Incarnation
| Incarnation | |
|---|---|
| Creature Type | |
| (Subtype for creature/kindred cards) | |
| Introduced |
Alpha (updated) Judgment (printed) |
| Last used | Lorwyn Eclipsed |
| Scryfall Statistics | |
|
31 cards  19.4%  12.9%  12.9%  12.9%  16.1%  25.8% | |
Incarnation is a creature type species that first appeared in Judgment. Personal Incarnation from Alpha gained the subtype retroactively.
Description
Incarnation means embodied in flesh or taking on flesh. It refers to the conception and birth of a sentient creature which is the material manifestation of a force or concept whose original nature is immaterial.
History
Judgment cycle
Each of these creatures costs 3N and has a static ability that grants all of your creatures an in-color ability as long as it is in your graveyard and you control any land with the associated basic land type.
Genesis and Glory are incarnations with similar abilities in that their abilities only function while they are in the graveyard, but are not part of the cycle.
Lorwyn cycle
Inspired by the original cycle, Lorwyn had a cycle of rare Elemental Incarnations which grant their controllers a powerful effect. In direct contrast to the Judgment cycle, however, the Lorwyn incarnations each have a triggered ability that shuffles them back into their owner's library should they enter the graveyard. Each has a mana cost of 3NNN.
Modern Horizons 2 cycle
Inspired by previous cycles, Modern Horizons 2 had a cycle of mythic Incarnations, but they have evoke. Like the Lorwyn cycle, they are also Elementals.
Lorwyn Eclipsed
Lorwyn Eclipsed featured a callback to the Lorwyn cycle, but now with different effects depending on the color that is spent for the cost.
- Emptiness (
) - Wistfulness (
) - Deceit (
) - Catharsis (
) - Vibrance (
)
Lorwyn Eclipsed Commander
Lorwyn Eclipsed Commander features a monocolored cycle in the Dance of the Elements preconstructed deck, each with an enters trigger and encore.
- Belonging ()
- Subterfuge ()
- Lamentation ()
- Impulsivity ()
- Jubilation ()
Other
Alchemy
Alchemy: Bloomburrow featured Indris, the Hydrostatic Surge which features an other flavored interpretation of an incarnation.
Universes Beyond
Doctor Who introduces the first multicolored Incarnation for Idris, the physical embodiment of the TARDIS matrix in a human body.
Notable Incarnations
Trivia
- The Incarnations in Judgment were called "Jedi" during design referencing the quote spoken by the character Obi-Wan Kenobi in the film Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, "If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."[1][2]
References
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (May 13, 2002). "Through the Riftstone". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (July 4, 2002). "Sketches: Genesis". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-09-28.
