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In ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'', '''creature''' is a [[permanent]] [[card type]].
[[File:Creature symbol.svg|thumb|left|100px|The ''Future Sight'' symbol for Creature cards.]]
 
'''Creatures''' represent warriors, minions, beasts and monsters that serve the player, usually by fighting on his or her behalf. Because almost all creatures can attack each turn to reduce an opponent's life, or block the opponent's attackers, creature cards are fundamental to most deck strategies.
 
   
 
Flavorfully, creatures represent [[Warrior]]s, [[Minion]]s, [[Beast]]s and [[Monster]]s that serve the player, usually by fighting on their behalf. Because almost all creatures can attack each turn to reduce an opponent's life, or block the opponent's attackers, creature cards are fundamental to most deck strategies.
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==Description==
 
Creatures are played on the player's own [[main phase]], when the [[stack]] is empty. When a creature comes into play or changes controllers, it has what is commonly called "[[summoning sickness]]" until the beginning of its controllers next turn. A creature with summoning sickness cannot attack or use an [[activated ability]] with the [[tap]] symbol in its cost, but it can block or use any other abilities it has. A tapped creature cannot attack, block, or become tapped as a cost.
 
Creatures are played on the player's own [[main phase]], when the [[stack]] is empty. When a creature comes into play or changes controllers, it has what is commonly called "[[summoning sickness]]" until the beginning of its controllers next turn. A creature with summoning sickness cannot attack or use an [[activated ability]] with the [[tap]] symbol in its cost, but it can block or use any other abilities it has. A tapped creature cannot attack, block, or become tapped as a cost.
   
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Unlike other [[card type]]s, almost all creature cards have a [[subtype]], also referred to as a "[[creature type]]." There are no rules inherent to creature types, but there are many cards that affect specific types. In addition, creature types are often associated with particular colors and abilities, typically for flavor purposes. For example, [[Angel]]s are almost always large [[white]] [[flying]] creatures, [[Spider]]s are typically [[green]] creatures with high toughness and [[reach]], and [[Goblin]]s are often small [[red]] creatures with self-destructive abilities.
 
Unlike other [[card type]]s, almost all creature cards have a [[subtype]], also referred to as a "[[creature type]]." There are no rules inherent to creature types, but there are many cards that affect specific types. In addition, creature types are often associated with particular colors and abilities, typically for flavor purposes. For example, [[Angel]]s are almost always large [[white]] [[flying]] creatures, [[Spider]]s are typically [[green]] creatures with high toughness and [[reach]], and [[Goblin]]s are often small [[red]] creatures with self-destructive abilities.
   
==Faster, stronger, better==
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===Faster, stronger, better===
Creatures are nowadays better than they were ten or fifteen or twenty years ago. This is because the fundamental imbalance in power between creatures and [[spells]] that ''[[Alpha]]'' introduced.<ref>{{DailyRef|latest-developments/dealing-power-creep-2013-08-09|Dealing With Power Creep|[[Sam Stoddard]]|August 9, 2013}}</ref> Since ''Alpha'' There has been an ongoing effort to make creatures stronger in comparison to [[non-permanents]].<ref>{{EzTumblr|http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/16583893079/is-the-power-creep-that-seems-to-have-happened-with|title=Power creep that seems to have happened|January 27, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|latest-developments/where-wild-things-are-2013-11-15|Where the Wild Things Are|[[Sam Stoddard]]|November 15, 2013}}</ref>
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Creatures are nowadays better than they were ten or fifteen or twenty years ago. In ''[[Alpha]]'' there was a fundamental imbalance in power between creatures and [[spells]].<ref>{{DailyRef|latest-developments/dealing-power-creep-2013-08-09|Dealing With Power Creep|[[Sam Stoddard]]|August 9, 2013}}</ref> Since ''Alpha'' there has been an ongoing effort to make creatures stronger in comparison to [[non-permanents]].<ref>{{EzTumblr|http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/16583893079/is-the-power-creep-that-seems-to-have-happened-with|title=Power creep that seems to have happened|January 27, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|latest-developments/where-wild-things-are-2013-11-15|Where the Wild Things Are|[[Sam Stoddard]]|November 15, 2013}}</ref>
   
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===Small, medium, large===
==Friendly to creatures==
 
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The ''[[Mystery Booster]]'' test card <c>Scaled Destruction</c> defines small creatures as having a total [[power and toughness]] 4 or less, medium is 5-8, and large is 9 or more.
Green and white are the main creature colors (they have the highest percentage of creatures versus spells) so they most often like you having creatures (they reward you for playing them, having a certain number on the [[battlefield]] or in your [[hand]], etc.).<ref name="Color Pie 2017">{{DailyRef|making-magic/mechanical-color-pie-2017-2017-06-05|Mechanical Color Pie 2017|[[Mark Rosewater]]|June 5, 2017}}</ref>
 
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===Modified===
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The ''Mystery Booster'' test card <c>Louvaq, the Aberrant</c> defines modified creatures as having a [[power]], [[toughness]], or [[ability]] different than their printed versions.
   
