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'''Nephilim''' is [[creature type]] unique to the ''[[Guildpact]]'' set.  
{{Infobox type
|type=creature
|stats={{stats|M=5}}
as of ''[[Guildpact]]''
|beeble=8
|beeble_ref=<ref>{{EzTumblr|https://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/188790293663/|title=For the Beeble scale, i Meant the creature type|November 3, 2019}}</ref>
}}
{{TOCright}}
'''Nephilim''' is a [[creature type]] unique to the ''[[Guildpact]]'' set and the [[Ravnica]] [[plane]].


Nephilim (singular: ''nephil''; Hebrew) were powerful monstrosities with limited intelligence, that were venerated by the [[Cult of Yore]], who saw them as the “Old Gods”.<ref>''[[Dissension (book)|Dissension]]''</ref><ref>{{NewRef|feature/wake-call-2006-02-22|Wake Up Call|[[Matt Cavotta]]|February 22, 2006}}</ref> As such they were a symbol of the old [[Ravnica]], before the time of the [[Guildpact (spell)|Guildpact]]. Unlike the created lords of the Guildpact, these entities did not make demands or accept sacrifices. They did not require or answer prayers. They were there only to humble; living, walking examples of the world's vastness, diversity, unpredictability, danger, wonder, horror, and complexity beyond comprehension.<ref>{{NewRef|arcana/guildpact-zoom-ins-2006-12-20|''Guildpact'' Zoom-Ins|[[Magic Arcana]]|April 03, 2006}}</ref>
==Description==
The five [[rare]] [[creatures]] of the [[cycle]] have different appearances; some are [[spirit]]-like, others [[beast]]-like. Each costs four [[mana]] of separate [[colors]]; the excluded color is the [[enemy color]] of the middle two colors.


The Nephilim were subdued thousands of years before the events of the ''[[Ravnica block]]'', and imprisoned deep below the plane's surface. Their precise origins are unknown. Once awakened by construction works in the [[Utvara]] district, five of the creatures fed on a [[dragon]] corpse and grew in size and power, showing a shared ability to absorb power from other beings. Almost forgotten for 10 000 years, the return of the Nephilim was seen as a sign for change and indeed it coincided with the fall of the Guildpact at the [[Decamillennial]]. Though they defeated [[Niv-Mizzet]], he managed to destroy two of them. The remaining three made it to the center of [[Ravnica|Ravnica City]] where they were eventually subdued. [[Rakdos]] defeated one of them.
*<c>Yore-Tiller Nephilim</c> ({{W}}{{U}}{{B}}{{R}})
*<c>Glint-Eye Nephilim</c> ({{U}}{{B}}{{R}}{{G}})
*<c>Dune-Brood Nephilim</c> ({{B}}{{R}}{{G}}{{W}})
*<c>Ink-Treader Nephilim</c> ({{R}}{{G}}{{W}}{{U}})
*<c>Witch-Maw Nephilim</c> ({{G}}{{W}}{{U}}{{B}})


The five [[rare]] [[creatures]] of the [[cycle]] have different appearances; some are [[spirit]]-like, others [[beast]]-like. Each costs four [[mana]] of separate [[colors]]; the excluded color is the [[enemy color]] of the middle two colors.
===Storyline===
Nephilim  were powerful monstrosities with limited intelligence that were venerated by the [[Cult of Yore]], who saw them as the “Old Gods”.<ref name="Dissension">[[Cory Herndon]] (2006), ''[[Dissension (novel)|Dissension]]''. Wizards of the Coast.</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|feature/wake-call-2006-02-22|Wake Up Call|[[Matt Cavotta]]|February 22, 2006|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060228213819/http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mc27|archivedate=February 28, 2006}}</ref> As such they were a symbol of the old [[Ravnica]], before the time of the [[Guildpact (spell)|Guildpact]]. Unlike the created lords of the Guildpact, these entities did not make demands or accept sacrifices. They did not require or answer prayers. They were there only to humble; living, walking examples of the world's vastness, diversity, unpredictability, danger, wonder, horror, and complexity beyond comprehension.<ref>{{DailyRef|arcana/guildpact-zoom-ins-2006-12-20|''Guildpact'' Zoom-Ins|[[Magic Arcana]]|April 03, 2006}}</ref>


