Elder

Elder
Creature Type
(Subtype for creature/kindred cards)
Statistics	29 cards 3.4% 3.4% 6.9% 3.4% 3.4% 3.4% 3.4% 6.9% 3.4% 3.4% 3.4% 3.4% 3.4% 3.4% 6.9% 37.9% as of Strixhaven: School of Mages
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type:"Elder"

Elder is a creature type, first used for the Elder Dragons and later used on huge primordial entities and venerable creatures to denote their importance. Since it never stands without a race it is effectively a 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, 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.

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.

The Elder Dragons of Dominaria

The vast power of the ancient Elder Dragons of Dominaria 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, 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 ()
• Vaevictis Asmadi ()
• Palladia-Mors ()
• Ugin ()
• Piru
• Merrevia Sal
• Rubra
• Ravus
• Lividus

The Elder Dragons of Tarkir

The creature type returned after 21 years in Dragons of Tarkir to emphasize the importance of these dragonlords. 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.

• Dromoka ()
• Ojutai ()
• Silumgar ()
• Kolaghan ()
• Atarka ()

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.

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 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. They were ancient and wild, utterly untamable, the greatest of the dinosaurs.

• Zetalpa ()
• Nezahal ()
• Tetzimoc ()
• Etali ()
• Ghalta ()
• Zacama ()

The Elder Demon of Dominaria

The mightiest of the four demons that had struck a bargain with Liliana Vess.

• Belzenlok ()

The Titans of Theros

The Titans of Theros are Elder Giants.

• Kroxa ()
• Uro ()
• Phlage, Titan of Burning Wind, an all-consuming whirlwind of fire.
• Skotha, Titan of Eternal Dark, the utter darkness of the starless night.

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.
• Although many cards have "elder" in their name (for example Argothian Elder, Elder Land Wurm, Leaf-Crowned Elder 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. However, Mark Rosewater has indicated that “it’s possible he should be an Elder.”

See also

• Dragons
• Elder Land Wurms