Naga
| Naga | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Creature Type | |
| (Subtype for creature/kindred cards) | |
| Beeble Scale | 10[1] |
| Statistics |
40 cards
as of Murders at Karlov Manor 2.5%  2.5%  42.5%  5%  32.5%  2.5%  5%  7.5% |
| Scryfall Search | |
| type:"Naga" | |
Naga is an obsolete creature type that originally was introduced in Khans of Tarkir. Before that, Nagas also had been mentioned in Ravnica's storyline.[2] The type was made obsolete with the release of Modern Horizons 3, with all cards that previous had the Naga type being given errata to be the Snake type to be more consistent with how other humanoid animals are typed.
Description
Nagas are snake-like creatures with a humanoid upper body and a serpentine lower body (similar to gorgons).
History
The creative team felt justified in distinguishing naga from snakes because it was a very resonant and popular mythological creature in non-western culture, but the decision was met with mixed response. People questioned the need of a separate creature type, drawing comparisons with Aven, Ainok, Khenra and Leonin.[3][4][5][6] As a separate creature type, Nagas had minimal typal support compared to the pre-existing Snake creature type.
Naga was re-used in Amonkhet block, in part to give more diversity to the game's creature types and make them less Euro-centric.[7]
In 2023, R&D reviewed its stance towards Naga as part of the digital release of Khans of Tarkir on Magic: The Gathering Arena.[8] The decision was made to obsolete the type and errata all instances of Naga to Snake.[1] This change was not made with the release of Khans of Tarkir (as the Oracle updates are tied to physical set releases), but instead was implemented with the release of Modern Horizons 3.
Storyline
Amonkhet
The Naga of Amonkhet have many features of cobras, with the males sprouting larger hoods than the females. As with most races, they are among the citizens of Naktamun on Amonkhet.[9] Naga believe in a principle called the Sweetest Harmony, which describes a perfect balance between the body and the mind. Finding that balance, as they understand it, is a sure path to glory in the trials.[10] Just so, mental strength supports physical capabilities, and physical fortitude feeds mental tenacity, so neither mind nor body can exist in isolation. In the same way, the naga believe that Kefnet and Rhonas exist in interdependence and that their trials are best conceived as two halves of a whole. Traditionally, they shed their skin before entering a trial, symbolically leaving their weaknesses behind them.[11]
Ravnica
On Ravnica, Naga appear as members of the Golgari Swarm.[2]
Tarkir
Original timeline
The Sultai Brood of Tarkir is ruled by the naga, who have made allegiances with Rakshasa to gain incredible necromancy powers. The naga are ruthless and decadent and are led by the merciless Sidisi, queen of the naga. They are descended from ancient human leaders that made pacts with the Rakshasa,[12] and for this reason bear a lot of resentment and cruelty towards humans, whom they view as inferior.[13] They claim lineage to Tarkir's dragons as their ancestors as propaganda.
Naga magic deals with the modification of the form, whether through shapeshifting or necromancy.
Alternate timeline
In the new timeline, the naga are forced into becoming slaves, undead or otherwise, by Silumgar as the result of a pact Tasigur made with the dragon. Under their breath, they spread the rumors that they related to the dragons in some way. The naga translators of the Silumgar clan are often the first and fastest to gain favor. They are also the first to abuse what they have earned.[14] They have been known to take liberties with their translations, thinking themselves clever.
Notable Naga
Prior to becoming an obsolete creature type, the following notable creatures were Naga.
Trivia
- Nāga is the Sanskrit and Pāli word for "snake", which also refers to a deity or class of entity or being, taking the form of a very great snake — specifically the king cobra, found in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. A female Nāga is a nāgī or nāgiṇī.[15]
Tokens
Prior to becoming an obsolete creature type, the following cards created Naga tokens: Tah-Crop Skirmisher, Mist-Syndicate Naga, Champion of Wits and Sinuous Striker.
| Token Name | Color | Type Line | P/T | Text Box | Source | Printings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tah-Crop Skirmisher | White | Creature — Zombie Naga Warrior | 2/1 | |||
| Mist-Syndicate Naga | Blue | Creature — Naga Ninja | 3/1 | Ninjutsu  Whenever Mist-Syndicate Naga deals combat damage to a player, create a token that’s a copy of Mist-Syndicate Naga. |
||
| Champion of Wits | Black | Creature — Zombie Naga Wizard | 4/4 | When Champion of Wits enters the battlefield, you may draw cards equal to its power. If you do, discard two cards. | ||
| Sinuous Striker | Black | Creature — Zombie Naga Warrior | 4/4 | : Sinuous Striker gets +1/-1 until end of turn.
|
References
- ↑ a b Mark Rosewater (November 03, 2023). "Mark, it looks like "Naga" will no longer be a supported subtype?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ a b Cory J. Herndon (2005), Ravnica: City of Guilds, Wizards of the Coast. Chapter 9
- ↑ Doug Beyer (September 25, 2014). "Can you please explain the decision process that lead to the Naga having the creature type "Naga" rather than "Snake"?". A Voice for Vorthos. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (May 29, 2017). "Odds & Ends: Amonkhet, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (October 01, 2017). "Why was the type naga introduced? Considering there aren't a Aven, Ainok, Khenra, etc types.". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (April 22, 2018). "I doubt there is much coolness lost if a Naga was called a Snake". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (April 07, 2017). "Why Naga over snakes?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (November 3, 2023). "Card Updates Coming with Khans of Tarkir on MTG Arena". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Plane Shift: Amonkhet
- ↑ Michael Yichao (May 3, 2017). "Brazen". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Flavor text for Shed Weakness
- ↑ Story / Planes: TARKIR (Khans of Tarkir). Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved on August 1, 2015.
- ↑ Magic Creative Team (September 3, 2014). "Planeswalker's Guide to Khans of Tarkir, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023.
- ↑ The Magic Creative Team (March 11, 2015). "Planeswalker's Guide to Dragons of Tarkir, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023.
- ↑ Naga on Wikipedia
[[Category:Races