Mutant

Mutant
Creature Type
(Subtype for creature/kindred cards)
Statistics	53 cards 1.9% 26.4% 5.7% 18.9% 24.5% 1.9% 17% 3.8% as of Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths
Scryfall Search
type:"Mutant"

Mutant is a creature type for cards that depict beings altered by unnatural factors whether magical or biological origin.

Description

The first card to bear the creature type was Mistform Mutant in Onslaught, though the Goblin Mutant from Ice Age was later issued errata to become a Mutant as well.

Mutants are green or blue majority, but have appeared in all colors. A large majority of Mutants were printed in concordance with two particular influences: the Mirari influence during Onslaught block, and the Simic Combine during Dissension and subsequent Ravnica blocks. They were also featured in the Alara block.

Storyline

Mutants can theoretically be found on any plane.

Alara

Grixis Mutants

On the Shard of Alara known as Grixis, "stale" magical energy mutated some of its denizens. Most notable are the race of Ogres known as the Incurables.

Dominaria

Otarian Mutants

A barbarian turned druid, Kamahl, resided in the Otarian forest of Krosa, and it was he who planted the Mirari there thinking that without a wielder the artifact would be harmless. However its power was soaked into the entire continent and the radiation mutated the inhabitants, especially those within the forest, transforming many of the beasts into enormous, fiercer and stronger monsters. This caused the animals of the forest to go mad, wildly attacking anyone that entered the forest and even leaving the forest to attack surrounding farmsteads and villages.

As the Mirari's magic washed across Otaria, many aven became taller and more muscular, with long, razor-like talons jutting from their wings. The most advanced of these mutants lost their arms, regressing into huge sentient raptors.

On the other hand, mutant owl aven, known as crookclaws, also grew larger and sprouted talons from their wings, but retained independent use of their arms (Crookclaw Transmuter). The crookclaws' magical abilities were also enhanced by the Mirari's emanations.

Ikoria

On Ikoria crystals cause creatures to mutate wildly, creating monstruous monsters. However, none of these aberrations have the mutant type.

Ravnican Mutants

Simic

Biomancers (genetic biologists affiliated with the Simic Combine) were responsible for the mutants of Ravnica in their attempts to improve the life forms of that plane. Most members of the Simic Combine even alter themselves purposely, becoming mutants to enhance their abilities. One such technique used the cytoplast implants which, within the game, is represented with the Graft ability.

With the decline of Momir Vig's influence and the resurgence of the Combine, a new form of mutation has taken root. A mix of two races, called a krasis. The experiments progressed so far that sometimes the original breed isn't recognizable anymore (Simic Manipulator). The krasis have gone feral, and are posing a threat to benthic lifeforms.

Under Prime Speaker Vannifar the Simic started to mutate their more intelligent members into super soldiers, adding animal element to their bodies. In this context, a mutant is considered "a creature of a single race type that has been genetically modified in some way, but without hybridizing it with another creature type". In contrast, a creature of two or more race types hybridized together is clearly already the result of genetic experimentation and doesn't get the Mutant type added on.

Innistradi Mutants

The Civilized Scholar is a Homicidal Brute by night.

Emrakul

The Eldrazi Titan Emrakul warps and corrupts biological life mutating it into her spawn. Though such creatures do not have the Mutant type on the cards (instead being horrors or Eldrazi), they are referred to as "mutants" in various supplemental material.

Notable Mutants

Dominaria

• Tahngarth
• Sliver Overlord

Ravnica

• Experiment Kraj
• Roalesk

Trivia

• 19 Mutants were printed in Onslaught block (1 in Onslaught 12 in Legions, 7 in Scourge), and 24 across all Ravnican sets. Only nine remain that were printed outside of those.
  • The monoblack and monowhite Mutants were all printed in Onslaught block.
• Mutations can be caused by spells like Transmutation, Darksteel Mutation, Grotesque Mutation, Unstable Mutation, Mutagenic Growth, Spontaneous Mutation and Fatal Mutation. Those spells, sadly, do not confer the Mutant subtype.
• A prominent keyword featured in Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths is mutate. Because it is a complicated mechanic, it doesn't additionally grant the creature type mutant to mutated creatures.