Elemental

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Elemental
Creature Type
(Subtype for creature/kindred cards)
Beeble Scale 1[1]
Statistics
557 cards
{W} 4.5% {U} 16.9% {B} 5.4% {R} 33.9% {G} 22.4% {W/U} 0.7% {U/B} 0.5% {B/R} 2.9% {R/G} 2.7% {G/W} 2% {W/B} 0.4% {U/R} 1.1% {B/G} 1.3% {R/W} 1.3% {G/U} 0.5% {M} 3.4% {artifact symbol} 0.2%
71 Elemental creation cards
{C} 2.8% {W} 1.4% {U} 9.9% {R} 45.1% {G} 16.9% {B/R} 2.8% {R/G} 1.4% {G/W} 1.4% {U/R} 11.3% {R/W} 1.4% {M} 1.4% {artifact symbol} 2.8% {land symbol} 1.4%
as of Murders at Karlov Manor
Scryfall Search
type:"Elemental"
For the Test card Card type, see Elemental (card type).
For the acorn creature type, see Elemental?.

Elemental is a creature type describing a sentient being composed of elemental energy.[2] The most common varieties are those of the classical elements, expressing themselves as air, fire, earth, and water elementals. These appeared as a cycle in Alpha.[3] Many more exotic manifestations have also been created, such as elementals of lightning, thorns, fungus, rust and even time.[4]

Elemental is the non-human race with the widest distribution among all five colors.

Storyline

Alara

Before the Conflux, they inhabited exclusively in Jund and were characterized as violent beings that spawned from areas of it. But, afterward, they have begun to appear in other shards such as Grixis and Naya; Fusion elemental represents a byproduct of the Conflux.

Amonkhet

Most Elementals on Amonkhet are wild and the result of Nicol Bolas' corruption of the plane. During the Hour of Devastation, elementals arose from burning rock, the blood-tainted waters of the Luxa River, and the sands of the desert itself to turn on Naktamun and reduce it to rubble. As a result, most of them are strongly red-aligned.

Arcavios

To the Prismari mages of Strixhaven on Arcavios, elemental creatures are a form of living art. They sculpt artistic shells from a fusion of raw elements, then conjure living elemental energy to inhabit the shells. The result is a powerful creature capable of expressing sublime emotions and wreaking wanton destruction. The inner core of a Prismari elemental might be a churning force of fire, wind, ice, water, lava, or solid rock.[5]

Bloomburrow

Main article: Bloomburrow (plane)

On Bloomburrow, Calamity Beasts are huge, earth-shaking elemental predators that bring the change of climate and environment, led by Maha, the Night Owl. They wreak disaster on an unprecedented scale while they move through the landscape.

After the Battle of Kell's Ridge and the time of the Order of the Holly Leaf, the Valley was largely left untouched by them other than those that brought the changing of the seasons until the events of the Bloomburrow storyline.

Capenna

Despite the apparent destruction of all-natural elements on the plane of Capenna after its invasion by the Phyrexians, the city of New Capenna is still home to elementals who manifest through various manufactured objects in the city, including buildings (Titan of Industry) or coins (Life of the Party).

Dominaria

Dominarian Elementals are mostly green, forming from plants and earth through great outpours of magic, like the Mirari that gave birth to Silvos. Otherwise, other elemental masses can be similarly affected, forming from elements. Others are more abstract, like the Time Elemental, Storm Elemental, and Dawn Elemental, which are elemental energies given flesh. Following Dominaria's healing process after the Phyrexian Invasion and the Time Rifts, new elementals formed from the land's reinfusion with mana.

Aboroths

Aboroths are gigantic fungal creatures that take root near villages in Llanowar every few years. After ripening and arising from the ground they rampage throughout the nearby area until withering away after a short while. They take on the composition of whatever stratum in which they grow and will retreat downward into bedrock if disturbed prematurely, making this an inviable option for dealing with them. They are customarily lured away from elvish villages on horseback and engaged with war machines constructed of logs lashed together with vines that can take the shape of golems without legs or heads.

Two were encountered by the Weatherlight crew while in Llanowar to recruit Mirri. The first one was defeated traditionally, and the second one was defeated by immobilizing it with the Thran Forge (Weatherlight) and the Touchstone (Weatherlight)until it shrank to nothing.[6]

Mechanically they are represented by a cumulative upkeep cost of putting more and more -1/-1 counters on them, causing them to die once four turns have elapsed.

