History MagicTheGathering / FlavorAndStoryTropes

* MagicTheGathering/FlavorAndStoryTropesAToE
* MagicTheGathering/FlavorAndStoryTropesFToO

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[[folder:A-B]]
* AbnormalAmmo: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=159328 Akki Coalflinger]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=146447 Fodder Launch]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4618 Mogg Cannon]]... the examples are endless (and mostly goblin-based). [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=26837 Deadapult]] is a zombie-based version that's no less hilarious.
* AbortedArc: The pre-revision comics were leading up to the Planeswalker War, but the comic line was canceled before it could be published. Some of the characters involved, like Freyalise, Taysir, and Tevesh Szat have turned up later in modern storylines, but details on what actually went down are extraordinarily vague.
* AbsurdlySpaciousSewer: Those in the city-world of Ravnica (they're Ravnica's swamps/black mana sources). They're so vast, they're called the "[[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=289320 Undercity]]".
* ActuallyADoombot:
** Volrath's Shapeshifter in ''Stronghold'', as represented on the card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=5138 Scapegoat]].
** In ''Literature/TestOfMetal'', after [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=217826 Tezzeret]] [[spoiler:curb-stomps Nicol Bolas]], it's revealed that [[spoiler:it was just a disposable simulacrum of Bolas the whole time]] -- and that [[spoiler:Tezzeret knew that all along. [[IKnowYouKnowIKnow And, possibly, that Bolas knew that Tezzeret knew]]]].
* AfterTheEnd: Several times. There's the downfall of the Thran, the sylex blast that started the Ice Age, the two giant meteor strikes at Madara, the ''Apocalypse'' set, the coming of Karona, and finally, ''Time Spiral'' block, which is the closest to the trope. (Of course, it's ''Time Spiral'', so it's before, after, and three seconds to the left of the end.)
* AIIsACrapshoot: Memnarch, a golem left behind by the creator of Mirrodin to guard the plane, goes insane and tries to become a planeswalker itself. Though this is at least partly due to external influence.
* AlienInvasion: The subject of three separate sets/blocks.
** Phyrexia attempted to invade Dominaria in the aptly named ''Invasion'' block. Phyrexia is another plane rather than another planet, but AlienInvaders is a spot-on description of its role. They even have giant spaceships with laser beams and everything (seen fighting Urza's PoweredArmor on [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=25749 Searing Rays]], for example). This attempt would fail, but later sets taking place on Dominaria show that the scars never really healed.
** The Phyrexians would try again in ''Scars of Mirrodin,'' this time striking from the plane's hollow core rather than from another plane. The success of this invasion is best described by the names of the set in the block. In order, they are ''Scars of Mirrodin, Mirrodin Besieged, [[TheBadGuyWins New Phyrexia]].''
** Nicol Bolas and his army of Eternal zombies from Amonkhet invading [[CityPlanet Ravnica]] would be the focus of ''War of the Spark.'' [[SealedEvilInACan It didn't go well for Bolas]].
* AlienSky:
** Mirrodin has four (later five) moons -- which shine and thus are also interchangeably called suns. There's no indication that it has any ''normal'' suns, either...
** Also, Dominaria has two moons (although one of them got blown up), and Esper's night sky is covered in a grid, making it appear like a huge star chart.
** Esper gets even screwier when it rejoins the other 4 shards. Many cards from Alara Reborn feature skies with visible boundaries from what was once one plane and what was another.
* AlternateUniverse: ''Planar Chaos'', which shows a hundred alternate Dominarias, such as one where bad guy [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=29947 Braids, Cabal Minion]] becomes helpful [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=124316 Braids, Conjurer Adept]]. Some of these cards were genuine "What If?" questions, others were "This card, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=122338 Prodigal Pyromancer]] is functionally identical to this classic of a different color, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=108906 Prodigal Sorcerer]], so serves as a retcon of what the card should have been printed as from the beginning had the design philosophy of the game been consistent from the start." (Eventually some, like the Pyromancer, would be reprinted in the new color. The timeline straightening itself out as it were.)
* AllTrollsAreDifferent: A historically somewhat varied creature type, but often hexproof -- that is, unable to be targeted by opponents' spells -- and capable of regenerating health. The hexproof part is so iconic (though primarily through the efforts of [[https://scryfall.com/card/cm2/146/troll-ascetic Troll Ascetic]]) that before it was known officially as "hexproof", the ability "cannot be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control" was often known by the FanNickname "troll shroud" (after the keyword "shroud" for "cannot be the target of spells or abilities [controlled by anyone]"). In terms of flavor, modern trolls have settled fairly consistently into being big, Green, primitive and ogreish humanoids. Notable breaks from this pattern do occur from time to time, however.
** Ravnica's trolls are lanky, horned and often reduced to living on the fringes of society.
** Mirrodin's trolls are green-skinned, entirely noseless and have sheets of copper growing from their bodies (which is admittedly part for the course for living things on Mirrodin). They're native to the bio-metallic forest of the Tangle, and were already near extinct by the rise of New Phyrexia -- [[https://scryfall.com/card/mb1/1358/thrun-the-last-trollonly one troll was left in the whole plane]].
** The trolls in the dark fairytale plane of Shadowmoor are short, spiny, long-nosed beings and referred to as "trow" -- an old folkloric name for trolls.
** Eldraine, being inspired by the Arthurian mythos and the tales of the Brothers Grimm, features [[https://scryfall.com/card/eld/84/clackbridge-troll two]] [[https://scryfall.com/card/eld/327/gluttonous-troll trolls]] directly derived from the troll-under-the-bridge archetype.
* AlternativeCalendar: Dominaria has one -- denoted as AR, for "Agrivian Reckoning," with year 1 being the birth of Urza and Mishra.
* AluminumChristmasTrees: The universe represented in ''Theros'' is based on Greek mythology and history, filled with hydras, gorgons, and centaurs. With that in mind, players might be forgiven for thinking that Vulpine Goliath ([[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin an enormous fox]]) was an AssPull, but [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teumessian_fox it's not]].
** Similarly, ''Amonkhet'' has the Prowling Serpopard, a "Cat Snake" which looks and sounds like something out of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', but is an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpopard actual Egyptian mythological animal]].
* AlwaysNight: The plane of Shadowmoor is always night, while its foil Lorwyn is always noon. Granted, they're actually the same world, just on different sides of a reeeeeeallllllly long day-night cycle, but the change also warps the inhabitants' personalities and the environment, so they're counted as separate areas.
** The Alara shard of [[DeathWorld Grixis]], with its lack of white mana, is also like this.
* AmbiguouslyGay:
** Ertai and the Prodigal Sorcerer got a ''lot'' of this joke in ''[=InQuest Gamer=]''.
** The way that Chandra Nalaar and Nissa Revane interact give a lot of fans a Korrasami vibe, taken to an even further extreme during ''War of the Spark''.
* AmericanGothicCouple: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4558 Orcish Settlers]]
* AnachronismStew: Various minor examples. Any given expansion encompasses some length of time, so sometimes you have cards in the same set representing notably distant points in the timeline.
* AncientGrome: ''Almost'' averted in ''Theros'', where the set's designers consciously decided to focus on Greek rather than Roman influences. A single Roman influence slipped through, however, i.e. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Discussion.aspx?multiverseid=378507 Raised by Wolves]].
* AndManGrewProud: In the ''Zendikar'' expansion, the Eldrazi once terrorized the plane, but were [[SealedEvilInACan sealed away]] long ago. Now, they're remembered only in scraps of legends, and their true nature has been forgotten. Many believe them to be ancient gods who created the plane. Of course, in ''Rise of the Eldrazi'', they get unsealed...
* AnimalBattleAura: ''Rise of the Eldrazi'''s [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=o%3A%22totem+armor%22+e%3Arise&v=scan&s=cname Totem Armor auras.]]
* AnimatingArtifact: Karn is a silver golem who was created by Urza and Barrin as a sentient being capable of feel emotions and decide on his own destiny. He also has the power to animate other artifacts like him (he's considerated a Legendary Artifact Creature in-game), as seen in "[[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=karn%2C+silver+golem Karn, Silver Golem]]" card, that allows the player to convert its artifacts into artifact creatures until the end of the turn.
* AnotherDimension: The multiverse is ''full'' of them.
* AntiHero: Urza dug up more than one ArtifactOfDoom, fought a war with his own brother that ended in a FantasticNuke destroying an entire continent, personally destroyed an entire plane (which, to be fair, was already ruined by a PyrricVictory against Phyrexians), and had about one healthy interpersonal relationship in his entire life. And he is ''unquestionably'' the good guy in his conflict against Yawgmoth.
* AntiVillain: Apparently, the Red Phyrexians of ''New Phyrexia''. They are hardly good or kind people, but the influence of red mana remains strong, rendering them capable of independent thought, creativity, and even mercy and compassion. They even seem opposed to what they see as cruelty, which would include a lot of the actions other New Phyrexian factions have taken.
* AppropriatedAppellation: Tezzeret was never given a name by his father. Growing up in the slums, his peers gave him the nickname "Tezzeret", meaning 'a concealed, improvised weapon' after he won a fight with a bully by shivving him. The name stuck.
* ApocalypseHow:
** Spirit patrons raging over the kidnapping of one of their own? [[spoiler:Kamigawa.]]
** A reconverting of five mini-planes into one singular plane? [[spoiler:Shards of Alara.]]
** An unraveling of the strands of time? [[spoiler:Time Spiral.]]
** How about the world changing every fifty or so years to a "dark" version? [[spoiler:Lorwyn turns into Shadowmoor.]]
** {{Eldritch Abomination}}s emerge from their prisons into a living world that hates their alien magic? [[spoiler:Zendikar.]]
** A relentless evil that is essentially [[TheCorruption The Corruption]] personified and has been growing and festering in the core of the Plane ever since its creation finally amasses enough military power to launch a full-scale invasion headed by the twisted, corrupted husks of the Plane's own legendary heroes from ages past [[spoiler:up to ''and including'' the Plane's creator himself]]? [[spoiler:Scars of Mirrodin.]]
** Humans being exterminated en masse by zombies, werewolves, vampires, demons, possessed trees, and other unspeakable horrors of the night? [[spoiler:Innistrad.]]
** Ten Guilds being forced to run a a maze in an attempt to either bring peace or destroy them all? [[spoiler:Return to Ravnica.]]
** An EldritchAbomination too powerful for even the world's greatest heroes only spares the world because the stars are not yet right? [[spoiler:Shadows over Innistrad.]]
** An interdimensional invader setting off a plan put into motion decades before, almost completely annihilating a culture and bringing about a zombie apocalypse? [[spoiler:Amonkhet.]]
** Artificially-created planes are often inherently unstable, usually due to their mana being unbalanced in favor of their planeswalker's creators alignment, and tend to collapse.
* ArabianNightsDays: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin The very first expansion was called "Arabian Nights"]], and focused on themes and creatures drawn from Middle Eastern history and mythology such as djinn, Ali Baba and Sinbad's travels -- and a lot of desert.
* ArcWelding: No matter how isolated a particular storyline may seem... it ''will'' be tied into all the rest.
* ArcWords: Each time a Planeswalker joins the Gatewatch, they get a card called "Oath of ..." to commemorate it. The flavor text of each Oath includes the phrase, "I will keep watch."
** "I will keep watch," is also [[spoiler: Gideon Jura's epitaph]].
* ArrowsOnFire: Occasionally seen in artwork, e.g. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=151149 Fire at Will]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=386481 Arrow Storm]].
* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=83471 Braids takes up petty extortion as a hobby.]]
* TheArtifact: If you can believe it, the ''spells'' in a game called ''Magic.'' In the early days of the game, all Enchantments, Sorceries, Instants and Interrupts represented magical spells that the player as a Planeswalker would unleash in battle against their opponent, even the more esoteric ones like [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2373 Wrath of God]]. However as time went on and in particular as the game became more story-focused (especially around about the time of ''Weatherlight'' and the start of the original Rath arc), spells started to include things that were more like story events or personal actions by the characters, such as [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4573 Debt of Loyalty]] or [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4750 Broken Fall]]. As this became more common, the actual "magical" part of your spells became somewhat of an afterthought.
* ArtifactOfDoom: The [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=212635 Mirari]], an artifact of vast power that warps and mutates reality around itself and drives the wielder to insanity.
** Even worse is the Chained Veil, an artifact Liliana Vess picked up on behalf of one of her demon shareholders. The veil elevates her power to incredible levels. Not quite that of an Oldwalker, but certainly enough to mop the floor with her demons. Unfortunately, it takes a large toll on the wielder, and tries to corrupt them.
* ArtificialHuman:
** The Metathran. Most were basically [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=15157 emotionless]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=19096 loyal soldiers]], but their commanders, Thaddeus and Agnate, were granted sentience to make them more effective planners and leaders.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129803 Phyrexian Newts]] [[TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse as spies]].
** The gods of Theros fashioned the artificial human Calix to pursue Elspeth Tirel after she escaped from the underworld. When she attempted to Planeswalk away, Calix followed, [[AchievementsInIgnorance even though created beings can't develope a Planeswalker Spark]] in official canon.
* ArtificialLimbs: Commonly seen in both Esper and Phyrexia. Notably, the planeswalker [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=174912 Tezzeret]]'s right arm.
* ArtInitiatesLife: They don't call [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=40578 Ixidor]] "Reality ''Sculptor''" for nothing.
* AscendedFanboy: When we first met Sarkhan, he was a dragon fanboy looking for a dragon who deserved his adorations (and who got a severe case of BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor when he met Nicol Bolas). Nowadays he's free from Bolas, mastered draconic magic to the point he can freely shapeshift into one of them, found a new dragon to be loyal to in Ugin, [[spoiler:saving Ugin's life from Bolas by altering the past, and doing so he saved the dragons of his own world from extinction and made them its rulers instead]].
-->'''Sarkhan Vol:''' Now I fly with ''dragons!''
* AscendedMeme:
** The legend of a player who shredded their (now-expensive, but then worth maybe a dollar) [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=603 Chaos Orb]] card to win a game (it destroys any card it touches when dropped onto the field) eventually got acknowledged in the [[BizarroEpisode Unglued]] set as [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=5712 Chaos Confetti]], which instructs the player to shred the card for the same effect.
** The art and flavor text on the card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=366433 Totally Lost]] depicts a tiny, frightened homunculus named Fblthp. The community took such a shining to him that he got [[http://archive.wizards.com/Magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/ur/236 his own short story]] and has appeared in the background of two other cards, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=383403 Statute of Denial]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=382395 Unquestioned Authority]] (he's still lost). As of ''War of the Spark'', he has his own card: [[https://scryfall.com/card/war/50/fblthp-the-lost Fblthp, the Lost]].
** A more storyline related one: In ''Oath of the Gatewatch'''s storyline, the finishing blow in the Eldrazi came when Nissa (a Green mage) casts a spell that helps her channel a massive amount of mana from her own lifeforce and from Zendikar itself into Chandra (a Red mage), who then casts a powerful fire spell. Any old-time fan will recognize this as the oldest combo in the history of ''Magic'' -- [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=144 Channel]] + [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=197 Fireball]].
* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: Planeswalkers start off as normal people, and some traumatic or life-changing event causes their Planeswalker spark to ignite and immediately whoosh them away.
* {{Atlantis}}: The original Merfolk lord was [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=106642 Lord of Atlantis]]. Later, "Atlantis" was {{Retcon}}ned to be a human corruption of the proper Merfolk name, "[[http://wiki.mtgsalvation.com/article/Etlan_Shiis Etlan Shiis]]".
* AttackAttackRetreatRetreat: Rather frequently used. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=97207]]
* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: Common result of green pump spells, e.g. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=8822 Might of Oaks]]'s giant squirrel.
* BackFromTheBrink: Humanity in Innistrad was on the verge of extinction after years of Avacyn's absence, with towns being destroyed by undead, werewolf packs, and worse, with humanity desperately struggling against the dark. Once Avacyn was released from the Helvault, she joins them in a war to take back what was lost. [[spoiler:However, with the introduction of ''Shadows over Innistrad'', the humans now have to contend with [[http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-story/gaze-blank-and-pitiless-2016-03-09 Avacyn]] ''herself'']].
* BackFromTheDead: The Planeswalker Elspeth was betrayed by Theros' sun god, Heliod, and consigned to the plane's underworld. She refused to accept this fate, and fought her way out; the Saga card ''Elspeth Conquers Death'' depicts her struggle. Fittingly, her title changes from ''Elspeth, Sun's Champion,'' to ''Elspeth, Sun's Nemesis,'' as a result of Heliod's betrayal.
* BackToBackBadasses:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=153301 Thistledown Duo]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=153963 Safehold Duo]] from ''Shadowmoor''.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=205110 Palace Guard]]
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=97208 Tibor and Lumia]]
** Brothers Yamazaki ([[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=78968 left]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=85106 right]]). Also a gameplay example since two copies are allowed on the battlefield simultaneously despite being legendary creatures and each supports the other.
* BadassCrew: The crew of the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=26480 Skyship Weatherlight]].
* BadassFamily:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=80256 Seshiro the Annointed]] from Kamigawa and his legendary family, among which are the shaman [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=80254 Sachi, Daughter of Seshiro]] and the warrior [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=78989 Sosuke, Son of Seshiro]].
** Also, the aforementioned Umezawas, Toshiro and his descendant, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=201234 Tetsuo Umezawa]], one of the only, if not the only, person to defeat Magic's resident BigBad [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=178020 Nicol Bolas]] one on one. Then again, Bolas only really became a GodModeSue [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=260991 after he returned]] in Time Spiral.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=106398 Kamahl]] and his sister [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=36451 Jeska]].
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=398453 The Nalaar family]] isn't too shabby either -- Pia and Kiran are good at killing things with exploding robots, and their daughter Chandra is one of Magic's burniest planeswalkers.
* BadassNormal: Yawgmoth started out as one of these.
* BadassPreacher: Most white creatures of the Cleric subtype (black Clerics fall under SinisterMinister). In particular, the priests of Innistrad join the fight against the dark forces.
* TheBadGuyWins:
** The Phyrexian Guys Win in the ''Scars of Mirrodin'' block. Mirrodin is now New Phyrexia.
** Nicol Bolas may be driven off, but he may have already completed what he needed to do at the plane. By the time Ajani forced him away from Alara, Bolas had already regained his strength with the Conflux fusing the shards of Alara. Hour of Devastation reveals Bolas as the God-Pharaoh of Amonkhet and has a cycle of cards depicting the defeat of the Gatewatch at his hands.
** After the Gatewatch cast the spell that imprisoned Emrakul in Innistrad's moon, everyone that was directly involved ends up with the uneasy feeling that Emrakul not only allowed it to happen, but [[AllAccordingToPlan that she gotten exactly what she wanted all along]].
* BadMoonRising:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Bad%20Moon Bad Moon]] gives a +1/+1 boost to black creatures.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=83008 Blood Moon]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2615 Chaos Moon]] screw with everyone's mana.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=222933 Moonmist]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=241981 Full Moon's Rise]] from Innistrad. The former transforms all Werewolves while the latter makes them more powerful.
** The main plot point with the set titled [[http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/announcing-eldritch-moon-2016-02-08 Eldritch Moon]], again based in Innistrad.
* BaldWomen:
** The [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=32224 Cabal Surgeon]] card features this trope.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=23321 Tsabo Tavoc]] represents an evil, insanely creepy one.
* BalefulPolymorph: Seen on a variety of cards, typically blue. Examples include [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=157401 Snakeform]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129015 Pongify]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=126212 Ovinize]], and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=5822 Fowl Play]], among others. The [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=108863 Ovinomancer]] is a wizard that does this to other creatures.
* BarbarianTribe: The [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220495 Gathans]] are the result of a super soldier program gone awry upon the [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Keldon Barbarian tribes]], resulting in a group of [[AlwaysChaoticEvil batshit barely sentient marauding murder machines]].
* BarrierMaiden:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=141822 Ashling]] in the ''Lorwyn'' storyline was supposed to take this role and help the flamekin transition from Lorwyn to Shadowmoor. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=151137 She didn't go along with it, though]].
** Kyodai, the girl you may know as [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=74644 That Which Was Taken]], [[spoiler:fused with [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=84359 Michiko Konda]], her spirit-sister,]] to become the new protector and embodiment of the barrier between the mortal world and the spirit world.
* BaseOnWheels: The Abzan of Tarkir are [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=386480 fans of this trope]].
* BashBrothers:
** The Shadowmoor set had a cycle of [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=e%3Ashadowmoor+duo&v=scan&s=cname five pairs of Bash Brothers]]. There's also [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=205110 Palace Guard]], and the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=78968 Brothers Yamazaki]] (who are literal brothers as well).
** Also [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=198167 these channelers]], who like the aforementioned Shadowmoor cycle, have two separate class types listed to reflect both participants.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=205957 Ajani Goldmane's]] unique brand of magic is the ability to bring out and manifest the best and strongest aspects of another person in physical form. His preferred brother in arms? His elder brother, Jazal Goldmane. Together they were said to be unstoppable.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=179585 Marisi's Twinclaws]]
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=207929 Your choice!]]
* BatmanGambit: In his mission to destroy Phyrexia, Urza deliberately included Tevesh Szat, a TokenEvilTeammate, in his group because he [[BatmanGambit correctly predicted]] that said teammate would betray them. Urza had invented a way to turn a soul into a FantasticNuke, but in order to use it, he would need to destroy the soul of a fellow planeswalker, and Tevesh Szat's inevitable betrayal would give Urza an excuse to kill him and power the bomb.
* BatOutOfHell: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=202276 Vampire Bats]], among [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=t%3Abat others]].
* BatteringRam: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3765 Battering Ram]]
* BattleBoomerang: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=198395 Somewhat underwhelming unfortunately]].
* BattleCouple: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=97208 Tibor and Lumia]], the Izzet Champions
* BattleCry: Used by the Mirrans in ''Mirrodin Besieged''. They have a surprisingly deep variety of battle cries--[[http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/stf/129 Doug Beyer discusses it in great detail in his weekly column]].
* BazaarOfTheBizarre:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=19894 Mercadia's famous markets]].
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3326 Bazaar of Wonders]]
** And the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=201220 Bazaar of Baghdad]]. Especially bizarre considering how many words it took to say so little.
* BeamOWar: Seen in the art of [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=179544 Double Negative]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=23102 Mages' Contest]].
* TheBeastmaster: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=247323 Garruk Wildspeaker]] is the most prominent example, although there are others, usually one-of green rares like [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=1534 Master of the Wild Hunt]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=6142 Keeper of the Beasts]], or [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193638 Beastbreaker of Bala Ged]].
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: [[ANaziByAnyOtherName If Lorwyn's elves are to be believed...]]
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: ''Judgment'''s [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=wish+e%3Ajudgment&v=card&s=cname cycle of Wish cards]], the flavour text of each of which is a variant on the following: "He wished for X, but not for the [RequiredSecondaryPower] to [effectively use] it." Future Sight adds [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=136157 one more]].
* BeeBeeGun: [[http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=5173 Hornet Cannon]].
* BeePeople:
** Slivers behave like a hive species, led by the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=5233 Sliver Queen]].
** The faeries of Lorwyn/Shadowmoor block are all born from [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=152063 Oona, Queen of the Fae]].
** And then there's [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=201201 literal bee people.]]
* BerserkerTears: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=21293 Tears of Rage]]. Also, they're on fire.
* {{BFS}}:
** Favored by [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=106398 Kamahl]], [[http://www.wizards.com/mtg/images/daily/wallpapers/WP_DvDAkroma_2560x1600.jpg Akroma]], and many others.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193517 Ogre's Cleaver]].
