Elder: Difference between revisions
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Elder returned in ''[[Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate]]''. This time, it was used on a cycle of non-legendary metallic dragons. | Elder returned in ''[[Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate]]''. This time, it was used on a cycle of non-legendary metallic dragons. | ||
===The Founder Dragons of Arcavios=== | |||
At the birth of the [[plane]], as the [[mana]] of two planes overlapped in conflicting ways, many forms of life adapted to the new structure, and many new forms of life were spawned. Five particularly powerful vortices of overlapping mana became luminous spheres, from which were hatched five [[dragon]]s. These dragons have become emblems of the magic of the plane, living symbols of the clashing forces of the five dichotomies.<ref name="Guide">{{DailyRef|feature/planeswalkers-guide-strixhaven-2021-04-01|Planeswalker's Guide to Strixhaven| [[Doug Beyer]] and [[Ari Zirulnik]] |April 01, 2021}}</ref> | |||
The Founder Dragons were the first to master the magic of the five opposing combinations. When the humanoid races arose, the dragons were at first angered that mortals would try to harness the wild forces of magic, but they came to realize that only through disciplined study would magic be in safe hands. So, centuries ago, the dragons founded an institution devoted to the study of the five mana dichotomies, and that institution is now known as [[Strixhaven]]. The five colleges were based around the magic mastered by each of those dragons. | |||
To this day, the Founder Dragons roam the world, the five deadly sages of the skies. They no longer associate directly with Strixhaven, preferring to let the deans of the colleges, or their human mouthpiece Director Taiva, speak in their stead. The dragons' wisdom is vast, but their tempers can be short. Mages seek them out only to learn the most elusive of secrets.<ref name="Legends of Strixhaven">{{DailyRef|archive/feature/legends-strixhaven-2021-04-13|The Legends of Strixhaven| [[Fox Allison]], [[Doug Beyer]] and [[Ari Zirulnik]] |April 13, 2021}}</ref> | |||
Five Elder Dragons founded [[Strixhaven]], the most elite school of mages in the multiverse. Each college takes its name directly from the elder dragon that created them. | |||
*[[Shadrix Silverquill]] ({{mana|WB}}) | |||
*[[Galazeth Prismari]] ({{mana|UR}}) | |||
*[[Beledros Witherbloom]] ({{mana|BG}}) | |||
*[[Velomachus Lorehold]] ({{mana|RW}}) | |||
*[[Tanazir Quandrix]] ({{mana|GU}}) | |||
===The Elder Demon of Dominaria=== | |||
The mightiest of the four demons that had struck a bargain with [[Liliana Vess]]. | |||
*[[Belzenlok]] ({{B}}) | |||
===The Elder Dragons of Dominaria=== | ===The Elder Dragons of Dominaria=== | ||
| Line 34: | Line 52: | ||
*[[Rubra]] | *[[Rubra]] | ||
===The Elder Demon of | ===The Elder Demon of Innistrad== | ||
The | The powerful demon lord who indirectly created the [[vampire]]s of [[Innistrad (plane)|Innistrad]]. | ||
*[[Shilgengar]] ({{B}}) | |||
*[[ | |||
===The Elder Dinosaurs of Ixalan=== | ===The Elder Dinosaurs of Ixalan=== | ||
| Line 72: | Line 68: | ||
An ancient and powerful fungus that controls a web of fungi spanning a plane. | An ancient and powerful fungus that controls a web of fungi spanning a plane. | ||
*The [[Mycotyrant]] ({{B}}{{G}}) | *The [[Mycotyrant]] ({{B}}{{G}}) | ||
===The Elder Dragons of Tarkir=== | |||
The creature type returned after 21 years in ''[[Dragons of Tarkir]]'' to emphasize the importance of these dragonlords.<ref>{{EzTumblr|http://dougbeyermtg.tumblr.com/post/112529400134|title=WHY is Silumgar an Elder Dragon?|March 2, 2015}}</ref> While not members of the Elder Dragon race, the creature type was used to represent their great age and the respect they command (tying in with the theme of time travel of the block) and to pay direct homage to ''[[Legends]]'''s cycle of dragons. It was later revealed that they are the direct descendants of [[Ugin]].<ref name="A Familiar Stranger">{{DailyRef|magic-story/chronicle-bolas-familiar-stranger-2018-08-01|Chronicle of Bolas: A Familar Stranger|[[Kate Elliott]]|August 1, 2018}}</ref> | |||
*[[Dromoka]] ({{mana|GW}}) | |||
*[[Ojutai]] ({{mana|WU}}) | |||
*[[Silumgar]] ({{mana|UB}}) | |||
*[[Kolaghan]] ({{mana|BR}}) | |||
*[[Atarka]] ({{mana|RG}}) | |||
===The Titans of Theros=== | ===The Titans of Theros=== | ||
Revision as of 20:30, 31 May 2024
| Elder | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Creature Type | |
| (Subtype for creature/kindred cards) | |
| Beeble Scale | 5[1] |
| Statistics |
41 cards
as of The Lost Caverns of Ixalan 4.9%  4.9%  7.3%  7.3%  7.3%  2.4%  2.4%  4.9%  4.9%  2.4%  2.4%  2.4%  4.9%  2.4%  7.3%  31.7% |
| Scryfall Search | |
| type:"Elder" | |
Elder is a creature type, first used for the Elder Dragons and later used on huge primordial entities[2] and venerable creatures to denote their importance. Since it never stands without a race it is effectively a creature class.
