{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/deck-building--family-cycle","type":"mechanic","id":"deck-building--family-cycle","lang":"en","title":"Deck order and cycling","summary":"Played cards enter the discard pile. When the draw pile runs out, a new cycle brings familiar actions back in another order.","updatedAt":"2026-10-21","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/deck-building--family-cycle/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/deck-building--family-cycle.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/deck-building--family-cycle.md","aliases":["Deck cycling"],"tags":["Deck building","Card operations"],"sourceIds":["source-3719d6c00eb94e21","source-7f09c8a736762f4f"],"sources":[{"id":"source-3719d6c00eb94e21","title":"Aeon's End · original rules","url":"https://media.lavkaigr.ru/uploads/9e-aeons-end-rulebook.pdf","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-7f09c8a736762f4f","title":"Slay the Spire","url":"https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"How cards are returned to the draw and how predictable the next cycle is."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Variants and applications\n\n<a id=\"family-cycle-variants\"></a>\n\n- Reshuffle. Rule: When you need to draw from an empty deck, the discard turns into a new deck after shuffling. <a id=\"variant-cycle-01\"></a>\n- No-shuffle cycling. Rule: Resets are flipped to maintain a specific order, turning the discard sequence into a planning tool. <a id=\"variant-cycle-02\"></a>\n- Finite deck. Rule: An expended deck is not restored or its restoration requires a special fee. <a id=\"variant-cycle-03\"></a>\n- Early shuffle. Rule: The effect shuffles the deck and discards until normal, changing the availability of cards already used. <a id=\"variant-cycle-04\"></a>\n- Gain destination. Rule: A new card goes to the discard pile, hand, top, bottom, or random position of the deck; the zone determines the delay before the first application. <a id=\"variant-cycle-05\"></a>\n- Topdeck. Rule: An existing card is placed on top of the deck for a predictable next draw. <a id=\"variant-cycle-06\"></a>\n- Bottomdeck. Rule: The card is sent to the bottom of the deck, delaying its reappearance. <a id=\"variant-cycle-07\"></a>\n- Deck stacking. Rule: The player changes the order of the top few cards in preparation for future hands. <a id=\"variant-cycle-08\"></a>\n- Discard ordering. Rule: The player determines the order in which the cards go into the discard pile; this is significant when maintaining order or selective returns. <a id=\"variant-cycle-09\"></a>\n- Recycle. Rule: The effect returns selected discard cards to the deck without waiting for the standard cycle to complete. <a id=\"variant-cycle-10\"></a>\n- Fatigue. Rule: Emptying the deck, attempting to draw, or shuffling again brings damage, threat, or another cost. <a id=\"variant-cycle-11\"></a>\n- Shuffle triggers. Rule: Moving to the next cycle activates rewards, boosts, generation or other effects. <a id=\"variant-cycle-12\"></a>"},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"Design taxonomy of basic rules and options, including card operations and external systems. The number of entries is not a generally accepted classification of independent mechanics."}],"relations":[],"placements":[{"catalogId":"deck-building","id":"family-cycle","title":"Deck building","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/deck-building/#family-cycle","categoryIds":["section-2"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-21","title":"Deck cycling","description":"Played cards enter the discard pile. When the draw pile runs out, a new cycle brings familiar actions back in another order.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/slay-the-spire-battle.webp","width":1440,"height":810,"game":"Slay the Spire","sourceUrl":"https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/","originalUrl":"https://www.megacrit.com/images/ss8.jpg","credit":"Mega Crit","rights":"© Mega Crit. All rights reserved.","caption":"Two piles in one cycle","alt":"Slay the Spire: draw and discard counters at opposite ends of the bottom panel.","markers":[{"x":4,"y":93,"label":"Cards remaining before the next cycle"},{"x":96,"y":94,"label":"Discarded cards for a future shuffle"}]},"tips":["Distinguish discarding from removing a card from the cycle.","Make the shuffle visible instead of silently changing piles."],"examples":[{"title":"Slay the Spire","url":"https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/deck-building"}}