* BigBad: There are two big contenders and several others:
** The mechanical demon-god Yawgmoth in pretty much all of the storylines from ''Antiquities'' to the end of the ''Weatherlight'' saga was arguably the most powerful being in TheMultiverse. And even long after his death, his creation, Phyrexia, lives on, and is now infecting Mirrodin.
** Much later, during the ''Alara'' storyline, the elder dragon [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=266154 Nicol Bolas]] (a character from the game's early days) stepped in as the foremost threat to Dominia's stability.
** There have been a few other, smaller Big Bads in between, including the vampire overlord [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=159208 Baron Sengir]] in ''Homelands'', the golem wizard [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220532 Memnarch]] in ''Mirrodin'' (himself a victim of the Phyrexian taint), and the corrupt human king [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=78594 Daimyo Konda]] in ''Kamigawa''.
** It is clear that the EldritchAbomination gods Eldrazi awakened during the Zendikar are actually a menace threatening the entire multiverse. Gideon, Sorin and others gathered allies to bring the fight to them.
* BigBeautifulWoman: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193629 Deathless Angel]] is noticibly chubby, but, being an angel, is still portrayed as quite lovely.
* BigCreepyCrawlies: Giant bugs are a staple creature type, especially in green and black.
* BigDamnHeroes: A few examples throughout the series. Notably Chandra in Oath of the Gatewatch. The card Impeccable Timing seems to represent this happening too.
** War of the Spark has a cycle of cards calling back to the Defeat cycle from Amonkhet. The Defeats illustrated Bolas stomping the Gatewatch. War of the Spark's version are Triumphs, showing the same five Planeswalkers rallying against and ultimately defeating Bolas' army of Eternals.
* BigGood: On Innistrad, humans looked to the archangel [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=239961 Avacyn, Angel of Hope]] for deliverance from the horrors of their plane... but she's not the Big Good. That would be her creator.[[spoiler:.. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=368535 Sorin]] [[BigWhat Markov?!]]]]
* BioAugmentation:
** The primary goal and identity of the Simic guild of Ravnica is artificially engineering superior life-forms. Their guild mechanic is "Graft", which is flavored as attaching cytoplast modifications to creatures.
** And in the Gatecrash set, Simic's new shtick is the "evolve" mechanic, in which their creatures augment ''themselves,'' ostensibly by mimicking the favorable traits of other creatures they spend enough time around.
** In an odd example, Phyrexia biologically augments non-biological creatures.
** The schtick of the {{Kaiju}} plane of Ikoria is that this happens spontaneously to Ikorian wildlife. This results in mishmashes like Wolf Bears, Dinosaur Hippos, and Bird Serpents. The Mutate mechanic (essentially smashing two creatures into one) is meant to depict this in process.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:The ending to the ''Godsend'' novel is a pretty cruel one. Xenagos is slain and order returned to Theros, but Elspeth is killed and winds up in the Underworld, Heliod gets away with everything, and Elspeth's sacrifice turns out to be senseless as it condemns a Returned Daxos to a shadow of life searching endlessly for her.]]
** Likewise the Shadows Over Innistrad block. [[spoiler:Sure, the Gatewatch managed to seal away Emrakul, but at the cost of any protection the plane had with the unmaking of Avacyn, 2/3 of the lesser angels destroyed or fallen, leaving Sigarda as the only Angelic defender truly on the side of humanity...or what's left of them, too, after Emrakul's corruption mutated a large portion into nightmarish beasts. And Emrakul's sealing? Aided by Emrakul herself, leading one to wonder whether it was really a win at all...]]
** There's also the end of the Amonkhet block. [[spoiler:Many people from Naktamun survived Bolas's invasion and have been led to safety by Hazoret and other warriors, but Naktamun is completely destroyed, Bolas got the army of undead warriors he wanted (along with two god-level monsters), Hazoret is crippled, and the survivors have to now survive in an extremely hostile desert environment crawling with undead and other monstrosities.]]
** Finally, the end of the War of the Spark. [[spoiler:Nicol Bolas is finally defeated, being held in the Meditation Realm for all eternity with Ugin watching over him. But many lives were lost and Gideon ultimately sacrificed his own life to save Liliana's. While Liliana was instrumental in Bolas' defeat, the Gatewatch believe she ultimately pulled a HeelFaceTurn too late and are out to kill her for her culpability in leading the Dreadhorde.]]
* BizarroWorld: Lorwyn and Shadowmoor, to each other.
* BlackCloak: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=190575 Warlocks]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=136205 wraiths]] are no strangers to dramatic cowls, and ''Magic'''s [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=183418 specters]] are literally nothing but black cloaks. And there's lots more.
* TheBlank:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=139692 Changeling magic]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=143388 can accomplish this]].
** [[TheVirus Phyresis]] tends to end in [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=204958 this]].
** If a Zendikar Vampire drains someone completely of blood, they turn into a Null; [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=180415 basically a zombie without eyes or a nose]].
** Any of the brood lineage of [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=261321 Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre]] will have a [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=194908 pristine]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193607 white skull-like plate]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193535 over their faces]]. This is different from the other two eldrazi lineages because Ulamog's sires tend to have heads (whereas [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193632 Kozilek's]] lineage have eyes, just elsewhere on the body, and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193452 Emrakul's]] lineage all resemble sentient mushrooms).
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=373500 Ashiok]] is missing upper half of their face.
* BlindedByTheLight: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=205219 Blinding Mage]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=83007 Blinding Angel]], etc.
* BlindObedience: The Orzhov Syndicate expects this of its followers. Exemplified in the [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=Blind+Obedience&v=card&s=cname card]] of the same name.
* BloodLust:
** The [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=201272 card]] with the same name.
** Vampires, naturally. Also, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=44206 Blood Celebrant]].
%%** The Bloodthirst mechanic.%%What of it?
* BloodMagic:
** A common theme in black, especially among vampires. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=238330 Sorin Markov]], for example, is a [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=368509 notable user]] of blood magic.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=44206 Blood Celebrant]] uses blood to manipulate mana.
** Others include [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=74616 Call for Blood]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=190398 Malakir Bloodwitch]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=89102 Blood Funnel]].
* BloodsuckingBats: The [[https://scryfall.com/card/a25/80/bloodhunter-bat Bloodhunter Bat]] hunts and retrieves blood for its undead masters, represented by its ability removing life from your opponent and giving it to you.
-->''It returns eager to share the feast of blood and gore with its ghoulish master.''
* BlowYouAway: Wind spells are common in both green and blue.
* BodyHorror:
** What many mage-created Chimeras and Phyrexians endure.
** Some of the card art features really gruesome stuff, particularly on black cards.
** The [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=212635 Mirari]] does this to the peoples of the Otarian continent.
* BoldExplorer / WalkingtheEarth: What essentially describes most planeswalkers out there regardless of [[ItsPersonal personal missions]] or [[GreyandGrayMorality motives]]. Its a bit [[http://magic.wizards.com/story/planeswalkers/elspeth-tirel sad]] depending on how you look at it.
* BoltOfDivineRetribution: A stock white spell. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3487 Divine Retribution]] invokes it by name, but there's lots.
* BookEnds: In the Uncharted Realms stories chronicling Sarkhan's adventure in the Khans of Tarkir block, Sarkhan first meets the original Narset when she alights upon a rock in the desert while he's searching for Ugin. The new Narset then first meets Sarkhan when he lands on a rock in the tundra while she's looking for Ugin.
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Certain spell cards do this to creatures.
* BreadEggsMilkSquick: Used in several card flavors, such as [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=226754 Markov Patrician]].
* BreathWeapon: Comes in standard [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=226588 Firebreathing]] enchantment as well as [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220473 Dragon Breath]]. Naturally many dragons already come stocked with Firebreathing.
** Mmm, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=5200 rot flavored]].
** The five broods of Tarkir's dragons have a different one each: Dromoka's laser breath, Ojutai's ice, Silumgar's poison, Kolaghan's lightning and Atarka's fire.
* BrickJoke: [[http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-story/homesick-2016-08-29 The first story of the Kaladesh block]] mentions Liliana [[ItAmusedMe messing with Jace]] by putting some of his books in the wrong place. Toward the end of the story, the Gatewatch's vedalken guest mentions seventeen books being on the wrong shelves in the library.
* BrokenAngel:
** Black-aligned angels, frequently -- see [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=1437 Fallen Angel]].
** With the coming of [[LightIsNotGood White Phyrexia]], there's more: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=218083 Chancellor of the Annex]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=233059 Shattered Angel]] that are quite literally broken.
** The introduction of the ''Shadows Over Innistrad'' block leaves us with [[spoiler:Avacyn and most of her army of angels becoming corrupted and launching an inquisition to "purify" the world through wreaking havoc and burning and killing the humans they were supposed to protect and serve. It only gets [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=414305 worse]] in Eldritch Moon]].
* BrutishBulls: Many [[https://magiccards.info/query?q=t%3Aox&v=scan&s=cname ox]] creatures are printed with the ability "haste", which causes them to attack the moment they're put into play rather than waiting a turn like most creatures do. Even those that don't tend to have references to fictional bulls' typical bad tempers in their flavor text:
-->''The good news is it's vegetarian. The bad news is it just doesn't like you.'' -- flavor text for " [[https://magiccards.info/po2/en/70.html Ironhoof Ox]]"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:C-D]]
* CainAndAbel: Urza and Mishra.
* CallBack: The art of [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=366353 Thespian's Stage]] depicts a battle between actors portraying [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=89101 Agrus Kos]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=247390 Szadek]]--they're performing a play about the plot of the original ''Literature/RavnicaCycle''!
** The Time Spiral expansion is full of throwbacks to older cards: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=382841 Ancestral Recall]] become [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=189244 Ancestral Vision]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370419 Blood Moon]] became [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=136152 Magus of the Moon]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193871 Akroma, Angel of Wrath]] became [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=279712 Akroma's Memorial]] etc.
** Starting with ''Commander 2014,'' most sets that take place outside the current story arc (typically Core Sets, supplemental sets, and Commander products) typically has at least a nod to some character that was previously referenced but never got their own card. These callbacks can go pretty deep. For example, Rebbec was a minor character in 1994's ''Antiquities,'' the third set ever, and got her first Legendary Creature card in 2020's ''Commander Legends''.
* CanisMajor: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=146095 Hollowborn Barghest]] is a very big dog. That's not dry grass it's standing in -- those are ''trees''.
* CanonImmigrant:
** The [[LizardFolk Viashino]] were originally introduced in the TieInNovel ''The Prodigal Sorcerer'' by Mark Sumner. The designers of the game liked them so much that they worked them into the game.
** Jodah was created for Jeff Grubb's novelizations of ''The Dark'' and ''Ice Age'' cycles. He'd eventually return for ''Literature/TimeSpiral'' block and get [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=124482 his own Avenger]]. Now that the game's returned to Dominaria, he's gotten [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=443086 a proper card.]]
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=238329 Gideon Jura]] was created for the story ''The Purifying Flame'', and, like the Viashino, was well-liked by the developers enough to make him into a card.
* TheCaptain: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=209157 Gerrard Capashen]]; although [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=244665 Sisay]] was the actual skipper of the ''Weatherlight'', Gerrard filled the trope.
* CaptainErsatz: The [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/Card/Discussion.aspx?multiverseid=4439 Serrated Biskelion]] is a [[Film/{{Screamers}} Type I Screamer]].
** Relatively common in newer worlds trying to evoke a certain feel. For example, ''Throne of Eldraine'' has a cycle of five Legendary Artifacts meant to reinforce it's Arthurian theme. They correlate to the disparate but decidedly "medieval England" elements of the Round Table, the queen's magic mirror, the Holy Grail, Excalibur, and Stone Henge.
** The set [=BattleBond=] introduces the Azra, who bear more than a little resemblance to [[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons the Tieflings]].
* CatFolk: A number of cat races, including the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=44307 Leonin]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=249401 Nacatl]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=386631 Rakshasa]].
* CatlikeDragons:
** Nekorus are a species of dragons with catlike features (or cats with draconic features) native to the continent of Jamuraa, in the world of Dominaria. The only nekoru to receive a card, [[https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Wasitora Wasitora]], resembles a stout-bodied panther with dragon wings, and is typed as both a Cat and a Dragon. Their name is a portmanteau of the Japanese words for "cat" and "dragon".
** In its flavor text, the original [[https://scryfall.com/card/lea/174/shivan-dragon Shivan Dragon]] is described as "often tormenting its victims much like a cat plays with a mouse".
** Even though they don't officially have the Cat creature type, the dragons of the Indian-themed steampunk-inspired plane of Kaladesh, [[https://scryfall.com/card/kld/130/skyship-stalker Skyship Stalker]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/aer/81/freejam-regent Freejam Regent]], have tiger-like facial features, black stripes on orange-red scales and tiger-like claws on the ends of their vaguely feline limbs.
* CavalryOfTheDead: In "Eldritch Moon", the zombie army Liliana raises turns out to be the only effective resistance against the hordes of Eldrazi-twisted horrors; being fundamentally mindless, the zombies NoSell Emrakul's insanity-inducing influence and successfully go all ZombieApocalypse on the horrifyingly transformed "living".
* CelestialBody: The [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=373524 Gods of Theros]] and their servants.
* CerebusRollercoaster: The tone of each block or even individual expansions in it may vary a lot.
* ChainLightning: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=201126 Is a card]].
* ChainmailBikini: Seen in some of the art. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=214064 Hero of Bladehold]] is the most recent example.
* CharacterAlignment:[[invoked]]
** The Color Wheel serves as an alignment system, as it helps indicate what characters value and how they tend to relate to characters of other colors. Though mind you, this system doesn't make any ''moral'' judgments; the traits associated with colors can be directed to either good or evil.
** The ''Ravnica'' and ''Theros'' sourcebooks for ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' gave ''D&D'' alignments to characters from those planes.
* ChekhovsGun:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=136044 Ghostfire]]. Colorless damage basically got the reaction "hmm, interesting..." but it didn't become important until the Zendikar block, where it turned out [[spoiler:Ghostfire was part of the key to the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=197881 lock holding in the Eldrazi]].]]
** The same block's [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=136151 Steamflogger Boss]] was openly admitted as created solely as a joke -- "assemble" had no in-game meaning and there were no Contraptions. Years later Unstable supplied them. (Possibly subverted, in that Contraptions are all silver-bordered cards and thus not tournament legal anyway.)
** The ''Tarkir'' block is a TimeTravel-heavy block in which the first and third sets are {{Alternate Timeline}}s of each other. Consequently, when ''Khans of Tarkir'' gave us a card of [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=savage%20punch a man punching a bear]], there was immediate expectation that ''Dragons of Tarkir'' would give us the same man punching a dragon, which [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=442159 it did]]. (Players waiting for the [[TakeAThirdOption Third Option]] of a bear punching a ''dragon'' had to wait for a silver-bordered [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=439507 Unstable card]].)
* TheChessmaster:
** Urza. The man spent 5,000 years influencing global politics in anticipation of a demonic invasion. In the end, Yawgmoth did him in, but he managed to save the world anyway.
** Yawgmoth himself was a skillful chessmaster, even managing to OutGambit Urza's original plan.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=260991 Nicol Bolas]] plots to regain the powers he lost in the Mending, causing plane-wide catastrophes in the process.
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4849 Starke of Rath]].
** The Dimir of Ravnica.
* CitadelCity: The ''Shadowmoor'' block has Kithkin settlements built like these.
** The [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=386649 clan Abzan]] of Tarkir made endurance and defense their modus operandi.
* CityInABottle:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=904 Is a card.]]
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2906 Feroz's Ban]] is an ''entire world'' in a bottle!
%%* CityPlanet: Ravnica.
* ClassicalCyclops: Cyclopes appear somewhat uncommonly in a number of sets. They're strongly tied to Red, the color of chaos, emotion and aggressiveness, and share an in-universe niche with ogres as violent, man-eating and often barely sapient brutes. In appearance, they vary from just big, one-eyed humans to hulking, one-eyed ogres to barely humanoid colossi with faces dominated by grotesquely enlarged orbs and gaping maws bristling with fangs.
** Dominaria hosts cyclopes in the Ekundu Mountains. They're noted to have a very simple language -- their tongue has only fifty words, [[LanguageEqualsThought ten of which mean "kill"]].
** Ravnica's cyclopes, also called monoclons, are often employed by Red-aligned guilds. Most live among the [[BarbarianTribe Gruul Clans]], but they also serve as fortress guards in the Boros Legion and in the Izzet League as heavy lifters. Some, such as the Gruul leader Borborygmos, have horns.
** In Theros, a plane heavily based off of Myth/ClassicalMythology, cyclopes are animalistic, aggressive brutes who live in the wilderness and attack anyone they come across. They don't feel pain, and are capable of razing villages on their own. [[https://scryfall.com/card/bng/113/thunder-brute Some]] even [[ShockAndAwe wield lightning]].
%%* ClassicalMovieVampire: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=159208 Baron Sengir]]. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=227061 Bloodline Keeper]] and other vampires of Innistrad.%%ZCE
* ClingyCostume: Some cards, such as [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2787 Living Armor]], feature this.
* ClockPunk: Toss in some magic and this Kaladesh. The block features Pia and Chandra Nalaar, red-aligned rebels, fighting against the blue and white Consulate, a governing body imposing order at the cost of individual freedoms.
* LesCollaborateurs: Nicol Bolas's many minions in the Alara block surreptitiously working to spread paranoia and anarchy throughout their worlds -- the xenophobic [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=175047 Knights of the Skyward Eye]] from Bant, expansionist Seekers of Carmot from Esper, corrupt merchant [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=185811 Gwafa Hazid]], and barbarian shaman [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=185810 Rakka Mar]]. As of ''Mirrodin Besieged'', he's got [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=214065 Tezzeret]] helping him out in Mirrodin.
** Happens again in ''Guilds of Ravnica'' and ''Ravnica Allegiance.'' Bolas recruited five Planeswalkers (Ravnica natives Ral Zarek, Domri Race, and Vraska, plus outsiders Dovin Baan and Kaya) and manipulated circumstances so that they became the leaders of their Guilds. The idea was that these moles would intentionally destabilize Ravnica in advance of Bolas' AlienInvasion plan, which was the plot of ''War of the Spark''.
* CoolShades: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2070 Sunglasses of Urza]]. Style and utility combined.
* CoolVersusAwesome: The conflict of the plane of Ixalan can roughly be summed up as "the Conquistadors, [[OurVampiresAreDifferent but they're vampires]], vs the Aztecs, [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs but they control and worship giant dinosaurs]]. Oh, and there's also {{Pirate}}s!"
* CorporateDragon: The [[CityPlanet city-plane]] of Ravnica has this trope in the MadScientist dragon Niv-Mizzet, parun and guild-master of the Izzet League. Said guild holds a monopoly on the civic works of the city, including water supply systems, sewers, heating systems, boilers, and roadways.
* CorpseLand: The plane of Grixis is inhabited by dead things, undead things, demons, and the occasional desperate necromancer. Due to a lack of green or white mana, it's incapable of producing new life.
* CorruptChurch:
** The Orzhov guild.
** The [[spoiler:[[http://mtgsalvation.gamepedia.com/Church_of_Avacyn Church of Avacyn]]]] as of ''Shadows Over Innistrad''.
* TheCorruption: Phyrexia. This is especially played up in the ''Scars of Mirrodin'' storyline.
* CosmicHorrorStory: ''Shadows Over Innistrad'', in contrast to GothicHorror setting of the first ''Innistrad''. In ''Shadows'', we have cultists summoning EldritchAbomination, which eventually [[spoiler:is sealed because it, Emrakul, chooses to seal itself without being defeated]].
* CrackInTheSky:
** In the Time Spiral cycle, the central {{conflict}} revolves around giant time rifts that have appeared all over Dominaria and are sucking the mana out of the land and threatening the total destruction of the space-time continuum.
** In the Ravnica cycle, a dimensional rift above the Utvara region is a main plot point. (It turns out to be related to Dominaria's time rifts, too.)
** The trope appears on a variety of individual cards, such as [[https://scryfall.com/card/inv/227/aether-rift AEther Rift]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/arb/129/wargate Wargate]].
* CrapsaccharineWorld: Kaladesh and ''especially'' Amonkhet.
** Kaladesh is a beautiful, colorful world full of creativity and inventions...ruled by a tyrannical Consulate that quashes any ideas it doesn't approve of.
** Amonkhet is a world where all the necessities of life are handled by an endless number of reanimated mummies, leaving the living populace to focus on the competitive Trials. The Trials, it turns out, are BloodSport that's often played to the death, pushes combatants to unhealthy limits (one of the block's mechanics, "exert" causes attacking creatures to exhaust themselves so thoroughly that they need an extra turn to recover), and is ultimately done in the service of BigBad Nicol Bolas.
* CreativeSterility: Tezzeret, by his own admission, is lousy at coming up with his own plans and inventions. He prefers to adapt and improve on others' designs.
* CreepyCave:
** "The Caves of Koilos" is a land showing the view from the mouth of a craggy desert cave. It drains one life from the player each time it is tapped.
** "Cave of Temptation" shows a cracked, rather yonic rock formation around the entrance to a pitch-black cave.
** "Bloodfell Caves" shows a jagged, unsettling red- and black-toned cave.
* CreepyCrows: [[https://scryfall.com/card/cmr/115/crow-of-dark-tidings Crow of Dark Tidings]], which forces you to discard two of your cards when it enters play and whose art shows it staring balefully at the viewer.
-->"Well, this can't be a good sign."
* CreepyDoll: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220378 Creepy Doll]]. It's creepy. [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment And a doll.]]
* {{Crossover}}:
** Of a sorts. In 2018, Wizards of the Coast published ''Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica'', a TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons sourcebook for Ravnica as a D&D setting. This marks the first time the multiverses of D&D and MTG connect. They've since continued with a ''Theros'' sourcebook, and ''Magic'' has returned the favor with a ''D&D'' card set.
** The ''Ikoria'' set, tying into its "monster" theme, included cards of Franchise/{{Godzilla}} and other monsters from that franchise.
* CurbstompBattle: In the trailer for ''[[TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering Duels Of The Planeswalkers 2012]]'', Gideon Jura exposits that he picked a fight with Nicol Bolas... the ''planeswalker'' Nicol Bolas. He gets summarily crushed.
** In the story for the Amomkhet block he tried to take Bolas on with a team of other Planeswalkers (the Gatewatch). It went about as well, with a cycle of cards called "x's Defeat" commemorating the event.
* DarkIsNotEvil: While Black often tends to produce villains, it has at least a few protagonists under it who don't fit on the worse levels of anti-hero, like [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=74431 Toshiro Umezawa]] and Xantcha. Some other protagonists are also half Black, half any other colour, like [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=369011 Teysa Karlov]] (Black/White).
* DarkWorld:
** Lorwyn is based on the idyllic fairy tales of the British Isles. Shadowmoor is its dark reflection, based on the darker and more ominous aspects of folklore.
** Grixis is a world of eternal night full of undead due to its lack of white mana.
* DatingCatwoman: Ashnod and Tawnos are in love, despite being generals on the opposing sides of the Brothers' War.
* DealWithTheDevil: Liliana Vess made a pact with four demons that provide her with power and eternal youth. It's represented on the card Demonic Pact.
** Unfortunately, abuse of this pact forced her to undergo a (temporary) FaceHeelTurn in ''War of the Spark.''
* DeathOfTheOldGods: ''Amonkhet'' finds the Gatewatch on a plane reminiscent of Ancient Egypt, watched over by five gods, with everyone mentioning a "God-Pharoah." ''Hour of Devastation'' has the God-Pharoah, none other than BigBad Nicol Bolas, arrive and murder four of the five gods, then abscond with their zombified corpses.
* DeathWorld:
** Zendikar, even ''before'' {{Eldritch Abomination}}s started coming out of the woodwork.
** Grixis, quite literally, due to the abundance of black mana (and the absence of green and white) making more life impossible, and death (and undeath) the only option.