Niroso

The Niroso were rock/lava elementals that instigated a war between minotaurs and elves in the Dark Age.[7]

Ikoria

Elementals are one of the dominant clades of Ikoria, being associated primarily with Ketria and blue mana.[8] Many bear the mutagenic crystals common in the plane. It is unclear if they are natural animals infused with elemental energy or elemental beings in the form of animals.[9] They are typically aloof and less aggressive than the plane's other clades, however they are known to cause sudden and unpredictable disasters.

Innistrad

The elementals of Innistrad are closely aligned with green or red mana. While not as openly hostile against humanity as other monsters of the plane, the elementals are nonetheless dangerous, defending their territories viciously against fleshy intruders. Most are found in the vast forests of the plane, like the Somberwald and the Ulvenwald. Others arise from the fiery chasms that seem to be connected to demons.[10]

In the wake of Emrakuls arrival, the elementals, like the Gnarlwood Dryad, became more aggressive.

Ixalan

The elementals of Ixalan are magically harnessed via the use of jade totems, constructed by the River Heralds, that hold them in stasis until intruders threaten their territory. When a totem opens, the elemental's physical form comes together, and the intruders are quickly dispatched.

River Heralds also make use of elementals formed of air, water, or vegetation (e.g. Air Elemental, Soul of the Rapids, and Wildgrowth Walker). In ancient times when the folk of the River Heralds and the Sun Empire worked together, they harnessed fire elementals into guardians that still keep watch over notable forgotten ruins.[11]

Karsus

The elementals of Karsus are made from crystal and can merge to form colossi that are redoubtable defenders.

Lorwyn–Shadowmoor

Elementals

On Lorwyn, abstract entities such as hopes, fears, dreams, and nightmares are just as real as the grass and the trees.[12] These Elementals only exist insofar as do the elements of which they're composed. They vary in prevalence just like the abstract idea underlying them. If elves wage war on giantkind, then many-clawed elementals of warfare and strife can be seen with greater frequency. If merrows launch an expedition to the murky Deep Meanders of their river system, then soggy elementals of the sunken unknown appear. On the other hand, if bloodshed keeps to a minimum across the plane, elementals of violent death may themselves die out — at least, until their time comes again.[13] Being an elemental on Lorwyn means being a hybrid of surreal and animal elements that represents the living magic of an idea, thought, or dream.[14]

Flamekin

Flamekin

Flamekin (no connection to the flame-kin of Ravnica) are elementals similar in size and shape to humans. Living in the mountains of Lorwyn, they are a passionate race of warriors and shamans who focus their inner flames into weapon form for battle. Flamekin are sworn enemies of the elves, who use their treefolk servants to suppress the flamekin and confine them to their mountain homes.

Flamekin resemble humans made of smooth, living black stone with four-fingered hands and horned faces with graceful features; their inner fires blaze through their crowns, joints, and shoulders. The fire comprising a flamekin’s body normally burns merely warm to the touch, allowing them to wear textiles and safely interact with non-flamekin.[12] However, a flamekin can burn very hot when infused with mana or strong emotion. A group of flamekin called the Brighthearth serve as emissaries of flamekin goodwill to other races, performing useful tasks that require fire, such as smithing.[15]

Flamekin are semi-nomadic, born out of a desire to explore new lands and experience life to the fullest. Each Flamekin embarks on a quest for self-actualization known as the Path of Flame, a process of physical and spiritual self-discovery that revolves around the fires that constantly burn upon their bodies.[12] Advanced walkers of the Path of Flame, called soulstokes, balance on a thin edge between emotional enlightenment and sudden combustion. These spiritual leaders blaze with white-hot flame and espouse the belief that it is better to flare out than to gutter. The Path is very dangerous, and very few flamekin see it to the end, especially since that end involves a fiery death.[16]

At some point during the set's early design stage, flamekin were referred to as "salamands,"[17] After the belief among medieval alchemists that salamanders were beings of elemental fire.[18][15]

Cinders

Cinders are the same beings as the Flamekin of Lorwyn. As their name suggests many of the cinders have lost their ability to hold a constant flame making them walking skeletal, smoky remains.[19] According to their legend, the cinders' flames were taken long ago by a traitor known as the Extinguisher, and due to this, they have become very bitter. Most cinders want the entire world to suffer as much as they do and thus they attempt to sow chaos and destruction until nothing good remains. Due to the loss of their fire, they are extremely jealous of species that still use it, and if a fire is spotted by a cinder it will attack ferociously in an attempt to claim the fire for its own.

