Elk

Elk
Creature Type
(Subtype for creature/kindred cards)
Statistics	18 cards 22.2% 5.6% 66.7% 5.6%
Scryfall Search
type:"Elk"

Elk is a primarily green/white creature type used for cards depicting large deer. Elk (or Wapiti) are similar to the Red Deer found in Europe, of which they were long believed to be a subspecies. In the deer family, only the common moose (confusingly referred to as "elk" in some European countries) rival the elk in size.

The first creature to bear the type was Gang of Elk from Urza's Legacy. It used to be a Beast, but this was changed in the Grand Creature Type Update. For a long time, it was the only Elk card until Great Sable Stag was printed in Magic 2010. Theros features an enchantment creature with the subtype that acts as Heliod's emissary.

Winged elk-like elementals embody White mana in Lorwyn–Shadowmoor, like Purity and the steed of the Archon of Justice.

Trivia

• Elk are Deer but not all Deer are Elk. That knowledge does make Mark Rosewater willing to change Elk to Deer if R&D started over.
  • If the subtype would have been Deer instead of Elk, other species like Caribou, Moose, Fallow Deer and Roe Deer could have been included.
  • Deer was introduced in Unstable and has only appeared on silver-bordered cards so far (Druid of the Sacred Beaker).
• The blue aligned Wetland Sambar from Khans of Tarkir is the only non-white, non-green elk seen thus far.
  • Sambar is a real species.