| Elemental | |
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| Creature Type | |
| (Subtype for creature/tribal cards) | |
| Beeble Scale | 1[1] |
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515 cards
as of Streets of New Capenna 4.5%  16.3%  5.8%  35%  21.4%  0.8%  0.6%  2.9%  2.9%  1.9%  0.4%  1.2%  1.2%  1.4%  0.6%  3.1%  0.2% |
| Scryfall Search | |
| type:"Elemental" | |
Elemental is a creature type describing a sentient being composed of elemental energy.[2] The most common varieties are those of the classical elements, expressing themselves as air, fire, earth, and water elementals. These appeared as a cycle in Alpha.[3] Many more exotic manifestations have also been created, such as elementals of lightning, thorns, fungus, rust and even time.[4]
Elemental is the non-Human race with the widest distribution among all five colors.
Contents
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Storyline[]
Alara[]
Before the Conflux, they inhabited exclusively in Jund and were characterized as violent beings that spawned from areas of it. But, afterward, they have begun to appear in other shards such as Grixis and Naya; Fusion elemental represents a byproduct of the Conflux.
Amonkhet[]
Most Elementals on Amonkhet are wild and the result of Nicol Bolas' corruption of the plane. During the Hour of Devastation, elementals arose from burning rock, the blood-tainted waters of the Luxa River, and the sands of the desert itself to turn on Naktamun and reduce it to rubble. As a result, most of them are strongly red-aligned.
Arcavios[]
To the Prismari mages of Strixhaven on Arcavios, elemental creatures are a form of living art. They sculpt artistic shells from a fusion of raw elements, then conjure living elemental energy to inhabit the shells. The result is a powerful creature capable of expressing sublime emotions . . . and wreaking wanton destruction. The inner core of a Prismari elemental might be a churning force of fire, wind, ice, water, lava, or solid rock.[5]
Dominaria[]
Dominarian Elementals are mostly green, forming from plants and earth through great outpours of magic, like the Mirari that gave birth to Silvos. Otherwise, other elemental masses can be similarly affected, forming from elements. Others are more abstract, like the Time Elemental, Storm Elemental and Dawn Elemental, which are elemental energies given flesh. Following Dominaria's healing process after the Phyrexian Invasion and the Time Rifts, new elementals formed from the lands reinfusion with mana.
Aboroths[]
Aboroths are gigantic fungal creatures that take root near villages in Llanowar every few years. After ripening and arising from the ground they rampage throughout the nearby area until withering away after a short while. They take on the composition of whatever stratum in which they grow, and will retreat downward into bedrock if disturbed prematurely, making this an inviable option for dealing with them. They are customarily lured away from elvish villages on horseback and engaged with war machines constructed of logs lashed together with vines that can take the shape of golems without legs or heads.
Two were encountered by the Weatherlight crew while in Llanowar to recruit Mirri. The first one was defeated in the traditional manner, and the second one was defeated by immobilizing it with the Thran Forge and the Touchstoneuntil it shrank to nothing.[6]
Mechanically they are represented by a cumulative upkeep cost of putting more and more -1/-1 counters on them, causing them to die once four turns have elapsed.
Niroso[]
The Niroso were rock/lava elementals that instigated a war between minotaurs and elves in the Dark Age.[7]
Ikoria[]
Elementals are one of the dominant clades of Ikoria, being associated primarily with Ketria and blue mana. They are typically aloof rather than malicious. Many bear the mutagenic crystals common in the plane.[8]
Innistrad[]
The elementals of Innistrad are closely aligned with green or red mana. While not as openly hostile against humanity as other monsters of the plane, the elementals are nonetheless dangerous, defending their territories viciously against fleshy intruders. Most are found in the vast forests of the plane, like the Somberwald and the Ulvenwald. Others arise from the fiery chasms that seem to be connected to demons.[9]
In the wake of Emrakuls arrival, the elementals, like the Gnarlwood Dryad, became more aggressive.
Ixalan[]
The elementals of Ixalan are magically harnessed via the use of jade totems, constructed by the River Heralds, that hold them in stasis until intruders threaten their territory. When a totem opens, the elemental's physical form comes together, and the intruders are quickly dispatched.
