Pest
| Pest | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Creature Type | |
| (Subtype for creature/kindred cards) | |
| Statistics |
3 cards
 66.7%  33.3% 13 Pest creation cards
as of March of the Machine 46.2% 23.1%  23.1% 7.7% |
| Scryfall Search | |
| type:"Pest" | |
Pest is a creature type used for cards that depict small, annoying, destructive creatures. It is mostly used on tokens.
History
Mirrodin/New Phyrexia
Pests were introduced as artifact creatures from Mirrodin on the token generator Nuisance Engine. Even amongst the archaic workings of Mirrodin's machines, the Engine's only discernable purpose was frustration. The return to Mirrodin also meant the return of the subtype, with the card Signal Pest from Mirrodin Besieged.
Arcavios
Pests were reintroduced as non-artifact creatures in Strixhaven: School of Mages. At Strixhaven, the Witherbloom students use Pests as mascots.
Witherbloom mages need life essence to channel their magic, and the creatures that most frequently do the job are simply called pests. Pests are salamander-like, generally irritating creatures that dissolve readily into magical power for Witherbloom spells. This is reflected by their death trigger that gains a life. They are wart-ridden, cold and slimy, and flagrantly violate decorum around manners and personal hygiene.[1] Most mages outside of Witherbloom think of pests as awful creatures: they are disagreeable, hissing, spiky, untrainable monsters that bite without hesitation. But Witherbloom mages often carry pests around, doting on them as pets, pets that also serve as convenient sources of life essence.[2]
As pests are repositories for magical energy, it is conjectured that their essences are as primordial as elementals and that they may be related to every living thing on Arcavios.[1] One of the simplest spells taught to all Witherbloom students drew forth the magical essence of a pest, converting it, body and soul, into pure magic. It is unclear whether these creatures are reptilian, insectoid, or other, as they are rarely grown past their larval stage. As such, their intelligence and mature forms are generally unknown and unseen, save for one precocious specimen of Blex.
During New Phyrexia's Invasion of the Multiverse, some Pests escaped captivity during the attack, letting them grow more than anticipated[3].
Notable Pests
- Arcavios
Trivia
- Pest has never been used as a subtype or token in connection with cards like Pestilence or Pestilent Kathari; while pest is derived from said word, it retains the common usage as a part of an infestation of small creatures, while "pestilence" or "pestilent" is used for plague-carriers.
- Pests, like Fractals, were excluded from the Mascot Exhibition partially due to power, but largely due to the amount of text needed to fit its lifegain ability.
Tokens
| Token Name | Color | Type Line | P/T | Text Box | Source | Printings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pest | Colorless | Artifact Creature — Pest | 0/1 | |||
| Black/Green | Creature — Pest | 1/1 | When this creature dies, you gain 1 life. |
References
- ↑ a b Reinhardt Suarez (April 9, 2021). "The Chains That Bind". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Doug Beyer and Ari Zirulnik (April 01, 2021). "Planeswalker's Guide to Strixhaven". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Overgrown Pest
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