[valzargaming]

Summary

• Add exact numbered Fading through existing entry counters, controller-upkeep triggers, and sacrifice handling.
• Removing the last fade counter does not sacrifice the permanent. The next upkeep sacrifices it only if a counter cannot be removed, unlike Vanishing.
• Preserve source-incarnation boundaries and the original trigger controller's inability to sacrifice a permanent someone else now controls.
• Document the measured corpus delta and explicitly unsupported complex fading-card clauses. No saved-state schema change beyond Resolve slow cantrip draws through a persisted upkeep trigger #329.

Validation

• Focused suite: 19 tests / 311 assertions passed.
• Independent source/test review: no blocking findings.
• Final integrated full suite with the local corpus: 713 tests / 102,978 assertions, zero skips, including all imported-card parsing and 50 official-deck simulations.
• Full Pint and whitespace checks passed. Tests are offline; no live bot or deployment.

Tests exercise the complete fading lifecycle, zero/last counters, indestructibility and sacrifice observers, counter payments/response additions and removals, original-controller restrictions, source removal/blink, multiple instances, save/resume, and a distinct Vanishing regression.

Recognition, not blanket gameplay support

Same hashed local MTGJSON 5.3.0+20261019 corpus, after #329:

• All imported pools: 11,278 → 11,287 / 28,729 (39.3%), +9.
• Modern: unchanged at 9,520 / 22,399 (42.5%).

New wholly recognized entries: Blastoderm, Cloudskate, Defender en-Vec, Jolting Merfolk, Phyrexian Prowler, Rejuvenation Chamber, Skyshroud Behemoth, Skyshroud Ridgeback, Woodripper. Their relevant counter effects/lifecycle are tested; this is not a certification of every possible interaction. Ancient Hydra, Tangle Wire and other complex cards still expose unsupported text. Coverage remains incomplete. See docs/fading-coverage.md.