* DeadlyDecadentCourt: Appears to be how every organization in the High City of Paliano works. Small wonder that King Brago arranged to continue his reign as a spirit.
* DemonicPossession:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=197016 Oni Possession]] is a good straight example.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=1036 Artifact Possession]] is a variant where the demon [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin possesses an artifact]] instead of a person.
* DenserAndWackier: Creep and seep related to the game's complexity of both rules and backstory ebb and flow, resulting in a number of sets hitting this trope.
** ''Time Spiral'' block was so dense that it led to a change in philosophy on card design for a decade after.
** ''Unglued,'' ''Unhinged,'' ''Unstable,'' and ''Unsanctioned'' are all joke sets not legal for tournament play. All of them dial up the wacky, but ''Unstable'' and ''Unsanctioned'' deliberately feature cards too complicated for normal sets as well (for example, ''Unstable'' has Rules Lawyer, a card that makes state-based effects stop working. State-based effects cover things as basic as letting lethally damaged creature die).
** Starting with ''Commander 2014,'' most sets that aren't storyline blocks (Core sets, supplemental sets, and preconstructed decks) will feature characters and places from all throughout the Magic canon, even if they were destroyed aeons ago (in-universe or in the real world). For example, 2020's ''Commander Legends'' supplemental set contains depictions of characters like Rebbec, a Thran woman last relevant to the plot in ''Antiquities,'' printed in 1994 and taking place more than 9000 in-universe years before ''Zendikar Rising,'' the most recent regular set at the time of printing.
* {{Diary}}: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=215079 Venser has one.]]
* DidYouJustScamCthulhu: In the ''Core 2019'' storyline, [[spoiler:Yasova and her grandchildren, armed with Ugin's memories, are able to not only save Ugin's hedron tomb from Nicol Bolas but also trigger enough fears of his brother's tenacity to ''scare Bolas away from Tarkir for good.'']]
* DieOrFly: Severe physical or emotional trauma is the catalyst to a Planeswalker igniting their latent spark.
** Old school, demi-God Planeswalker examples:
*** Nicol Bolas ascended as he fought the other four Elder Dragons, allowing him to win their war and become the last surviving one.
*** Sorin Markov's grandfather Edgar turned him into a vampire (the second one to ever exist in Innistrad with Edgar being the first) with a BloodMagic-fueled demonic pact. The ritual was so traumatizing that it ignited Sorin's spark.
*** Urza Planeswalker, at the climax of the Brothers War, sets off the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=1007 Golgothian Sylex]], which sends all of Dominaria into a centuries-long ice age. His latent spark activated, allowing him [[AGodAmI to survive the blast]].
*** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=244667 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir]], while studying mind magic at the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=8883 Tolarian Academy]], fell into a bubble of slow time that was filled with fire and [[AndIMustScream got trapped there]]. The intense damage activated his spark half-way, so that he was able to survive until another student could get him out with water from a different slow-time bubble. She became his favorite companion (in the Series/DoctorWho sense) when they found out that, because of the two different slow-time bubbles, she aged at a dramatically slower rate than a normal human, causing her to fall under the rules of ReallySevenHundredYearsOld.
** Post-mending ascensions:
*** [[PlayingWithFire Chandra Nalaar]]: Chandra's family is a smuggler of aether on Kaladesh, and during Chandra's first job as a smuggler, she's caught. Instead of allowing herself be captured, she obliterates a Consul factory, forcing the Nalaars to flee. [[spoiler:While Chandra is away from the village they take residence in, Consul forces arrive looking for her. They set fire to the village, killing her father, blaming it on Chandra's pyromancy and taking her into custody. Just as they are about to behead her,]] her Spark ignites at the last possible second.
*** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=174983 Sarkhan Vol]] was born onto a plane that had been a haven for dragons, which had been hunted to extinction by the local warlords, much to the dismay of the local shamans that worshiped them as the ultimate predators. Drifting back and forth between tribes and armies, searching for a purpose, making a name for himself in the process as a powerful warrior, Sarkhan enters into a trance after slaying an opposing commander, where he encounters the spirit of a dragon. So, inspired by the beast's majesty, he ascends killing his and the opposite army in the process.
*** Tezzeret, after being repeatedly denied entry into the Seekers of Carmot, breaks into their vault to prove his worth by crafting his own [[{{Unobtanium}} Etherium]]. He discovers the vault to be empty and that the Seekers' claims of the ability to craft new Etherium was a lie. Their plane is depleted, and they are merely recycling old Etherium. Caught in the act by the guards, they catch him and beat him half to death. The thought of his entire life's work being for naught was so harrowing that he ascended on the spot.
*** Ajani Goldmane's spark ignited when he discovered his brother Jazal had been murdered.
*** Elspeth Tirel's spark ignited when she was just thirteen under unknown circumstances. [[DeathWorld In a Phyrexian death camp.]]
*** Gideon Jura, known as Kytheon Iora on his home plane of Theros, was chosen by the god Heliod to be his champion. His first task was to kill a titan of Erebos, a task which Kytheon and his Irregulars accomplished flawlessly. However, when Erebos himself appeared to witness his titan's destruction, Kytheon attacked Erebos in a fit of arrogance, and had all his Irregulars killed in retaliation. Wracked with guilt and devastation over his hubris, Kytheon's spark ignited.
* DoesNotLikeShoes: A common trait in Theros, where heroes have to prove how badasses they are. Especially green ones.
* DontThinkFeel: A core principle of red and green philosophy, and the main reason why they both hate blue.
* DownerEnding: More than a few of the sets end on a less-than-happy note.
** The Theros block ends with [[spoiler:Elspeth Tirel being killed by the god Heliod after deciding no champion should know more than her god, in front of her friend Ajani Goldmane, and being sent to the underworld.]]
** The "Scars of Mirrodin" block ends with Mirrodin conquered by Phyrexia and renamed despite the Mirrodin inhabitants valiantly resisting.
** The first Zendikar block ends with Zendikar in the middle of being destroyed by the Eldrazi. The subsequent block resolves this, turning it into a BittersweetEnding as a lot of the damage to Zendikar cannot be undone quickly.
** The Amonkhet block ends with [[spoiler:Nicol Bolas revealing himself as the God-Pharaoh, all the gods of Amonkhet except Hazoret either enslaved or dead, and the Gatewatch defeated.]]
* TheDragon: Gix to Yawgmoth, Greven ''il''-Vec to Volrath and later [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=5106 Crovax]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=5146 Ertai]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=23321 Tsabo Tavoc]] to Crovax, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=106427 Phage]] (before [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=29943 Cabal Patriarch]] died), Malil to [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220532 Memnarch]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=247179 Malfegor]] to [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=260991 Nicol Bolas]] (literally in the last case).
* DragonHoard: A handful of dragons are based on this trope, including [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=15770 Covetous Dragon]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=205235 Hoarding Dragon]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=366244 Hellkite Tyrant]], and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=215074 Hoard-Smelter Dragon]].
** A [[http://mythicspoiler.com/m19/cards/dragonshoard.html plain hoard]] with dragon not included is also available as well, though it requires the player to summon some dragons themselves to use its effects. Now your hoarding dragon can hoard an entire dragon hoard to go with their own dragon hoard.
* DragonRider: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193482 Kargan Dragonlord]].
* DragonsVersusKnights: ''[[https://scryfall.com/sets/ddg Duel Decks: Knights vs. Dragons]]'', one of several premade decks meant to be played by two players and themed around two opposing factions, pits a deck composed primarily of Knights against on centered around Dragons.
* DreamStealer: Lorwyn's Faeries [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=145969 harvest]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=158774 the dreams]] of the plane's other residents on behalf of their [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=244668 Queen]].
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=373500 Ashiok]] turns people's dreams and aspirations into their worst nightmares.
** [[https://scryfall.com/card/hou/63 Dreamstealer]]. The name is not for nothing.
* DressedToPlunder: [[http://magiccards.info/lg/en/291.html Ramirez DePietro]] has the standard eyepatch.
* DrivesLikeCrazy: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=368964 Goblin Test Pilot]] swerves around so arbitrarily that ''something'' is going to get hit, it's just that nobody knows ''what''.
* DroppedABridgeOnHim: Poor Ertai. First he was our resident smug snarker, and then the plot for ''Nemesis'' turned him into a more heroic character and even put him into a tragic love story... and then immediately turned him into a horrible bad guy and later killed him off in the most embarrassing way possible. Granted, his original personality did lend itself to a FaceHeelTurn, but the way it came about and the extremes it went to were just weird.
* DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=9856 Barrin]] knows how to leave an [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=23098 impression]].
* DurableDeathtrap: Zendikar being the [[PlanetOfHats adventure world]], there's tons of this.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:E-G]]
* EasterEgg: Many, many different cards, but especially in comedy sets like ''Unglued'' and nostalgia sets like ''Time Spiral''. See also Alternate Universe, above.
* EldritchAbomination
** Yawgmoth is darn close.
** And of course, there's also a card actually named [[http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?name=Cosmic%20Horror Cosmic Horror]].
** There's also [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=121155 Dark Depths]], which releases [[http://magiccards.info/extra/token/coldsnap/marit-lage.html Marit Lage]] when the ice finally melts. The art is reminiscent of Cthulhu lurking underneath the sea.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=188962 Nemesis of Reason]] fits perfectly.
** The Eldrazi, who are so ancient they predate the whole "colored mana" deal, and destroy your opponents just by moving in their general direction. [[http://wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/396 This preview]] of [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193632 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth]] has the unique distinction of [[InterfaceScrew destroying the web page it appears on]], and the flavor text of [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193398 Eldrazi Monument]] reads: "Gods don't die. [[Franchise/CthulhuMythos They merely slumber]]."
* TheEmperor: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=78594 Daimyo Konda of Kamigawa]].
* EmptyPilesOfClothing: Seen on [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=157401 Snakeform]].
* EndlessDaytime: There are several places where this is the case.
** The plane of Mirrodin has five suns. There is night time, but it's brief and exaggerated. Basically the only reason this is worth mentioning is the flavor text on [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=194105 Grasp of Darkness.]]
** The plane of Serra is bathed in the light of a perpetual sunrise.
** In Lorwyn "the sun never quite dips below the horizon".
** Amonkhet has, in addition to a more normal sun, a second sun that's associated with a prophecy. That sun descends much slower, and in the living memory of the people of the world, it has never set.
* EndlessWinter: This is used to enforce the curse on Kaldheim's Kannah clan. When Kannah try to venture past the Adelgard, they are followed by bitter winter conditions and constant snowfall that never abate, which quickly make travel impossible and force them to head back into the woods. The site where they believe the were first cursed, the Cursed Tree at the Aldergard's edge, is covered in snow throughout the year.
* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: A particularly common trope. At one point, after several sets revolving around ever-bigger wars and cataclysms, the designers moved the action to Lorwyn, a new, rural-themed setting that scaled down the conflict: tribes battling neighboring tribes over land and prestige. Months later, yup, the whole world was wrecked. As in, the sun stopped shining (and few remember that it ever did!). So much for that.
** The ''Time Spiral'' block's plot was based around the idea that Dominaria had gone through so many apocalypses that the plane's reality itself was falling apart.
* EnemyToAllLivingThings:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=106427 Phage the Untouchable]]. And we do mean ''all''. Any organic material she touches instantly rots away, save for silk. She wears only silk clothing and sleeps on a bed of stone.
** The Eldrazi suck the life and mana out of everything they touch, leaving only Wastes behind them.
* EnemyCivilWar: There are some major tensions growing between and even ''within'' the five Phyrexian factions that conquered Mirrodin, and the liberation of [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=214350 Karn]] might just be the spark needed to ignite a full-out war among the New Phyrexians. [[spoiler:Ultimately took place offscreen. Elesh Norn is now effectively the Mother of Machines.]]
* EnemyMine:
** The ''Invasion'' block centered mechanically on multicolored cards. This was illustrated story wise as all the disparate cultures of Dominaria banding together against the common threat of Phyrexia. The third set, ''Apocalypse'', undermines how desperate the situation has gotten by featuring ''enemy'' colors working together, a sight previously unseen in the game. This represents forces who find each other anathema working together.
** The coming of the Eldrazi has all the races and even the land of Zendikar uniting to fight a common threat.
** Geth joining [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=48386 Glissa]] against Memnarch in the first Mirrodin cycle. They go back to hating each other in New Phyrexia.
** ''War of the Spark'' showed all ten Guilds of Ravnica working together with both each other and the Guildless in order to repel the invading army.
* EnemyWithin:
** Karn and the Phyrexian corruption in the ''Scars of Mirrodin'' block. His inner struggles are depicted on [[http://magiccards.info/mbs/en/24.html Distant Memories]].
** The Weaver King is an EnemyWithin for Venser in ''Planar Chaos''.
* EnergyBeing: The malevolent Weaver King in ''Planar Chaos''.
* EngagementChallenge: In ''The Brothers' War'', the Warlord of Kroog, searching for a powerful warrior to wed his daughter, decrees that whoever can move a giant jade statue from one end of the palace courtyard to the other will win the hand of Princess Kayla. [[GadgeteerGenius Urza]] completes the challenge by building an automaton to lift the statue.
* EunuchsAreEvil: The expansion ''Portal: Three Kingdoms'' has a card called Corrupt Eunuchs.
* [[EvenEvilHasStandards Even Antiheroism Has Standards]]: One of Urza's first picks for his strike team of Planeswalkers to go to Phyrexia was a Planeswalker named Parcher. [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity Urza]] [[{{Irony}} rejected him for being insane.]]
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: There are few, including several completely made-up species.
** There are [[http://magiccards.info/cs/en/101.html two]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2581 cards]] featuring Allosaurs, which are sometimes used as mounts.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=74235 Old Fogey]]...
** Mirrodin's native lion people train [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=45960 Pterodactyls as mounts]].
** Several fictional dinosaurs exist, including the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=130634 Imperiosaur]] and the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=5562 Shivan Raptor]]. More fantastic creatures based on dinosaurs include the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=45861 Putrid Raptor]],[[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=397434 Magmasaur]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=279859 Pygmy Pyrosaur]].
** With the release of ''Ixalan,'' dinosaurs are an entire tribe of creatures.
** Interestingly, the dinosaurs of different planes illustrate the popular perception of dinosaurs at the time they were introduced. Dominarian dinosaurs (created in the late 1990s) look straight out of ''Film/JurassicPark.'' Ixalan dinosaurs (from 2016) are feathered jungle dwellers.
* EverythingTryingToKillYou:
** Jund (from ''Shards of Alara'').
** ''Kamigawa'' is a battle fought between humans and kami, who, due to the nature of Shinto, live in ''everything''.
** And taken UpToEleven in ''Zendikar'', where the "Roil" dramatically changes the landscape every few months, weird gravity wells cause floating islands of grassy plain that can drop at any moment, and the creatures that are not killed by the landscape are as hard as your average video game mid-boss. ''Rise of the Eldrazi'' then kicked that eleven up to twelve, because the usually unpleasant wildlife is being supplanted by {{Eldritch Abomination}}s.
** In ''Scars of Mirrodin'', the entire plane is being taken over by the Phyrexian Glistening Oil. Metal becomes flesh, flesh becomes metal, and havoc and chaos ensue.
** In ''Innistrad'', humanity is the ''bottom'' of the food chain. Werewolves and vampires see humans as tasty snacks, ghoulcallers and stichers raise the dead for kicks, geists torment humans out of rage (or because they don't know any better), monsters lurk in the woods to snatch up the unwary, and demons and devils lurk in the shadows, corrupting humanity to gain a foothold into their world.
* EvilChancellor: In ''Time Streams'', Radiant's war minister turns out to be a Phyrexian spy, secretly working to subvert and corrupt Serra's Realm.
** The Consulate that rules Kaladesh is pretty much entirely populated by these. Special mention goes to the Planeswalker Dovin Baan, who was willing to work with BigBad Nicol Bolas to export his personal brand of fascism to Ravnica.
* EvilCounterpart:
** All over the place; look at [[http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?id=274 White Knight]] versus [[http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=50 Black Knight]], for example. The entire Shadowmoor set, as a dark mirror of the earlier Lorwyn set, features many opposite counterparts to specific cards from the Lorwyn block.
** To go with its theme of Mirrodin vs Phyrexia, Mirrodin Besieged has evil counterparts within the same set ([[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=213802 Mirran Crusader]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=213724 Phyrexian Crusader]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=213781 Peace Strider]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=221561 Pierce Strider]]), and also evil counterparts to cards from the last time we went to Mirrodin ([[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=191312 Darksteel Colossus]] to [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=221563 Blightsteel Colossus]]).
** The Northern Paladin and Southern Paladin have the Western Paladin and Eastern Paladin.
** The [[http://magiccards.info/ne/en/135.html Predator]] can be considered this to the [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=weatherlight&v=card&s=cname Weatherlight]].
** One of the terminologies of the game is "Mirrored Pair". These tend to be two cards who are polar opposites of each other. Generally they tend to be this trope (although certain examples, like Hero of the Bladehold and Hero of Oxidda Ridge who are both "good", are exceptions).
* EvilDetectingDog: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=79217 Good dog.]]
* EvilTwin: The card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Evil%20Twin Evil Twin]], naturally. With the explicit ability to kill the good twin.
* EvilSorcerer:
** Lim-Dul, Heidar of Rimewind, Lord Dralnu, Memnarch, the Cabal Patriarch. Zur the Enchanter was definitely ''dangerous'', but only self-absorbed, not outright evil.
** Lesser Evil Sorcs include the Disciple of the Vault, one of the clerics who makes the Ravager Affinity deck into a fast-killing machine.
* EvilutionaryBiologist: Yawgmoth while he was mortal and Momir Vig.
* ExoticEntree: [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=Feast+of+the+Unicorn&v=card&s=cname Feast of the Unicorn]].
* ExpansionPackWorld:
** Since the story details a different plane almost every block, the addition of new planes could be considered this to Dominia. Then again, in a theoretically infinite multiverse, it's justified.
** Dominaria was also subject to this. While nowadays, the story just focuses on a new plane when a new theme for the setting is needed, as early as ''Fallen Empires'' and as recent as ''Odyssey'' while new continents would just be added to Dominaria to fit this purpose. This leads to Dominaria being so [[FantasyKitchenSink diverse]] -- while most other planes are only themed around a single culture or gimmick, Dominaria has typical MedievalEuropeanFantasy fare in Terisiare, Aerona, and Corondor; Reniassance-era technology in Caliman; wartorn {{Vestigial Empire}}s in Sarpadia; ''[[Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian Conan]]''-esque HeroicFantasy in Otaria; a Western Africa analogue in Jamuraa; and a {{Wutai}} in Madara, among others. And that isn't taking into consideration the areas from Rath that were fused with Dominaria in the Overlay.
* ExplosiveStupidity: As with most other kinds of stupidity, a common goblin strategy. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=383257 Goblin Kaboomist]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=229952 Goblin Bangchuckers]] are among the ''least'' moronic goblin ordnance technicians, in that they at least have a 50/50 chance of surviving what they're doing (although with a tribal buff out you can make that 100%).
* EyesDoNotBelongThere: Very frequently. [[http://www.wizards.com/mtg/images/daily/features/feature86_kozilek.jpg Kozilek]] and his lineage are the kings of this trope.
* EyeScream: Just look at the art on [[http://magiccards.info/m11/en/91.html Deathmark]].
* FaceHeelTurn: Garruk Wildspeaker was curse by Liliana Vess during ''Innistrad,'' changing him from a nature loving beastmaster into a deranged predatory focused hunting other Planeswalkers.
** Liliana got a taste of this trope herself when some LoopholeAbuse with her DealWithTheDevil led to her working for BigBad Nicol Bolas during ''War of the Spark.''
* TheFairFolk: Lorwyn's Fae are nasty little {{troll}}s who delight in making mischief and playing mean-spirited tricks on the plane's other races and [[DreamStealer harvest their dreams]].
* FairyDragons: Ikoria is home to [[https://scryfall.com/card/iko/211/sprite-dragon sprite dragons]], small creatures with iridescent insect wings that are typed as both Faeries and Dragons. Their flavor text, however, does not imply behavior any more pleasant than their bigger cousins'.
-->''Size of a pixie, rage of a hellkite.''
* FallenHero: Garruk Wildspeaker, the original iconic green Planeswalker. A conflict with [[TokenEvilTeammate Liliana Vess]] saw him cursed by an ArtifactOfDoom called the Chain Veil. This led him to spiral down into madness, becoming more hostile and aggressive. The storyline culminated in the ''Magic 2015'' Core Set, which saw him tracking and murdering other Planeswalkers. The set's prerelease included an oversized Garruk card meant to be played against '''as if it were an entire deck,''' in addition to his black/green card, "Garruk, Apex Predator." M15's catchphrase tied into this storyline: "Hunt bigger game."
** The curse was finally broken in ''Throne of Eldraine,'' turning him back to his old monogreen self.
* {{Fanboy}}: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370600 Young Pyromancer]] has necklace with [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=205958 Chandra]] on it.
* FantasticNuke:
** The [[http://magiccards.info/aq/en/16.html Golgothian Sylex]] was, functionally, a nuclear weapon. Its detonation ended the Brothers' War, vaporized Argoth, caused the Ice Age, and tore a ''literal'' hole in reality.
*** The Apocalypse Chime is implied to work the same way as the Golgothian Sylex, though primed to destroy Ulgrotha instead of Dominaria. It's flavor text implies that it's never been used, but one of the plane's more nihilistic villains considers ringing it from time to time.
** Yawgmoth repeatedly dropped "stonecharger" bombs on his enemies in ''The Thran'' which not only resembled nuclear weapons in their destruction, but also caused the same sort of horror real nukes inspire in at least one of the characters.
* FantasticVermin: Kaladesh is home to anteater-like {{gr|ipingAboutGremlins}}emlins, who feed on ether and eagerly use their sharp, strong claws and acidic drool to dig through rock and metal to get to it. As Kaladesh's technology is heavily reliant on ether for power, they're thus the most destructive pests on the plane and can cause immense damage to the plane's infrastructure. In a twist, however, the gremlins' feeding plays an important part in recycling ether back into the environment, and the extermination of gremlin colonies is causing real harm to Kaladesh's planer ecosystem.
* FantasyCounterpartCulture: Plenty, usually separated by Plane.
** Kamigawa is [[{{Wutai}} feudal Japan]].
** Naya (from Shards of Alara) is {{Mayincatec}}.
** The Ice Age block is [[HornyVikings Vikings]].
** Jamuraa (from Dominaria) is Africa.
** Rabiah is [[ArabianNightsDays Arabia]].
** Innistrad is [[{{Uberwald}} Renaissance Germany and Eastern Europe]].
** Theros is UsefulNotes/AncientGreece.
** Ravnica is a culture mishmash with Slavic/Eastern Europe/Renaissance flavor.
*** Orzhov and Selesnya resemble the Catholic Church and the Inquisition, with the Selesnya having a bit of Mayaincatec flavor.
*** Boros and Azorius have crusader and templar flavor with Slavic themed names.
*** Rakdos are cultists mixed with crazy hooligans and wandering gypsies.
*** Dimir has a bit like Transylvanian vampire flavor and classic rogues.
*** Gruul have a mix of different tribal concepts from American Indians to Eastern barbarians.
*** Izzet are modern-day mad scientists and engineers mixed with Renaissance outfits and pomp.
*** Simic are less flashy and more like overachieving scientists with some megalomania.
*** The Golgari are medieval style lower class and serfs, with some Greek and Egyptian undertones (Vraska, and Jarad kind of looks like a pharoah, and they love insects and scarabs and mummification).
