Prototype creature

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Revision as of 16:16, 15 May 2014 by >Circeus (disambig)
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Prototype creatures are creatures that are used to refer to an entire class of creatures with the same power and toughness and mana cost or converted mana cost (and in some cases, abilities). What makes these creature prototypical is their recurrence at common or uncommon rarity in almost all modern sets.

In most cases, these are usually found with (often strong) upsides in the colors they are most common in.

Common models

Name Prototype card Characteristics Colors List
Bear Grizzly Bears 2/2 for 1C With abilities ("Value Bear"): White, Green

With downside or vanilla: Black[1]
Only at CC cost or with downside: Red, Blue

List
Air Elemental Air Elemental 4/4 or bigger flyers for cmc 5,
always uncommon or rarer
All colors except green
Hill Giant Hill Giant 3/3 for 3C or 2CC Mostly red and green List
Gray Ogre Gray Ogre 2/2 for 2C All colors, but slightly more common in black and red[2]
Wind Drake Wind Drake 2/2 for 2C with flying Mostly white and blue
Turtle Horned Turtle 1/4 for 2C Mostly white and blue
Ox Pillarfield Ox 2/4 for 3C Mostly white and green
Piker Goblin Piker 2/1 for 1C All colors, but most numerous in red

Notes

  1. Black now gets value bears at uncommon or higher only.
  2. In those colors, it takes up the spot reserved to the value bear in White and Green.