River Heralds also make use of elementals formed of air, water, or vegetation (e.g. Air Elemental, Soul of the Rapids, and Wildgrowth Walker). In ancient times when folk of the River Heralds and the Sun Empire worked together, they harnessed fire elementals into guardians that still keep watch over certain forgotten ruins.[10]
Lorwyn–Shadowmoor[]
The dual-plane of Lorwyn–Shadowmoor possesses two main types of native elementals: the humanoid flamekin/cinders, living beings made of stone and fire, are similar to elementals on other planes. Greater elementals, however, embody not physical elements but mental concepts. Being an elemental on Lorwyn means being a hybrid of surreal and animal elements that represents the living magic of an idea, thought, or dream.[11][12]
Flamekin[]
Flamekin (no connection to the flame-kin of Ravnica) are elementals similar in size and shape to humans. Living in the mountains of Lorwyn, they are a passionate race of warriors and shamans who focus their inner flames into weapons in battle. Flamekin are sworn enemies of the elves, who use their treefolk servants to suppress the flamekin and confine them to their mountain homes.
Flamekin resemble humans made of smooth, living black stone with four-fingered hands and horned faces with graceful features; their inner fires blaze through their crowns, joints, and shoulders. Flamekin can control their flames, allowing them to wear textiles and safely interact with non-flamekin. A group of flamekin called the Brighthearth serve as emissaries of flamekin goodwill to other races, performing useful tasks that require fire, such as smithing.[11]
Flamekin are semi-nomadic, born out of a desire to explore new lands and experience life to the fullest. They are a much wiser race than one might expect, being adherents of the Path of Flame, a process of physical and spiritual self-discovery that revolves around the fires that constantly burn upon their bodies. The Path is very dangerous, and very few flamekin see ito the end, especially since that end involves a fiery death the likes of which is rarely seen[13]
At some point during the set's early design stage, flamekin were referred to as "salamands,"[14] after the belief among medieval alchemists that salamanders were beings of elemental fire.[15][11]
Cinders[]
Cinders are the same beings as the Flamekin of Lorwyn. As their name suggests many of the cinders have lost their ability to hold a constant flame making them walking skeletal, smoky remains.[16] According to their legend, the cinders' flames were taken long ago by a traitor known as the Extinguisher, and due to this, they have become very bitter. Most cinders want the entire world to suffer as much as they do and thus they attempt to sow chaos and destruction until nothing good remains. Due to the loss of their fire, they are extremely jealous of species that still use it, and if a fire is spotted by a cinder it will attack ferociously in an attempt to claim the fire for its own.
Greater Elementals[]
"Greater elementals" are the living embodiments of the abstract mental ideas and concepts dreamed by the people, such as vigor, hostility, and guile.[17] Vastly different in form from other worlds' elementals, the greater elementals take the form of bizarre combinations of natural animals, many of colossal size.[18] They are beasts that pursue their own simple needs with little concern for Lorwyn's tribal conflicts. Greater elementals may be born in the Primal Beyond.
Maro-Sorcerers[]
A "Maro-Sorcerer", also known as a Force of Nature, is the manifestation of the land, either brought about by strong magic, or of nature's own will. They are found across many worlds, though most known Maro-Sorcerers dwelt on Dominaria.
Mirrodin[]
Elementals on Mirrodin represented the metallic aspects of the plane, forming from plasma and quicksilver. Others represent the more energetic forces, like storms and sparks.
More abstract elementals include the Desecration Elementals and the War Elementals
Ravnica[]
Elementals are found throughout the city-plane of Ravnica. Most Ravnican elementals are bestial in intelligence, form, and ecological niche, though some distinct races of sentient, humanoid elementals exist on the plane as well.
Cytospawn[]
"Cytospawn" are huge humanoid elementals created by the Simic Combine, comprised of living cytoplast. They may be derived from root-kin stock.
Flame-Kin[]
Passionate zealots loyal to the cause of the Boros Legion, these flame-kin (no relation to the flamekin of Lorwyn) are fire elementals that have been blessed by the Boros Angels. Flame-kin eventually dissipate, like wildfires without any oxygen or fuel, as their power and existence burn out when a battle or war is finished. Flame-kin are strengthened by magic; though formidable on their own, the application of enchantments grants them devastating power.