** Tarkir is most of Asia, minus China and Japan.
*** The Temur Clans are Siberian natives living in Tibet-like mountains.
*** The Mardu Horde are the Mongol Horde.
*** The Jeskai Way are Tibetan Buddhists.
*** The Sultai Broods are vaguely Vietnamese with a sprinkle of Sumeria. The Sultai have the fewest human members, and so are a bit murky in their ties to real world cultures, although their [[SnakePeople nagas]] and [[CatFolk rakshasas]] suggest ties to India. Some have suggested the Khmer Empire as a cultural inspiration.
*** The Abzan Houses are the tribes and empires of Asia Minor and Persia.
** Kaladesh is a steampunk (well, "aetherpunk" India, with modern rather than mythological sensibilities.
** Amonkhet takes the majority of its inspiration from Ancient Egypt, albeit influenced by the philosophies and aesthetics of Nicol Bolas.
** Ixalan takes inspiration from the Age of Discovery, with the three main civilizations shown off in the block (the Sun Empire, the River Heralds, and the Torrezonians) being inspired by the Aztec Triple Alliance and Incan Empire, the Mayan Empire, and Medieval Spain, respectively.
** Eldraine takes its inspiration from European fairy tales, giving it a very Arthurian England feel. The Planeswalker prince and princess Will and Rowan Kenrith even have Scottish accents in their voice lines on ''Magic Arena.''
* FantasyKitchenSink: With some 11,000 different cards, it's hard to think of any fantasy concepts that aren't represented.
** ''Throne of Eldraine'' in particular reads like a checklist of every Grimm's and Disney fairy tale.
* FeatheredDragons: While most dragons in the game have the typical membranous wings, a few sport birdlike wings instead.
** [[https://scryfall.com/card/frf/1/ugin-the-spirit-dragon Ugin]], a spirt dragon planeswalker, has feathered wings to reflect his ethereal, enlightened nature.
** Two of the five draconic broods of Tarkir, which are incidentally born from magical tempests created as a side effect of Ugin's presence there, sport feathered wings.
*** Dragons of the bloodline of [[https://scryfall.com/card/dtk/219/dragonlord-ojutai Ojutai]], which are spawned from magic storms in high, cold mountains and breathe [[AnIcePerson ice]], have great white-and-red birdlike wings, in addition to tufts of feathers on their legs. They're enlightened, monk-like and seemingly the most civilized of the dragons that rule Tarkir, but under the surface they're condescending, racist and arrogant, and just as tyrannical as the rest of Tarkir's draconic rulers.
*** Dragons of the brood of [[https://scryfall.com/card/dtk/218/dragonlord-kolaghan Kolaghan]], which are instead spawned on the windswept steppes and breathe [[ShockAndAwe lightning]], have two sets of narrow birdlike wings. They're masters of the skies, and the fastest and most skilled fliers among Tarkir's dragons.
* FemaleAngelMaleDemon:
** Nearly all of Magic's angels are visibly female. The overwhelming majority of Magic's demons are so freakish looking that the idea of having a gender seems a moot point. Though the gender of either is largely a moot point, as, being magically created avatars of their respective colors, neither reproduce in the traditional manner. This gets averted in Amonkhet, however, which contains wholly masculine angels to help reinforce that it's "different".
** Razia and Serra play this trope straight, although with reason; Serra was a human female Planeswalker who created her own plane, and all Boros Angels were basically clones of Razia herself, who was female.
** Before Amonkhet, there was a grand total of three male angels in Magic: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Discussion.aspx?multiverseid=3502 Melesse Spirit]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Gabriel%20Angelfire Gabriel Angelfire]] had to be retconned to be an Angel rules-wise and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Malach%20of%20the%20Dawn Malach of the Dawn]] only exists in alternate reality.
* AFeteWorseThanDeath: The signature of the Rakdos Cultists of Ravnica, as seen in the FlavorText of [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=97073 Slaughterhouse Bouncer]].
* FieryRedhead: [[http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Multiverse/planeswalkers.aspx?x=mtg/multiverse/planeswalkers/chandra Chandra Nalaar]]. Literally.
* FinalDeath: The exile zone often serves this function. Sometimes this is depicted as a dead creature being vaporized, other times as something alive being utterly obliterated.
** This trope is invoked by name as a card in ''Theros Beyond Death'', as a card that sends a living creature straight to oblivion.
* FiveManBand: The Gatewatch, as of ''Eldritch Moon''.
** TheLeader: Gideon Jura
** TheLancer: Liliana Vess
** TheSmartGuy: Jace Beleren
** TheBigGuy: Chandra Nalaar
** TheChick: Nissa Revane
** SixthRanger: Ajani Goldmane
* FlamingSword:
** The card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=19613 Flaming Sword]]. ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=214368 Sword of War and Peace]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370471 Sword of Fire and Ice]] are YinYangBomb variations that are technically only half-flaming, but still pretty cool.
** Legendary creatures who wield flaming swords include [[http://magiccards.info/nph/en/128.html Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer]] and [[http://magiccards.info/pch/en/92.html Razia, Boros Archangel]].
* FloatingPlatforms: Seen in both [[http://magiccards.info/zen/en/213.html Zendikar]] and [[http://magiccards.info/us/en/325.html Serra's Realm]]. There are also floating buildings on Kamigawa and Ravnica.
* FogOfDoom:
** In the ''Apocalypse'' novel, when Yawgmoth himself appears on Dominaria, he takes the form of a giant black cloud that kills anything it touches.
** Yawgmoth has a habit of making killer fog; in ''The Thran'', his stonecharger bombs leave behind clouds of mist that that kill anything they touch.
* ForegoneConclusion: The storyline of ''Coldsnap'', released years after ''Ice Age'' and ''Alliances'' to give that block a "proper" block format (and conclusion). The [[LampshadeHanging press release teaser info explicitly said]], "We know the Ice Age ended... but ''how''?"
* ForgottenFriendNewFoe: Volrath, villain of the ''Tempest'' block, was once Gerrard's adoptive brother before they bitterly parted ways in their youth.
* FormerlySapientSpecies: Long ago, much of the plane of Dominaria was ruled by the Elder Dragons, immensely powerful and intelligent beings who were often skilled magic-users and the rulers of entire humanoid civilizations. They eventually all but wiped themselves out in internecine warfare, with the losers being stripped of their legs and wings to become the wurms, mindless beasts resembling massive snakes. The winners also regressed over time; modern dragons, while still technically sapient, are little more than feral predators with lifestyles limited to hunting, gathering treasure and defending their territories, while some fell still further and became drakes, smaller creatures with no forelimbs and which are now purely animalistic beasts.
* AFormYouAreComfortableWith: Old-generation planeswalker are also [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshifters]], capable of changing their appearances at will. Most of them generally opt to stay in the form they look like just before their ascension though.
* ForTheEvulz: Nicol Bolas, apparently.
* FrankensteinsMonster:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=1734 Frankenstein's Monster]]
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=29944 And this]].
** ''Innistrad'' has the skaab, which are stitched-together zombies.
* FromBadToWorse:
** Zendikar is a DeathWorld in ''Zendikar''. Then it ramps up in ''Worldwake''. By ''Rise of the Eldrazi'', the whole plane is under attack by PlanetEater {{Eldritch Abomination}}s, and the world becomes even more violent in its efforts to destroy them.
** Innistrad's GothicHorror setting was scary to begin with; when the guardian angel Avacyn mysteriously disappeared, the monsters got more powerful.
*** And it gets even ''[[UpToEleven worse]]'' in ''Shadows Over Innistrad'' when [[spoiler:Avacyn [[AxeCrazy goes mad]] and turns against humankind.]]
* FromASingleCell: Phyrexia is able to rebuild itself from just a single drop of oil, as seen in the tragic fate of Mirrodin. This is [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] with [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=phyrexian+rebirth&v=card&s=cname Phyrexian Rebirth]].
-->As long as [[FromASingleCell one drop]] of [[TheVirus the oil]] exists, [[TheCorruption the joyous work continues.]]
* FungiArePlants: Saprolings are small, weak creatures intended to represent animated scraps of plant matter. In practice, they alternate on being visibly vegetal, clearly fungal, or of indeterminate appearance between sets. They are also strongly associated with the thallids, which are clearly fungus people.
* FunnyAnimal: From the more conventional Nacatl ([[CatFolk cat people]]) and Leonin ([[CatFolk lion people]]) to the somewhat more creative Loxodon (elephant people) and Rhox (rhino people). So, in other words, Magic has them in droves.
* FurBikini:
** One of the [[http://magiccards.info/ai/en/67.html Elvish Ranger]] cards had this on the artwork. The fact that it was also a decent creature card guaranteed it some TournamentPlay.
*** BestKnownForTheFanservice: Elvish Ranger actually [[http://magiccards.info/ai/en/68.html has an alternate art]]. Good luck finding anyone who cares about it.
* FurryConfusion: Ajani (a sentient lion man) gets this is spades when he travels to Bant where the pack animal of choice are Leotau (very large lions with hooves).
* FusionDance:
** In the ''Onslaught'' storyline, Phage and Akroma merge to become Karona the False God, a living embodiment of Dominaria's mana.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4912 Dracoplasm]] fuses multiple creatures together to form a giant dragon.
* FusionDissonance: The Innistrad block drew heavily on Creator/{{Lovecraft}}ian imagery and saw the return of [[EldritchAbomination Emrakul and the Eldrazi]]. The block also introduced the "Meld" mechanic, where if you had certain cards in play, they would fuse into some [[BodyHorror horrific]] abomination of nature. For instance, the angels [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=414304&type=card Bruna]] and [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=414319&type=card Gisela]] would meld to form [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=414305&type=card Brisela]].
* GadgeteerGenius: Magic has had its share of artificers.
** [[http://www.magicdeckvortex.com/ART3/future_sight/jhoira_of_the_ghitu_art_by_kev_walker.jpg Jhoira]], depicted [[http://www.magiccards.info/ul/en/45.html here]] in all her Tinkering glory.
** [[http://media.wizards.com/images/magic/daily/td/td112_venser.jpg Venser]], although best-known now for his teleportation abilities, was originally an artificer, salvaging scrap from the swamps of Urborg and building machines.
** Urza, the {{Chessmaster}} himself, was famous for his gadgets.
** As was his brother, [[http://www.fischart.com/assets/art/artwork/Prints/Mishra.jpg Mishra]].
** Urza's protege, [[http://wiki.mtgsalvation.com/images/8/8f/Tawnos.jpg Tawnos]].
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=51055 Slobad]] is remarkable as he is not merely smart by Goblin standards (which is hardly an accomplishment), but smart. Period.
** Tezzeret's entire shtick. He sympathizes more with machines than people.
** [[http://www.wizards.com/magic/images/cardart/CSP/Arcum_Dagsson.jpg Arcum Dagsson]].
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=389478 Daretti]]'s failed experiment costed him his legs.
** Most people on Kaladesh would qualify. Creating {{Magitek}} is the only form of magic allowed there.
* GaiasVengeance: Typical green schtick, seen in ''Invasion'', ''Worldwake'', and so on. There's also cards like [[http://magiccards.info/aq/en/63.html Gaea's Avenger]], [[http://magiccards.info/m11/en/174.html Gaea's Revenge]], [[http://magiccards.info/wwk/en/96.html Avenger of Zendikar]], etc.
%%* GardenGarment: Dryads.
* GargleBlaster: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=189147 No thanks.]]
* GambitPileup: Occurs during the original Ravnica trilogy when it turns out that ''all'' of the guilds are trying to conquer the plane.
* GambitRoulette: Nicol Bolas' ploy to [[SealedEvilInACan free]] the [[EldritchAbomination Eldrazi]] certainly counts. To release the Eldrazi, he required the presence of three different planeswalkers at the Eye of Ugin, as well as having one of them use [[NonElemental Ghostfire]] to trigger the failsafe mechanism. He could only be certain that his own minion (Vol) would be there, but to lure the other two, he combined elements of his own meticulous planning, as well as a simple stroke of luck. He even said so himself!
-->'''Bolas:''' I didn't send you to ensure no one entered the Eye. I sent you to ensure they did. Do you think it a coincidence that two planeswalkers arrived there when they did?\\
'''Vol:''' You sent me to fester? As a helpless proxy? You knew they would come?\\
'''Bolas:''' I knew the girl would come. The other-[[LampshadeHanging I had to play the odds]].
* GeniusLoci: A relatively common concept mechanically are lands that can temporarily turn into creatures, and this is usually how it manifests in story. The best example of the trope is probably Vitu-Ghazi, the guildhall of the Selesnya Conclave. It tends to get animated OnceAnEpisode during Ravnica storylines.
* GentleGiant: Karn, a huge golem made of pure silver who dedicated himself to pacifism. And not [[TechnicalPacifist technical pacifism]], either. Many green creatures can also be considered gentle [[UnstoppableRage unless you offend them or their controllers.]]
* GenreShift: The first two sets of the Zendikar block are about adventure and survival on a Death World. The last set turns it into a CosmicHorrorStory.
* GiantEnemyCrab: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=26627 Giant Crab]] (stepping on a boat), [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=234429 Fortress Crab]] (cottage-sized) and especially [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=34927 Wormfang Crab]] (walking over mountains). [[StoneWall They're all defense.]]
%%* GiantFlyer: All kinds.
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: Many sets could be described as this.
** After ''Arabian Nights'', ''Antiquities'' attempted to tell an original story.
** The "pseudo-block" of ''Legends'', ''The Dark'', and ''Fallen Empires''. ''Legends'' was awesome, but neither ''The Dark'' nor ''Fallen Empires'' continued its mechanics, or its storyline, and were instead sequels to ''Antiquities''.
** ''Homelands'' is between ''Ice Age'' and ''Alliances'', both with an Ice Age theme. ''Homelands'', as far as we can tell, is about [[ElvesVsDwarves fairies and paladins vs. vampires]]. ''Homelands'' also didn't have ''Ice Age'''s mechanics, and is generally considered [[TheScrappy the worst set ever]].
** ''Weatherlight'' kicked off a five-year story arc.
** ''Portal: Three Kingdoms'' introduced a lot of new mechanics, [[CallARabbitASmeerp referred to flying as horsemanship]], is incompatible with other ''Portal'' sets, and...was actually enjoyable.
** The Urza's Block, while high in power and storyline, was a prequel, leaving you wondering what happened to the crew of the ''Weatherlight''.
** ''Nemesis'' introduced a new ability out of nowhere (Fading) and focused on Rath. Actually, every ''Masques'' block set focused on a different plane. Mercadia seemed to come out of nowhere too.
** ''Apocalypse'' is the only set in the ''Invasion'' block to focus entirely on ''enemy'' colors (white/black, white/red, blue/red, blue/green, black/green).
* GiantSpider: The ''[[http://magiccards.info/m10/en/175.html smallest]]'' spiders tend to be large enough to win a fight with an average goblin. [[http://magiccards.info/dpa/en/67.html Medium-sized]] spiders can tangle with elephants. [[http://magiccards.info/rav/en/168.html The biggest ones]] can eat dragons for breakfast.
* GlacialApocalypse: The Ice Age was a period of Dominaria's history started in consequence of the Brothers' War, when Urza ignited the Golgothian Sylex, devastating a continent, annihilating Mishra's forces, igniting his own Planeswalker spark, and ushering in a period of plunging global temperatures. The period immediately following the blast, referred to as the Dark, saw four centuries of slowly cooling temperatures, dwindling resources and shrinking civilizations, while zealotry and despots rose to power to lead increasingly lost and frightened people. The Dark culminated in the Ice Age, which lasted over 2000 years and saw the gradual collapse of much of civilization as glaciers covered great swathes of land and primordial monsters such as dragons, mammoths and dinosaurs roamed the world. When the Ice Age eventually ended, however, the ensuing Thaw also proved incredibly destructive -- the rise in warmth and humidity fostered widespread plagues, while floods and rising sea levels spread further devastation and caused the continent of Terisiare to fragment into an archipelago of islands.
* AGodAmI: Several of them. Some are just delusional about their supposed godhood, and some are very much ''not'' delusional about their ''actual'' godhood...and are total jerks about it.
* GodIsDead: A major part of the Planeswalker Samut's backstory was witnessing Nicol Bolas murder all but one of her home plane's gods, then [[AlienInvasion drag their zombified corpses to Ravnica]].
* AGodIsYou: Flavor-wise, the players take the roles of planeswalkers.
%%* GodOfEvil: Yawgmoth.
* GodOfTheDead:
** Among the gods of Theros, two of the trope's basic archetypes -- the god of ''death'' and the god of ''the dead'' -- are filled by one of the Black-aligned gods.
*** [[https://scryfall.com/card/ths/85/erebos-god-of-the-dead Erebos, God of the Dead]], serves as a Hades analogue and rules over the shades of the departed in the Underworld. A bleak and forbidding figure, Erebos permits nobody to avoid or escape from his realm, and uses his impossibly long whip Mastix to snare reluctant souls and pull them into death.
*** [[https://scryfall.com/card/jou/146/athreos-god-of-passage Athreos, God of Passage]], is derived from Charon and serves as the primary ferryman of Theros's dead, carrying them across the Five Rivers that Ring the World and into the Underworld that lies beyond.
** [[https://scryfall.com/card/khm/92/egon-god-of-death-throne-of-death Egon, God of Death]], is Kaldheim's ruler of the dead. He rules Istfell, the realm of the unworthy dead, although his power over the local spirits is limited by their eternal apathy.
* GodsNeedPrayerBadly: The Gods of Theros have strength directly tied to the number of worshipers the god has. In an example of GameplayAndStoryIntegration, the Gods cease to be creatures[[note]]but continue to be indestructible legendary enchantments[[/note]] when their controller does not have enough devotion to that god's color(-s)[[note]]Measured by the amount of colored mana symbols among permanents that player controls.[[/note]]
* GodzillaThreshold: Let's be honest, nearly everyone's threshold involves Nicol Bolas in some way but it was seen no better than in Ravnica during ''War of the Spark''. Keep in mind, Ravnica's entire existence is based off of the 10 guilds essentially being in an endless Cold War with each other, always on the brink of an outright war. Nicol Bolas arriving and kicking off his massive plan had the Ravnica Guilds actually drop everything and outright join forces, something that would've been unheard of in normal circumstances.
* GoodColorsEvilColors: Averted; all five colors of mana have had heroes and villains.
* GothicHorror: Innistrad was a top-down design based around this. Zombies, Werewolves, and Vampires are all vying for control against the last bastions of humanity.
* GotTheWholeWorldInMyHand: [[http://wiki.mtgsalvation.com/article/File:NewPhyrexiaPreview.jpg This artwork]] for ''New Phyrexia'' shows Mirrodin in the clutches of Phyrexia.
* GotVolunteered: PlayedForLaughs when groups of goblins need a volunteer, as seen in the flavor text of [[http://magiccards.info/st/en/103.html Goblin Hero]] and [[http://magiccards.info/evg/en/49.html Skirk Drill Sergeant]].
* GreaterScopeVillain: Yawgmoth is the GreaterScopeVillain to [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=21328 Volrath's]] BigBad in the Rath saga.
* TheGrimReaper:
** [[https://scryfall.com/card/grn/77/midnight-reaper Midnight Reaper]] is a Zombie Knight who wields a scythe, wears a concealing black hood, rides a black horse, and deals damage to you when a creature dies in exchange for letting you draw a card.
--->''No one welcomes his visit, yet all must grant him tribute.''
** Spectres are usually depicted as hooded and robed figures, often carrying either scythes or staffs or polearms of some kind. [[https://scryfall.com/card/eld/102/reaper-of-night-harvest-fear Reaper of Night]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/cm2/74/scythe-specter Scythe Specter]] lean especially hard into this imagery.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:H-L]]
* HairRaisingHare: the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=94911 Vizzerdrix]] card. Probably related to [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4667 Kezzerdrix]].
* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: Seen on some art, including [[http://magiccards.info/7e/en/54.html Vengeance]] and [[http://magiccards.info/mbs/en/59.html Burn the Impure]].
* {{Hammerspace}}: Sash and Waistcoat, the two un-men and ThoseTwoGuys from the ''Onslaught'' storyline, were designed by Ixidor to be living embodiments of {{Hammerspace}}. They're essentially living portals. There's several gags where they store things like pianos inside themselves.
* AHandfulForAnEye: [[http://magiccards.info/bok/en/153.html Blinding Powder]].
* HappyEndingOverride: Happens several times in different planes:
** In the first ''Mirrodin'' block, Glissa and her team stops the tyrannical Memnarch and his devious machinations over Mirrodin. Come ''Scars Of Mirrodin'' block, turns out that Memnarch had also been suppressing New Phyrexia's influence in Mirrodin, and with him gone, Mirrodin became New Phyrexia.
** In the first ''Innistrad'' block, humanity is under threat of extinction due to its guardian angel Avacyn gone missing, and all is well once she's freed. Come ''Shadows Over Innistrad'', not only the forces of darkness returns to threaten humanity once more, even the angels go crazy and start slaughtering the humans they are supposed to protect.
* IHaveYourWife: Volrath kidnaps Starke's daughter.
* HeadlessHorseman:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=1442 A Black creature]] from the Legends expansion set.
** Not to mention the much more recent [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=153037 Stillmoon Cavalier]].
* HeelRealization: After Darigaaz awakens the other four Primeval dragons in ''Planeshift'', he realizes that the five of them would destroy Dominaria themselves. His RedemptionEqualsDeath HeroicSacrifice to break their five-way bond is depicted on [[http://magiccards.info/ps/en/128.html Terminate]].
* HarmonyVersusDiscipline: The philosophy behind the conflict that pits Red/Green against White/Blue.
* HeroicSacrifice: White creatures that sacrifice themselves for an effect usually have this flavor. And then there's [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=19609 Shock Troops]]...
** One of the big story moments in ''War of the Spark'' was Gideon sacrificing himself to free Liliana from Bolas' control. Since Liliana was directing Bolas'army of invincible zombies, this turned the tide of the Battle.
* HideYourLesbians: Nissa and Chandra being romantic partners was implied for more than two years before being abruptedly and clumsily discarded in the novelization of ''War of Spark.'' There was significant backlash among the fandom, with Chandra's sudden preference for "decidedly male" lovers becoming a meme. For what it's worth, previous creatives no longer working at Wizards of the Coasts spoke on social media that Nissa and Chandra had been written as a couple, suggesting that ExecutiveMeddling reversed the relationship at the last minute.
* HighPriest: Mikaeus the Lunarch.
* HiveMind: The slivers.
* HiveDrone: There are the [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=t%3ASliver&v=scan&s=cname Slivers]], a type of {{Hive Mind}}ed creatures where the vast majority of individuals were drones under the control of the [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=%21Sliver+Queen&v=scan&s=cname Sliver Queen]] until she was killed, at which point they became drones of the [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=%21Sliver+Overlord&v=card&s=cname Sliver Overlord]], until ''that'' was killed, at which point control of the swarm shifted to the newly-conscious [[http://magiccards.info/fut/en/158.html hive mind itself]]; meanwhile on another plane there's a hive controlled by a [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=%21Sliver+Hivelord&v=card&s=cname Hivelord]].
* HollywoodCyborg:
** Phyrexians, extra-dimensional, bio-mechanical nasties whose machine parts are grafted onto them upon birth.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=174912 Tezzeret]] and other inhabitants of Esper. It's less grotesque than the Phyrexians, and is basically a way to transcend nature.
** All lifeforms on Mirrodin have some metallic parts naturally integrated in them. [[spoiler:Melira is the only exception, which makes her immune to the Phyrexian oil]].
* HolyHandGrenade: White has plenty of this. Loads of priests, religions, angels, miracles and so on that all focus on cutting a swath of destruction. Half the time, even the "nice" life-gain and protection spells are there to enable that planeswalker to do something terrible to you with the next card.
* HopeSpot: Twice in the events of Hour Of Devastation.