* <c>Yore-Tiller Nephilim</c> ({{W}}{{U}}{{B}}{{R}})
The Nephilim were subdued thousands of years before the events of the ''[[Ravnica block]]'', and imprisoned deep below the plane's surface. Their precise origins are unknown. Once awakened by construction works in the [[Utvara]] district, five of the creatures fed on a [[dragon]] corpse and grew in size and power, showing a shared ability to absorb power from other beings.<ref name="Dissension"/> Almost forgotten for 10,000 years, the return of the Nephilim was seen as a sign for change and indeed it coincided with the fall of the Guildpact at the [[Decamillennial]]. Though they defeated [[Niv-Mizzet]], he managed to destroy two of them. The remaining three made it to the center of [[Ravnica|Ravnica City]] where they were eventually subdued: [[Rakdos]] defeated one of them and the last two were killed by mana explosions.
* <c>Glint-Eye Nephilim</c> ({{U}}{{B}}{{R}}{{G}})
* <c>Dune-Brood Nephilim</c> ({{B}}{{R}}{{G}}{{W}})
* <c>Ink-Treader Nephilim</c> ({{R}}{{G}}{{W}}{{U}})
* <c>Witch-Maw Nephilim</c> ({{G}}{{W}}{{U}}{{B}})


== Trivia ==
===Four-color design===
The Nephilim were the first cards printed that needed exactly four different colors to play. They were created because there was some concern in [[R&D]] that some players might not buy into the “guild thing” and they wanted to have some other cool cards for them. They ended up being not all that liked and none saw any tournament play, as their admittedly unique abilities were not seen to justify the difficulty of assembling those colors.<ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/absence-2013-05-10|Absence|[[Mark Rosewater]]|May 13, 2013}}</ref> However, as the nephilim were the only four-color cards in all of ''Magic'' until ''[[Commander 2016]]'', there has been a persistent wish from some [[Commander (format)|Commander]] players for R&D to issue [[errata]] for the Nephilim to make them into [[legendary]] creatures.<ref>{{EzTumblr|http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/152378605203/will-we-ever-see-nephilim-again-i-thought-they|title=Will we ever see Nephilim again?|October 27, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{EzTumblr|http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/176849831658/two-questions-why-is-everyone-so-obsessed-with|title=why is everyone so obsessed with the nephilim? |August 10, 2018}}</ref> Although [[Mark Rosewater]] admits that he should have made them legendary, R&D is unwilling to do a functional errata.<ref>{{EzTumblr|http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/15878300773/in-relation-to-ihititwithmyaxes-question-i|title=One point that always seems to pop up again is the Nephilim issue.|January 15, 2012}}</ref> Rosewater has cited the Nephilim as an example of creative design that didn't come together into a compelling whole.<ref>{{EzTumblr|http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/18499488882/i-dont-doubt-that-designing-4-colour-cards-is|title=Could you explain how each of the Nephilim embodies "not the fifth colour"?|February 29, 2012}}</ref>


* The name is taken from eponymous Hebrew biblical creatures. ''Nephilim'' is derived from the Hebrew &rlm;נָפַל&lrm;, “those who cause others to fall”.
==Trivia==
* The Nephilim were the first cards printed that needed exactly four different colors to play. None saw any tournament play, however, as their admittedly unique abilities were not seen to justify the difficulty of assembling those colors.<ref>{{NewRef|making-magic/absence-2013-05-10|Absence|[[Mark Rosewater]]|May 13, 2013}}</ref>
*The name is taken from eponymous Hebrew biblical creatures. ''Nephilim'' is derived from the Hebrew &rlm;נפיל&lrm; (singular: ''nephil''), “the fallen”. It can also mean [[Giant]]s, specifically the giants who were the fallen angels (hence the name "the fallen") in jewish myth and their children.<ref>{{DailyRef|ask-wizards-july-2006-2006-07-03|Ask Wizards - July, 2006|[[Wizards of the Coast]]|July, 2006}}</ref>
** Until 2016 they were the only four colored cards. Commander 2016 introduced a new set of 5 four colored Legendary Creatures.
*Dune-Brood Nephilim produces [[Sand]] creature [[token]]s. The only other card producing Sand creature tokens is <c>Hazezon Tamar</c> from ''[[Legends]]'', and later with <c>Hazezon, Shaper of Sand</c> in the ''[[Dominaria United/Box Toppers]]''.
* Dune-Brood Nephilim produces [[Sand]] creature [[tokens]].
*''[[Dissension]]'' had two cards referring to the Nephilim: the [[aura]] <c>Blessing of the Nephilim</c> and the [[instant]] <c>Might of the Nephilim</c>.
* ''[[Dissension]]'' had two cards referring to the Nephilim: the [[aura]] <c>Blessing of the Nephilim</c> and the [[instant]] <c>Might of the Nephilim</c>.
*Dune-Brood Nephilim's art has a strong resemblance to one of Zdzisław Beksiński's ''Untitled'' paintings (Depicted here: https://www.wikiart.org/en/zdzislaw-beksinski/untitled-504)