Flame-kin resemble humans made of solid, blazing flame. They wear only black armor made by guild smiths.
Forgelings[]
Forgelings are large, demonic-looking, vaguely humanoid elementals made of living rock and magma. They are used to power the city's furnaces.
Guardians of Vitu-Ghazi[]
Created to guard the Selesnya city-tree, guardians of Vitu-Ghazi are giant-sized elementals of wood and rock made from living trees and green Selesnya crystal.
Root-Kin[]
A race of powerful warriors, "root-kin", are associated with the Selesnya Conclave and Simic Combine. They are hulking humanoid creatures made of thick, twisting green plant roots. Simic root-kin are often covered in strength-enhancing cytoplasts.
Weirds[]
Weirds are a combination of opposing elements; for example, a combination of fire and water elementals. Weirds were created by Niv-Mizzet during the Katazar-Razblat Elemental Symposium. The dragon, bored with the squabbling of the various elementalists, combined opposing elements to create the paradoxical creatures. The weirds have come to be the ubiquitous lab assistants to the Izzet League, as well as becoming magically bound into a great many forms of machinery and infrastructure to ensure proper workings and efficiency.
Weirds tend to be constructed with vaguely humanoid forms, their "skin" being self-sealed "plasmodermic bubbles" containing the diametrically-opposing energies that give them life. Different types of weirds include petrahydroxes (created from living stone as well as fire and water), gelectrodes (created to conduct electricity), and steamcore weirds (the basic type, used to power Izzet machinery).
Wood-Kin[]
Associated with the Gruul Clans, wood-kin are plantlike elementals that share the ferocious nature of their guildmates. They resemble gnarled tree trunks with humanoid heads and limbs. Older wood-kin petrify as they age.
Woodwraiths[]
Woodwraiths are hideous creatures of wood and slime that reproduce by corrupting the land, spreading their genes via black sap into natural fibers. They are used by the Golgari Swarm. The Simic studied woodwraiths as part of their research to create their cytoplasts.
Tarkir[]
In the old timeline of Tarkir, the Temur shamans were the clan most well-versed with the various elementals of the plane, mostly focusing on those of wood, frost, and heat. The Jeskai Way occasionally dealt with elementals of wind.
In the new timeline, elementals are birthed along with dragons from the energies of the dragon tempests. The thawing of the glaciers has driven many elementals from the former Temur lands.
Scaldkin[]
Scaldkin are elementals of heat and boiling water that arise spontaneously in the Qal Sisma Mountains. The Temur believe that scaldkin are born when eruptions melt the frozen whispers of sleeping ancestors.
Windfolk[]
Windfolk are elemental beings of snow and air who are found only at the highest elevations. Very few people have seen them, and only the Temur shamans are able to communicate with them. They are impervious to cold and wind, so they wear very little clothing—often only a simple wrap about the waist. Instead of hair or beards, they have mobile tentacles something like the barbels of catfish. They are psychically sensitive, detecting thoughts with their tentacles, and the shamans say that they can hear the humans' ancestors as well as the dreams of the dragons that still lie frozen in the ice.
Theros[]
The Theran Elementals are most often associated with the sea and waters, serving as extensions of the will of Thassa. Others, like the Humbler of Mortals, arise when the gods are angered and their rage echoes through Nyx and eventually reaches the mortal world, where it enchants the land to turn against the offenders.
Zendikar[]
The elementals of Zendikar are numerous, awakening through the activity of the Roil. They are highly varied, coming in the forms of infused animals that live normal cycles of birth and death, of animated plants, or even of animated pieces of the land, like walking islands, expanses of water, or high plateaus. They essentially are fragments of Zendikar's heart and soul.[19]
Several elementals rose as pieces of the plane itself, acting as antibodies to the Eldrazi.[20] The longer the Eldrazi rampaged across the plane, the more active and violent these elementals became, and the destruction of the Eldrazi has not entirely settled them.[21]
Lords[]
- Incandescent Soulstoke is an Elemental Lord.