** The first time when Rhonas hits the Scorpion God and brings him to his knees, in apparent defeat. Rhonas then makes the mistake of turning his back on his opponent, who proceeds to get back up and stick his stinger into the back of Rhonas' head. The poison does the rest.
** The second time Oketra and Kefnet are double-teaming the Scorpion God. Kefnet gets stung once or twice in the wings, but Oketra manages to hit the Scorpion God squarely in the head with an arrow and blows it to bits. They're just starting to congratulate one another on their victory over Rhonas' killer... when the Scorpion God simply reconstitutes himself and nails Kefnet straight in the face. Oketra gets stung straight in the gut shortly thereafter.
* HordeOfAlienLocusts: Phyrexia's greatest ambition is to convert all of the multiverse's sentient life into Phyrexians. The game's MythArc from ''Weatherlight'' to ''Apocalypse'' was about their gambit to overcome the plane of Dominaria. They failed, but Karn unknowingly infected countless world's afterward. Mirrodin--now New Phyrexia--is the best known, but Elspeth Tirel hails from another such world.
* HornsOfBarbarism: A number of barbarian cards, such as [[https://scryfall.com/card/9ed/174/balduvian-barbarians Balduvian Barbarians]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/csp/77/balduvian-warlord Balduvian Warlord]], depicted tribal warriors clad in pelts, patchwork armor, flowing beards and, of course, helmets and headdresses adorned with horns and immense tusks.
* HorseOfADifferentColor:
** Card art often depicts characters riding outlandish creatures, including:
*** [[http://magiccards.info/cs/en/101.html Dinosaurs]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/shm/en/20.html Deer-like "cervins"]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/lw/en/41.html Goat-like "springjacks"]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/wwk/en/83.html Giant lizards]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/wwk/en/82.html Whatever the hell this thing is]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/sok/en/2.html Giant moths]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/dpa/en/59.html Weird frog-things]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/ala/en/27.html Lions with hooves]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/som/en/121.html "Vorrac" beasts]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/in/en/248.html Seahorses (for merfolk)]], including [[http://magiccards.info/fe/en/58.html a very horse-like variety]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/br/en/43.html Manta rays (also for merfolk)]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/m11/en/37.html Winged lions]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/po2/en/79.html Moose]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/ds/en/87.html Giant wolves]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/m11/en/10.html Griffins]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/cs/en/12.html Giant bulldogs]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/roe/en/27.html Oxen]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/mm/en/26.html "Jhovall" cats]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/cfx/en/26.html Giant robot gargoyles]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/shm/en/163.html Wasps]] and [[http://magiccards.info/eve/en/142.html cicadas]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/som/en/13.html Giant pterodactyls]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/ia/en/264.html Giant birds]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/cs/en/24.html Pegasi]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/shm/en/190.html Bat-demons]].
*** [[http://magiccards.info/mbs/en/66.html Robot horses (on fire!)]]
*** And of course, [[http://magiccards.info/roe/en/152.html dragons]].
** "[[https://scryfall.com/card/eld/328/knights-charge Knights' Charge]]" shows a motley company of knights charging into battle on the backs of horses, unicorns, lions, a giant raven, and a griffin.
--->''"By hoof, wing, or paw. For the realm!"''
** The elves of Eldraine almost exclusively ride foxes the size of horses.
** Specters and archons, powerful creatures that act as secondary embodiments of Black and White besides the more common demons and angels, are characterized by always appearing astride fantastical flying mounts -- the archons and their mounts, at least, are explicitly stated to be one and the same being. Specters typically ride things resembling the [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Nazgûl's fell steeds]], although some fly astride things like [[https://scryfall.com/card/eve/39/needle-specter giant wasps]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/m13/109/shimian-specter winged skulls]]; archons usually go for winged lions and winged stags, but [[https://scryfall.com/card/c18/64/celestial-archon at least one]] has been seen flying atop a winged ox.
* HumanoidAbomination: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=89092 Szadek]], founder of the Dimir Guild is a ten-thousand plus year old and the last surviving member of his species, who are essentially psychic vampires. The name of his species? The Eldritch. Make of that what you will.
* HumansAreAverage: {{Enforced}}. Humans are presented a jack-of-all trades species evenly represented across all colors of mana and with no specific identifying trait, outlook or lifestyle. This is done to put a human face on each color, which makes them more appealing to consumers (''Magic''[='s=] market research shows that [[MostWritersAreHuman it has a lot of human beings among its consumers]]). The presence of humans in the same environments and colors as nonhuman races also gives those races a point of reference to be compared to, allowing players to more accurately judge how and to what degree they align with their color.
* HumanResources: Ravnica's Golgari Guild is responsible for corpse disposal and food production throughout the city. These two tasks are not unrelated. Soylent Green/Black is made of people!
* HumongousMecha: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=191312 Darksteel Colossus]].
* HybridMonster: The Simic ''Combine'' specialize in creating these. Beasties with creature types like [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=366319 crocodile frog]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=366478 fish crab]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=366441 human ooze]] are the result.
* IGotBigger: Garruk Wildspeaker [[http://www.wizards.com/mtg/images/daily/webcomics/EN_MTG_Comic9_WildSon_Part1_5.jpg then]]. Garruk Wildspeaker [[http://ertaislament.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/garruk1.jpg now]].
* [[IJustWantToBeNormal I Just Want to be a Normal Planeswalker]]: Elspeth didn't ask to be a hero. She's often made one anyway: First on her adopted homeworld of Bant, then on Mirrodin[=/=]New Phyrexia, and soon again on Theros.
* AnIcePerson: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=121147 Heidar, Rimewind Master]]
* TheIgor: Seen in ''Innistrad'' with Oglor (a mad scientist's assistant represented on [[http://magiccards.info/isd/en/81.html Stitcher's Apprentice]] and in the flavor text of [[http://magiccards.info/isd/en/71.html Rooftop Storm]]) and Garl (the [[http://magiccards.info/isd/en/52.html Deranged Assistant]]).
* IncendiaryExponent: Things on fire are often stronger or faster than things not-on-fire. For example, [[http://magiccards.info/us/en/186.html Fiery Mantle]].
* IndividualismVsCollectivism: This is the key conflict between White and Black. White is characterized as prioritizing the society, while a Black character's main focus is him- or herself. Neither one is officially considered inherently good or evil: White at its best makes sure all are cared for, but at its worst loses sight of the individual and becomes draconian and xenophobic. Black has a much harder time getting a heroic portrayal as its extreme selfishness usually comes at the expense of others (and sometimes even of basic decency — Black is known for messing with death magic and necromancy), but the creators maintain that you do need to give consideration to your own wants and needs; and its self-serving arguments are sometimes treated as {{Hard Truth Aesop}}s and times where the JerkassHasAPoint.
* InfantImmortality: Averted during the Shadows over Innistrad/Eldritch Moon storyline. There are references to children dying to werewolf maulings, angel attacks, and being ''burned alive'' by the Church of Avacyn in an attempt to purify them, [[spoiler:though this is actually the work of the demon-worshiping Skirsdag cult in an attempt to sow disorder and distrust in the church.]]
* InhumanlyBeautifulRace: The elves from the Lorwyn set. Their caste system runs on how beautiful they are and they will often hunt other species that they deem uglier than they.
* InvoluntaryShapeshifting: The Changelings from ''Lorwyn'' block reflexively take the form of whatever else is nearby.
* IslandOfMystery: Invoked for the entire continent of Ixalan, within the set and plane of the same name. The vampiric Legion of Dusk searches for the lost city of Azcanta while protagonist Jace Beleren [[LaserGuidedAmnesia struggles to remember who is he and how got here]]. Fellow Planeswalkers Vraska and Angrath also search for the reason why no one can Planeswalk away from Ixalan, leaving them all marooned.
* ItsProbablyNothing: Invoked by name in the flavor text of [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=194361 Steady Progress]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=237360 Feeling of Dread]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=222203 Bump in the Night]].
** Also referenced (if not by name) in [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=409814 Just the Wind]].
* JekyllAndHyde: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=221209 Civilized Scholar/Homicidal Brute]], inspired directly by the original Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
* JidaiGeki''/''HollywoodMedievalJapan: A combination of these, plus elements of traditional Japanese fantasy and Shinto are the basis of the Kamigawa block.
* {{Kaiju}}: The major hat of the plane Ikoria (the full name of the set is ''Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths''). Fittingly, the set was released with a Godzilla crossover.
** The God-Eternals from ''War of the Spark'' tower over Ravnica's skyscrapers.
* KangarooCourt: The card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Twisted+Justice Twisted Justice]] is styled after creating such a situation, and the flavor text is from the perspective of the judge as he's being manipulated to send an innocent man to his death.
* KillEmAll: The ''Weatherlight'' saga had an extraordinarily high body count, especially among named protagonists.
** [[NatureHero Rofellos]] died fighting demons quite early on.
** [[CatFolk Mirri]] made a HeroicSacrifice to save Gerrard from Crovax.
** Belbe, despite ultimately turning good, was killed by Eladamri for being made of parts of his daughter.
** [[LoveMartyr Crovax]] and [[SmallNameBigEgo Ertai]] both fell to Phyrexia and died in its service.
** Starke was killed by Volrath.
** [[WrenchWench Hanna]] contracted the Phyrexian plague and died during the invasion proper.
** Lin Sivvi and Eladamri both killed themselves rather than be consumed by Yawgmoth's death cloud.
** Gerrard and Urza were both consumed in the completion of the [[WaveMotionGun Legacy weapon]].
** [[PluckyComicRelief Squee]] was killed by the fallen Ertai. A lot. However, he kept getting better because Ertai had made Squee immortal so he could torture and kill him repeatedly.
** In the same storyline, a similar thing happens with the Nine Titans, Urza's team of planeswalkers leading the attack on Phyrexia:
*** Daria and Kristina were killed by [[TokenEvilTeammate Tevesh Szat]].
*** Tevesh Szat was killed when Urza made his soul into a bomb, as he had been included on the team for this purpose all along.
*** Taysir attempted to knock some sense into Urza after he joined Yawgmoth's side, only for Urza to kill him in self defense.
*** Bo Levar and Commodore Guff were absorbed by Yawgmoth.
*** [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Urza was consumed in the completion of the Legacy Weapon.]]
*** Freyalise and Lord Windgrace manage to survive the Phyrexian Invasion... only to later perform {{Heroic Sacrifice}}s in order to seal the time rifts.
* {{Kirin}}: [[https://scryfall.com/search?q=t%3Akirin&order=name&as=grid&unique=cards Kirins]] are a rare creature type typically aligned with {{White Ma|gic}}na and found in worlds [[FantasyCounterpartCulture inspired by East Asian cultures and mythologies]], such as Kamigawa (feudal Japan), Tarkir (central Asia, Tibet and India) and the Plane of Mountains and Seas (ancient China), where they tend to serve as replacements for angels as White's iconic creatures. All are capable of flight, despite having no wings. Tarkir's kirin appear as heralds of the arrival or death of an important figure -- [[https://scryfall.com/card/ktk/4/alabaster-kirin Alabaster Kirin]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/dtk/25/misthoof-kirin Misthoof Kirin]] both appeared as omens of the ascent, and then return, of the planeswalker Sarkhan Vol -- while those of the Plane of Mountains and Seas are known as qilins instead.
* KnightErrant: Elspeth, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=217825 literally]]. Though [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=238329 Gideon Jura]] is the one with the [[ChronicHeroSyndrome messiah complex]].
* KnightInShiningArmor:
** The Cathars of Innistrad.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=373649 Elspeth]].
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=243431 Lots]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=244669 of]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=179542 various]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=265731 cards]] with the Knight creature type evoke this trope.
* KnightTemplar:
** In ''Avacyn Restored'', despite Avacyn casting a spell on the plane's werewolves that turn them into Wolfir, werewolves that keep their sanity and now fight on humanity's side, one Cathar officer leads a crusade against the "reformed werewolves" despite them undergoing a HeelFaceTurn.
** Later on, Avacyn herself becomes this in ''Shadows over Innistrad'' after the influence of an EldritchAbomination drove her mad. She eventually becomes so bad that her creator, the planeswalker Sorin Markov, is forced to end her forever.
* LanguageEqualsThought: A recurrent theme in flavor text (usually in red, for some reason). Some examples:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=130384 Bloodrock Cyclops]]:
--->"There are only fifty words in the cyclops language, and ten of them mean 'kill.'"
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=48592 Goblin Striker]]:
--->There's no word in the goblin language for "strategy." Then again, there's no word in the goblin language for "word."
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=213795 Ogre Resister]]:
--->He didn't have a word for "home," but he knew it was something to be defended.
* LastStand: The forces of the Coalition make a LastStand in ''Apocalypse'', as depicted on the card (of course) [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=27231 Last Stand.]]
* LaserGuidedAmnesia: The in-game flavor of your deck is that of your memories, and a number of cards have the ability to search opponent's decks for cards and remove them from the game. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=215103]]
** Comes up twice in the ''Ixalan'' block. Jace Beleren wakes up on a beach with no memory of who he is or how he got there [[spoiler: it turns out this was a failsafe installed on his person by Ugin, triggered by the Gatewatch's disastrous defeat on Amonkhet]]. Once he figures what happened and how it was done, he installs a similar memory block on the Planeswalker Vraska, so that she can be [[TheMole a mole]] and keep that hidden from even herself.
* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: The expansion ''Oath of the Gatewatch'' has a group of [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=407623 cards]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=407540 of]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=407570 different]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=407650 colors]], each depicting a planeswalker promising to keep watch, but no black version is present. Three expansions later, ''Eldritch Moon'' completes the theme with [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=414395 "Oath of Liliana"]], whose flavor text reads, "I'll keep watch. Happy now?"
* LegionsOfHell: The ''Invasion'' block storyline has Dominaria defending itself against the invading forces of Yawgmoth.
* LighthousePoint: The Arcane Lighthouse and Desolate Lighthouse land cards.
* LightIsNotGood: While White has several protagonists, it has occasionally proved to be oppressive, tyrannical and horribly misguided:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=78594 Takeshi Konda]] is the primary example of a White BigBad.
** Also from Kamigawa is the Myojin of Cleansing Fire, another White villain. Although he doesn't get much "screen time", he is clearly fighting on the side of the kami, and is implied he destroyed his own mortal followers with his sacred flames.
** Another evil White kami is Kataki, who, according to [[http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fweb.archive.org%2Fweb%2F20080312033901%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.wizards.com%2Fdefault.asp%3Fx%3Dmagic%2Fsok%2Fkataki&t=Zjk5ZDZiMGExMDJjNGI3NGI1YjMwZmEzMTNlMjJjZjE2MGVjMWZmMSwxY2x5ZVNwYQ%3D%3D&b=t%3A2DfkhuDhXo6i59HWg2QN9A&p=http%3A%2F%2Fimakethecard.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F158383861873%2Fkamigawa-short-stories&m=1 this side story]], is pretty much insane.
** In ''Dissension'', [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370420 Augustin IV of the Azorius]] (a guild of blue-white {{Obstructive Bureaucrat}}s) is the bad guy.
** As Phyrexia shows (more specifically, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=214352 Elesh Norn]] and her servants), White can be quite scary too...
** The point of the White cards in ''The Dark''.
** According to [[WordOfGod Mark Rosewater]] and [[InUniverse Serra]] (as well as some of his guises and spells), [[VillainProtagonist Urza]] is White/Blue. He also caused countless cataclysms, devised an eugenics program (and was a general social darwinist), manipulated his own allies against themselves and ultimately [[spoiler:joined Phyrexia]].
** In the Theros Block, [[spoiler:Heliod]] provoked the conflicts in the pantheon and ultimately [[spoiler:murdering Elspeth in cold blood.]]
** Officially speaking, [[spoiler:[[RoaringRampageOfRevenge Nahiri]]]] is one of the villains in the ''Shadows over Innistrad'' block. Your mileage may vary on whether she qualifies more as an AntiVillain, but [[spoiler:attempting to wipe out an entire populated plane as revenge against ''one person'']] is not a heroic act.
** Kaladesh is ruled by the white/blue Consulate. This results in pristine cities, beautiful environments, and a fascist bureaucracy keeping most of the plane's citizen under its iron heel. The heroes of Kaladesh are rebels affiliated with red Mana, an unusually heroic take on red's desires for freedom.
** In Ixalan the dinosaurs are [[ThePowerOfTheSun sun-powered]]. While not any more ''evil'' than any regular animal, it can't be pleasant to have a mindless predator bursting you with vicious sunlight.
* {{Lilliputians}}: The plane of Segovia, where everything is about 1/100 of the size of other planes. For example, it has whales the size of goldfish and its [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Discussion.aspx?multiverseid=14538 Leviathan]], generally among the most massive creatures in ''M:TG'', is about the size of an elephant.
* LivingShadow: This is generally the flavor of the 'Shade' creature type.
* LivingShip: The ''Weatherlight''. Also, [[http://magiccards.info/ap/en/28.html Living Airship]].
* LizardFolk: The Viashino.
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Literally thousands, made more confusing by the fact that many of them have the same or similar names.
* LoadsAndLoadsOfRaces: There are roughly a bajillion different ''known'' sapient species in the Multiverse. Aside from Humans there are Aetherborn, Ainok, Amphin, Angels, Archons, Aven, Beebles, Bird-Maidens, Centaurs, antelope Centaurs, deer Centaurs, Cephalids, Changelings, Cyclopes, Dauthi, Demons, Devils, Djinn, Dragons, [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Dwarves]], Dryads, Efreet, sentient Elementals, Elves, Eumidians, Faeries, Flamekin, Giants, Goblins, sapient Golems, Gorgons, sapient Gorillas, Hags, Homarids, Iquati, Kami and other sentient Spirit races, Khenra, Kithkin, Kitsune, Kor, Krakens, Kraul, Lamias, Lammasu, [[CatFolk Leonin]], Liches, Loxodon, fishtailed Merfolk, Merfolk with legs, [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere flying Elf-Merfolk]], Metathran, Minotaurs, Mistfolk, Mycoids, Myr, Nagas, Nantuko, Nezumi, Nightstalkers, Noggles, Ogres, Orcs, Orochi, Ouphes, [[TheVirus Phyrexians]], Puca, Rhox, Sangrazuls, Satyrs, Scarecrows, Selkies, Serpent people, Slivers, Soltari, Soratami, Sphinxes, [[FishPeople Surrakar]], Thalakos, Thrulls, [[WhenTreesAttack Treefolk]], [[AllTrollsAreDifferent Trolls]], Vampires, Vedalken, [[LizardFolk Viashino]], Weirds, Werewolves, Wolfir, the talking Wolves of Tel-Jilad...\\
\\
And that's not even counting sub-races. Just among goblins there are [[TooDumbToLive common Dominarian Goblins]] (of at least three different breeds), Kobolds, [[CannonFodder Rathi Moggs]], [[UpperClassTwit Mercadian Kyren]], [[IdiotSavant Mirran Krark-Clan]], [[{{Kappa}} Kamigawan Akki]], [[CuriosityIsACrapshoot Lorwyn]]-[[HordeOfAlienLocusts Shadowmoor]] [[SenseFreak Boggarts]], [[AxCrazy Redcaps]], [[DeterminedHomesteader Hobgoblins]], and [[HufflepuffHouse Spriggans]], [[LetsMeetTheMeat ratlike Jund Dragon Fodder]], [[TreacherousAdvisor Zendikari Guide-Thieves]], and [[WhatIsThisFeeling Phyrexian Squealstokes]].
* LongGame: Nicol Bolas works this way all the time.
* LooksLikeOrlok: [[http://www.teamwingman.net/uploads/bu/sengir_vampire.jpg The original Sengir Vampire art draws from this.]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=244253 The next depiction]] even more so, aside from the fact that he has hair.
* LooseCanon: The game's original dozen [[TieInNovel spin-off novels]] were published by [=HarperPrism=]. When the Weatherlight saga began and Creator/WizardsOfTheCoast started its own novel line, the continuity was revised (this is commonly referred to as [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin "The Revision"]]). Any material in the old novels is considered {{Canon}} unless new material directly contradicts it.
* LosingYourHead: Urza in ''Apocalypse''. His severed head was last seen [[http://magiccards.info/uh/en/131.html relaxing in a hot tub]] with the missing creature from [[http://magiccards.info/uh/en/2.html AWOL]].
* LostTechnology: Thran technology in the Brothers' War.
* LoveItOrHateIt: {{Invoked}} with [[http://magiccards.info/gp/en/129.html Schismotivate]], which works by inciting strong positive and negative emotions in two target creatures. The happy creature gets powered up; the sad creature gets powered down.
* LoveRedeems: Belbe, in ''Nemesis'', leading to RedemptionEqualsDeath. Spoiled somewhat by the romance being with Ertai, who went over to the side Belbe abandoned...before her body had actually cooled.
* LovesTheSoundOfScreaming: Braids.
* LukeIAmYourFather: Volrath was Gerrard's adoptive brother, Vuel. This was never a huge secret, though.
* {{Lunacy}}: All over the place in ''Innistrad'' block; both the church and the werewolves seem to draw power from Innistrad's silver Moon.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:M-O]]
* MacGuffinTurnedHuman: In ''Saviors of Kamigawa'', [[http://magiccards.info/bok/en/162.html That Which Was Taken]] (the MacGuffin that started the spirit war) takes the form of a girl.
** Memnarch also counts as a relatively rare villainous example.
* MacheteMayhem: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?name=Trusty%20Machete Trusty Machete]]
* MacrossMissileMassacre:
** When combined with SummonMagic and ShockAndAwe, looks something like [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=146087 this]].
** Any spell that [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=41167 conjures]] a [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=197766 meteor shower]] arguably applies.
* MagicallyBindingContract: The Guildpact in ''Ravnica'' block.
** Liliana Vess made one with four demons and it's the source of her power and eternal youth. It's represented in the card Demonic Pact .
* MagicCarpet: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2043 Magic Carpet]]. Also seen on [[http://magiccards.info/tsts/en/20.html Flying Men]].
* MagicMeteor: See MacrossMissileMassacre above. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=134740 Also this.]]
* MakeSomeNoise: Mages can train in the Arcanum of Forces to manipulate sound and other forms of energy. At the most basic level, they can displace sounds from their source; more advanced Forces spells can selectively control all sound in an area or around specific targets.
* MakingASplash: Stock blue ability, although it's occasionally appeared in [[http://magiccards.info/al/en/130.html other]] [[http://magiccards.info/ia/en/195.html colors]] as well.
* TheManBehindTheMan:
** Yawgmoth behind Volrath, and in general Phyrexia for Rath.
** Phyrexia would be this to Memnarch as well, but it's a complicated case: Memnarch was curtailing the mycosynth, the first signs of Phyrexian infection. When he was removed, the mycosynth could grow unchecked.
* MeaningfulName:
** Glissa Sunseeker discovered (as far as the surface races are concerned) not only Mirrodin's fifth sun, which she also named, but also the mana core at the heart of the plane, meaning she's essentially found two suns.
** Nicol Bolas. See NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast.
** Gideon Jura. Gideon translates to 'Powerful Warrior' and thus is he consistently portrayed, being one of the only planeswalkers who isn't a straight mage; he's more of a paladin instead. One of his card abilities also turns him into a 6/6 human soldier temporarily, making him quite powerful indeed.
** Garruk Wildspeaker's speciality is that once he defeats a wild animal, he can commune with it and summon it to his aid at a moment's notice.
** Ajani Goldmane was born with a rare genetic defect that gave him startlingly pale fur.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=174948 Rafiq]] means "friend" in Arabic. He is the most decorated paladin on his plane, and renders his services as a peacekeeper and mediator of sorts, trying to solve would be duels with both participating parties leaving satisfied.