Greater Elementals

"Greater elementals" are the living embodiments of the abstract mental ideas and concepts dreamed by the people, such as vigor, hostility, and guile.[20][12] Vastly different in form from other worlds' elementals, the greater elementals take the form of bizarre combinations of natural animals, many of colossal size.[21] They may be born in the Primal Beyond.

Under normal circumstances, elementals are forces of nature; nothing tames them. But of course, planeswalkers are a different story; with enough mana and effort, they can not only call on the essences of greater elementals but also summon the elementals themselves, along with the power they bring.[13]

None of the races of Lorwyn fully understand the nature of the elementals, but each race has its lore about them.[12] Flamekin have an almost spiritual connection to the more mysterious greater elementals. Flamekin regard them as totems or demigods that inspire their creative impulses — or frustrate their understanding.[13][12]

Maro-Sorcerers

Main article: Maro-Sorcerer

A "Maro-Sorcerer", also known as a Force of Nature, is the manifestation of the land, either brought about by strong magic or of nature's own will. They are found across many worlds, though most known Maro-Sorcerers dwelt on Dominaria.

Mirrodin

Elementals on Mirrodin represented the metallic aspects of the plane, forming from plasma and quicksilver. Others represent the more energetic forces, like storms and sparks.

More abstract elementals include the Desecration Elementals and the War Elementals

Ravnica

Elementals are found throughout the city-plane of Ravnica. Most Ravnican elementals are bestial in intelligence, form, and ecological niche, though some distinct races of sentient, humanoid elementals exist on the plane as well.

Cytospawn

"Cytospawn" are huge humanoid elementals created by the Simic Combine, comprised of living cytoplast. They may be derived from root-kin stock.

Flame-Kin

Not a naturally-occurring race on Ravnica, flame-kin (no relation to the flamekin of Lorwyn) are created via magic, made to wear armor and serve as soldiers in the Boros Legion.[22] Passionate zealots loyal to the Boros cause, these fire elementals have been blessed by the Boros Angels. Flame-kin eventually dissipate, like wildfires without any oxygen or fuel, as their power and existence burn out when a battle or war is finished. Flame-kin are strengthened by magic; though formidable on their own, the application of enchantments grants them devastating power.

Flame-kin resemble humans made of solid, blazing flame. They wear only black armor made by guild smiths.

Forgelings

Forgelings are large, demonic-looking, vaguely humanoid elementals made of living rock and magma. They are used to power the city's furnaces.

Guardians of Vitu-Ghazi

Created to guard the Selesnya city-tree, guardians of Vitu-Ghazi are giant-sized elementals of wood and rock made from living trees and green Selesnya crystal.

Root-Kin

A race of powerful warriors, "root-kin", are associated with the Selesnya Conclave and Simic Combine. They are hulking humanoid creatures made of thick, twisting green plant roots. Simic root-kin are often covered in strength-enhancing cytoplasts.

Weirds

Weirds (though not mechanically elementals) are a combination of opposing elements; for example, a combination of fire and water elementals. Weirds were created by Niv-Mizzet during the Katazar-Razblat Elemental Symposium. The dragon, bored with the squabbling of the various elementalists, combined opposing elements to create the paradoxical creatures. The weirds have come to be the ubiquitous lab assistants to the Izzet League, as well as becoming magically bound into a great many forms of machinery and infrastructure to ensure proper workings and efficiency.

Weirds tend to be constructed with vaguely humanoid forms, their "skin" being self-sealed "plasmodermic bubbles" containing the diametrically-opposing energies that give them life. Different types of weirds include petrahydroxes (created from living stone as well as fire and water), gelectrodes (created to conduct electricity), and steamcore weirds (the basic type, used to power Izzet machinery).

