Khans of Tarkir 	Khans of Tarkir 	Magic Origins, lost status in Hour of Devastation,deciduous again as of Dominaria United
Sagas 	Enchantment type 	 	Dominaria 	N/A 	Theros Beyond Death
Split cards 	Spells 	 	Invasion 	N/A 	Invasion
Stun counters 	Counter 	 	Dominaria United 	N/A 	Dominaria United
Surveil 	Keyword action 	 	Odyssey 	Guilds of Ravnica 	The Brothers' War
Threshold 	Ability word 	 	Odyssey 	Odyssey 	Foundations
Treasure tokens 	Artifact type 	 	Ixalan 	N/A 	Ravnica Allegiance
Vanilla creatures 	Creatures 	 	Alpha 	N/A 	Alpha
Vehicles 	Artifact type 	 	Kaladesh 	N/A 	Kaladesh
==Cameo mechanics==
In 2023, R&D started experimenting with "cameos", where an old mechanic appears once in a set at a higher rarity. The rules for cameo cards require that they're relatively simple and don't have a history of balance issues.
==References==
Category:Magic slang
Category:Mechanics