** Very literally on the plane of Lorwyn. The local giants live large in every conceivable way, including how they sleep, sometimes decades at a time. During this sleep, which they call the 'namesleep' they have any number of dreams where they imagine themselves in some sort of epic poem all most. They take this as a sign, and when they wake up they take on that persona and name themselves appropriately. Such as a [[WanderingTheEarth wandering drifter]] named Rosheen Meanderer, or a peacekeeping arbiter named Galanda Feudkiller.
** "Pyrexia" is a medical term for a fever. The Phyrexians, in addition to not being a very pleasant lot, use genetically engineered plagues. In fact, Yawgmoth started out making such plagues. Their name is also derived from the Greek letter Phi, which is commonly used to represent the "perfect" golden ratio (and is itself commonly used as their sigil), reflecting their collective superiority complex.
* MeatMoss:
** The ground itself is MeatMoss'd in Grixis.
** The interior of the compleated Lumengrid in New Phyrexia is covered in organic tissue.
* MechanicalHorse: [[http://magiccards.info/ch/en/76.html Bronze Horse]], [[http://magiccards.info/5e/en/357.html Clockwork Steed]], [[http://magiccards.info/ex/en/142.html Workhorse]], and [[http://magiccards.info/som/en/142.html Chrome Steed]]. [[http://magiccards.info/mbs/en/8.html Hero of Bladehold]] and [[http://magiccards.info/mbs/en/66.html Hero of Oxid Ridge]] can be seen riding Chrome Steeds as well.
* MechanicalEvolution: Phyrexia. [[OrganicTechnology Kind of]].
* MechanicalLifeforms: The greater part of ''Mirrodin'' block falls under this, as does the world of Esper from ''Shards of Alara'', the metal demons of Phyrexia, and various artifact creatures.
* MedievalStasis: Happens on a regular basis. Probably one of the key reasons why few people actually take the stories seriously.
** The [[CityPlanet city plane]] of Ravnica has apparently been ruled by the exact same ten guilds for freaking 10,000 years. This is handwaved to some extent [[AWizardDidIt by the existence of a powerful magical pact binding them all]], and some change seems to have still happened. But some of the stuffs don't quite add up (e.g., it's hard to picture the fractious slum-dwelling Gruul Clans having been the way they are ''now'' from the beginning, for one thing). Still, seeing how much happened in the same time in {{Real Life}} (i.e., basically all of recorded history, plus as much time in late prehistory), it's probably a good example of [[SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale game designers having no sense of scale]].
*** Of those said ten guilds, four are still ruled by the same immortal magical creatures that signed the Guildpact, two are ruled by immortal councils, one is basically the physical manifestation of hidebound bureaucracy, and the other three are more or less insane and generally poor at long-term planning.
*** With the Return to Ravnica block, the Simic actually go ''back'' to melding with magic, rather than using the more scientific-sounding cytoplasts they favored in the classical Ravnica, because an unfortunate incident involving the Guild's leader and a giant blob monster {{Kaiju}} made them virtually unsellable.
** The ''Tarkir'' block has the first (''Khans of Tarkir'') and third (''Dragons of Tarkir'') sets form the [[AlternateUniverse alternative versions]] of the plane's present, with the second set (''Fate Reforged'') taking place 1,200 years in the past. The differences between ''Khans'' and ''Dragons'' are '''far more pronounced''' than the differences between either and ''Fate Reforged'', to the point that most of the clans even dress the same. This may be a case of GameplayAndStorySegregation, as the art of cards is meant to include the mechanical colors involved, so (for example) the block's red/white/blue clan will always be dressed primarily in red, white, and blue.
*** But that '''still''' doesn't excuse why the clothing styles remained so static: Even if colors are fixed, clothes could still vary in terms of, say, shapes, proportions, materials, etc.
*** The fact that the five clans have persisted for more than a millennium is also rather jarring. Look back at human history, and the ''vast'' majority of empires didn't last more than 500 years. Millennium-spanning empires did exist (e.g., the Roman Empire) but were an absolute minority. One of the clans has persisted for 1,200 years? That's... okay. All five persisted for 1,200 years? That's a little bit less believable.
** ''Aaaand then'' there is Dominaria. Apparently according to the latest ''Dominaria'' set, it is a plane full of histories and stories. For some reason, historic periods and objects on this plane can easily last thousands of years without any significant change. Just... look at the architectural styles, clothing, etc., Dominaria is still ''far'' more static than our world. E.g., compare modern buildings with buildings of Ancient Egyptians, and the latter were just 5,000 to 3,000 years ago. Are we ''really'' supposed to think of Dominaria as a plane full of historic intrigues?
* MentorOccupationalHazard: Tocasia, Urza and Mishra's teacher in their youth, falls victim to this trope.
* MercyKill: In the ''Invasion'' block, Agnate to Thaddeus, and later, Grizzlegom to Agnate.
* MesACrowd: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=366414 Biovisionary]], who you're expected to play with a bunch of cards that clone creatures.
* MessianicArchetype: Though '''very''' far from an AllLovingHero, Urza went through a whole lot of awful things to destroy Phyrexia.
* {{Meta Guy}}: Commodore Guff. [[{{The Scrappy}} Didn't work out]].
* MindControlDevice: [[http://www.magiccards.info/query?q=!Mindslaver The Mindslaver]]
* MindRape: The ''flavor'' behind Discard spells suggests they do this to your opponent.
* TheMirrorShowsYourTrueSelf: {{Inverted}} with [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=174818 Lich's Mirror]], but played straight on Innistrad.
* MirrorUniverse:
** ''Lorwyn'' becomes its own MirrorUniverse in the ''Shadowmoor'' block.
** And there is an actual card called ''Mirror Universe'', which allows you to swap HitPoint totals with your opponent.
** Mirrodin is [[TheVirus being corrupted]] into its reflection.
* MixAndMatchCritters:
** The Simic Combine of Ravnica creates these, and includes sentient species. So you'll see Shark-Octopus hybrids, but also Human Merfolk and Human Lizards. For bonus points, the leader of the Combine during the ''Guilds of Ravnica'' arc was Prime Speaker Vannifar, an Elf-Ooze hybrid.
** These occur naturally on the {{Kaiju}} plane of Ikoria, shown off on cards like [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Porcuparrot and Exuberant Wolfbear]]. This is likely TheArtifact from Ikoria's Mutate mechanic that lets players mash multiple creatures into one. Rumor has it that early versions of the mechanic required all parties in the mashup to share at least one creature type; by the time the mechanic had been simplified to work with any non-Human creatures, the art for the mishmashed creatures had already been commissioned.
* MonsterLord: Zendikar vampires and their nulls.
* MonsterShapedMountain: The card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=279708 Hamletback Goliath]] is given to be this. The card art depicts a couple of goblins living on the Goliath's back, and plant growth that makes it look like a mountain.
* MonsterWhale: While they're not the most commonly-featured type of sea monster in the game, [[https://scryfall.com/card/usg/77/great-whale immense]] [[https://scryfall.com/card/m14/48/colossal-whale whales]] have appeared on a number of cards.
* {{Mordor}}: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=198071 Grixis]].
* MorphicResonance: The werewolves of ''Innistrad'' all have distinctive visual cues to make it clear that the wolf and the human are the same creature. When this isn't done through a repetition of the setting[[note]]a la [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=222186 Tormented Pariah]][[/note]], it's done with MorphicResonance, copying a physical detail on both sides. For example, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=222111 Reckless Waif]]'s distinctive pink hair, or [[http://media.wizards.com/images/magic/tcg/products/dka/e71fyeka8z_en.jpg Mondronen Shaman]]'s single glowing eye.
* MuggingTheMonster: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=222186 Tormented Pariah]].
* MySkullRunnethOver: Seen occasionally on card-drawing spells like [[http://magiccards.info/m12/en/68.html Mind Unbound]]. In some cases it crosses over to the game mechanics, forcing the affected player to discard cards or take damage.
* MythArc: Several of them over the games 25+ years.
** ''Weatherlight'' through ''Apocalypse'' marked the aptly named "Weatherlight Saga," which dealt with the Planeswalker Urza and his allies attempting to thwart Phyrexia's [[AlienInvasion plan to invade and conquer Dominaria]].
** A mini arc started with ''Odyssey'' and ended with ''Scourge,'' though the MacGuffin of that particular arc became the initial antagonist of the next. The "Otarian Saga," told of the effects that the ArtifactOfDoom called the Mirari left in its wake as it was dragged across the titular continent.
** ''Mirrodin'' began the arc of Mirrodin and its conversion into New Phyrexia. Of all the game's Myth Arcs, this is the longest running one that still incomplete. It was most recently teased in ''Theros Beyond Death'', with the Planeswalker Ashiok learning of Phyrexians from Elspeth's nightmares and deciding to seek them out.
** ''Shards of Alara'' reintroduced Nicol Bolas as a BigBad. This particular arc has touched the most planes, with Alara, Kaladesh, Amonkhet, and Ravnica all being part of the show. It ended with Bolas' defeat at the end of ''War of the Spark.''
** ''Zendikar'' to ''Eldritch Moon'' told the story of the [[EldritchAbomination Eldrazi]], which would eventually spill over into Innistrad. It is now theoretically resolved with two of three titans destroyed and the other imprisoned in Innistrad's moon, but ample foreshadowing was laid that Eldrazi titans don't simply die and the consequences of killing Kozilek and Ulamog may be long-term and far-reaching. On the bright side, ''Zendikar Rising'' shows that Zendikar is steadily healing from the damage inflicted by the last two blocks.
* MysticalCityPlanning: The city of Ravnica was designed by Niv-Mizzet to form a giant sigil powered by the movement of its citizens that would give him ultimate power. However, a goblin tribe involved in the construction spotted what he was doing and sabotaged the design. When Niv-Mizzet found out what they'd done, he was so impressed with how they did it that he bought the entire clan and made them the basis for his guild.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast:
** Nicol Bolas, [[MeaningfulName once you take apart where the parts of his name come from]]. "Nicol" is derived from the German "nickel", meaning "devil". "Bolas" seems to come from [[Literature/ArsGoetia the Goetic demon Glasya-Labolas]], whose name is occasionally rendered as "Glasya La Bolas". In other words, "Bolas" is some sort of demonic epithet.
** Yawgmoth [[{{NamesToRunAwayFrom/Adjectives}} the Ineffable]] has a [[{{NamesToRunAwayFrom/NamesEndingInTh}} name ending in Th]] and almost containing [[{{NamesToRunAwayFrom/Mor}} Mor]]. Also, many non-English players find its name [[{{NamesToRunAwayFrom/UnpronouncableNames}} quite difficult to pronounce]].
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=74016 Many]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=74552 of]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=78965 Kamigawa's]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=50318 demons]]. The lead demon goes one further: The All-Consuming Oni of Chaos.
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193632 Kozilek]]. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=194911 Ulamog]]. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193452 Emrakul]].
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=107438 Rakdos the Defiler]]
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=180595 Thraximundar]]: ''His name means "he who paints the earth red."''
** Imperial Assassin [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Discussion.aspx?multiverseid=1678 Ramses Overdark]]. That name alone tells you that it's not a guy you want to meet in a dark alley. Or at all.
** Vaevictis Asmadi, given that he's an elder dragon. Also arguably an AwesomeMcCoolname.
* NatureHero: Various green-aligned characters, but especially [[http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=40538 Kamahl post-transformation]].
* ANaziByAnyOtherName: Lorwyn's Elves believe that anything that is ugly is an affront to nature. Naturally, they believe this gives them the right to systematically hunt down and murder ugly lesser races.
* {{Nephilim}}: Gargantuan [[BeastOfTheApocalypse Beasts Of The Apocalypse]] created by the gods just to put mortals in their place.
* [[NegativeSpaceWedgie Negative Planar Wedgie]]: Either the cause of, or caused by, a large amount of the plot.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero:
** In the novel for the Nemesis set, [[spoiler:the Phyrexian Belbe was deliberately sabotaging the plans for Rath to overlay Dominaria. Until Eladamri killed her because she was constructed from his daughter's body]].
** In the ''Literature/{{Ravnica|Cycle}}'' series, the ''Dissension'' novel has the Azorius Guildmaster explaining that things have gotten a lot worse because [[spoiler:the main characters arrested the first book's BigBad, who was put on trial and killed]]. How is this a bad thing? The magically-enforced government of Ravnica ''demands'' that group/entity exist, for the sole purpose of [[ForTheEvulz doing Big Bad things]]. Because it could no longer act as an opposing force, the magic of the Guildpact was weakened and could no longer protect the city.
** Another one happened in ''In The Teeth of Akoum'', Zendikar's novel. [[spoiler:Upon reaching the eponymous location, Sorin Markov, a vampire planeswalker, tries to activate a strange device. Nissa, his unwilling partner, is a Zendikar native elf who hates vampires. When Nissa notices the device reacting to Sorin's ritual, she promptly uses a spell to destroy it. Unfortunately for her, and Zendikar, that device is the final lock which holds [[EldritchAbomination the Eldrazi]], and with no more lock to hold them, they break free. Sorin, annoyed, [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere leaves afterwards]].]]
** Earlier, in another example, [[spoiler:Jace's, Chandra's and Sarkhan's shenanigans some time prior weakens the rest of the locks keeping the Eldrazi imprisoned, just as [[BigBad Nicol Bolas]] wanted.]]
** Memnarch might not have been a nice guy, but [[spoiler:he was fighting back the mycosynth corruption in Mirrodin's Core and preventing Phyrexia from taking hold there]]. When Glissa and her friends defeated him, [[spoiler:the mycosynth grew unchecked and Phyrexia could grow unimpeded]], dooming the plane.
** Ral was meaning to warn Jace about Vraska, who was an Ravinican assassin planeswalker, had gone to the void, but Lilliana intervened to force Jace about Tezzeret being in Kaladesh. What makes it bad was that [[spoiler:Vraska was in talks with Nicol Bolas.]]
*** That one ended up working out in the end though. Jace following Liliana's lead ultimately led him to getting defeated and memory wiped in Amonkhet before ending up in Ixalan, where Vraska was. Instead of Vraska and Jace fighting to the death, Vraska seeing an amnesiac Jace ends up taking him into her pirate crew (ItMakesSenseInContext) and they hit it off. Even after Jace reclaims his memories (of which Vraska ended up seeing very painful parts of his past), while Vraska feared his hatred he remained loyal to her. By the end of the Ixalan Block the two had concocted a plan to get at Nicol Bolas during the War of the Spark, which they enacted. Also the two made a date and are quite clearly an OfficialCouple by the end of the War. So in other words, Liliana's actions ended up driving Jace into the arms of another woman. Oops.
* NightAndDayDuo: The Mirage set has several cards which reference the [[https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/love-song-night-and-day-2003-04-14 Love Song of the Night and Day]] which definitely falls under this trope.
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: [[http://ww2.wizards.com/Gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?name=mistform%20ultimus Mistform Ultimus]] which has every creature type, such as Ninja, Pirate, Zombie, Construct, [[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles Mutant, Ninja, and Turtle]]. Years later, ''Lorwyn'' block introduced ''nineteen'' more creatures like this, as well as several non-creature cards.
** Every time a new set comes out, Wizards of the Coast publishes a [[http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/1336 Mistform Ultimus Watch]] article on the Daily MTG, that documents every single creature type that it becomes.
* NoNameGiven: The Cabal Patriarch is only ever referred to as "Cabal Patriarch." This includes his Legendary card and the "Desire" cycle of cards having a black entry named, "Patriarch's Desire."
* NotSoDifferent: Urza and Mishra.
* {{Obake}}: Kamigawa has ''oni'' and ''kitsune''; indeed, the entire ''Kamigawa'' block is one big Obake-fest, its setting heavily inspired by Japanese folklore and mythology.
* {{Oculothorax}}: [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=t%3A%22eye%22&v=scan&s=cname There are two]].
* OlderThanTheyLook: Old generation planeswalkers are generally immortal; Urza, as an example, lived for at least 5000 years, while Nicol Bolas is even older. That's before counting some people who live long despite being otherwise mortal: Jodah aged slowly because he fell into a fountain of youth in his [[IncrediblyLamePun youth]]; Jhoira, unlike her planeswalker boyfriend Teferi, used slow-aging potions; Liliana Vess made a contract with demons (in her case, despite being a planeswalker, she is not normally immortal due to the Mending) and so on.
** Ugin, the Spirit Dragon is old enough that Sorin (who is himself at least several thousand years old) refers to Ugin as being "as old as time".
** Shen Yun, the Jeskai Khan of ancient Tarkir, looks about thirty but is among the oldest people on the plane.
* OminousObsidianOoze: Phyrexian Oil is a black substance that infects and corrupts anything it touches, ultimately consuming the plane of Mirrodin and transforming it into New Phyrexia.
* OminousOwl:
** On Alara, strixes are kept as pets in the bio-mechanical realm of Esper. As the name might suggest to any Latin scholars, they're [[https://scryfall.com/card/c13/222/tidehollow-strix venomous]] or [[https://scryfall.com/card/2xm/60/parasitic-strix parasitic]] evil clockwork owls.
** [[https://scryfall.com/card/isd/67/mindshrieker Mindshrieker]], an owl spirit from Innistrad, feeds on spells that it tears right out of its victims' minds.
* OneSteveLimit: Enforced for gameplay reasons -- all planeswalkers which appear or may appear on cards are required to have different names.
* OnlyFatalToAdults: As part of his plan to seize control of Amonkhet before the Mending finished, Nicol Bolas descended upon Naktamun and, in a flash of white light, instantly vaporized all of the adults. This was so that he could indoctrinate the remaining children with the gods he mind-wiped into doing his bidding.
* OrganicTechnology: Phyrexia. They invoke this trope, subvert it, divert it, avert it, deconstruct it, reconstruct it, and ask it out for dinner. Their entire purpose is to blur the line between 'organic' and 'technology' to the point of irrelevance. [[TheVirus In the most]] nightmarish ways possible. Even more strongly pronounced in New Phyrexia, when the faction got an artistic revamp that made it much more ambiguous where the organic ended and the technology began, which is shown by their use of colored artifacts.
* OrificeEvacuation: This is how [[http://magiccards.info/us/en/126.html Dark Hatchling]] kills its victims.
* OtherworldlyAndSexuallyAmbiguous: [[http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Multiverse/planeswalkers.aspx?x=mtg/multiverse/planeswalkers/ashiok Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver]], a [[PrestigiousPlayerTitle Planeswalker]] and HumanoidAbomination who specializes in bringing people's worst nightmares to life. Ashiok is confirmed by WordOfGod to be of AmbiguousGender.
* OurAngelsAreDifferent: A staple White type, the most famous of which is the classic [[https://scryfall.com/card/dom/33/serra-angel Serra Angel]]. Almost all of them (and definitely all the recent ones) are female, with the exception being, well, exceptional in some way (for example, the MirrorUniverse [[https://scryfall.com/card/plc/24/malach-of-the-dawn Malach of the Dawn]]). While most are under the domain of White, there are other more atypical ones such as the [[https://scryfall.com/card/mb1/1449/maelstrom-archangel Maelstrom Archangel]] and the [[https://scryfall.com/card/cn2/214/platinum-angel Platinum Angel]]. A MirrorUniverse version of [[KnightTemplar Akroma]], [[https://scryfall.com/card/a25/2/akroma-angel-of-wrath Angel of Wrath]] is [[https://scryfall.com/card/a25/119/akroma-angel-of-fury mono-Red]] instead of White. Of course, Black also has its share of {{Fallen Angel}}s, but in recent years a design philosophy has come down that all new angels must be at least partly White. The uniqueness of each plane's environs often leads to each plane's angels being further divergent from the standard mold.
** Mirrodin has [[https://scryfall.com/card/mrd/15/luminous-angel cyborg angels]] and even one robot angel (the above Platinum Angel). Alara's are more the "classical" ''Magic'' type of winged female humanoids, but some [[https://scryfall.com/card/c16/199/filigree-angel were cyberneticized]] during the Conflux.
** All but the most powerful of Zendikar's angels were shackled by [[EldritchAbomination the Eldrazi]], their [[https://scryfall.com/card/cma/15/lightkeeper-of-emeria haloes actually being blindfolds]].
** The standard Serra family of angels come from an artificial plane created by the planeswalker Serra that was invaded and scrapped by the Phyrexians, forcing them to relocate to Dominaria.
** Ravnica's angels are either [[https://scryfall.com/card/ima/199/firemane-angel Red and White]] and aligned with the crusaders of the Boros Legion or [[https://scryfall.com/card/gtc/153/deathpact-angel Black and White]] and aligned with the CorruptChurch of the Orzhov Syndicate. The rebirth of Mirrodin into New Phyrexia features the angels being surgically rebuilt into near-mindless killing machines... that are still pure White -- appropriate enough, given that Phyrexia is basically a freakin' horror refinery.
** The angels of Innistrad are also more or less classical ''Magic'' angels, but [[https://scryfall.com/card/ima/11/avacyn-angel-of-hope Avacyn]], their leader, is basically a goddess in her own right (albeit [[DeityOfHumanOrigin a created one]], by the vampire Sorin Markov), lording not only over her church but also over the plane's WhiteMagic, down to the fact that the other angels are much weaker without her. She's also a lunar deity (think [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Selene]], only more protective), and because she was created by a vampire, a bit gothy in appearance. And while the rest of the angels in Innistrad are the traditional WingedHumanoid sort, Innistradi angels are further divided into three groups: Flight Alabaster (BarrierMaiden and occasional {{psychopomp}}s), Flight Goldnight (ChurchMilitant), and Flight of Herons (healing and scouting).
* OurArchonsAreDifferent: Archons are one of White's iconic races, usually showing up whenever angels would clash thematically. They usually take the form of [[HumanoidAbomination mysterious humanoid]] figures riding winged steeds, most often either winged lions or winged stags, they represent White's more [[LightIsNotGood malevolent]], traits, [[KnightTemplar such as vicious justice and oppression]], or at least embody the Lawful side over the Good side. Indeed, on Theros they are the last remnants of a tyrannical empire that spanned the entire plane. Archons are never seen without their winged mounts, and on at least some planes the two are one and the same creature.
* OurBansheesAreLouder: They are typically Black creatures with abilities that weaken other creatures or injure players without discrimination.
* OurCentaursAreDifferent: A recurring creature type usually aligned with Green.
** They're mostly fairly standard fantasy centaurs, but there are some unusual variations. Centaurs from the Gruul Clans of Ravnica, for instance, have large antlers, as did some Dominarian centaurs from the Ice Age, while [[http://magiccards.info/pc/en/139.html other Dominarian centaurs]] have the heads and lower bodies of antelopes.
** Given the plane's roots in Myth/ClassicalMythology, centaurs are naturally also a major race in Theros. There, they’re divided between the civilized Lagonna Band (representing the traditionally wild but generally benevolent ''Magic'' centaurs) and the savage, aggressive Pheres Band (representing the dangerous and barbaric centaurs of Greek myth). [[https://magiccards.info/c16/en/205.html Iroas]], the god of victory, honor and war, also takes the form of a centaur with the lower body of a bull.
* OurDemonsAreDifferent:
** Demons are generally somewhat expensive to summon, powerful, and potentially a hazard to their summoner. A classic example is the [[https://scryfall.com/card/ima/96/lord-of-the-pit Lord of the Pit]], which basically turns on its controller if not regularly fed other creatures. Most of them fall into the purview of Black on the game's color wheel.
*** There isn't that much fluff as to where they come from, except in the Kamigawa block, where Oni are a particularly evil type of demon that make deals with ogres. Kamigawa is one of the few blocks to have demons without a trace of black mana in them -- there are two oni that are mono-red.
*** Outside Kamigawa, most demons are the bat-winged, clawed, fanged, gigantic monster kind. However, one early demon was the flightless, half-fungus [[https://scryfall.com/card/leg/112/mold-demon Mold Demon]].