Wood-Kin

Associated with the Gruul Clans, wood-kin are plantlike elementals that share the ferocious nature of their guildmates. They resemble gnarled tree trunks with humanoid heads and limbs. Older wood-kin petrify as they age.

Woodwraiths

Woodwraiths are hideous creatures of wood and slime that reproduce by corrupting the land, spreading their genes via black sap into natural fibers. They are used by the Golgari Swarm. The Simic studied woodwraiths as part of their research to create their cytoplasts.

Tarkir

In the old timeline of Tarkir, the Temur shamans were the clan most well-versed with the various elementals of the plane, mostly focusing on those made of wood, frost, and heat. The Jeskai Way occasionally dealt with elementals of wind.

In the new timeline, elementals are birthed along with dragons from the energies of the dragon tempests. The thawing of the glaciers has driven many elementals from the former Temur lands.

Scaldkin

Scaldkin are elementals of heat and boiling water that arise spontaneously in the Qal Sisma Mountains. The Temur believe that scaldkin are born when eruptions melt the frozen whispers of sleeping ancestors.

Windfolk

Windfolk are elemental beings of snow and air who are found only at the highest elevations. Very few people have seen them, and only the Temur shamans can communicate with them. They are impervious to cold and wind, so they wear very little clothing—often only a simple wrap about the waist. Instead of hair or beards, they have mobile tentacles something like the barbels of catfish. They are psychically sensitive, detecting thoughts with their tentacles, and the shamans say that they can hear the humans' ancestors as well as the dreams of the dragons that still lie frozen in the ice.

Theros

The Theran Elementals are most often associated with the sea and waters, serving as extensions of the will of Thassa. Others, like the Humbler of Mortals, arise when the gods are angered and their rage echoes through Nyx and eventually reaches the mortal world, where it enchants the land to turn against the offenders.

Zendikar

The elementals of Zendikar are numerous, awakening through the activity of the Roil. They are highly varied, coming in the forms of infused animals that live normal cycles of birth and death, animated plants, or even animated pieces of the land, like walking islands, expanses of water, or high plateaus. They essentially are fragments of Zendikar's heart and soul.[23]

Several elementals rose as pieces of the plane itself, acting as antibodies to the Eldrazi.[24] The longer the Eldrazi rampaged across the plane, the more active and violent these elementals became, and the destruction of the Eldrazi has not entirely settled them.[25]

Lords

Kindred type

Lorwyn block featured four kindred Elemental cards, which could be fetched by Flamekin Harbinger and are made cheaper by Brighthearth Banneret.

Land Elementals

Lands can often become Elementals. Either be being manlands, mechanics like awaken or specific cards.

Animists

Manlands

Other spells

Manstones

Creature update

In the Grand Creature Type Update, creature types changed into Elemental include:

Notable Elementals

Alara
Arcavios
Dominaria
Ikoria
Lorwyn–Shadowmoor
Moag
Ravnica
Theros
Zendikar
Unknown plane

