Creature class

In Magic, Race is a subset of the characteristic "Creature type".

Most humanoid creatures have at least two creature types: race and class. Whereas race (such as human, elf, or goblin) is a matter of genetics, a creature's class (such as soldier, wizard, or rogue) represents their function, occupation, career or calling in life.

Advisors

Advisors are tacticians, courtiers, ministers, and others known for their wisdom. Bureaucrats (once a separate class) are also ranked as advisors. Advisors often serve roles in government, where they can obtain significant personal power by manipulating those above and below them. Advisors span all five colors, though a majority are white. From the name, one might guess that an advisor is never in direct command, but rather stands at the side of authority. This is untrue. Teysa Karlov, Augustin IV,and Gaddock Teeg are all free agents and "advise" no one. In the Grand Creature Type Update the subtype Tactician (Seasoned Tactician) was incorporated into the Advisor class as well.

Notable Advisors

• Augustin IV
• Gaddock Teeg
• Ib Halfheart
• Masako
• Michiko Konda
• Riven Turnbull
• Teysa Karlov
• Tobias Andrion

Alchemists

Alchemists are people who practice alchemy, a form of chemistry and speculative philosophy which is concerned with discovering methods for transmuting base metals into gold and with finding a universal solvent and an Elixir of Immortality. The only card with the subtype Alchemist was Samite Alchemist. This was changed to Cleric in the Grand Creature Type Update. Battletide Alchemist was also printed as a Cleric, Aphetto Alchemist and Sedraxis Alchemist were printed as Wizards and Cho-Arrim Alchemist as Spellshaper. None of these cards had topdown design reflecting transmuting skills.

Artificers

Artificers are those who specialize in working with artifacts. Some artificers are merely mundane tinkerers, while others possess magical skill at their craft. All artificers have artifact-related abilities. Goblins, with their love of mindless tinkering, produce numerous artificers. In the Grand Creature Type Update the subtypes Archaeologist (Argivian Archaeologist), Smith (Argivian Blacksmith) and Sage (Sage of Lat-Nam) were incorporated into the Artificer class.

Notable Artificers

• Arcum Dagsson
• Ashnod
• Ayesha Tanaka
• Barl
• Glacian
• Hanna
• Jhoira
• Mishra
• Slobad
• Tawnos
• Tezzeret
• Tocasia
• Urza
• Venser
• Yawgmoth

Assassins

Barbarians

Berserkers

Bodyguards

A Bodyguard is a person or group of persons employed to guard an individual, often a high official or VIP, from bodily harm. Cards printed with the class Bodyguard were Veteran Bodyguard from Alpha, Martyrs of Korlis from Antiquities and Anaba Bodyguard from Homelands. In the Grand Creature Type Update the class was obsoleted and they were changed to Human and Minotaur respectively. Later cards like Rhox Bodyguard from Conflux were always Soldiers or Clerics.

Burke was a bodyguard for Ambassador Laquatus, and Chainer was asked to be a bodyguard for the Cabal Patriarch right before killing him.

Clerics

Cowards

A coward is a person who lacks courage in facing danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc.; a timid or easily intimidated person. The Boldwyr Intimidator is a Giant Warrior who can change target creatures into cowards. This is the only card that actually mentions the subtype coward.

Notable Cowards

• Norin the Wary

Druids

Flagbearers

A flagbearer is a person (soldier or civilian) who bears a standard or oriflamme, i.e. either a type of flag or an inflexible but mobile image, which is used as a formal, visual symbol of a military unit on the battlefield.

In Apocalypse there were two White Flagbearer creatures (Standard Bearer and Coalition Honor Guard) and an aura (Coalition Flag) that granted a creature the Flagbearer subtype as well as the inherent ability. As long as you have one in play, any spell or ability your opponent plays that can target a Flagbearer must target a Flagbearer. If a spell has multiple targets, only one of the targets needs to be a Flagbearer.

Guardians

A Guardian is a creature which guards, protects, or preserves. The first creature to bear the type was Guardian Beast from Antiquities. Other examples include Harbor Guardian and Fountain Watch. The subtype was obsoleted in the Grand Creature Type Update. Ivory Guardians used to give a bonus to all Guardians. It now gives the bonus to just "creatures named Ivory Guardians".

Heroes

Heroes are characters who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, display courage and the will for self sacrifice (heroism) for some greater good. The first creature to bear the type was Benalish Hero in Alpha, and later came Kjeldoran Warrior and Beast Walkers. When Aysen Crusader was printed it powered up these three heroes. However, the Hero-class was obsoleted in the Grand Creature Type Update, and rather than Heroes, it gained a bonus from Soldiers and Warriors instead. Now, the only card remaining with the class Hero is Fraction Jackson from Unhinged.

Famous heroes

• Gerrard Capashen
• Benalish Hero
• Tahngarth, Talruum Hero
• Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero
• Stonebrow, Krosan Hero
• Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei
• Brigid, Hero of Kinsbaile

Knights

Lords

Main article Lords

Lord is a defunct creature type for creatures with an occupation of high class or power within a structure or organization. It was dropped due to inconsistency between card names and the use of this type, gender issues (Lady being the correct female form), and so it would not be confused with the so-called "lord" abilities of creatures who grant effects to other creatures according to their creature types, colors, or other attributes.

Most lords have since had their class changed to something more appropriate. For instance, Lovisa Coldeyes was changed from a Human Lord to a Human Barbarian.

Mercenaries

Minions

Minions are those who work the will of overtly evil forces or organizations. Minions are black-hearted individuals who knowingly bring harm upon others through subterfuge or open malice.

There are also cases of individuals who have been identified as minions in flavor terms, yet lack the creature type, for example Gwafa Hazid, Profiteer, and Rakka Mar.

Minion Organizations

• The Cabal

Notable Minions

• Braids
• Chainer
• Phage
• The Rag Man

Minion tokens

Black Minion Creature tokens are created by Infernal Genesis and Phyrexian Processor.

Monks

Mystics

Ninja

Nomads

Pirates

Pirates are motley fighters and scoundrels who sail the sea and skies to loot and plunder the unexpected. Pirates are famed and feared for their unpredictability. Most pirates are blue. In the Grand Creature Type Update the subtype Merchant (Talas Merchant) was incorporated into the Pirate class.

Pirate Organizations / Locations

• Kukemssa
• Rishada
• The Talas

Notable Pirates

• Ramirez DePietro

Rebels

Riggers

A rigger is creature that specializes in the lifting and moving of extremely large or heavy objects. Steamflogger Boss from Future Sight stated Rigger as a creature type lord, but at that time the only creature with the subtype was Steamflogger Boss itself. In the Grand Creature Type Update he was joined by Moriok Rigger.

Rogues

Samurai

Scouts

Shamans

Soldiers

Spellshapers

Townsfolk

Townsfolk is a defunct creature type for humans with no specific occupation. Most townsfolk have since had their class changed to something more appropriate (for instance, Anarchist was once a townsfolk but is now a wizard), or are now simply humans without a class (such as Treasure Hunter). Two still-extant creature types that appear solely on tokens, Citizen and Serf, are similar in theme to Townsfolk.

Warriors

Wizards