Bahari Vampires

Many typeless retainers had a type added (Winthrop, ..).
Adding a keyword to a card might change existing rulings, or make some balanced stuff unbalanced (so what about these !Salubris with a melee Talbot's Chainsaw ?)

Because they can't get to obliterate things with Aggravated damage using !Salubri stuff already? My own !Salubri deck can often pop out 7agg with Kerries...

Sure. But then you need the Kerrie *and* the rush card to be efficient.
And you have to handle the damage.

I'm not saying Chainsaws will never be melee weapons. I'm saying making such a change would require some testing first.

Lönkka wrote:

How does Talbot's CS work if it is not a melee weapon?
Shoot bolt's of undead energy?

This is a card game. Card text > theme.

You could cut someone with a razor blade, but Aaron's Feeding Razor has no text to allow it to be used as a weapon, so it isn't one.

They could have put the keyword "Melee weapon" on the Ankara Citadel and it would be a Melee weapon because of card text, regardless of whether it narratively makes sense.

Lönkka wrote:

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!
How does Talbot's CS work if it is not a melee weapon?
Shoot bolt's of undead energy?

One "argument" (more a case of trying to retrospectively explain it, rather than arguing for it) in the past was that the things printed as melee weapons would, in general, rely substantially on the wielder's skill and muscle strength in order to accurately apply a heavy hit. Chainsaws move some of this to the ability to pull the power cord.

Of course, then you get Gas-Powered Chainsaw printed...

Lönkka wrote:

Being released in a set before certain keywords were invented is no problem;

On the contrary. Talbot's Chainsaw was printed in the set that melee weapon was added - that is, both Talbot's Chainsaw and melee weapon were in the base, Jyhad set. So it would appear to have been a design choice. (Possibly a mistaken one.)

The WotC design team apparently never felt compelled to issue a change. LSJ's general position was not to issue errata for the sole purpose of upgrading cards (and especially wallpaper) - but if there was some other reason to make change, it was okay to pick the 'better' outcome.

Well as I've mentioned in the past, it makes perfect sense for there two be two categories of weapons, based on their 'range of effectiveness'.

Can only cause damage/strike effectively at close range - Melee Weapon
Can cause damage/strike effectively at long range or close range - Ranged Weapon (i.e. Gun)