*** On Innistrad, demons cannot be truly destroyed, only sealed away, and their inhuman desires and urges take physical form as little devils that spawn from them and wreak havoc. Griselbrand finds out that [[spoiler:demons aren't so indestructible when up against a Planeswalker]].
*** The e-novel ''Literature/ChildrenOfTheNameless'' throws female demons into the canon.
** There's also the Red-aligned devils, which are essentially Internet trolls with far more means to do damage, and are the living embodiments of the Black-aligned demons' destructive urges.
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: Mainly Red, although they've appeared in every color to a lesser degree, and uniformly huge, ferocious terrors with a penchant for hoarding wealth and ravening through the countryside. They regularly show in places where you wouldn’t normally expect them but with some concessions to the set’s tone, such as the GothicHorror plane of Innistrad, which gets dragons with wings [[https://scryfall.com/card/uma/124/balefire-dragon like]] [[https://scryfall.com/card/dka/99/moonveil-dragon stained]] [[https://scryfall.com/card/avr/126/archwing-dragon glass]], or the [[http://magiccards.info/akh/en/134.html crocodile-headed]] dragons of the Myth/EgyptianMythology-inspired plane of Amonkhet.
** While true dragons are chiefly Red-aligned, Blue (the color of the mind, air and water) gets the majority of the drakes, smaller and less powerful relatives of dragons with animalistic intellects and two legs and two wings rather than four and two. [[OurWyvernsAreDifferent Wyverns]] are a rare subset of drakes, with the distinction seeming to be that wyverns walk on their hindlegs like birds, rather than walking batlike on all fours.
** There are also the chiefly Green-aligned wurms, which resemble large serpents or legless dragons, although in more recent depictions they're more wormlike than anything.
** Supposedly, all these creatures can trace their descent to the godlike Elder Dragons of the distant past, who fought a massive, multiverse-spanning war. The losers lost their power, limbs and intellect and became the first wurms (although the wurms of Innistrad at least are stated to be manifestations of the plane’s Green mana instead), while the winners became the ancestors of regular dragons, drakes and the Viashino LizardFolk. Nicol Bolas and his twin brother Ugin are the last two Elder Dragons remaining. The Elder Dragons in turn descended from the Ur-Dragon, a primordial being that occasionally visits a plane and beats its wings, and from its wingbeats dragon eggs fall.
* OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: ''Magic'' at first used fairly fantasy-standard dwarves, but the developers realized that this just meant that they occupied the same space as the already-popular goblins, both being small, mono-Red creatures. For this reason, dwarves didn't show up in ''Magic'' for a very long time until the Kaladesh block, where they were completely reimagined as mono-White creatures, save the the occasional Red-White card, with a strong tie to craftsmanship and vehicles. As a consequence of Kaladesh's own native flavor, they also tend to be lightly inspired by South Asian cultural visuals.
** Throne of Eldraine, being a combination of high fantasy, epic fantasy, and fairy tales features a return to more traditional dwarves, with them being mono-red creatures, usually depicted as warriors, miners, or craftsmen.
* OurElvesAreDifferent: There are many different elf tribes in the setting, but the recent Lorwyn elves are a sharp departure from the previously base-green elves into green/''black'' to show their arrogant destructiveness. (Shadowmoor flipped it so they became the plane's only protagonists, with even white turning paranoid, insular, and HiveMind-ish.)
** [[SugarBowl Lorwyn]]. In a nutshell, if you aren't as beautiful as them, you don't deserve to live. And ''[[MasterRace nobody's]]'' [[MasterRace as beautiful as them]]. And some of Lorwyn's inhabitants are just deliberately being ''ugly'' at them. They call these unfortunate souls "eyeblights," and they ''[[FantasticRacism actively hunt them down and kill them]]''.
** In ''Magic''[='=]s debut set, elves were portrayed as feral and vicious, in startling contrast to the conventional concept (although those showed up in most other sets).
** Also, the Elves of Deep Shadow of the classic set ''The Dark'', later reprinted as part of the Golgari guild in ''Ravnica: City of Guilds'', were green but produced black mana instead of green when tapped, and dealt damage to their controller each time they did.
** Mirrodin's elves are basically cyborg elves. Mind you, everything on Mirrodin has a high metal content one way or another.
* OurFairiesAreDifferent: Faeries appear in multiple sets and planes as diminutive winged humanoids; they're typically Blue, with a secondary trend towards Red. In Lorwyn, they're often particularly insect-like, with insectoid legs and antennas, and are cruel and mean-spirited tricksters. Unlike other depictions, they don't live particularly long, often just a few years, and send their lives pursuing amusement, often at the expense of others. They're particularly fascinated by the dreams of other races, which they frequently harvest. The faeries and their Queen, Oona, are also [[spoiler:the only creatures not affected by the Great Aurora that periodically turns the idyllic Lorwyn into the dark and haunted Shadowmoor and back]]. There's also a variant of faeries named [[https://scryfall.com/card/eve/154/groundling-pouncer groundlings]], which do not have wings.
* OurGargoylesRock: They are depicted as creatures made of animated stone, and often flavored as guardians of some sort; in general, they're also colorless artifact creatures.
* OurGeniesAreDifferent: Both Blue djinn and Red efreet appear as creature types. They tend to be fairly powerful for their cost, but often have some drawback or ability reflecting their general fickleness, like dealing damage to their controller, making enemy creatures stronger or harder to block, or only attacking or blocking when they feel like it according to a coin flip. They're also two of the few creature types that have cards specifically intended to neutralize them -- [[https://scryfall.com/card/arn/6/king-suleiman King Suleiman]] and his [[https://scryfall.com/card/vis/138/suleimans-legacy legacy]], respectively.
* OurGhostsAreDifferent: They're part of the "Spirit" creature type, a category that also contains things that may or may not have been living people once and things that most definitely never were. The rules ghosts operate under also change from world to world, so it's hard to pick out a pattern.
* OurGhoulsAreCreepier: Ghouls were originally a separate creature type, but since the only ghouls for the longest time were the [[https://scryfall.com/card/me4/95/scavenging-ghoul Scavenging Ghoul]], which can regenerate damage by symbolically "eating" creatures sent to the graveyard, and [[https://scryfall.com/card/me2/78/ashen-ghoul Ashen Ghoul]], which can return to play from the graveyard after three or more creatures have been placed there as well. Wizards of the Coast eventually decided to go the Zombie Derivative path and lump them under the zombie family -- all ghouls after those two had been printed as zombies. Given that the zombie creature type covers everything from mindless dead to liches, it isn't that much of a stretch. However, numerous zombie cards since have still been named "ghouls".
** The Black-aligned zombies of Innistrad are frequently referred to as ghouls in order to differentiate them from their more [[FrankensteinsMonster Frankensteinoid]] Blue counterparts, which are instead called skaabs, and Innistradi necromancers are typically referred to as "ghoulcallers".
** Mercadians to poor to afford a proper funeral just have their bodies chucked into a swamp outside the city, referred to as the Ghoul's Larder after the undead that come there to feed on them.
** It's relatively common for zombies to be called ghouls when they somehow relate to eating the dead or sometimes preying upon the living. Examples include [[https://scryfall.com/card/ddq/50/abattoir-ghoul Abattoir Ghoul]], which rewards you for killing creatures with it; [[https://scryfall.com/card/wth/61/barrow-ghoul Barrow Ghoul]], which requires you remove creatures from your graveyard to sustain it; [[https://scryfall.com/card/eve/34/creakwood-ghoul Creakwood Ghoul]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/csp/60/gutless-ghoul Gutless Ghoul]], which reward you for sacrificing creatures; and [[https://scryfall.com/card/m12/112/sutured-ghoul Sutured Ghoul]], which becomes stronger the more cards you remove from the graveyard.
* OurGiantsAreBigger: Giants are an ubiquitous creature type, often aligned with Red mana. In the main setting of Dominaria, they're just generically big, tough bruisers, though other settings go into their culture a bit more. The largest giant of all is by definition the [[https://scryfall.com/card/cm2/102/hamletback-goliath Hamletback Goliath]], which is large enough to have a hamlet on its back to start with and magically grows to stay bigger than everything it encounters.
** In Ravnica, giants are mostly soldiers for the Boros Legion, though some outcasts find a life as grunts in the [[BarbarianTribe Gruul Clans]].
** Giants in the fairy-tale world of Lorwyn are ancient and mystical, yet still can be clumsy and whimsically dim-witted. Giants sleep for years or decades at a time, dreaming deep dreams, and when they awake they take on new names and purposes in life based on what they dream. Some ride absurdly large goats with wings.
** In Lorwyn's DarkWorld, Shadowmoor, giants sleep even longer, to the extent that trees and turf start to grow on their bodies and [[ThatsNoMoon they become part of the landscape]]. They're pretty cranky when they wake up, [[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever rampaging throughout the countryside]] and smashing and devouring everything and everyone they come across.
** Zendikar is home to two types of giant. One type, the more traditional one, lives in tribal societies in the plane's many trackless wildernesses. The second kind, the bestial hurda, is kept by other intelligent societies as enormous, somewhat humanoid pack animals.
** The [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek mythology]]-inspired plane of Theros has giants as powerful, primal beings, and includes varieties from Greek myth like [[https://scryfall.com/card/cn2/93/hundred-handed-one Hundred-Handed Ones]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/ori/94/ereboss-titan Titans]]. There are also '''Elder''' giants called Titans that represent concepts like [[https://scryfall.com/card/thb/221/kroxa-titan-of-deaths-hunger the inevitability of death]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/thb/229/uro-titan-of-natures-wrath natural disasters]]. They were sealed away by the gods.
* OurGnomesAreWeirder: [[https://scryfall.com/search?q=t%3Agnome Gnomes]] started out with the red card [[https://scryfall.com/card/leg/162/quarum-trench-gnomes Quarum Trench Gnomes]], but after the inclusion of [[https://scryfall.com/card/me4/191/clockwork-gnomes Clockwork Gnomes]] in ''Homelands'', a trend started of concepting them as {{Clockwork Creature}}s. Realizing that this made no sense at all, Creator/WizardsOfTheCoast eventually put a stop to this practice, and gnomes haven't been seen in the game since. The exception to this is the 2018 joke set ''Unstable'', which included [[https://scryfall.com/card/ust/143/cogmentor one new gnome]] as part of the Order of the Widget, a faction of MadScientist knights themed around absurd clockwork contraptions.
* OurGoblinsAreDifferent: Goblins, most often present as the standard fantasy breed of diminutive, destructive green-skinned and big-eared humanoids, are the characteristic creature -- a creature type that shows up multiple times each set as several smaller common creature cards -- of Red, the color of chaos, emotions and impulsive behavior. They're not evil, though, just rowdy and destructive, and serve as the game's comic relief race.
** Most worlds' goblins fit this schema fairly closely, including those of Dominaria, the setting's main universe, as well as those of the CityPlanet Ravnica and the metallic world of Mirrodin... before it was destroyed by the Phyrexians, anyway.
** Many other worlds, however, have rather more unusual goblins:
*** Rath has Moggs, a genetically engineered strain of goblin which is larger, stronger and has a distinctive ridge on its head. They're still not very intelligent, though.
*** The Kyren goblins of ''Mercadian Masques'' were inversions of the normal stupid headstrong goblin: They are the true rulers of Mercadia. They're actually more evil than most other ''[=MtG=]'' goblins.
*** The Akki of the Japanese mythology-influenced plane Kamigawa are based on the ''kappa'' of Japanese folklore. In fact, the concept has often been described as "fire kappa".
*** Lorwyn boggarts are more adventuresome and intelligent than most, but have a total lack of care for life--their own or others'. Shadowmoor boggarts are nearly mindless eating machines. Shadowmoor also has hobgoblins, who are basically angry {{hobbits}} with fangs; spriggans, sizeshifters who can turn from weedy runts into towering colossi; and stream hoppers, bizarre creatures with a single leg, arm, and eye. All are classified as goblins in the game.
*** Goblins on the Alaran shard of Jund are ratlike creatures who simply live to be eaten by the dragons that dominate the shard.
*** Ixalan's goblins, in keeping with the Age of Sail/New World theme of the set, more greatly resemble monkeys, are covered in fur, and have prehensile tails. They are still mischevious and are mostly {{pirates}}.
*** Tarkir's goblins are hairy, aggressive and dim little critters who are primarily associated with the [[BloodKnight Mardu Horde]]. There's a variant breed with white hair who dwell in the snowy areas that serve as home to the Temur, but the majority of goblins are either Mardu or neutral.
---->''The Mardu all enjoy war, but only the goblins make a game of it.'' -- FlavorText for [[https://scryfall.com/card/frf/108/mardu-scout Mardu Scout]].
*** Eldraine, a plane inspired by Arthurian myths and the tales of the brothers Grimm, is home to redcaps much like Shadowmoor is -- in this case, they're vicious, barbaric wilderness-dwellers who were chased out of civilized lands long ago, dye their hats with the blood of their victims and [[HorseOfADifferentColor ride giant weasels]].
** In terms of actual gameplay, most ''Magic'' goblins are small, cheap creatures that lend themselves well to ZergRush tactics or to use as convenient sacrificial fodder. Some even come with relevant abilities built right in.
* OurGodsAreDifferent:
** There are a handful of beings that are mentioned as being "gods", such as Karona and the [[EldritchAbomination Eldrazi]], as well as avatars from Lorwyn/Shadowmoor and occasionally angels.
** Yawgmoth, known as the Ineffable by his followers, was also known as the God of Phyrexia.
** Old planeswalkers were nothing short of {{Physical God}}s themselves. Some, such as Serra, were worshiped by their followers as such.
** The Myth/ClassicalMythology-inspired ''Theros'' expansion features a pantheon of fifteen gods; one major god for each color overseeing a broad field of power -- such [[http://magiccards.info/ths/en/85.html Erebos, God of the Dead]] and [[http://magiccards.info/ths/en/66.html Thassa, God of the Sea]] -- and one (comparatively) lesser god for each color pair, overseeing something more specialized -- such as [[https://magiccards.info/jou/en/151.html Keranos, God of Storms]] and [[https://magiccards.info/bng/en/148.html Karametra, God of Harvests]]. They are noted for featuring GodsNeedPrayerBadly as a game mechanic: they are enchantment creatures, meaning they are effectively living, sapient spells. If your devotion to their color (the number of mana symbols on your permanent cards) drops below a certain level, they stop being creatures and become enchantments only.
** The ''Amonkhet'' expansion, inspired by Myth/EgyptianMythology, also had gods. These ones are somewhat different from the Theros gods: besides each having an animal head, they are simply creatures instead of enchantment creatures, and live among and mingle freely with mortals in the city of Naktamun, unlike the distant gods of Theros. There is also the planes walker Nicol Bolas, worshipped in Amonkhet as the God-Pharaoh, who is believed to have created the plane.
** The Gruul Clans of Ravnica believe in a deity called Ilharg, the Raze-Boar, who they believe will come one day to lead them in a plane-wide rampage against civilization. As it turns out, [[https://scryfall.com/card/war/133/ilharg-the-raze-boar he's very much real as well]].
** [[http://mtgsalvation.gamepedia.com/Maro-Sorcerers Maro-Sorcerers]], each the embodiment of a forest in Dominaria, are frequently worshipped as deities (Titania of Argoth being an early example), although they are subservient to Gaea, the world soul of Dominaria, who would be more fitting [[HaveYouSeenMyGod were she visibly present]].
* OurGryphonsAreDifferent:
** Griffins are usually White flying creatures, stronger than {{pegas|us}}i and some spirits but weaker than [[OurAngelsAreDifferent angels]].
*** Griffins are common in the plane of Theros, based off of [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek mythology]]. Athreos, the ferryman who brings the dead to the underworld, uses [[https://scryfall.com/card/ths/202 skeletal griffins]] to fetch the souls who try to avoid the crossing.
*** While most griffins use the traditional eagle and lion anatomy, exceptions include [[https://scryfall.com/card/mir/43 Teremko Griffin]], which has the hindquarters of a leopard; [[https://scryfall.com/card/me4/28/spotted-griffin Spotted Griffin]], which is part cheetah and part kestrel; [[https://scryfall.com/card/m12/29 Peregrine Griffin]], with the forequarters of a peregrine falcon; and [[https://scryfall.com/card/rix/170 Resplendent Griffin]], from the {{Mayincatec}} plane of Ixalan, with the forequarters of a brightly colored parrot.
** ''Scars of Mirrodin'' has [[https://scryfall.com/card/c13/19/razor-hippogriff Razor Hippogriff]], currently the only true hippogriff in TheMultiverse. Hippogriffs also appear in Innistrad, usually as allies to the Church of Avacyn, but [[CallAPegasusAHippogriff they're typed and referred to as griffins]] alongside the regular kind. In sets set on Innistrad, the hippogriff creature type is instead used for gryffs, which are like hippogriffs, but with four horse legs and the tail, wings and head of a heron.
** While [[https://scryfall.com/card/hou/122 Majestic Myriarch]], from ''Hour of Devastation'', is technically typed as a chimera rather than a griffin, its appearance -- a lion with the head of a raptorial bird and a pair of translucent energy wings -- still gives across the impression of a griffon. With a cobra for a tail.
* OurHippocampsAreDifferent: Hippocamps have appeared uncommonly in the game, either as steeds for [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent merfolk, tritons]] and other aquatic characters or, more recently, as creatures in their own right. Hippocamps from Dominaria, the game's original central setting, have fairly standard horse bodies and fish tails, but Theros' possess large, showy fins and even crustacean plating on their mammalian portions.
** The first hippocamp was the steed of the [[https://scryfall.com/card/me1/55/vodalian-knights Vodalian Knights]] card in 1994; similarly, hippocamps are [[https://scryfall.com/card/thb/57/nyxborn-seaguard used as steeds]] by the tritons of Theros, a plane based on [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek myth]]. A hippocampus made of water and possessing wings appears as the steed of the [[https://scryfall.com/card/m20/52/cavalier-of-gales Cavalier of Gales]].
** True hippocamp creatures count the [[https://scryfall.com/card/ths/43/breaching-hippocamp Breaching Hippocamp]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/thb/80/wavebreak-hippocamp Wavebreak Hippocamp]] of Theros (2013 and 2020) and the [[https://scryfall.com/card/m19/77/surge-mare Surge Mare]] card of the 2018 base set. All are typed as both Horses and Fish.
* OurHomunculiAreDifferent: Most homunculi are bloated humanoids with a single huge eye. A popular example is [[https://scryfall.com/card/cm2/48/riddlekeeper Riddlekeeper]]. All named homunculi, regardless of plane, have names that completely lack vowels. [[https://scryfall.com/card/mb1/377/fblthp-the-lost Fblthp]], a recurring Ravnican ButtMonkey is a prominent example, as is [[https://scryfall.com/card/bbd/5/zndrsplt-eye-of-wisdom Zndrsplt]], a homunculus gladiator living on Kylem.
* OurHydrasAreDifferent: The iconic Green creatures. Their heads can number anywhere from four or five to a full dozen. Most are quadrupedal, but some have only two limbs. Many have mechanics themed around increasing their strength when they're dealt damage, symbolizing new heads growing from the stumps of severed ones.
** The hydras native to Dominaria and Rath are Red- rather than Green-aligned, and live in mountains and volcanic badlands; as these were the first hydra cards printed in real life, [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness this is an artifact from before the hydra creature type settled into its current identity]].
** Several hydras, such as [[https://scryfall.com/card/ktk/136/hooded-hydra those from Tarkir]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/akh/172/honored-hydra those]] [[https://scryfall.com/card/hou/130/ramunap-hydra from]] Amonkhet, are snakelike to the point of explicitly having cobra hoods and heads, and are typed as both Snakes and Hydras.
** Ravnica is home to [[https://scryfall.com/card/rav/218/phytohydra phytohydras]], serpentine [[ManEatingPlant carnivorous plants]] that only grow back more and more energetically the more they're cut back.
** In the ''Theros'' block, the planeswalker Elspeth Tirel has to fight [[https://scryfall.com/card/ths/172/polukranos-world-eater Polukranos]], a hydra that is dubbed the World Eater with very little apparent hyperbole, which used to lair in the realm of the gods before literally falling to earth as a result of a battle between two deities.
** The fairytale plane of Eldraine is home to turtle hydras modeled after the Tarasque, [[https://scryfall.com/card/eld/322/steelbane-hydra Steelbane Hydra]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/eld/215/thunderous-snapper Thunderous Snapper]], which resemble giant, multi-headed turtles. They inhabit the Wilds outside of the main realms and are frequent foes of wandering knights.
* OurKoboldsAreDifferent: Kobolds are small humanoid creatures, typically with red skin and pronounced, muzzle-like faces. They're a fairly rare creature type; while kobold cards were printed early in the game's history, there was little to differentiate them from goblins in terms of playstyle -- they were both small, basic Red creatures, and as goblins were more common and iconic they were kept over the kobolds. InUniverse, kobolds are restricted to the plane of Dominaria, where they live in the Kher Ridges. They're extremely resilient creatures and managed to survive the various disasters and apocalypses that struck Dominaria over its history, enduring into the setting's present where they worship the dragon Prossh as a god.
* OurMagesAreDifferent: Magic can work very differently across different planes. While the basis of magic (the five colors of mana, acquired from bonding with the land) is the same, how it's practiced varies immensely, from mages born with inherent powers to those that channel divine entities; even people specializing in the same color can employ wildly different techniques. Notably, one early work compares magicians to musicians, in that everyone can play a note, but only a few can create a song.
* OurManticoresAreSpinier:
** Manticores appear as an uncommon creature type, resembling winged lions with human faces, scorpion tails and mouths with [[MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily far too many teeth]]. Their wings are normally batlike, but the manticores from the plane of Mercadia have feathered wings instead.
** The manticores of the Myth/EgyptianMythology-inspired plane of Amonkhet break from the pattern, instead resembling wingless tigers with scorpion tails and with their lower legs covered with black, spiked natural armor.
** There are also masticores, mechanical wingless manticores. At least one is able to superheat its stinger in lieu of poison.
* OurMermaidsAreDifferent: They range in appearance from deep-sea fish to fish-skinned humans, and have been a standard Blue tribe. There are a few subraces of particular note:
** The Rootwater merfolk from the Rath Cycle are hideous, fish-faced monsters that kill members of any other race without hesitation. They apparently started out as normal humanlike merfolk but were altered via {{genetic engineering|IsTheNewNuke}}.
** The merrows of the ''Lorwyn'' block are the usual attractive human-looking merfolk, though they have brightly colored skin and flamboyant fins; they're merchants and porters with good diplomatic skills. When Lorwyn is transformed into the dark world of Shadowmoor, though, the merrows become black-hearted monsters with much more piscine features (very similar to the Rootwater merfolk of Rath) who prey on other races as pirates. The comparison here: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=139400 Lorwyn]], a bit fishy but friendly-looking. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=158234 Shadowmoor]], looking like a cross between a catfish and Cthulhu.
** Interestingly, because of their position as small blue creatures, combined with the fact that blue gets small flying creatures, there are a number of merfolk in ''Magic'' that can fly. The weirdest example would have to be Gaea's Skyfolk, a "[[HybridMonster Elf Merfolk]]" who flies. There has been no attempt to explain this, unlike the other 8 merfolk flyers.
** Historically, merfolk have faced thematic issues revolving around their fully aquatic natures, which should logically prevent them from interacting with strictly land-bound species. A number of workarounds have arisen to deal with this problem:
*** The merfolk of Saprazzo in the ''Mercadian Masques'' set can switch between legs and fins. On land, they just look like lanky, hairless, blue-skinned humans, sometimes with head fins. They also have a vaguely Middle Eastern culture.