Tribal type[]
Lorwyn block featured four tribal Elemental cards, which could be fetched by Flamekin Harbinger and are made cheaper by Brighthearth Banneret.
Land Elementals[]
Lands can often become Elementals. Either be being manlands, mechanics like awaken or specific cards
Animists[]
- Balduvian Conjurer — 2/2
Elemental creature - Balduvian Frostwaker — 2/2 Elemental creature with flying
- Destiny Spinner — X/X Elemental creature with trample and haste
- Embodiment of Fury and Embodiment of Insight — 3/3 Elemental creature with haste
- Ignition Team — 4/4 Elemental creature
- Koth of the Hammer — 4/4 Elemental creature
- Nissa, Worldwaker — 4/4 Elemental creature with trample
- Nissa, Who Shakes the World — 0/0 Elemental creature with vigilance and haste
- Skarrg Guildmage — 4/4 Elemental creature
- Vastwood Animist — X/X Elemental creature, where X is the number of Allies you control
- Wall of Resurgence — 0/0 Elemental creature with Haste
- Woodwraith Corrupter — 4/4 Elemental Horror creature
Manlands[]
- Hostile Desert — 3/4 Elemental creature
- Stalking Stones — 3/3 Elemental artifact creature
- Celestial Colonnade — 4/4 Elemental creature with flying and vigilance
- Creeping Tar Pit — 3/2 Elemental creature with unblockable
- Lavaclaw Reaches — 2/2 Elemental creature with ": This creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn."
- Raging Ravine — 3/3 Elemental creature with "Whenever this creature attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on it."
- Stirring Wildwood — 3/4 Elemental creature with reach
- Shambling Vent — 2/3 Elemental creature with lifelink
- Wandering Fumarole — 1/4 Elemental creature with with ": Switch this creature's power and toughness until end of turn."
- Hissing Quagmire — 2/2 Elemental creature with deathtouch
- Needle Spires — 2/1 Elemental creature with double strike
- Lumbering Falls — 3/3 Elemental creature with hexproof
Other spells[]
- Elemental Uprising — 4/4 Elemental creature with haste
- Hydroform — 3/3 Elemental creature with flying
Manstones[]
- Izzet Keyrune — 2/1 Elemental artifact creature
Creature update[]
In the Grand Creature Type Update, creature types changed into Elemental include:
- Aboroth (Aboroth)
- Ball-Lightning (Ball Lightning)
- Barishi (Barishi)
- Behemoth (Llanowar Behemoth)
- Effigy (Blazing Effigy)
- Force (Force of Nature)
- Mist (Hungry Mist)
- Nature-Spirit (Maro)
- Spawn (Elder Spawn) - reverted to its original type in the September 2011 Rules Update of Innistrad.
- Spuzzem (Floral Spuzzem)
- Thundermare (Thundermare), as well as Horse
Notable Elementals[]
Alara
Arcavios
Dominaria
- Embereck
- Molimo
- Muldrotha
- Multani
- Silvos — An elemental created through the Mirari's magic in Krosa. It was exiled from its homeland and found a purpose fighting in the Cabal's pits.
- Titania
- Ur-Drago
Ikoria
Lorwyn
- Ashling
- The Horde of Notions - A legend which represents a collective of Lorwyn's greater elementals.
Ravnica
- Mat'Selesnya — The parun of the Selesnya Conclave, formed from the fusion of the original Chorus of the Conclave. She no longer takes an active role in the guild, instead she resides in Vitu-Ghazi and only appearing on special occasions such as the Decamillennial.
Theros
- Thryx, the Sudden Storm, an elemental giant.
Zendikar
- Ashaya, the Awoken World
- Omnath
- Phylath
- Yarok, the Desecrated,is an Elemental Horror which grieves within the waste of Bala Ged's corrupted land.
