Lost Lands: The Homunculi Are Expanding

[Demnchi]

Which seems more like an afterthought than anything relevant.

Tbh you could be correct in this. However, it does allow for some flexibility in both balance and flavor. Shatter Ice makes more sense on Frozen allies then it does Disabled ones, even though mechanically their definition is the same. Thanks to using the different wording, the cards mechanically interact with other cards differently. This really does add another tool to the design belt and does make things a bit more thematic.

I get your point though, it does seem redundant and unnecessary. It was most likely never intended to not be Exile in function and was just a coincidence, but it does open up the space for Void Wretch's ability to not be completely broken by other cards (granted, having an errata would do this too, but I digress). It would probably make more sense if Soul Reaper's text stated the cards were "Banished" or "Obliterated" or "Absorbed" or something. Still, while I get your point, I don't really see the problem in this case either. The only potential issue really is just the confusion since "removed from the game" on Soul Reaper isn't a keyword and thus making it hard to distinguish it from cards being Exiled. Even I originally thought Void Wretch's ability worked with Soul Reaper and built a deck before getting clarification that it didn't work together. So that part is legit, no question. Do I think its that big of a deal, not necessarily.

[jonmaciel]

Buqs stated it pretty well. If you have something that interacts with "removed from the game" then it interacts with "removed from the game" and "exiled." So if you have something that interacts with allies that can't attack, then it interacts with frozen, disabled, lay low, rain delay, zail's hymn, distraction (jasmine's ability), and so on.

[BP Holy Punisher]

I don't know guys, it seems that Airact and me are thinking different than the rest of you.
If a keyword is just a keyword and nothing else, then I would advise the text in parenthesis to be removed. So exile is exile and not remove from the game. Since you need the rulebook to understand the rules anyway, just add a detailed description there and not in the card!

[Gondorian]

I don't know guys, it seems that Airact and me are thinking different than the rest of you.
If a keyword is just a keyword and nothing else, then I would advise the text in parenthesis to be removed. So exile is exile and not remove from the game. Since you need the rulebook to understand the rules anyway, just add a detailed description there and not in the card!

Italic text in brackets should always be helper text (there are two cards in SF that use brackets to give an enhanced or alternative effect - Midnight Sentinel and Sindarok Apprentice - which currently put the text in italics by mistake), that we put on if there is space. Clearly the times we have space for keyword and the helper text demonstrate that a keyword is not just for shortening the ability, but I think we've already covered that.

Removing the helper text completely would do more harm (hinder people from picking up the game without the rulebook) than good (address a small minority of people who might be confused about a couple of cards like Void Wretch).

[msaf]

Clearly the times we have space for keyword and the helper text demonstrate that a keyword is not just for shortening the ability

Clearly