The icon
The tombstone icon, or tombstone symbol, is a graphic in the upper-left-hand corner of a number of Odyssey block cards with graveyard-active or -relevant abilities.
Description[ | ]
Ichorid (Torment), with its recursion/self-reanimating ability, is one such card that features the tombstone icon.
Due to the mechanical and thematic focus on the graveyard in Odyssey block, the tombstone icon was designed to be featured on cards from the block's sets — Odyssey, Torment, and Judgment — so as to "make players' lives easier".[1]
History[ | ]
Introduced in Odyssey, the tombstone icon was featured on cards with the Flashback ability. In Torment and Judgment, the tombstone icon was used indicator of cards with graveyard-active abilities,[2] as in the case of Ichorid[3] and the Incarnations of Judgment (e.g., Anger).[4]
The original plan was to make it a permanent addition, but it couldn't work with the new card frame (starting two blocks later in Mirrodin) so R&D decided to just make it a block-exclusive idea.[5]
The practice of placing a tombstone icon was not carried over to future expansions or blocks, but the tombstone icon has since been seen on the Time Spiral "timeshifted" reprints of Valor and Call of the Herd.
It also appeared in The Brothers' War Commander on Scavenged Brawler as a reference back to the early period of Magic.
Comprehensive Rules[ | ]
From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (April 12, 2024—Outlaws of Thunder Junction)
- Tombstone Icon
- An icon that appears in the upper left of some Odyssey block cards that has no effect on game play. See rule 107.9.
From the Comprehensive Rules (April 12, 2024—Outlaws of Thunder Junction)
- 107.9. A tombstone icon appears to the left of the name of many Odyssey™ block cards with abilities that are relevant in a player’s graveyard. The purpose of the icon is to make those cards stand out when they’re in a graveyard. This icon has no effect on game play.
Cards[ | ]
After technology changed it became possible to combine the Tombstone icon on modern bordered FNM card.[6]
- Cabal Therapy (Friday Night Magic)
- Chainer's Edict (Friday Night Magic)
- Deep Analysis (Friday Night Magic)
- Roar of the Wurm (Friday Night Magic)
- Wonder (Friday Night Magic)
The symbol was also used on the retro-card frames of Time Spiral Remastered and Modern Horizons 2 timeshifted cards with graveyard-relevant abilities.[7]
See also[ | ]
References[ | ]
- ↑ Randy Buehler (October 3, 2002). "Ask Wizards - October 3, 2002". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Ben Bleiweiss (January 2, 2002). "From the Grave Risen". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mike Donais (August 15, 2002). "Ask Wizards - August 15, 2002". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Devin Low (February 15, 2005). "Ask Wizards - February 15, 2005". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (March 11, 2017). "Why didn't R&D stick with this?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (March 13, 2017). "FYI, there are several modern bordered FNM Promos with the Tombstone icon". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Gavin Verhey (February 26, 2021). "One little touch that makes me very happy in Time Spiral Remastered". Twitter.