Prototype creature/Bears
A bear is slang for a 2/2 creature for a mana cost of 
M.[1] It is one of several prototype creatures stats.
Description
Bears are most commonly associated with white or green.[2] The name derives from the original Grizzly Bears card printed in Alpha. Starting with Innistrad 's Walking Corpse, black has begun receiving bears, including value bears (though these are still only occasional at common).
The common variety is called an vanilla bear. A value bear is a bear with an additional ability. For many years there were no value bears without 2 colored mana in their cost until Nomadic Elf and Kavu Titan were printed in Invasion. Still, value bears didn't become a relatively common sight until Kamigawa block. A hate bear is a bear with some kind of text that is good against a specific kind of deck.[3]
There are approximately 330 vanilla or value bears, and about as many bears with a cost of 2 colored mana. Since there were more MM and MN than regular value bears in the early years of the game, it will take some time before M will eventually overtake those with a cost of two colored mana.
List of bears
For simplicity's sake, this list is limited to the most prototypically M-costed bears. They are listed in alphabetical order.
Vanilla bears
- Balduvian Bears (
) - Barbary Apes ()
- Bear Cub ()
- Cabal Evangel (
) - Cylian Elf ()[4]
- Defiant Khenra (
) - Falkenrath Reaver () [5]
- Feral Maaka ()
- Forest Bear ()
- Fresh Volunteers (
) - Glory Seeker ()
- Goblin Assailant ()
- Grizzly Bears ()
- Gutter Skulk ()
- Knight Errant ()
- Queen's Bay Soldier ()
- Runeclaw Bear ()
- Silvercoat Lion ()
- Swab Goblin ()
- Traveling Philosopher ()
- Treetop Warden ()
- Walking Corpse ()
Value bears
Colorless bears
- Culling Drone through Devoid
- Eager Construct
- Lesser Masticore
- Lore Seeker
- Runed Servitor
- Slaughter Drone through Devoid
- Stalking Drone through Devoid
- Watchers of the Dead
Hate bears
Note: some well known hate bears that deviate from the 1M rule are Gaddock Teeg, Meddling Mage, Tidehollow Sculler, Qasali Pridemage, and Kor Firewalker.
Bears with downsides
Straight downsides
- Barbarian Outcast
- Craven Knight
- Exiled Boggart
- Felhide Brawler
- Filthy Cur
- Fleshmad Steed[7]
- Goblin Brigand
- Goblin Elite Infantry
- Goblin Firebug
- Goblin Furrier
- Goblin Raider
- Hulking Goblin
- Ironclaw Orcs
- Mad Dog
- Mogg Jailer
- Mogg Toady
- Phantom Whelp
- Reckless Cohort
- Sell-Sword Brute
- Spineless Thug
- Whipstitched Zombie
- Wormfang Newt
- Yellow Scarves Troops
- Young Wei Recruits
Downsides and upsides
Notes and references
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (November 7, 2016). "A Few More Words from R&D". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (May 26, 2003). "White's "Bears"". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Sam Stoddard (October 31, 2014). "Hate Bears in Commander". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Ken Nagle (October 17, 2008). "Bear With Me". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ This was the first basic red bear with no downside.
- ↑ This is the first black Value Bear ever printed at common.
- ↑ This was the first pure downside bear printed in seven years.