== References ==
==Story appearances==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Title !! Author !! Publishing date !! Set !! Setting (plane) !! Featuring
|-
| [https://web.archive.org/web/20060228213819/http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mc27 Wake Up Call] || [[Matt Cavotta]] || February 22, 2006 || ''[[Guildpact]]'' || [[Ravnica]] || [[Bougrat]], [[Obzedat]], [[Chorus of the Conclave]], [[Niv-Mizzet]], [[Razia]], [[Rakdos]], the Nephilim
|-
| [https://web.archive.org/web/20201112034144/https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/precious-gold-2006-12-28 Precious Gold] || [[Matt Cavotta]] || March 29, 2006 || ''[[Guildpact]]'' || [[Ravnica]] || [[Emilya]], [[Obzedat]], <c>Yore-Tiller Nephilim</c>
|}


==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


{{Ravnica|affiliations|state=collapsed}}
{{Ravnica|affiliations|state=collapsed}}
{{Creature types}}
{{Creature types|Races}}
[[Category:Races]]

Latest revision as of 03:29, 6 July 2024

Nephilim
Creature Type
(Subtype for creature/kindred cards)
Beeble Scale 8[1]
Statistics
5 cards
{M} 100%
as of Guildpact
Scryfall Search
type:"Nephilim"

Nephilim is a creature type unique to the Guildpact set and the Ravnica plane.

Description

The five rare creatures of the cycle have different appearances; some are spirit-like, others beast-like. Each costs four mana of separate colors; the excluded color is the enemy color of the middle two colors.

Storyline

Nephilim were powerful monstrosities with limited intelligence that were venerated by the Cult of Yore, who saw them as the “Old Gods”.[2][3] As such they were a symbol of the old Ravnica, before the time of the Guildpact. Unlike the created lords of the Guildpact, these entities did not make demands or accept sacrifices. They did not require or answer prayers. They were there only to humble; living, walking examples of the world's vastness, diversity, unpredictability, danger, wonder, horror, and complexity beyond comprehension.[4]

The Nephilim were subdued thousands of years before the events of the Ravnica block, and imprisoned deep below the plane's surface. Their precise origins are unknown. Once awakened by construction works in the Utvara district, five of the creatures fed on a dragon corpse and grew in size and power, showing a shared ability to absorb power from other beings.[2] Almost forgotten for 10,000 years, the return of the Nephilim was seen as a sign for change and indeed it coincided with the fall of the Guildpact at the Decamillennial. Though they defeated Niv-Mizzet, he managed to destroy two of them. The remaining three made it to the center of Ravnica City where they were eventually subdued: Rakdos defeated one of them and the last two were killed by mana explosions.

Four-color design

The Nephilim were the first cards printed that needed exactly four different colors to play. They were created because there was some concern in R&D that some players might not buy into the “guild thing” and they wanted to have some other cool cards for them. They ended up being not all that liked and none saw any tournament play, as their admittedly unique abilities were not seen to justify the difficulty of assembling those colors.[5] However, as the nephilim were the only four-color cards in all of Magic until Commander 2016, there has been a persistent wish from some Commander players for R&D to issue errata for the Nephilim to make them into legendary creatures.[6][7] Although Mark Rosewater admits that he should have made them legendary, R&D is unwilling to do a functional errata.[8] Rosewater has cited the Nephilim as an example of creative design that didn't come together into a compelling whole.[9]

Trivia

Story appearances

Title Author Publishing date Set Setting (plane) Featuring
Wake Up Call Matt Cavotta February 22, 2006 Guildpact Ravnica Bougrat, Obzedat, Chorus of the Conclave, Niv-Mizzet, Razia, Rakdos, the Nephilim
Precious Gold Matt Cavotta March 29, 2006 Guildpact Ravnica Emilya, Obzedat, Yore-Tiller Nephilim

References

  1. ↑ Mark Rosewater (November 3, 2019). "For the Beeble scale, i Meant the creature type". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  2. ↑ a b Cory Herndon (2006), Dissension. Wizards of the Coast.
  3. ↑ Matt Cavotta (February 22, 2006). "Wake Up Call". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on February 28, 2006.
  4. ↑ Magic Arcana (April 03, 2006). "Guildpact Zoom-Ins". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  5. ↑ Mark Rosewater (May 13, 2013). "Absence". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  6. ↑ Mark Rosewater (October 27, 2016). "Will we ever see Nephilim again?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  7. ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 10, 2018). "why is everyone so obsessed with the nephilim?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  8. ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 15, 2012). "One point that always seems to pop up again is the Nephilim issue.". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  9. ↑ Mark Rosewater (February 29, 2012). "Could you explain how each of the Nephilim embodies "not the fifth colour"?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  10. ↑ Wizards of the Coast (July, 2006). "Ask Wizards - July, 2006". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
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