History
Originally, the creature type was only used on the Elder Dragons of Legends, and like most old creature types, it was meant to be read as a unified creature type (much like Ali-from-Cairo or Lord of Atlantis) and described a specific race: they were not "Elder" and "Dragon", they were "Elder Dragons".
The creature type was then unsupported for a long time,[3][4] meaning that while it wasn't removed from the existing cards, it wasn't added to new ones. The subtype was retained because of how iconic the cycle of dragons from Legends was.
Starting with Dragons of Tarkir, the type Elder was finally brought back, this time used to describe the venerable age of a cycle of Dragon Lords whose importance creative wanted to emphasize. Interestingly, they decided to un-retire the type Elder instead of the type Lord because the connection with the original Elder Dragons was meant as a homage; but it, unfortunately, created some confusion as to whether or not these new dragons were members of the same race as the old ones.[5]
Following the un-retirement of the subtype, it started being used more regularly with Rivals of Ixalan featuring six Elder Dinosaurs, the first Elders that weren't Dragons, followed by an Elder Demon in Dominaria, as well as two Elder Giants in Theros Beyond Death.
Elder returned in Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate. This time, it was used on a cycle of non-legendary metallic dragons.
The Founder Dragons of Arcavios
At the birth of the plane, as the mana of two planes overlapped in conflicting ways, many forms of life adapted to the new structure, and many new forms of life were spawned. Five particularly powerful vortices of overlapping mana became luminous spheres, from which were hatched five dragons. These dragons have become emblems of the magic of the plane, living symbols of the clashing forces of the five dichotomies.[6]
The Founder Dragons were the first to master the magic of the five opposing combinations. When the humanoid races arose, the dragons were at first angered that mortals would try to harness the wild forces of magic, but they came to realize that only through disciplined study would magic be in safe hands. So, centuries ago, the dragons founded an institution devoted to the study of the five mana dichotomies, and that institution is now known as Strixhaven. The five colleges were based around the magic mastered by each of those dragons.
To this day, the Founder Dragons roam the world, the five deadly sages of the skies. They no longer associate directly with Strixhaven, preferring to let the deans of the colleges, or their human mouthpiece Director Taiva, speak in their stead. The dragons' wisdom is vast, but their tempers can be short. Mages seek them out only to learn the most elusive of secrets.[7]
Five Elder Dragons founded Strixhaven, the most elite school of mages in the multiverse. Each college takes its name directly from the elder dragon that created them.
- Shadrix Silverquill ()
- Galazeth Prismari ()
- Beledros Witherbloom ()
- Velomachus Lorehold ()
- Tanazir Quandrix ()
The Elder Demon of Dominaria
The mightiest of the four demons that had struck a bargain with Liliana Vess.
- Belzenlok ()
The Elder Dragons of Dominaria
The vast power of the ancient Elder Dragons of Dominaria[8] was said to rival that of planeswalkers. At least two of them, Nicol Bolas and Ugin, became planeswalkers themselves. They participated in the Elder Dragon War, a conflict that shook the plane of Dominaria and killed most of their kind. Early storyline sources referred to them with the title of Dominia,[9] but with the release of the story for Core 2019, it seems that the Elder Dragon War took place only on the plane of Dominaria.
