{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/deck-building--family-lifecycle","type":"mechanic","id":"deck-building--family-lifecycle","lang":"en","title":"Card removal and lifespan","summary":"A card can leave play for a turn, a combat or the entire run. Removing it changes the frequency of useful draws and the cost of future choices.","updatedAt":"2026-10-21","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/deck-building--family-lifecycle/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/deck-building--family-lifecycle.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/deck-building--family-lifecycle.md","aliases":["Removing cards"],"tags":["Deck building","Core rules"],"sourceIds":["source-078803ab9784c9da","source-7f09c8a736762f4f"],"sources":[{"id":"source-078803ab9784c9da","title":"Star Realms FAQ","url":"https://www.starrealms.com/faq","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":"For how long the card disappears and from which zone it can be removed."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Variants and applications\n\n<a id=\"family-lifecycle-variants\"></a>\n\n- Trash / remove. Rule: The card leaves the deck until the end of the game or run. <a id=\"variant-lifecycle-01\"></a>\n- Zone-limited removal. Rule: Clearance is only available for hand, discard, deck or played cards, which changes the cost and decision point. <a id=\"variant-lifecycle-02\"></a>\n- Self-trash. Rule: The card removes itself after being used or for additional benefit. <a id=\"variant-lifecycle-03\"></a>\n- Exhaust. Rule: A card goes out of normal circulation until the end of the current encounter, unless another rule returns it first. <a id=\"variant-lifecycle-04\"></a>\n- Exile / set aside. Rule: The card is set aside separately and returned by event, timer or special action. <a id=\"variant-lifecycle-05\"></a>\n- Ethereal pattern. Rule: A card is either temporarily or permanently excluded if the player has not used it at the given moment. <a id=\"variant-lifecycle-06\"></a>\n- Charges. Rule: A card has a finite supply of uses; after it is exhausted, it disappears or stops working. <a id=\"variant-lifecycle-07\"></a>\n- Durability. Rule: Use degrades the card or creates the risk of losing it; the player decides when to spend her resource. <a id=\"variant-lifecycle-08\"></a>\n- Return to supply. Rule: The card leaves the personal deck and becomes available for purchase again according to the rules of the general market. <a id=\"variant-lifecycle-09\"></a>\n- Mass removal. Rule: One effect removes several cards, all copies of the selected card, or an entire category. <a id=\"variant-lifecycle-10\"></a>\n- Unremovable cards. Rule: Some cards are protected from deletion or require a special cleaning method. <a id=\"variant-lifecycle-11\"></a>\n- Sell. Rule: A player removes a card from his possession, receiving money or another resource. <a id=\"variant-lifecycle-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-lifecycle","title":"Deck building","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/deck-building/#family-lifecycle","categoryIds":["section-1"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-21","title":"Removing cards","description":"A card can leave play for a turn, a combat or the entire run. Removing it changes the frequency of useful draws and the cost of future choices.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/slay-the-spire-shop.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/ss4.jpg","credit":"Mega Crit","rights":"© Mega Crit. All rights reserved.","caption":"The shop offers to remove a card","alt":"Slay the Spire: a paid Card Removal Service appears underneath the cards for sale.","markers":[{"x":82,"y":75,"label":"The service removes a chosen card from the deck"}]},"tips":["Distinguish discard, temporary exclusion and permanent removal.","Show how the deck’s size and contents will change."],"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"}}