 
==Rules==
 
==Rules==
{{CR|Creatures}}
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{{CR+G|Creature|s}}
{{CR|glossary|Creature}}
 
   
 
===Subtypes===
 
===Subtypes===
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The [[subtype]] for creatures is called [[creature type]] and shared with [[tribal]]s.
{{main|Creature type}}
 
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{{CR|glossary|Creature Type}}
 
 
==Friendly to creatures==
 
[[Green]] and [[white]] are the main creature colors (they have the highest percentage of creatures versus spells) so they most often like you having creatures (they reward you for playing them, having a certain number on the [[battlefield]] or in your [[hand]], etc.).<ref name="Color Pie 2017">{{DailyRef|making-magic/mechanical-color-pie-2017-2017-06-05|Mechanical Color Pie 2017|[[Mark Rosewater]]|June 5, 2017}}</ref>
   
 
==References==
 
==References==

Revision as of 07:33, 16 July 2020

Creature
Creature symbol
Card Type
Subtype Creature type
Scryfall Search
type:"Creature"

In Magic: The Gathering, creature is a permanent card type.

Flavorfully, creatures represent Warriors, Minions, Beasts and Monsters that serve the player, usually by fighting on their behalf. Because almost all creatures can attack each turn to reduce an opponent's life, or block the opponent's attackers, creature cards are fundamental to most deck strategies.

Description

Creatures are played on the player's own main phase, when the stack is empty. When a creature comes into play or changes controllers, it has what is commonly called "summoning sickness" until the beginning of its controllers next turn. A creature with summoning sickness cannot attack or use an activated ability with the tap symbol in its cost, but it can block or use any other abilities it has. A tapped creature cannot attack, block, or become tapped as a cost.

On the bottom-right corner of each creature card is that creature's power and toughness, respectively. The power is the amount of damage a creature deals to an opponent or other creatures in combat, and the toughness is the amount of damage a creature can survive. A creature with damage equal to or greater than its toughness has "lethal damage," and is destroyed. Similarly, a creature whose toughness is reduced to zero or less will go to its owner's graveyard (though it is technically not destroyed.) Any damage a creature takes will accumulate until the end of the turn, when all damage is removed from all creatures.

Unlike other card types, almost all creature cards have a subtype, also referred to as a "creature type." There are no rules inherent to creature types, but there are many cards that affect specific types. In addition, creature types are often associated with particular colors and abilities, typically for flavor purposes. For example, Angels are almost always large white flying creatures, Spiders are typically green creatures with high toughness and reach, and Goblins are often small red creatures with self-destructive abilities.

Faster, stronger, better

Creatures are nowadays better than they were ten or fifteen or twenty years ago. In Alpha there was a fundamental imbalance in power between creatures and spells.[1] Since Alpha there has been an ongoing effort to make creatures stronger in comparison to non-permanents.[2][3]

Small, medium, large

The Mystery Booster test card Scaled Destruction defines small creatures as having a total power and toughness 4 or less, medium is 5-8, and large is 9 or more.

Modified

The Mystery Booster test card Louvaq, the Aberrant defines modified creatures as having a power, toughness, or ability different than their printed versions.

Rules

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (April 12, 2024—Outlaws of Thunder Junction)

Creature
A card type. A creature is a permanent. See rule 302, “Creatures.”

From the Comprehensive Rules (April 12, 2024—Outlaws of Thunder Junction)

  • 302. Creatures
    • 302.1. A player who has priority may cast a creature card from their hand during a main phase of their turn when the stack is empty. Casting a creature as a spell uses the stack. (See rule 601, “Casting Spells.”)
    • 302.2. When a creature spell resolves, its controller puts it onto the battlefield under their control.
    • 302.3. Creature subtypes are always a single word and are listed after a long dash: “Creature — Human Soldier,” “Artifact Creature — Golem,” and so on. Creature subtypes are also called creature types. Creatures may have multiple subtypes. See rule 205.3m for the complete list of creature types.

      Example: “Creature — Goblin Wizard” means the card is a creature with the subtypes Goblin and Wizard.

    • 302.4. Power and toughness are characteristics only creatures have.
      • 302.4a A creature’s power is the amount of damage it deals in combat.
      • 302.4b A creature’s toughness is the amount of damage needed to destroy it.
      • 302.4c To determine a creature’s power and toughness, start with the numbers printed in its lower right corner, then apply any applicable continuous effects. (See rule 613, “Interaction of Continuous Effects.”)
    • 302.5. Creatures can attack and block. (See rule 508, “Declare Attackers Step,” and rule 509, “Declare Blockers Step.”)
    • 302.6. A creature’s activated ability with the tap symbol or the untap symbol in its activation cost can’t be activated unless the creature has been under its controller’s control continuously since their most recent turn began. A creature can’t attack unless it has been under its controller’s control continuously since their most recent turn began. This rule is informally called the “summoning sickness” rule.
    • 302.7. Damage dealt to a creature by a source with neither wither nor infect is marked on that creature (see rule 120.3). If the total damage marked on that creature is greater than or equal to its toughness, that creature has been dealt lethal damage and is destroyed as a state-based action (see rule 704). All damage marked on a creature is removed when it regenerates (see rule 701.15, “Regenerate”) and during the cleanup step (see rule 514.2).

Subtypes

The subtype for creatures is called creature type and shared with tribals.

Friendly to creatures

Green and white are the main creature colors (they have the highest percentage of creatures versus spells) so they most often like you having creatures (they reward you for playing them, having a certain number on the battlefield or in your hand, etc.).[4]

References

  1. Sam Stoddard (August 9, 2013). "Dealing With Power Creep". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. Mark Rosewater (January 27, 2012). "Power creep that seems to have happened". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  3. Sam Stoddard (November 15, 2013). "Where the Wild Things Are". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  4. Mark Rosewater (June 5, 2017). "Mechanical Color Pie 2017". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.