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Lord
Lord
Creature Type
(Subtype for creature/tribal cards)
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type:"Lord"

Lord is an obsolete creature type[1][2] for creatures with an occupation of high class or power within a structure or organization.

Lords conferred boons to other members of the same creature type, usually without conferring such boons to themselves, however. This is why lord became an informal term for any creature or other permanent which has this ability. Even after the creature type was defunct. Due to their support for creature types and appreciably influential impact, lords are often integral to tribal decks.

The lords Lord of Atlantis, Zombie Master, and Goblin King, which appeared in Alpha, were the first of several lords, most of which would grant a power/toughness bonus of +1/+1 and an additional bonus, such as a keyword ability (e.g. landwalk, regeneration, haste, shroud).[3][4]

The creature type was dropped due to inconsistency between card names and the use of this type, gender issues (Lady being the correct female form), and so it would not be confused with the so-called "lord" abilities of creatures who grant effects to other creatures according to their creature types, colors, or other attributes.[5]

Most "lords" have since had their creature subtypes changed to better reflect the character's race and class. For instance, Lovisa Coldeyes was originally printed as a Human Lord, then changed to a Human Barbarian, and most recently changed to simply a Human.[6][7]

Etymology

The term "lord" originates from an obsolete creature type that is featured as a creature type on numerous older lords;[8] although artistically depicted as being of the creature type for which they granted bonuses, these lords were often not of the same creature type. This was, however, changed by the time of the Grand Creature Type Update, when the "Lord" creature type was no longer supported and removed, and most of the older lords received appropriate creature types as well as errata (often an "other", as in "Other Goblin creatures get +1/+1", as opposed to "Goblin creatures get +1/+1") to preserve their original intended functionality.

Rules

  • Certain Lords grant bonuses to multiple creature types (e.g., Lovisa Coldeyes). In these cases, a creature that is of at least one of those creature types gets the benefit once (e.g., +2/+2 and haste), regardless of how many of those subtypes it has.

Creature type lords

Unless specified, Lords grant +1/+1.

Any creature type

These lords typically allow the player to choose a creature type to buff.

  • Adaptive Automaton
  • Brass Herald — +1/+1 to type chosen, and searches/draws from top four cards of library all cards of chosen type.
  • Cover of Darkness — Lord type enchantment that grants fear.
  • Door of Destinies — Lord type artifact that grants +1/+1 for each charge counter on it.
  • Etchings of the Chosen — +1/+1 to type chosen, and can pay {1} and sacrifice a creature of the chosen type to give another creature Indestructible.
  • Icon of Ancestry — +1/+1 to type chosen, and searches/draws from top three cards of library for one card of the chosen type.
  • Karona, False God — Grants +3/+3 when attacking. Changes controller every turn.
  • Metallic Mimic — Grants a chosen creature type a +1/+1 counter when they enter the battlefield.
  • Mistform Warchief — Reduces the cost to cast any creature that shares a type with it by {1}. Can change its type until end of turn.
  • Morophon the Boundless — Grants +1/+1 to type chosen, and reduces the cost of all spells of the chosen type by {W}{U}{B}{R}{G}, if applicable.
  • Obelisk of Urd — Lord type artifact that grants +2/+2.
  • Radiant Destiny— Lord type enchantment with ascend that grants +1/+1 to any chosen creature type, with an additional granting of vigilance if you have the city's blessing.
  • Rally the Ranks — Lord type enchantment.
  • Shared Triumph — Lord type enchantment.
  • Steely Resolve — Lord type enchantment that grants shroud.
  • Umori, the Collector — reduces the cost to cast chosen card type by {1}.
  • Urza's Incubator — Lord type artifact that reduces cost to cast any creature of the chosen creature type by {2}.
  • Vanquisher's Banner — Grants +1/+1 for a chosen creature type and lets you draw a card whenever you cast a spell of the chosen type.

Aetherborn

Angel

  • Herald of War — Reduces the cost of all Angel spells by {X} based on the +1/+1 counters on it. Also for Human.
  • Lyra Dawnbringer — Other Angels you control get +1/+1 and have lifelink.
  • Starnheim Aspirant — Angel spells you cast cost {2} less to cast.

Archer

  • Greatbow Doyen — Archers also damage a creature's controller whenever they damage a creature.

Barbarian

Bear

Beast

Berserker

  • Lovisa Coldeyes — Also for Warriors and Barbarians, grants +2/+2 and haste.

Bird

Cat

Centaur

Cleric

  • Akroma's Devoted — Grants vigilance.
  • Edgewalker — Reduces the cost of all Cleric spells by {W}{B}, if applicable.
  • Cleric of Life's Bond — Whenever another Cleric enters the battlefield under your control, you gain 1 life.
  • Orah, Skyclave Hierophant — Whenever Orah, Skyclave Hierophant or another Cleric you control dies, return target Cleric card with lesser converted mana cost from your graveyard to the battlefield.

Dinosaur

Dog

  • Pack Leader — Has "Whenever Pack Leader attacks, prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn to Dogs you control."

Dragon

Dwarf

Elemental

Elf

Eldrazi

Eldrazi Spawn

  • Broodwarden — Lord type creature. Eldrazi Spawn creatures you control get +2/+1.

