Dinosaur | |
---|---|
Creature Type | |
(Subtype for creature/tribal cards) | |
Statistics |
93 cards 20.4% 2.2% 2.2% 26.9% 36.6% 3.2% 3.2% 3.2% 2.2% |
Scryfall Search | |
type:"Dinosaur" |
Dinosaur is a creature type used for cards depicting prehistoric reptile-like and related creatures. Dinosaurs can be bipedal or quadrupedal species. Elaborate display structures such as horns or crests are common to all dinosaur groups, and some have skeletal modifications such as bony armor and spines. According to modern science, dinosaurs are ancestors of birds and many non-avian dinosaurs were feathered themselves.
Etymology
The real-world term 'dinosaur' is derived from the modern Latin dinosaurus via the Greek deinos, meaning 'terrible', 'horrible', 'fearful', 'astounding', 'marvelous', 'mighty' or 'powerful' and sauros, meaning 'lizard', which itself is an extisting creature type and the creature type originally printed on numerous Dinosaurs prior to the Ixalan block.
Definition
Current scientific consensus is that the definition of dinosaurs excludes the flying pterosaurs, as well as the various groups of marine reptiles, such as ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and mosasaurs. This distinction is largely ignored in popular culture and similarly in Magic: The Gathering, where pterosaurs are typed as Dinosaur creatures.[1][2][3]
History
Pygmy Allosaurus from Ice Age was the first card to be printed with the creature type Dinosaur. The type was dropped in the Grand Creature Type Update and subsequent Dinosaurs were printed as Lizard Beasts (Crag Saurian, Shivan Raptor, Gnathosaur, Imperiosaur and Deathmist Raptor). Old Fogey from Unhinged was the only exception; the card retained the subtype Dinosaur, because un-cards were eliminated from the Comprehensive Rules list.
According to Aaron Forsythe, a dinosaur world was "unlikely to happen, because they do nothing".[4] However, on Announcement Day in june 2017 it was revealed that the Ixalan block would feature feathered dinosaurs. Kelly Digges confirmed on Twitter that the creature type would be restored and existing dinos would get Oracle updates.[5] In September 2017, 13 older cards were indeed updated to have the subtype.[6] With this, Fungusaur from Alpha retroactively became the earliest card with the subtype. In January 2018, four more cards were updated.[7]
In Ixalan block, Dinosaurs is actually one of the four main supported tribes.[8][9]
Storyline
Dominaria
Scaly allosaurs and raptors[10] once roamed areas such as Shiv. The Territorial Allosaurus is still a living remnant of the Ice Age. The Windgrace Acolytes fly on pterodactyl-like creatures.
Fiora
Like on Ixalan, Fiora's wilderness is home to feathered raptorian dinosaurs. Selvala of Alberon is known to be able to call them as she can do with many other wild beasts and birds.
Ixalan
Dinosaurs are the dominant wildlife in the world of Ixalan, inhabiting its jungles and especially the lands of the Sun Empire, where some are controlled by the Sun Empire (without being domesticated).[11][12] Unlike dinosaurs from other planes, these bear brilliant plumage in multiple colors.[13][14][15] They are associated with the sun, and local dinosaur avatars embody different solar stages. The humans of the Sun Empire believe them to be creations from Kinjalli, who made them out of stone.
Elder Dinosaurs
The Elder Dinosaurs were apparently preserved for ages in the Golden City of Orazca.[16] Compared to their smaller cousins they have less colorful plumage and more grayish scales, but their feathers are a bright gold that matches the city itself. They are strong willed and ferocious, but the power of the Immortal Sun give the Sun Empire warriors who wield it the ability to bring these elder dinosaurs under their command. The tale of the Elder Dinosaurs had taken Huatli the longest to memorize, an agonizing two years to lock in her mind in its entirety.[17] They were ancient and wild, utterly untamable, the greatest of the dinosaurs.
Mirrodin
Pterons, pterodactyl-like flying creatures, soar the skies above the Razor Fields of Mirrodin.[18] They are associated with White, though they aren't represented in cards other than Pteron Ghost (which is a pure spirit).
Tyrranax are giant predatory reptiles that roam the Tangle, feeding on any lesser creature.
Muraganda
Imperiosaurs and other giant saurians inhabit this primeval and wild plane and are sometimes victims to the dreaded Mimeoplasm.
Tarkir
The mist valleys are home to some fearsome raptorian saurians with camouflage abilities.
Trivia
- Raptor Hatchling is the smallest Dinosaur (1/1), and Ghalta, Primal Hunger is the largest (12/12).
- Dinosaur Hunter is a human pirate able to destroy dinosaurs.
- Fountain of Ichor can become a 3/3 Dinosaur artifact creature.
Dinosaur tokens
Token Name | Color | Type Line | P/T | Text Box | Source | Printings |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dinosaur | Red | Creature — Dinosaur | 1/1 | Haste | ||
Red | Creature — Dinosaur | 3/1 | ||||
Green | Creature — Dinosaur | 3/3 | ||||
Green | Creature — Dinosaur | 3/3 | Trample | |||
Green | Creature — Dinosaur | X/X | Trample | |||
Red/White | Creature — Dinosaur | 2/2 | Flying, haste | |||
Dinosaur Beast | Green | Creature — Dinosaur Beast | X/X | Trample | ||
Dinosaur Cat | Red/White | Creature — Dinosaur Cat | 2/2 | |||
Dinosaur Egg | Green | Creature — Dinosaur Egg | 0/1 | |||
Fungus Dinosaur | Green | Creature — Fungus Dinosaur | X/X | |||
Polyraptor | Green | Creature — Dinosaur | 5/5 | Enrage — Whenever Polyraptor is dealt damage, create a token that’s a copy of Polyraptor. | ||
Compy Swarm | Black/Green | Creature — Dinosaur | 2/2 | At the beginning of your end step, if a creature died this turn, create a tapped token that's a copy of Compy Swarm. |
References
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 07, 2017). "Some Ixalan science concerns". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 28, 2017). "How many comments have you gotten mentioning that Pterosaurs and their ilk are not actually dinosaurs?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (October 2, 2017). "Dinosaurs and Vampires and Pirates (and Merfolk), Oh My, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (November 7, 2014). "PAX Australia Magic Panel". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Kelly Digges on Twitter
- ↑ Nicholas Wolfram (September 6, 2017). "A Royal Recipe for Dinosaur Tribal". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Eli Shiffrin (January 11, 2018). "Rivals of Ixalan Oracle Changes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 18, 2017). "Just for Ix(alan), Part 3". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Sam Stoddard (September 12, 2017). "Developing a Tribal Set". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Fog Bank (Urza's Saga)
- ↑ Blake Rasmussen and Alison Luhrs (August 30, 2017). "Magic Story Podcast: Ixalan". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ R&D Narrative Team (November 1, 2017). "Planeswalker's Guide to Ixalan, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Nicholas Wolfram (September 6, 2017). "Exploring Ixalan – Regisaur Alpha". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Nicholas Wolfram (September 7, 2017). "Exploring Ixalan – Raptor Hatchling". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Nicholas Wolfram (September 8, 2017). "Exploring Ixalan – Rampaging Ferocidon". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ The Art of Magic: The Gathering - Ixalan
- ↑ R&D Narrative Team (January 24, 2018). "The Arbiter of Law Left Chaos in His Wake". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (June 22, 2004). "All about pterons". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.