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

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.

Archers

Main article: Archer

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

Assassins

Main article: Assassin

Barbarians

Main article: Barbarian

Berserkers

Berserkers are combatants who enter a frenzy in battle, gaining great speed and battle prowess. Common abilities for berserkers are haste, rampage, and bloodthirst. Most berserkers are red or green. Examples include: Vulshok Berserker, Ghor-Clan Savage, Kill-Suit Cultist and Raging Goblin.

Berserker Organizations / Locations

Ærathi

Notable 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

Main article: Cleric

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

Druids, like clerics, are masters of magic powered by faith, often backed up with prowess in combat. Druids are strongly tied to plants, animals, fertility, the element of earth, and the land about them. They often congregate in groups away from civilization. The vast majority of druids wield green mana, but some channel white or black mana as well. Green-aligned races such as elves, centaurs, and nantuko produce many druids. Most druids can be tapped for mana, usually, but not always, green.

Enchantressess or enchanters are a particular kind of druid specializing in shaping enchantments.

Druidic Organizations / Locations

Notable 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

Knights

Main article: Knight

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

Main article: Mercenary

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

Minion tokens

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

Monks

Monks are individuals who have devoted their lives to quiet introspection and meditation, though many monks are skilled at magic, martial arts, or both. Some monks live their lives in solitude, while others come together in monasteries. Some monks are devoted to a specific faith, while others seek enlightenment away from religion. Most monks are white or green.

The monk creature type is a relatively late addition to the game. Originally, creatures with the word "monk" in their names bore the cleric type, but monk became its own creature type with the release of the Kamigawa block, and monks printed before that now have both types. Dervish (Whirling Dervish) was also changed into subtype Monk.

Monastic Organizations

Notable Monks

Mystics

Mystics, like clerics, are adept at channeling mana with their faith, but instead of devoting themselves to a religion they learn magic through careful meditation. Mystics often have a special connection with the spirits of the deceased, granting them powers such as flight. Most mystics are white and have threshold, and most appeared in the Odyssey block.

Mystic Locations / Organizations

Daru Plains

Ninja

Main article: Ninja

Nomads

Main article: Nomad

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

Notable Pirates

Ramirez DePietro

Rebels

Main article: Rebel

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

Rogues are those who live by their wits, using stealth and cunning to make their way in life. Many rogues are notoriously tricky and amoral, as their clever minds and silver tongues give them an advantage over most others; a good rogue can steal the clothes right off an unwitting target's back. Many rogues are skilled with daggers, rapiers, and other light weapons. The prowl ability is associated exclusively with rogues. Most rogues are blue or black, though rogues span all five colors. In the Grand Creature Type Update the subtypes Robber (Grave Robbers), Spy (Stromgald Spy) and Thief (Ingenious Thief) were incorporated into the Rogue class. Several card produce Faerie Rogue tokens or Goblin Rogue tokens.

Notable Rogues

Samurai

Main article: Samurai

Scouts

Scouts are individuals who are adept at getting along in the wild, often sharing the benefits of their prowess with others. Some scouts are part of a formal military organization and may have some skill in combat. Many scouts have abilities relating to lands, including landwalk. Scouts are spread more or less equally across all five colors save black. 1/1 red Goblin Scout Creature tokens are produced by Goblin Scouts.

Scout Organizations

Matsu

Notable Scouts

Shamans

Shamans are similar to wizards in that their magic comes from rituals, lore, and years of practice, but their craft has an emotional and spiritual component reminiscent of druids. Shamans are common among the more primitive red, green, and black-aligned races, including elves, goblins, and treefolk, whom they serve as protectors and spiritual leaders.

Shaman Organizations

Yamabushi

Notable Shamans

Shaman tokens

3/1 Red Elemental Shaman tokens are produced by Heartcage Giant, Hostility and Rebellion of the Flamekin.
Reach of the Branches produces 2/5 green Treefolk Shaman tokens.

Soldiers

Soldiers are trained combatants who are part of a formal army. They are tough and disciplined, adept at fighting in concert and overwhelming the enemy. Many soldiers have first strike, vigilance or other combat-oriented abilities. Most soldiers are white, though a large minority are blue or red, and a few green and black soldiers have been printed as well. In the Grand Creature Type Update the subtypes Avenger (Righteous Avengers), Legionnaire (Akron Legionnaire), Pikeman (Pikemen) and Squire (Squire) were incorporated into the Soldier class. More than 30 cards produce Soldier tokens, which makes the Soldier token the most common one, after saprolings.

Soldier Organizations / Locations

Notable Soldiers

Spellshapers

Main article: Spellshaper

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

Warriors are combatants who fight alone or in loose hordes. Unlike soldiers, whose strength is in their numbers, a single warrior is often content to take on the world all by him- or herself. Warriors favor brute strength over cunning, sheer will over tactics. Many warriors have trample. Most warriors are black, red, or green.

Warrior Organizations

Brighthearth

Notable Warriors

In the Grand Creature Type Update the subtype Stangg-Twin for a token created by Stangg was changed into a (Human) Warrior token "named Stangg Twin". The subtypes Raider (Erg Raiders) and War-Rider (Varchild's War-Riders) were incorporated into the Warrior class as well. About 20 cards are able to produce Warrior tokens.

Wizards

Main article: Wizard