- Arcades Sabboth ()
- Chromium Rhuell ()
- Nicol Bolas ()
- Palladia-Mors ()
- Vaevictis Asmadi ()
- Ugin (
) - Lividus
- Merrevia Sal
- Piru ()
- Ravus
- Rubra
=The Elder Demon of Innistrad
The powerful demon lord who indirectly created the vampires of Innistrad.
- Shilgengar ()
The Elder Dinosaurs of Ixalan
The tale of the Elder Dinosaurs had taken Huatli the longest to memorize, an agonizing two years to lock in her mind in its entirety.[10] They were ancient and wild, utterly untamable, the greatest of the dinosaurs.
The Elder Fungus of Ixalan
An ancient and powerful fungus that controls a web of fungi spanning a plane.
- The Mycotyrant ()
The Elder Dragons of Tarkir
The creature type returned after 21 years in Dragons of Tarkir to emphasize the importance of these dragonlords.[11] While not members of the Elder Dragon race, the creature type was used to represent their great age and the respect they command (tying in with the theme of time travel of the block) and to pay direct homage to Legends's cycle of dragons. It was later revealed that they are the direct descendants of Ugin.[12]
The Titans of Theros
The Titans of Theros are Elder Giants.[2]
- Kroxa ()
- Uro ()
- Phlage, Titan of Burning Wind and Fire's Fury, an all-consuming whirlwind of fire.[13] ()
- Skotha, Titan of Eternal Dark, the utter darkness of the starless night.[13]
Notes
- Ugin was revealed to be spawned from The Ur-Dragon alongside his twin, Nicol Bolas, in a later Magic story, confirming he was born an Elder Dragon.[14]
- Although many cards have "elder" in their name (for example Argothian Elder, Elder Land Wurm, Leaf-Crowned Elder[15], Elder Brain or Revered Elder), none of them have the subtype Elder.
- Although Niv-Mizzet is over 16,000 years old, he is not considered an Elder Dragon.[16] His character was introduced in 2006 with Guildpact, more than a decade after the Elder Dragons of Legends and during a period when the creature type was unsupported. Elder reappeared in 2015 with Dragons of Tarkir and was used in subsequent sets associated with ancient dragons that are at most a fraction of Niv’s age, leading players to question why Niv-Mizzet has not been considered an elder dragon.[17] However, Mark Rosewater has indicated that "[i]t's possible he should be an Elder."[18]
See also
References
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (2020-04-21). "Where are Elders on the beeble scale?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ a b Ethan Fleischer (January 7, 2020). "I got really excited about the titans from Greek mythology.". Twitter.
- ↑ Doug Beyer (July 7, 2013). "Elder as a creature type". A Voice for Vorthos. Tumblr.
- ↑ Doug Beyer (July 5, 2013). "Ideas of using the Elder type more". A Voice for Vorthos. Tumblr.
- ↑ Doug Beyer (March 2, 2015). "WHY is Silumgar an Elder Dragon?". A Voice for Vorthos. Tumblr.
- ↑ Doug Beyer and Ari Zirulnik (April 01, 2021). "Planeswalker's Guide to Strixhaven". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Fox Allison, Doug Beyer and Ari Zirulnik (April 13, 2021). "The Legends of Strixhaven". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Elder Dragons (comic)
- ↑ Squirle (March 4, 2015). "A Historian's Guide to Elder Dragons.". Multiverse in Review. Tumblr.
- ↑ R&D Narrative Team (January 24, 2018). "The Arbiter of Law Left Chaos in His Wake". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Doug Beyer (March 2, 2015). "WHY is Silumgar an Elder Dragon?". A Voice for Vorthos. Tumblr.
- ↑ Kate Elliott (August 1, 2018). "Chronicle of Bolas: A Familar Stranger". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b Wizards RPG Team (2020), D&D Mythic Odysseys of Theros, Wizards of the Coast
- ↑ Doug Beyer (January 16, 2015). "Is Ugin an Elder Dragon like Nicol Bolas?". A Voice for Vorthos. Tumblr.
- ↑ Doug Beyer (December 19, 2007). "Folk of the Non-Pines". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Greg Weisman (April 2019). "War of the Spark: Ravnica". Del Rey
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (November 12, 2018). "I think my question got lost in the crowd…". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (March 30, 2021). "Sorry, a clarification.". Blogatog. Tumblr.
