<p><strong>There are several abilities that could qualify, though I have not found official confirmation.</strong></p>
<p>Obvious examples include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Fear">Fear</a> Card debuted in <em>Alpha</em> (1993), was made a keyword ability in <em>Time Spiral</em> (2003), though it was a non-keyword mechanic since <em>Alpha</em> (1993). Obsoleted since in favor of Menace.</p>
</li>
<li><p><a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Flash">Flash</a> Card debuted in <em>Mirage</em> (1996), was made a keyword ability in <em>Time Spiral</em> (2006)</p>
</li>
<li><p><a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Exile">Exile</a> Was a mechanic since <em>Alpha</em> (1993), the card debuted in <em>Alliances</em> (1996), was made a keyword action in the M10 rules update (2009)</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Debatable:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><a href="https://mtg.fandom.com/wiki/Lifelink" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Lifelink</a>. The card debuted in <em>Alpha</em> (1993) as <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Spirit%20Link">Spirit Link</a> and was made a keyword ability in <em>Future Sight</em> (2007). It worked exactly the same as the card it originated from, i.e. as a triggered ability that triggered on dealing damage. In the M10 rules update (where it also got its own card: <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Lifelink">Lifelink</a>) it was redesigned into a static ability so that it could save a player from death to combat damage with a lifelink creature of their own, and thus diverged from its cardboard origin.</p>
</li>
<li><p><a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Mana%20Clash">Mana Clash</a> Debuted in <em>The Dark</em> (1994), made a keyword action as Clash in <em>Lorwyn</em> (2007). Both feature a similar mechanic, producing a binary result (win or loss) in a unique, randomized way.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Keyword debuted at the same time as the card of the same (or similar) name, so doesn't technically count for your question:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Regeneration">Regeneration</a> Debuted in <em>Alpha</em> (1993) both as a card and a mechanic/keyword action.</p>
</li>
<li><p><a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Vigilance">Vigilance</a> Debuted in <em>Champions of Kamigawa</em> (2004) both as a card and a keyword mechanic, though it was a non-keyword mechanic since <em>Alpha</em> (1993)</p>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-13T04:54:29.710Z
[Exile](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3194) is a borderline example in that exile existed as a mechanic for several years before the card, but it still shares its name with a card featuring it.
Cadence
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-13T08:27:42.947Z
@Cadence Exile was first printed with the old "remove from the game" wording, so it likely influenced the choice of name for the exile zone
Caleth
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-20T01:51:43.640Z
[Intimidation](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=19833) is another likely example
Matthew Jensen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-21T16:23:05.293Z
Intimidation obsoleted fear not menace. Fear used to be only for black creatures
Neil Meyer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-05-18T01:44:43.430Z
"it was redesigned into a static ability so that it could save a player from death to combat damage with a lifelink creature of their own" - worth noting that the triggered-ability version also stacks with itself (and with a single copy of the static-ability version). I saw a Pauper deck once that exploits this.
Karl Knechtel
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-13T00:25:32.537Z
2022-06-13T10:19:12.667Z
2022-06-13T10:19:12.667Z
Hackworth
<p>Core Set 2021 introduced the keyword 'mill':</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Mill N cards <em>(Put the top N cards from the library into your/their graveyard.)</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>which was named after the card <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Millstone">Millstone</a> with the ability</p>
<blockquote>
<p>{2}: Take the top two cards of target player's library and place them in target player's graveyard.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>See e.g. <a href="https://mtg.fandom.com/wiki/Mill#History" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this MTG Wiki article</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Ultimately, the term &quot;mill&quot; was chosen both in reference to the original card and because it was already so popular as an informal term—it has permeated into other games and some dictionaries, despite the oblique etymology.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Are there any other keywords which were named after one of the first cards on which they appeared?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-12T18:50:21.880Z
FWIW, Lifelink came to my mind, but the keyword existed before the card.
GendoIkari
<magic-the-gathering><terminology>
Which keywords (besides 'mill') have been named after Magic cards?
Glorfindel
# Which keywords (besides 'mill') have been named after Magic cards?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-06-12)

Core Set 2021 introduced the keyword 'mill':

> Mill N cards *(Put the top N cards from the library into your/their graveyard.)*

which was named after the card [Millstone](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Millstone) with the ability

> {2}: Take the top two cards of target player's library and place them in target player's graveyard.

See e.g. [this MTG Wiki article](https://mtg.fandom.com/wiki/Mill#History):

> Ultimately, the term "mill" was chosen both in reference to the original card and because it was already so popular as an informal term—it has permeated into other games and some dictionaries, despite the oblique etymology.

Are there any other keywords which were named after one of the first cards on which they appeared?

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering, terminology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: FWIW, Lifelink came to my mind, but the keyword existed before the card.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2022-06-13. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

**There are several abilities that could qualify, though I have not found official confirmation.**

Obvious examples include:

* [Fear](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Fear) Card debuted in *Alpha* (1993), was made a keyword ability in *Time Spiral* (2003), though it was a non-keyword mechanic since *Alpha* (1993). Obsoleted since in favor of Menace.
* [Flash](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Flash) Card debuted in *Mirage* (1996), was made a keyword ability in *Time Spiral* (2006)
* [Exile](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Exile) Was a mechanic since *Alpha* (1993), the card debuted in *Alliances* (1996), was made a keyword action in the M10 rules update (2009)

Debatable:

* [Lifelink](https://mtg.fandom.com/wiki/Lifelink). The card debuted in *Alpha* (1993) as [Spirit Link](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Spirit%20Link) and was made a keyword ability in *Future Sight* (2007). It worked exactly the same as the card it originated from, i.e. as a triggered ability that triggered on dealing damage. In the M10 rules update (where it also got its own card: [Lifelink](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Lifelink)) it was redesigned into a static ability so that it could save a player from death to combat damage with a lifelink creature of their own, and thus diverged from its cardboard origin.
* [Mana Clash](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Mana%20Clash) Debuted in *The Dark* (1994), made a keyword action as Clash in *Lorwyn* (2007). Both feature a similar mechanic, producing a binary result (win or loss) in a unique, randomized way.

Keyword debuted at the same time as the card of the same (or similar) name, so doesn't technically count for your question:

* [Regeneration](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Regeneration) Debuted in *Alpha* (1993) both as a card and a mechanic/keyword action.
* [Vigilance](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Vigilance) Debuted in *Champions of Kamigawa* (2004) both as a card and a keyword mechanic, though it was a non-keyword mechanic since *Alpha* (1993)

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: [Exile](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3194) is a borderline example in that exile existed as a mechanic for several years before the card, but it still shares its name with a card featuring it.  
> **username_4**: @username_3 Exile was first printed with the old "remove from the game" wording, so it likely influenced the choice of name for the exile zone  
> **username_5**: [Intimidation](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=19833) is another likely example  
> **username_6**: Intimidation obsoleted fear not menace. Fear used to be only for black creatures  
> **username_7**: "it was redesigned into a static ability so that it could save a player from death to combat damage with a lifelink creature of their own" - worth noting that the triggered-ability version also stacks with itself (and with a single copy of the static-ability version). I saw a Pauper deck once that exploits this.  

---

