#creature types

[strixhaven-star]

I'd like to see more of an effort to make new Dog creatures. The number of Cats is still over twice the number of Dogs. Maybe they can put Cats on a hiatus for awhile? Dogs definitely need more of a presence in the game.

[dissonant-aria]

Welcome to the 2024 Atog Awards!

[Art by Randy Asplund]

Every year creature types are created and creature types that go unused. So what are the rules for what counts for these calculations?

(More after the break cause these posts only get longer every year!)

Types that have gone 5-9 years without print are Bronze (Fate Reforged - Throne of Eldraine)

Types that have gone 10-14 years without print are Silver (Worldwake - Khans of Tarkir)

Types that have gone 15-19 years without print are Gold (Betrayers of Kamigawa - Zendikar)

Types that have gone 20+ years without print are Cadaverrific (older then Champions of Kamigawa)

Cephalid

Before we get into new creature types, we actually lost a few creature types:

Naga

Viashino

Weasel

Now, what are our new creature types introduced in 2024?

Coyote

Skunk

Possum

Toy

Glimmer

Clown

Sloth

Synth

Beaver

Varmint

Porcupine

Mount

Armadillo

Hero

Lammasu (previously Bronze, 2014 with Khans of Tarkir)

A few creature types are no longer on this list! Those are:

Scion (previously Bronze, 2016 with Oath of the Gatewatch)

Survivor (previously Bronze, 2018 with Commander 2018)

Homarid (previously Bronze, 2018 with Dominaria)

Slith (previously Gold, 2004 with Darksteel)

Wombat (previously Cadaveriffic, 1994 with Legends)

So finally, after much delay, the current list for 2024:

Processor (2015)

Bronze (2015-2019)

Carrier (2019)

Minion (2019)

Sponge (2019)

Sculpture (2019)

Surrakar (2010)

Silver (2010-2014)

Blinkmoth (2011)

Sable (2013)

Cockatrice (2014)

Zubera (2005)

Gold (2005-2009)

Atog (2006)

Camarid (2006)

Nephilim (2006)

Triskelavite (2006)

Spike (2006)

Graveborn (2006)

Nomad (2007)

Rigger (2007)

Noggle (2008)

Tetravite (1994)

Cadaveriffic (1993-2004)

Oyster (1995)

Serf (1995)

Caribou (1995)

Ferret (1995)

Orb (1996)

Deserter (1996)

Splinter (1996)

Prism (1996)

Soltari (1998)

Thalakos (1998)

Licid (1998)

Monger (1999)

Nightstalker (2000)

Volver (2001)

Flagbearer (2001)

Mystic (2001)

Pheldagrif (2001)

Mongoose (2001)

Metathran (2001)

Orgg (2002)

Pentavite (2003)

Pincher (2004)

Bringer (2004)

SIDE NOTE: COPY PASTING FROM TUMBLR ON MOBILE IS ITS OWN LEVEL OF HELL

[niuttuc]

thoughts on tribes, both flavorwise and mechanically?

Sorry to not have gotten to this earlier, bouncing between preview seasons.

I like focuses on creature type! They're an excellent way for players to connect together cards and generate synergies without having to read the actual text or plan out lines, you just have to check that something has the right type and that it's a good card and it fits. And it tends to make more flavorful decks on average, at least on the traditional fantasy axis of different types of creatures staying segregated and self-sufficient for the most part.

I will say though, a pet peeve of mine is when WotC provides support for an underpowered or underpopulated creature type by printing an absolutely bonkers effect that only works with them. A good example of that is, I think, Magda. By doing this, WotC basically states "we don't intend to EVER actually support this creature type if you enjoy it, so hope this one card can carry you forever!". Now they can't ever actually support dwarves, because otherwise Magda would be Very Broken. And on legends, it's even worse because then it makes it really hard to make a new commander for the creature type if they ever actually want to support it, since the old one will always be better. They had this issue with trying to make a ninja commander for NEO when Yuriko exists.

[magicjudge]

If I have an Arcades on the board and an Arcane Adaptation (choosing Walls) all my creatures will be walls but will they have defender (so they can trigger Arcades)?

No.

There aren’t any creature types that come with specific rules baggage or abilities attached. While all cards printed as Walls naturally have Defender, it’s no longer an inherent rule that this is the case.

There used to be a few creature types, such as Wall and Legend, which carried rules baggage, but those rules were changed many years ago between the original Mirrodin and Kamigawa blocks.

[wizardsmagic]

The plane of Amonkhet is filled with not only humans, but an array of awesome creatures! We want to know which of these four creature types is your favorite...

Minotaur!

Aven!

Khenra!

Naga!

[commandtower]

Dinosaur Watch 2017 ~ Function and Flavor

Continuing the spotlight on the Dinosaur spoilers of Ixalan, today’s update sees a number of great cards previewed over the last few days. Highlights include a pair of tribe-boosting Dinosaur lords and a powerful carnivorous menace at 3 mana that stops lifegain and eats away at all the players at the table.

Some of these newest additions are super flavorful as well, including a 1/1 hatchling that calls in its angry mom if it gets hurt. The rare lord Regisaur Alpha also brings a packmate with it when it enters, meshing with pack-hunting theories about real tyrannosaurs.

Lots of interesting things happening here, but there still seem to be a few surprises to come before the set drops.

[obzedat-repost-council]

A Creature Type Quiz

Given the previous message, I figured I’d set this up as a quiz:

Which legal creature type is printed on the fewest cards, and (for bonus points) how many cards have that creature type (not counting Mistform Ultimus or creatures with changeling)?