Faerie

Fungus

Giant

Goblin

Golem

Griffin

Horse

Human

Illusion

Kavu

Knight

Kithkin

Kobold

Kor

Legendary

Merfolk

Minion

Minotaur

Myr

Nightmare

Orc

  • Orc General — Conditional (for {T} and sacrificing an Goblin or Orc) until end of turn.

Ooze

Pegasus

Pirate

Rat

Rigger

Rogue

Samurai

Saproling

Satyr

Scarecrow

Shaman

Skeleton

Sliver

Most Slivers are essentially Sliver lords. The most notable ones are the two {W}{U}{B}{R}{G} Sliver:

Snake

  • Sachi, Daughter of Seshiro — Grants +0/+1. Also for Shamans: "Shamans you control have "{T}: Add {G}{G}".
  • Seshiro the Anointed — Grants +2/+2 and "Whenever a Snake you control deals combat damage to a player, you may draw a card".
  • Sosuke, Son of Seshiro — Grants +1/+0. Also for Warriors: "Whenever a Warrior you control deals combat damage to a creature, destroy that creature at end of combat".

Spirit

Soldier

Squirrel

  • Deep Forest Hermit — Also creates four squirrel tokens when enters the battlefield.
  • Deranged Hermit — Also creates four squirrel tokens when enters the battlefield.

Thopter

Thrull

Treefolk

Vampire

Warrior

Werewolf

Wizard

  • Adeliz, the Cinder Wind — Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, Wizards you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.
  • Final Iteration — Wizards you control gain +2/+1 and flying.
  • Inalla, Archmage RitualistEminence: Whenever another nontoken Wizard enters the battlefield under your control, if Inalla, Archmage Ritualist is in the command zone or on the battlefield, you may pay {1} If you do, create a token that's a copy of that Wizard. The token gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step. Tap five untapped Wizards you control: Target player loses 7 life.
  • Kaza, Roil Chaser{T}: The next instant or sorcery spell you cast this turn costs Variable Colorless less to cast, where {X} is the number of Wizards you control as this ability resolves.
  • Naru Meha, Master Wizard
  • Stonybrook Banneret — Reduces the cost of all Wizard spells by {1}. Also for Merfolk.

Wolf

Zombie

Zombie tokens

Un-Lords

  • Assquatch — Grants Donkeys +1½/+1½.
  • Chicken à la King — Grants Chickens a +1/+1 counter whenever a 6 is rolled on a 6-sided die.

Color lords

Color lords are lords that boost all your creatures of a certain color instead of a creature type. According to Mark Rosewater, color lords are popular, but Wizards doesn't have the chance to make them often in all colors.[10] Unless specified, Lords grant +1/+1.

Colorless

White

Blue

Black

Red

Green

Multicolor

Any color

  • Caged Sun — Color chosen as it enters the battlefield. Adds 1 additional mana of the chosen color whenever a land you control is tapped for mana of the chosen color.
  • Gauntlet of Power — Color chosen as it enters the battlefield. Adds 1 additional mana of the chosen color whenever a basic land is tapped for mana of the chosen color.
  • Hall of Triumph — Color chosen as it enters the battlefield.
  • Heraldic Banner — +1/+0 to color chosen as it enters the battlefield, and can tap for a mana of the chosen color

Miscellaneous

Keyword lords

Unless specified, Lords grant +1/+1.

Creatures with bushido

Creatures with deathtouch

Creatures with defender

Creatures with first strike

Creatures with flanking

  • Cavalry Master — Grants an additional instance of flanking.
  • Telim'Tor — Grants a conditional +1/+1 when it attacks to any creatures with flanking attacking with it.

Creatures with flying

Creatures with infect

Creatures with lifelink

Creatures with menace

Creatures with modular

  • Arcbound Overseer — At the beginning of your upkeep, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature with modular you control.

Creatures with shadow

Creatures with trample

Creatures with vigilance

Other lords

Some lords care for other characteristics than creature type, color, or keyword. Unless specified, Lords grant +1/+1.

+1/+1 counters

  • Hamza, Guardian of Arashin — This spell and other creature spells you cast cost {1} less to cast for each creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it.

Artifact creatures

Commanders

Creatures you control

Equipped creatures

Non-token creatures

Snow creatures

Token creatures

See also

References

  1. Wizards of the Coast (January, 2008). "Ask Wizards - January, 2008". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. Mark Rosewater (September 03, 2014). "Are there any creature types considered "dead", so to speak?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  3. Mark Rosewater (March 19, 2012). "Lord of the Things". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  4. Zac Hill (March 23, 2012). "Lordly Might". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  5. Brady Dommermuth (January 2, 2008). "What exactly is the reasoning behind getting rid of the lord creature type?". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  6. "Magic: The Gathering Oracle Changes - Masters Edition to Lorwyn". Yawgatog. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  7. "Magic: The Gathering Oracle Changes - Return to Ravnica to Gatecrash". Yawgatog. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  8. Mark Rosewater (January 07, 2008). "But Wait, There's More". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  9. Randy Buehler (May 02, 2003). "The Undead Dragon". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  10. Mark Rosewater (July 14, 2014). "Card Duty, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  11. Marshall Sutcliffe (July 2, 2014). "Setting Up the Paragons". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
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