Elephant
Elephant | |
---|---|
Creature Type | |
(Subtype for creature/kindred cards) | |
Beeble Scale | 3[1] |
Statistics |
82 cards
43.9% 1.2% 2.4% 35.4% 2.4% 6.1% 1.2% 3.7% 2.4% 1.2% 11 Elephant creation cards
as of Alchemy: Karlov Manor 9.1% 90.9% |
Scryfall Search | |
type:"Elephant" |
Elephant is a creature type describing large mammals of the pachyderm family. They have been seen on Rabiah, Rath and Dominaria. The anthropomorphic Loxodon have been seen on Mirrodin, Ravnica, Tarkir and Arcavios.
The first creature to be printed with the creature type Elephant wasn’t in Alpha (War Mammoth used to be a Mammoth), but Arabian Nights with War Elephant. The second card printed with the Elephant subtype wasn’t until 1996 (three years in) in Mirage.[2] Aside from Khans of Tarkir, elephants were only within the green/white pairing. The first Loxodons appeared in Mirrodin. In general, anthropomorphic Elephants are white and wild elephants are green.
Regular Elephants
Rabiah
Rabian elephants are trained and guided by humans for combat. They mainly charge the enemy, trampling them and breaking their ranks. A division of war elephants is known as elephantry.
Dominaria
The elephants from Vintara have four long horns on the side of their head, no trunk, and small tusks. They are used by the rhystic mages of north-eastern Jamuraa.
Rath
Armodons are elephants native to Rath. They are distinct from other elephants since they have two sets of tusks, two large horns on top of their head, and three or more horns on the base of their trunk. They are almost extinct.
Mammoths
Mammoths are elephantine animals with coats of thick brown hair and long, deeply curved tusks. They are found in Dominaria, Ulgrotha, and Ikoria. It was once its creature type before being obsoleted and became one once again on a test card.
Mastodons
M10 introduced the Mastodon as a species of Elephant (Siege Mastodon).[3]
Tarkir
On Tarkir, Mastodons became extinct in the past, but foul forces of the Gurmag Swamp sometimes animate their decaying remains. The Sultai happily exploit such creatures but consider them inferior to their own necromantic creations.
Elephants on Tarkir allied with the Abzan Houses are also black (Ivorytusk Fortress)
Terastodons
Zendikar
Zendikar is home to terastodons, which are colossal rhino-like elephants with nose horns, six tusks, plates of armor, and thick round feet.[4]
Loxodons
Loxodons are elephantine humanoids.
Arcavios
On Arcavios, the loxodons used to live in the city of Zantafar before becoming nomads. Occasionally, loxodons go to Strixhaven, the most elite school of mages in the multiverse. Some of them are part of the Lorehold college.
Ravnica
Most of the Ravnican Loxodons seek membership in the Selesnya Conclave, it being the most naturalistic of the guilds.[5] Unlike their non-sentient elephant cousins, all Loxodons are white or white-green creatures rather than only green. They are tireless, patient artisans with a gift for stonework.[6] It primarily falls to them to build the guild's magnificent, cathedral-like arboretum structures. Some fewer loxodon may also be found in the ranks of the Orzhov Syndicate.
Mirrodin
Loxodons were brought to Mirrodin via Memnarch's soul traps. In Mirrodin, they had as much metal on their bodies as any other beings and had a more clerical rather than a natural focus.[7] Inhabiting the Razor Fields, these Loxodons believed in the Modest Truth, a code of absolute morality that was taken at face value and passed on from generation to generation. In arguments, Loxodons proved stubborn and nearly impossible to sway. Some Mirrans even doubted if a Loxodon was able to think in shades of grey. Loxodons wandered around the fields, dispensing justice in the form of physical punishment and offering atonement.[8] These loxodon ascribed religious superiority to those born albino, believing them to be spiritually pure. Long ago, the Auriok attempted peace with the loxodons, and the leonin attempted war; neither succeeded.
As Mirrodin became New Phyrexia, the Machine Orthodoxy's invasion of the Razor Fields isolated the remaining loxodon. The last remaining living loxodons on the plane are the ones who accompany Ghalma the Shaper, who has settled in Bladehold.
Tarkir
Loxodon can also be found on Tarkir. Allied with the Temur Frontier, these are very different from the Loxodon of other planes, resembling mammoths and being disconnected from White mana, instead of being red and blue (Avalanche Tusker) in addition to green. However, Hamza is a typical green/white Loxodon, since he is a Krumar adopted by the Abzan Houses, probably born Temur.
Notable Elephants
Gallery
-
Compleated New Phyrexian loxodon concept.
Tokens
Token Name | Color | Type Line | P/T | Text Box | Source | Printings |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Elephant | Green | Creature — Elephant | 3/3 | |||
Green | Creature — Elephant | */* | This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of creature cards in its controller's graveyard. |
Trivia
- In the Grand Creature Type Update the creature type Mammoth was incorporated in the creature type Elephant.
- From that moment on, Elephant Graveyard regenerated only Elephants because Mammoths no longer existed as such.
- The type reappeared on Domesticated Mammoth, a test card in the Mystery Booster set.[9]
- Though in the real world "Loxodon" as a genus signifies a sliteye shark, the word "Loxodonta" is the genus for African elephants. This was the inspiration for the Magic name for humanoid elephants.[10]
- Unhinged has two Elephant-folk which aren't Loxodons (Bosom Buddy and Frankie Peanuts).
- Mosstodon is a Plant Elephant.
- Metamorphic Wurm is a bizarre creature from Otaria, which can morph between the form of an elephant and that of a wurm. It is unknown which is their original form.
- Gift of Tusks is an instant that turns any creature into an 3/3 green Elephant.
- Unstable 's Shellephant an Elephant "and/or" a Turtle.[11]
References
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 4, 2023). "I'm a big fan of the loxodon (very excited for Quintorius) and I love Elephant Ambush. Where are elephants on the beeble scale?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (March 15, 2024). "Have you got any Boros-elephant data related thing for me?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Monty Ashley (September 01, 2010). "A Mighty Return". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (February 17, 2010). "Sketches: Terastodon". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Unearthed Arcana; Races of Ravnica (PDF)
- ↑ James Wyatt and Jeremy Crawford (November 2018). "D&D Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica", Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Doug Beyer (February 09, 2011). "Public Displays of Aggression". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Doug Beyer (December 08, 2010). "The Nonhuman Cultures of Mirrodin". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Eli Shiffrin (November 11, 2019). "Mystery Booster Release Notes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (June, 2007). "Ask Wizards - June, 2007". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (November 16, 2017). "This card started life in a black-bordered set as Elephurtle.". Blogatog. Tumblr.