An elemental is a sentient being composed of elemental energy. The most common varieties are those of the classical elements, expressing themselves as Air Elementals, Fire Elementals, Earth Elementals, and Water Elementals. These appeared as a cycle in Alpha. [1] Many more exotic manifestations have also been created, such as elementals of lightning, thorns, fungus, rust and even time. [2]
Alaran Elementals
Before the Conflux, they inhabited exclusively in Jund and were characterized as violent beings that spawned from areas of it. But, afterwards they have began to appear in other shards such as Grixis and Naya; Fusion elemental represents a byproduct of the Conflux.
Dominarian Elementals
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 similar affected, forming from elements. Others are more abstract, like the Time Elemental, Storm Elemental and Dawn Elemental, which are elemental energies given flesh. Following Dominarias healing process after the Phyrexian Invasion and the Time Rifts, new elementals formed from the lands reinfusion with mana.
Innistrad Elementals
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. [3]
In the wake of Emrakuls arrival, the elementals, like the Gnarlwood Dryad, became more aggressive.
Lorwyn–Shadowmoor Elementals
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 the 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. [4] [5]
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.
At some point during the set's early design stage, flamekin were referred to as "salamands,"[6] after the belief among medieval alchemists that salamanders were beings of elemental fire.[7]
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.[8] 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 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. [9] Vastly different in form from other worlds' elementals, the greater elementals take the form of bizarre combinations of natural animals, many of colossal size. [10] They are nonsentient 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
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
Ravnican Elementals
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 by 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 insure 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 its 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.
Theros Elementals
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.
Tarkir Elementals
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 occaisonally 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 elemental of heat and bioling 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.
Zendikari Elementals
The elementals of Zendikar are numerous, awakening through the activity of the Roil. They are highly varied, coming in the forms infused animals that live normal cycles of birth and death, animated plants or even animated pieces of the land, like walking islands, expanses of water or high plateaus.
Several elementals rose as pieces of the plane itself, acting as antibodies to the Eldrazi.[11]
Notable Elementals
- Animar
- Ashling
- Ashaya, the Awoken World
- The Horde of Notions - A legend which represents a collective of Lorwyn's greater elementals.
- 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 residing in Vitu-Ghazi and only appearing on special occasions such as the Decamillennial.
- Molimo
- Multani
- Omnath
- 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
Elemental Lord
- Incandescent Soulstoke is an Elemental Lord.
Tribal - Elemental
Lorwyn block featured four Tribal - Elemental cards, which could be fetched by Flamekin Harbinger and are made cheaper by Brighthearth Banneret.
Elemental tokens
| Token Name | Color | Type Line | P/T | Text Box | Source | Printings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elemental | White | Creature — Elemental | 4/4 | Flying | ||
| Blue | Creature — Elemental | 1/0 | ||||
| Blue | Creature — Elemental | 2/2 | Flying | |||
| 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 | 1/1 | When this creature becomes tapped, it deals 1 damage to target player | |||
| Red | Creature — Elemental | 2/1 | Trample, haste | |||
| 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 | 3/3 | ||||
| Red | Creature — Elemental | 7/1 | Trample, haste | |||
| Red | Creature — Elemental | X/1 | Trample, haste | |||
| Red | Creature — Elemental | X/X | ||||
| 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 |
|||
| 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 | ||||
| Elemental | White/Blue | Creature — Elemental | 4/4 | |||
| Black/Red | Creature — Elemental | 5/5 | ||||
| Red/Green | Creature — Elemental | 5/5 | ||||
| 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. | |||
| Blue/Red | Creature — Elemental | 1/1 | ||||
| Blue/Red | Creature — Elemental | 4/4 | ||||
| Blue/Red | Creature — Elemental | 5/5 | Flying | |||
| 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 | |||
| 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. |
||
| Dragon Elemental | Red | Creature — Dragon Elemental | 4/4 | Flying Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.) |
||
| Genasi Enforcers | Red | Creature — Elemental Shaman | 1/3 |   : Creatures you control named Genasi Enforcers get +1/+0 until end of turn.
|
||
| Life of the Party | Red | Creature — Elemental | 0/1 | First strike, trample, haste Whenever Life of the Party attacks, it gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is the number of creatures you control. |
||
| 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. |
Elemental creators
Elementals are also created by:
- Balduvian Conjurer (2/2 blue Elemental)
- Balduvian Frostwaker (2/2 blue Elemental with Flying)
- Celestial Colonade (4/4 white and blue Elemental with Flying and Vigilance)
- Creeping Tar Pit (3/2 blue and black unblockable Elemental)
- Elemental Uprising (4/4 Elemental with Haste)
- Hissing Quagmire (2/2 black and green Elemental with Deathtouch)
- Embodiment of Fury and Embodiment of Insight (3/3 Elemental with Haste)
- Hydroform (3/3 blue Elemental with Flying)
- Ignition Team (4/4 red Elemental)
- Izzet Keyrune (2/1 blue and red Elemental artifact creature).
- Koth of the Hammer (4/4 red Elemental)
- Lavaclaw Reaches(2/2 black and red Elemental with "
: This creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn.") - Needle Spires (2/1 red and white Elemental with Double strike)
- Nissa, Worldwaker (4/4 colorles Elemental with Trample)
- Raging Ravine (3/3 red and green Elemental with "Whenever this creature attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on it.")
- Skarrg Guildmage (4/4 colorless Elemental)
- Stalking Stones (3/3 colorless Elemental artifact creature)
- Stirring Wildwood (3/4 green and white Elemental creature with reach)
- Wandering Fumarole (1/4 blue and red Elemental with with "
: Switch this creature's power and toughness until end of turn." ) - Vastwood Animist (X/X Elemental creature until end of turn, where X is the number of Allies you control)
- Wall of Resurgence (0/0 Elemental with Haste)
- Woodwraith Corrupter (4/4 black and green Elemental Horror)
- The awaken mechanic.
Creature 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)
- Spuzzem (Floral Spuzzem)
- Thundermare (Thundermare), as well as Horse
References
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Plane Shift: Innistrad
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Terese Nielsen. (February 27, 2008) Magic Lorwyn Art by Terese Nielsen... who???
- ↑ Wikipedia entry on Salamander (legendary creature)
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Plane Shift: Zendikar
- ↑ Magic Arcana (May 25, 2006). "Dissension Token Art". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