Gallery

Trivia

Tokens

Token Name Color Type Line P/T Text Box Source Printings
Elemental White Creature — Elemental 4/4 Flying
Blue Creature — Elemental 1/0
Blue Creature — Elemental 2/2 Flying
Red Creature — Elemental 0/1 At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice this creature and return target card named Rekindling Phoenix from your graveyard to the battlefield. It gains haste until end of turn.
Red Creature — Elemental 1/1
Red Creature — Elemental 1/1 Haste
Red Creature — Elemental 1/1 When this creature becomes tapped, it deals 1 damage to target player
Red Creature — Elemental 2/1 Trample, haste
Red Creature — Elemental 3/1
Red Creature — Elemental 3/1 Haste
Red Enchantment Creature — Elemental 3/1 Haste
Red Creature — Elemental 3/1 Trample, haste
Red Creature — Elemental 3/3
Red Creature — Elemental 7/1 Trample, haste
Red Creature — Elemental X/1 Trample, haste
Red Creature — Elemental X/X
Red Creature — Elemental */* Trample
This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of instants and sorceries in your graveyard plus the number of cards with flashback you own in exile
Green Creature — Elemental 2/2
Green Creature — Elemental 3/3
Green Creature — Elemental 4/4
Green Creature — Elemental 5/3
Green Creature — Elemental 7/7 Trample
Green Creature — Elemental X/X
Elemental White/​Blue Creature — Elemental 4/4
Black/​Red Creature — Elemental 5/5
Red/​Green Creature — Elemental 5/5
Green/​White Creature — Elemental 8/8 Vigilance
Green/​White Creature — Elemental */* This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of creatures you control.
Blue/​Red Creature — Elemental 1/1
Blue/​Red Creature — Elemental 4/4
Blue/​Red Creature — Elemental 5/5 Flying
Elemental Bird Blue Creature — Elemental Bird 4/4 Flying
Elemental Cat Red Creature — Elemental Cat 1/1 Haste
Elemental Shaman Red Creature — Elemental Shaman 3/1
Red Creature — Elemental Shaman 3/1 Haste
Ashaya, the Awoken World Green Legendary Creature — Elemental 4/4
Lightning Rager Red Creature — Elemental 5/1 Trample, haste
At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice this creature.
Dragon Elemental Red Creature — Dragon Elemental 4/4 Flying
Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
Genasi Enforcers Red Creature — Elemental Shaman 1/3 {1}{R}: Creatures you control named Genasi Enforcers get +1/+0 until end of turn.
Life of the Party Red Creature — Elemental 0/1 First strike, trample, haste
Whenever Life of the Party attacks, it gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is the number of creatures you control.
Spawnwrithe Green Creature — Elemental 2/2 Trample
Whenever Spawnwrithe deals combat damage to a player, put a token that's a copy of Spawnwrithe onto the battlefield.
Spark Elemental Red Creature — Elemental 3/1 Trample, haste
At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice Spark Elemental.

References

  1. ↑ Mark Rosewater (December 7, 2018). "Elementals on the Beeble Scale?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  2. ↑ Wizards of the Coast (August 2007). "Ask Wizards - August 2007". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  3. ↑ Doug Beyer (December 12, 2007). "Goodies from the Mailbag". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  4. ↑ Chas Andres (September 29, 2015). "Elementals: A Field Guide". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  5. ↑ Doug Beyer and Ari Zirulnik (April 01, 2021). "Planeswalker's Guide to Strixhaven". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  6. ↑ Hannovi Braddock (1998). "Rath and Storm". Wizards of the Coast. ISBN-13 978-0786911752.
  7. ↑ Robert E. Vardeman (1996), Dark Legacy. HarperPrism
  8. ↑ Chris Mooney (April 2, 2020). "Planeswalker's Guide to Ikoria". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  9. ↑ Jay Annelli (2022). Magic: The Gathering - The Visual Guide, DK. ISBN-13 978-0744061055.
  10. ↑ Plane Shift: Innistrad
  11. ↑ James Wyatt (January 9, 2018). "Plane Shift: Ixalan". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  12. ↑ a b c d e f (2007). Lorwyn Player's Guide. Wizards of the Coast.
  13. ↑ a b c Doug Beyer (September 27, 2007). "Elementalism". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  14. ↑ Wizards of the Coast (January 29, 2008). "Elemental Art Swap". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  15. ↑ a b Doug Beyer (September 27, 2007). "Elementalism". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  16. ↑ Rei Nakazawa (September 10, 2007). "Lorwyn Lore". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  17. ↑ Terese Nielsen. (February 27, 2008) Magic Lorwyn Art by Terese Nielsen... who???
  18. ↑ Wikipedia entry on Salamander (legendary creature)
  19. ↑ Doug Beyer (June 11, 2008). "Allies in Conflict". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  20. ↑ Magic Arcana (November 28, 2007). "Lorwyn Elemental Swaps". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  21. ↑ Blake Rasmussen (May 21, 2015). "It's Elemental". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  22. ↑ Doug Beyer (July 28, 2013). "Ravnican flamekin are created via magic". A Voice for Vorthos. Tumblr.
  23. ↑ A. T. Greenblatt (September 30, 2020). "Eoisode 5: The Two Guardians". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  24. ↑ Plane Shift: Zendikar
  25. ↑ Ari Zirulnik (September 15, 2020). "The Legends of Zendikar Rising". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  26. ↑ Mark Rosewater (April 20, 2020). "Ikoria of the Beholder, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  27. ↑ Magic Arcana (May 25, 2006). "Dissension Token Art". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
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