Phelddagrif

Phelddagrif
Creature Type
(Subtype for creature/kindred cards)
Beeble Scale	9½
Statistics	2 cards 100% as of Planeshift
Scryfall Search
type:"Phelddagrif"

Phelddagrifs is a creature type describing purple winged Hippos.

History

The first printed was the Phelddagrif from Alliances, the second was Questing Phelddagrif from Planeshift. Both are very similar to each other, being 4/4 creatures for with three activated abilities that cost one of each of its color of mana and grant the opponent a boon. The green ability gives the opponent a 1/1 green Hippo, the white ability gains the opponent 2 life, and the blue ability draws the opponent a card. The original Phelddagrif being legendary implies it was a unique creature on Dominaria. Its release in Allianes further implies it may have lived during the end of the Ice Age on the continent of Terisiare as that was the setting of the set.

Trivia

• Phelddagrif is an anagram for "Garfield PhD"; simultaneously referring to Richard Garfield, the creator of Magic: The Gathering, and an in-joke of early Magic design where the PR department insisted that every time Richard was referenced in an article he be referred to as "Richard Garfield Ph.D."
  • The name was originally intended to be used on the character who ultimately became Freyalise, but the continuity director suggested it sounded more like the name of a flying purple hippo.
  • As a vanity card, R&D are unlikely to design new Pheldagriffs.
• Both Phelddagrifs can create 1/1 green Hippo tokens, the only Hippo token of that size and the only Hippo token at all until Mouth // Feed was released in Amonkhet.
• The flavor text from Seedtime (Judgment) mentions hippos growing wings.