God

God
Creature Type
(Subtype for creature/tribal cards)
Statistics	35 cards 11.4% 11.4% 11.4% 11.4% 11.4% 2.9% 5.7% 5.7% 5.7% 2.9% 5.7% 5.7% 2.9% 2.9% 2.9% as of Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths
Scryfall Search
type:"God"

For a more lore-focused article, see list of gods and deities.

For the creatures that are also referred to as (flavor) "gods" in the Japanese version, see kami.

Although gods and deities have been part of Magic for a long time, a special God creature type had to be introduced for the Greek-inspired Theros block. This was because the designers realized that the pantheon of the gods was the very center of Greek mythology. The gods were complemented by monsters and heroes. The word "god" is used gender neutrally, meaning it can signify a male or female.

Game play

All gods have a mechanic that either makes them difficult to destroy or allows them to recur. Some are very cheaply costed for their power level but have mechanics that restrict their usefulness unless a certain condition is met.

Theros block

The Gods of Theros are indestructible legendary enchantment creatures (living enchantments). For this reason, all enchantments are thought to be gifts from the gods, a unique form of magic enabled by divinities. They grant their favors to those whose devotion is great enough. Gamewise, they don't manifest as creatures on the battlefield until a player's devotion to their color is high enough. If a God enters the battlefield while the player's devotion to its color is less than the required number, abilities that trigger when a creature enters the battlefield won't trigger. If a God on the battlefield is a creature and the player's devotion to its color drops below the required number, it immediately stops being a creature. A God can't attack the turn it enters the battlefield unless it has haste, even if it wasn't a creature as it entered the battlefield. They are always legendary enchantments, and their abilities work whether they're creatures or not.

Amonkhet block

Gods returned in Amonkhet block. They are animal-headed and are not enchantment creatures. They each have two keyword abilities, one of which is indestructible. They have a condition they need to meet to be able to attack and block and then they have an activated ability that helps them reach that condition.

With Hour of Devastation, three corrupted gods were introduced. These forsake previous conventions of indestructible and conditional attacking or block for returning to the hand mechanics and lack of special conditions, having instead more direct activated abilities. They also have higher mana costs.

War of the Spark

Ilharg is represented by its own card. It can be returned to its owner's library upon death or exile.

The monocolored gods from Amonkhet, with the exception of Hazoret, return as zombie deities. They share the same return mechanics to Ilharg, who replaces Hazoret as the red god in the cycle.

Flavor

Theros

On Theros, the gods oversee the most important aspects of Theran life. The five major gods of the pantheon are monocolored. Ten two-colored enchantment creatures serve as the minor gods. The colors give each god a unique identity. The five major gods are featured in Theros, while the ten minor gods are featured in Born of the Gods and Journey into Nyx.

Major Gods

• Heliod, God of the Sun ()
• Thassa, God of the Sea ()
• Erebos, God of the Dead ()
• Purphoros, God of the Forge ()
• Nylea, God of the Hunt ().

Minor Gods

• Athreos, God of Passage ()
• Ephara, God of the Polis ()
• Iroas, God of Victory ()
• Karametra, God of Harvests ()
• Keranos, God of Storms ()
• Kruphix, God of Horizons ()
• Mogis, God of Slaughter (),
• Pharika, God of Affliction ()
• Phenax, God of Deception ()
• Xenagos, God of Revels (), the satyr planeswalker who ascended to godhood.
• Klothys, God of Destiny ()
• Cacophony, God of Cities. A newborn god was quickly slain by Ephara.

Amonkhet

In contrast to the often distant gods of Theros, the gods of Amonkhet take an active hand in the life of their worshippers and are physically present within the city of Naktamun. They oversee various trials that bring chosen warriors closer to the afterlife and prepare their servants for the tasks that will await them. It is recorded in the Accounting of Hours that when the God-Pharaoh returns, the gods will have to prove their worth to him just like the mortals they tested before. Nissa later discovered that the gods were manifestations of the plane's leylines and whatever Bolas had done to the plane had also altered them in such subtle ways that they themselves were oblivious to it. Their presence alone fills mortals with feelings associated with their domain and they can see directly into the heart of any mortal presented before them. Most of the gods died when Bolas returned and ushered in the Hour of Devastation, leaving only Hazoret to guide the survivors of Naktamun.

• Oketra, God of Solidarity ()
• Kefnet, God of Knowledge ()
• Bontu, God of Ambition ()
• Hazoret, God of Zeal ()
• Rhonas, God of Strength ()

Three other gods were imprisoned and warped by Bolas to serve his interests during the Hour of Revelation. The original functions and even the names of these gods have been lost.

• The Locust God (), who would destroy the Hekma
• The Scarab God (), who would lead the Eternals
• The Scorpion God (), who would kill the other gods

Notes

• While not technically a god, Nicol Bolas was worshiped as the God-Pharaoh of Amonkhet and pretended to be the creator of the gods and the plane. Even when his charade was discovered, some kept faith, and the Eternals continue to worship him at the exclusion of the deities they worshipped in life.

Ravnica

• Ilharg, the Raze-Boar () is a boar god worshipped by some among the Gruul Clans of Ravnica, who believe he will bring the End-Raze and destroy civilization.

Trivia

• The gods of Theros are based, to a lesser or greater degree, on divinities of the Greek pantheon.
• The creature type "God" is used for both male and female gods, both because a word longer than "God" wouldn't have fit on the card's type line after "Legendary Enchantment Creature" and because R&D didn't want to have to refer to "God or Goddess" on cards that interacted with them.