- Yasharn
Unknown plane
Tokens[]
| Token Name | Color | Type Line | P/T | Text Box | Source | Printings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elemental | White | Creature — Elemental | 4/4 | |||
| Blue | Creature — Elemental | 1/0 | ||||
| Blue | Creature — Elemental | 2/2 | Flying | |||
| Blue/Red | Creature — Elemental | 5/5 | Flying | |||
| Blue/Red | Creature — Elemental | 4/4 | ||||
| Black/Red | Creature — Elemental | 5/5 | ||||
| Green | Creature — Elemental | 2/2 | ||||
| Green | Creature — Elemental | 3/3 | ||||
| Green | Creature — Elemental | 4/4 | ||||
| Green | Creature — Elemental | 5/3 | ||||
| Green | Creature — Elemental | 7/7 | Trample | |||
| Green | Creature — Elemental | X/X | ||||
| Green/White | Creature — Elemental | 8/8 | Vigilance | |||
| Green/White | Creature — Elemental | */* | This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of creatures you control. | |||
| Red | Creature — Elemental | 0/1 | At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice this creature and return target card named Rekindling Phoenix from your graveyard to the battlefield. It gains haste until end of turn. | |||
| Red | Creature — Elemental | 1/1 | ||||
| Red | Creature — Elemental | 1/1 | Haste | |||
| Red | Creature — Elemental | 3/3 | ||||
| Red | Creature — Elemental | X/X | ||||
| Red | Creature — Elemental | 3/1 | ||||
| Red | Creature — Elemental | 3/1 | Haste | |||
| Red | Enchantment Creature — Elemental | 3/1 | Haste | |||
| Red | Creature — Elemental | 3/1 | Trample, haste | |||
| Red | Creature — Elemental | 7/1 | Trample, haste | |||
| Red | Creature — Elemental | */* | Trample This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of instants and sorceries in your graveyard plus the number of cards with flashback you own in exile |
|||
| Ashaya, the Awoken World | Green | Legendary Creature — Elemental | 4/4 | |||
| Lightning Rager | Red | Creature — Elemental | 5/1 | Trample, haste At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice this creature. |
||
| Elemental Bird | Blue | Creature — Elemental Bird | 4/4 | Flying | ||
| Elemental Cat | Red | Creature — Elemental Cat | 1/1 | Haste | ||
| Elemental Shaman | Red | Creature — Elemental Shaman | 3/1 | |||
| Red | Creature — Elemental Shaman | 3/1 | Haste | |||
| Spawnwrithe | Green | Creature — Elemental | 2/2 | Trample Whenever Spawnwrithe deals combat damage to a player, put a token that's a copy of Spawnwrithe onto the battlefield. |
||
| Spark Elemental | Red | Creature — Elemental | 3/1 | Trample, haste At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice Spark Elemental. |
References[]
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (December 7, 2018). "Elementals on the Beeble Scale?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (August, 2007). "Ask Wizards - August 2007". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Doug Beyer (December 12, 2007). "Goodies from the Mailbag". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Chas Andres (September 29, 2015). "Elementals: A Field Guide". 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.
- ↑ Hannovi Braddock (1998). "Rath and Storm". Wizards of the Coast. ISBN-13 978-0786911752.
- ↑ Robert E. Vardeman (1996), Dark Legacy. HarperPrism
- ↑ Chris Mooney (April 2, 2020). "Planeswalker's Guide to Ikoria". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Plane Shift: Innistrad
- ↑ James Wyatt (January 9, 2018). "Plane Shift: Ixalan". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b c Doug Beyer (September 27, 2007). "Elementalism". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (January 29, 2008). "Elemental Art Swap". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Rei Nakazawa (September 10, 2007). "Lorwyn Lore". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Terese Nielsen. (February 27, 2008) Magic Lorwyn Art by Terese Nielsen... who???
- ↑ Wikipedia entry on Salamander (legendary creature)
- ↑ Doug Beyer (June 11, 2008). "Allies in Conflict". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (November 28, 2007). "Lorwyn Elemental Swaps". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Blake Rasmussen (May 21, 2015). "It's Elemental". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ A. T. Greenblatt (September 30, 2020). "Eoisode 5: The Two Guardians". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Plane Shift: Zendikar
- ↑ Ari Zirulnik (September 15, 2020). "The Legends of Zendikar Rising". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (May 25, 2006). "Dissension Token Art". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
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