*** Zendikar's merfolk are also heavy on flyers, some -- but not all -- due to riding large birds or flying manta rays. They also had a rather well fleshed out tripartite religion centering on Leviathans and Angels [[spoiler: which unfortunately turned out to be based on distant memories of [[EldritchAbomination the Eldrazi]]]]. They also have continuing extraplanar representation in the form of the Planeswalker Kiora.
*** The merfolk of the Myth/ClassicalMythology-inspired Theros are distinguished by large, trailing headfins resembling the plumes of ancient Greek war helmets. They're partially amphibious -- they can stay on dry land for several days, but must return to the water to keep their gills soft -- and worship Thassa, the God of the Sea, above all other deities. Thassa herself is depicted as a traditional, fish-tailed merfolk with several tentacles growing from her back and shoulders.
*** The merfolk of Ixalan, called the River Heralds, are likewise finned humanoids, and very colorful, resembling tropical river fish. They are also nomadic in nature, use jade jewelry and armor and are aligned with Green mana as well as Blue.
** The ''Odyssey'' and ''Onslaught'' blocks introduced Cephalids, a squid-based type of merfolk that were more squid than humanoid, with soft bodies and limited mobility out of water. In keeping with the "evil tentacles" motif, most of the cephalids were right bastards.
* OurMonstersAreDifferent: Very, very common, especially in later blocks. Part of this is due to the fact that a race on one plane doesn't necessarily have to follow the same rules as the same race on a different plane. It's actually a plot point in the first Zendikar block that a vampire from a different plane isn't recognized as such due to being different from the local vampires.
** The Lorwyn block is a smorgasboard of this trope, featuring philosopher giants, Nazi elves, badass halflings, and wicked faeries.
** The Shadowmoor block, a [[BizarroUniverse Bizarro]] Lorwyn, carries on with this trope, as the kithkin/halflings become [[HiddenElfVillage paranoid castle-dwellers]] and merfolk become murderous fish-faced monsters.
** Most of the races in Shadowmoor became personifications of their worst qualities: the giants become so lazy and mindless that they are mistaken for landmass, the goblins have degenerated from being impish tricksters to being wild animals, the treefolk have become utterly apathetic to the other races, and the cinders lost all of their passion and fire, and now want to make all the other races suffer like they do. The two exceptions are the elves, who have been humbled into nobility by being hunted and persecuted, and the faeries, who are protected by Oona's magic.
* OurNymphsAreDifferent: Nymphs and dryads are separate creature types in-game.%%Temporarily unlaunched to resolve naming issues.
** Dryads are the most common of the two types and strongly aligned with Green. They're reclusive forest dwellers and wardens of nature, usually appearing as humanoid women with pointed ears and sometimes green skin and hair. Other times they're out-and-out {{Plant Person}}s. [[https://scryfall.com/card/por/193/willow-dryad Some believe them to be the dreams of trees]]. On Ravnica they're strongly associated with the Selesnya Conclave, the guild responsible for maintaining the plane's green spaces. The founder of the Conclave, Mat'Selesnya, was formed from the fusion of multiple dryads, and the guild's current leader, Trostani, is a group of three conjoined dryads acting as Mat'Selesnya's "face".
** Nymphs are a rarer type with no clear color identity, and are strongly associated with the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek mythology]]-inspired plane of Theros, where they are divinely-created servants of the gods. All dryads found on Theros, notably, are typed as both nymphs and dryads and serve Nylea, the goddess of the hunt and the wilderness. Besides them, White nymphs are called alseids, inhabit meadows and are closer to the civilized races than other nymph types; Blue nymphs are called naiads and inhabit streams, grottos and isolated beaches; Black nymphs are called lampads, live in the Underworld and aid the god Athreos in guiding the dead; Red nymphs, called oreads, live in mountains and volcanoes and are more aggressive than other nymphs, and are creations of Purphoros, the god of the forge. There is also the unique Green/White/Blue nymph [[https://scryfall.com/card/c18/42/kestia-the-cultivator Kestia]], who oversees agriculture and irrigation.
* {{Ouroboros}}: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=157978 This card]]. Some say the expansion symbol for ''Torment'' is also meant to be this.
* OurOgresAreHungrier: Ogres are a staple Red and Black creature type, a combination that tends to result in violent, chaotic hedonists with little regard for the lives of others. Those that have special abilities tend to be able to harm their controller or other friendly creatures. They're typically hulking, muscular brutes fond of fighting and anywhere between barbarians and animals, depending on the ogre in question and their world of origin, but exceptions exist.
** The ogres of Kamigawa, also called the o-bakemono, are as violent and cruel as other ogres but far more intelligent and cunning, and often worship the plane's demonic oni.
** In Mirrodin, ogres are barely sapient brutes often used by goblins as beasts of burden, and physically resemble barely humanoid hulks with faces dominated by gnashing bear-trap maws full of big sharp teeth. When Mirrodin became New Phyrexia, they were mostly transformed into servants of the red Phyrexians, serving as guardians and stokers for their ever-burning furnaces.
** In the [[CityPlanet city-plane]] of Ravnica, ogres are often used as muscle by the various Red-aligned guilds, although the constant stench they exude forces many out of the guild system and onto the fringes of society. At least one ogre, the chieftain Ruric Thar of [[BarbarianTribe the Gruul Clans]], has two heads.
** The now-extinct Onakke ogres of Shandalar were far more intelligent than most and are known to have been skilled artificers and sorcerers, and were the creators of [[ArtifactOfDoom the Chain Veil]].
** The ogres of Tarkir are enormous, incredibly strong, aggressive and dim-witted brutes resembling giant, shaggy apes with huge horns. They're mostly kept by the Mardu Horde as war beasts and living siege engines that need to be kept chained up until they're unleashed on the enemy. Others live independently in the cold mountains of the Temur clans, and often come in conflict with them. After the timeline's alteration, they mostly live in the mountains of the Atarka dragons: their strength and ferocity make them very effective at gathering food for the ever-hungry dragons, but their size means that they're among the first to be hunted when the dragons go hungry.
* OurOrcsAreDifferent: Orcs had a presence in early sets, before growing out of focus due to [[OurGoblinsAreDifferent goblins]] taking over the niche of small Red creatures, leaving little need to maintain orcs as a separate creature type. They made a reappearance in the ''Khans of Tarkir'' expansion after being absent for about fifteen years. While early orcs were exclusively aligned with Red mana, modern orcs are split fairly evenly between Red and Black.
** Early orcs don't fit the Tolkensian archetype or the ''Warcraft'' archetype very well. Rather, they are sort of "goblins, but bigger (and somehow even dumber)". Their primary distinguishing characteristics are their supreme cowardice and [[HarmlessVillain complete incompetence]]; early orc cards were printed with abilities that made it difficult or impossible to force them into any combat that would kill the orc, while others had ridiculous drawbacks for minor effects that made them a bigger liability to their controller than the opponent outside of overly complicated combos.
** The orcs of Dominaria were mainly found in the isolated island continent of Sarpadia, where they lived in tunnels within the continent's mountains alongside the local goblins. They warred extensively against Sarpadia's dwarven, elven and human nations -- especially the humans -- and alongside the thallids (fungi farmed by the elves as food sources that ended up developing sapience) and the thrulls (creatures bred as living sacrifices and meat shields by human necromancers) ended up destroying Sarpadia's nations. However, after the humans, dwarves and elves were gone, the thrulls' deep-seated paranoia led to them attacking the orcs and goblins once the other threats were gone, eventually wiping them out as well.
** Orcs on Tarkir are often found as warriors in the Mardu hordes and the Abzan houses. In the reforged timeline they are found almost exclusively among the followers of the dragon Kolaghan, and like the rest of Kolaghan's clan are ferocious, warlike barbarians and often cannibalistic.
** Ixalan's orcs, found in the [[{{Pirate}} Brazen Coalition]], are {{Blood Knight}}s who have been known to ''raid their own ships'' if they go too long without plunder.
** [[https://scryfall.com/search?q=t%3Aorgg Orggs]] are a rare creature type created from the crossbreeding of orcs and ogres. They're characterized by their large and pointed ears, four arms and incredible stupidity.
* OurSphinxesAreDifferent: Sphinxes are the iconic large creatures for Blue, the color of knowledge and the mind, playing the same role for it that angels do for White or dragons for Red, and typically resemble giant winged lions with the heads of women or bearded human men. They often get mechanics related to knowing and guessing, usually rewarding players for guessing the nature of a card in their deck or in an opponent's hand. Culturally, they tend to be reclusive wizards and oracles and often highly skilled wielders of Blue schools of magic, such as prophecy and mentalism, and tend to sit at the top of hierarchies in Blue-aligned organizations. They're also said to be capable of telling lies from honesty and truth from falsity by the sound of one's speech alone.
** On Alara, a world shattered into five shards aligned with each of the colors of mana, sphinxes are found exclusively on Esper, the Blue shard, where they're the leaders of the local technocratic civilization and are held in high esteem as embodiments of everything the Esperites seek to be -- wise, magically skilled, enlightened and emotionless.
** On Amonkhet, a plane inspired specifically by Myth/EgyptianMythology, the sphinxes' impenetrable minds were the only things Nicol Bolas was unable to corrupt. He was however able to curse them to be unable to communicate with the plane's other natives, keeping them from warning them of his true intentions until it was too late. Amonkhet is also the only plane to be home to [[https://scryfall.com/card/hou/52/unesh-criosphinx-sovereign ram-headed criosphinxes]], which tend to be more aggressive than the human-headed kind and to viciously attack servants of Bolas that they encounter on their silent wanderings.
** On Ravnica, almost all sphinxes are part of the Azorius Senate, the local legislative body, and tend to be highly reclusive beings.
** On Theros, inspired by Myth/GreekMythology, sphinxes are ancient, primordial beings and possess ancient knowledge. Their thought patterns are highly abstract, rendering them enigmatic and difficult to understand regardless of whether they wish to be so or not.
** Perhaps the most individually important sphinx of all is Azor the Lawgiver, a sphinx Planeswalker who traveled to many different planes and gave social structures and codes of law to many different civilizations. The cultural uniformity of the multiverse's sphinxes is believed to be due to Azorius' influence. Other notable sphinxes include Sharuum the Hegemon, leader of Esper's civilization, and Isperia the Inscrutable, the leader of the Azorius Senate.
* OurSpiritsAreDifferent: Spirits are a creature type representing essentially all disembodied creatures -- from [[OurGhostsAreDifferent ghosts]] to {{Nature Spirit}}s to some [[OurMonstersAreWeird pretty weird things]] -- that are't claimed by another creature type already, such as {{Elemental|Embodiment}}s, [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Demons]], [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Angels]] and [[OurGodsAreDifferent Gods]]. With some exceptions, they aren't generally associated with any one color of mana. Their exact nature and importance varies from plane to plane:
** In Kamigawa (which is based on Myth/JapaneseMythology), they are known as Kami, and warred against the mortal races. They are for all intents and purposes gods, and some are pretty unusual looking.
** In Ravnica, they're primarily ghosts, due to the plane being trapped in its own little bubble in TheMultiverse and not allowing the spirits of the dead to escape, forcing them to manifest on the physical plane. They are heavily associated with the [[CorruptChurch Orzhov Syndicate]], which uses them as guards and enforcers and is ruled by a ghost council, the Obzedat. That said, some spirits are known to be part of other guilds.
** In the GothicHorror-inspired Innistrad, geists -- the spirits of the dead -- form one of the set's five gameplay tribes (alongside humans, werewolves, vampires and corporeal undead) and are chiefly associated with White and Blue mana -- Black, Red and Green geists also occur, but aren’t common. White geists are traditional ghosts returned to watch over their families or fulfill duties or obligations; Blue geists are poltergeists born from compulsive behaviors, cause mental afflictions in people they torment and are attracted to water, fog and storms; Black geists return as predatory haunts and are very dangerous; Red geists are obsessed with revenge and failures from their mortal lives and are the most aggressive spirits; and Green geists are especially attracted to nature, often becoming the spirits of landforms, copses and so on.
** In the Myth/ClassicalMythology-inspired Theros, the eidolon separate from their bodies upon death. While the corpses become the memory-less, shade-like zombies known as nostron, the eidolon also forget their past lives and wander around aimlessly, often drawn to the magic of the nymphs. They are generally represented by enchantment creature cards.
* OurTitansAreDifferent: Many creatures are referred to as Titans, typically Giants or Beasts, including a five-creature cycle from Magic 2011 -- [[https://scryfall.com/card/c19/76/sun-titan Sun Titan]] [[https://scryfall.com/card/c14/112/frost-titan Frost Titan]], [[https://scryfall.com/card/mb1/676/grave-titan Grave Titan]], [[https://scryfall.com/card/cm2/109/inferno-titan Inferno Titan]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/ima/183/primeval-titan Primeval Titan]] -- introduced in Magic 2011; the [[https://scryfall.com/card/ths/144/titan-of-eternal-fire Titan of Eternal Fire]], a direct homage to [[Myth/GreekMythology Prometheus]]; and certain large Giant creatures from the plane of Theros.
* OurVampiresAreDifferent:
** Each setting that has vampires that are quite recognizable as vampires, as with other typical fantasy species, they tend to make subtle little differences between one plane's vampires from another plane's:
*** [[CityPlanet Ravnica]] has psychic vampires like Szadek, some of which look extremely feral.
*** [[DeathWorld Zendikar]]'s vampires have a very strong "venomous" motif and had fang-like protrusions from most of their joints. [[spoiler:They're also the product of a disease created by the extra-dimensional Eldrazi as a way to make a slave caste.]]
*** [[{{Mordor}} Rath's]] vampires are basically giant bats, and the villainous [[TheDragon Evincar]] has a pack of vampire dogs as pets.
*** [[EternalEngine Mirrodin's]] vampires have their fangs in their fingers, which are basically foot long syringes, and their bowels are visible from the outside.
*** [[{{Uberwald}} Innistrad's]] vampires come in both black and red. The red vampires tend to be more feral, but overall they mostly fit the ClassicalMovieVampire trope.
*** [[{{Steampunk}} Kaladesh]] has no ''human'' vampires, but does contain vampiric or "gifted" Aetherborn, who are capable of siphoning life out of others to prolong their own [[WeAreAsMayflies brief]] existence.
*** [[HungryJungle Ixalan]] flips the typical stereotypes on its head: they are [[KnightTemplar fanatically]] {{religious vampire}}s that are associated with white mana and are in search of the Immortal Sun, rather than being repelled by holy icons or sunlight.
** A major plot point in the ''Zendikar'' block novel ''[[Literature/ZendikarInTheTeethOfAkoum In the Teeth of Akoum]]''. The elf protagonist, [[OurElvesAreDifferent Nissa Revane]], doesn't realize one of her traveling companions, Sorin Markov, is a vampire until very late in the novel. This is due to the fact that since he's from Innistrad and not Zendikar, he has none of the staple characteristics of her world's vampires. This is unintentionally hilarious, as when the character was first teased by Wizards of the Coast, quite literally [[LateArrivalSpoiler the first thing the fan base learned about him was that he was a vampire]].
* OurWerebeastsAreDifferent: Includes werebears, wererats, and werewolves.
* OurWerewolvesAreDifferent:
** The pre-Innistrad ones are black. [[http://magiccards.info/5e/en/28.html All]] [[http://magiccards.info/lg/en/24.html three]] [[http://magiccards.info/ju/en/76.html of them]].
** The werewolves of Innistrad are red or green. They are so different that their cards have two faces, and they can flip over to transform. See the [[http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/stf/163 Planeswalker's Guide to Innistrad]] for details and concept art. Also, [[http://magiccards.info/isd/en/152a.html Kruin Outlaw]], [[http://magiccards.info/isd/en/159a.html Reckless Waif]], [[http://magiccards.info/isd/en/176a.html Daybreak Ranger]], one of [[http://magiccards.info/isd/en/185a.html Grizzled Outcasts]], one of [[http://magiccards.info/isd/en/208a.html Ulvenwald Mystics]], one of the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=409910 Gatstaf Arsonists]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=409912 Geier Reach Bandit]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=409970 Hinterland Logger]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=409923 Kessig Forgemaster]], and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=409976 Lambholt Pacifist]] are female.
* OurWightsAreDifferent: Wights occasionally appear as cards with the Zombie creature type, such as [[https://scryfall.com/card/me4/79/dread-wight Dread Wight]], which can "paralyze" enemy creatures by preventing their player from activating them, and [[https://scryfall.com/card/rna/82/plague-wight Plague Wight]], which deals damage through -1/-1 counters (that is, by lowering a creature's health and power; if the former is lowered to zero, it dies).
* OurWyvernsAreDifferent:
** Wyverns appear rarely under the drake creature type, which contains animalistic, two-winged and two-legged creatures related to true dragons. Wyverns in particular are distinguished by their bipedal gaits, whereas most other drakes used their wings as a second pair of walking limbs like bats do. Specific wyverns in the game include [[https://scryfall.com/card/tpr/153/sabertooth-wyvern sabertoothed wyverns]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/ema/208/thunderclap-wyvern thunder-making ones]]. Most are aligned with Blue or Red mana.
** Though not dragons or drakes, the "[[PteroSoarer pterosaurs]]" of Ixalan resemble feathered wyverns or really ugly birds.
* OurZombiesAreDifferent: Pretty much all of the major variations of zombie show up on one plane or another. Innistrad even combines two different kinds, as it has mad science monsters in blue coexisting with [[Film/LivingDeadSeries Romero-style]] hordes of the flesh eating dead in black.
* OutscareTheEnemy: The [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=6106 Exodus version of Raging Goblin]] has as its flavor text: "Volrath has bred them to fear only him. Are they charging to battle or merely fleeing his wrath?"
* OutsideContextProblem:
** The Eldrazi. They're not even native to the planes, any plane; they dwell within the nothing-space between planes, called the Blind Eternities, and "project" themselves upon the physical realms to consume everything there.
** Phyrexia in the ''Scars of Mirrodin'' storyline:
--->"Their forces are unknown to us. The Moriok or the nim that emerge from the necrogen bogs — those we understand. These horrors which pour out of the canyons use weapons, tactics and magic that are alien to even our most capable generals and seasoned warriors. Our armies are scattered. We have no choice but to hide and survive."
---->--Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer, [[http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/stf/141 "A Planeswalker's Guide to New Phyrexia"]]
* OverlyLongTongue: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4762 Yep]]
* OverTheShoulderMurderShot: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=157419 Desecrator Hag]] from ''Shadowmoor''.
* TheOwlKnowingOne:
** Owls are almost exclusively associated with Blue, the color of knowledge and its application. Even owls meant to be more [[OminousOwl creepy]] than wise are still Blue, and have card effects relating to drawing and looking at cards (in flavor, the card deck is meant to represent the player's mind).
** Aven, the game's BirdPeople, normally resemble generic humanoid raptors. Many Blue aven, however -- and in particular ones associated with magic or wisdom in some form -- resemble owls instead.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:P-S]]
* ParentalBonus: For a very brief time, Goblin Piker was going to be reprinted with the following flavor text: "Pike her? I barely even know her!"
* PassionIsEvil: In its early days, the game seemed to favour the wise, intellectual Blue colour over the passionate and excessively aggressive Red. Now, while Red still suffers from depictions as a bully (since the cards are essentially abstractions of magical duelling and the fuzzier emotions are tough to express mechanically in a non-creepy way), it definitely benefits far often more from the portrayal of things like empathy and loyalty, while Blue has its more sociopathic and aloof characteristics emphasised.
* PendulumOfDeath: This is what is depicted on the Razor Pendulum card.
* PerpetualMotionMonster: Golems and undead.
* PerpetualStorm: Immersturm, on the plane of Valla, whose name translates into "always storm." Its magical storms cause its inhabitants to continuously wage war with one another.
-->Listen to the roar! Feel the thunder! The Immersturm shouts its approval with every bolt of lightning!" (from the card Warstorm Surge.)
* PhlebotinumInducedSteampunk: The plane of Kaladesh focuses on an industrial revolution caused by the harvesting of aether (essentially the essence of the cosmos itself, made workable thanks to the multiverse-shaking event known as the Mending) and is by WordOfGod the franchise's take on the steampunk genre, with rogue inventors, government oppression, and airships, albeit eschewing the traditional Victorian setting, clunkiness, and grime for a FantasyCounterpartCulture of India, technology that values art as much as it does function, and a distinct touch of SolarPunk (thanks to aether being zero-emissions and ethically-sourceable).
* PhysicalHell: Phyrexia was this. It was even arranged in a series of concentric spheres that ShoutOut the circles of Hell seen in ''Dante's Inferno.''
* PipeMaze: The third sphere of Phyrexia is described as an [[http://www.phyrexia.com/images/continuity/maps/Phyrexia.bmp "impenetrable tangle of metal pipes".]]
* PlayingWithFire: [[http://jakekessler.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/mc-mag-jaya-ballard.jpg Jaya Ballard]], [[http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs48/f/2009/203/1/0/Chandra_Nalaar_by_SteveArgyle.jpg Chandra Nalaar]]
* PluckyComicRelief: The goblins almost always fill this role--though they're also usually [[ScreamingWarrior Screaming Warriors]].
* PooledFunds: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=1441 Greed]] (all versions).
* PoorCommunicationKills: Millennia old Planeswalkers like Sorin have a hard time explaining things to their peers. In Sorin's case in particular, it caused Nissa (who distrusted him to start with because he was a vampire) to break the seal on the Eldrazi, and Nahiri to fight him until he sealed her in the Helvault for a thousand years, which came back to bite him when she got free and found the Eldrazi free on Zendikar.
* PowerBornOfMadness: The main idea of hellbent, dredge, and...um...Madness decks, all of which allow you to gain some bonus from negatively affecting your current state of mind.
* PowerCopy: Leshrac attempts this in ''Future Sight'', using the Mask of [[http://magiccards.info/chk/en/126.html Night's Reach]] to steal Jeska's dormant [[http://magiccards.info/10e/en/166.html ability to corrupt anything she touches]] and [[http://magiccards.info/cfx/en/120.html Nicol Bolas]]'s ability to cause madness with a touch. An epic duel with Nicol Bolas results.
* PowerUpgradingDeformation: A lot of Blue, Red and Black cards will mutate, disfigure or change creatures to make them stronger.
* PowerOfTheVoid: Getting sucked into a [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Door%20to%20Nothingness Door to Nothingness]] is an automatic loss condition.
* PrayerOfMalice: As the leader of the theocratical white Phyrexian faction, Elesh Norn delivers friendly sermons like "[[http://magiccards.info/mbs/en/16.html May our blessings sever the tongues of the forsaken]]".
* PrestigiousPlayerTitle: You are a "Planeswalker".
* ProudScholarRaceGuy: Most races or tribes representing blue in any given setting skew towards this.
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: All the damn time. Usually one per setting. Always red or green.
* PsychicLink: [[http://magiccards.info/m10/en/54.html Hive Mind]], [[http://magiccards.info/di/en/30.html Psychic Possession]], and [[http://magiccards.info/mi/en/49.html Shared Fate]], among others.
* PsychoElectricEel: [[http://magiccards.info/dk/en/24.html Electric Eel]], which shocks you when you activate its pump ability.
* PunnyName: [[http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/852 Yule Ooze]], [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=74 Nightmare]]
* PutOnABus:
** Karn in ''Planar Chaos''. While sealing the time rift over Tolaria, he senses a corruption in himself taking hold and flees to an undisclosed location. He doesn't reappear in the storyline for another four years.
** Likewise, Nicol Bolas in ''Future Sight''. He was, apparently, too awesome to kill off like [[KillEmAll everyone else]], so instead he just left, giving him the opportunity to come back again later. (Which, in ''Alara'' block, he did.)
* PyrrhicVictory:
** Most of Urza's various battles against Phyrexia.
*** The sylex blast at the end of the Brothers' War prevented Gix from gaining a foothold in Dominaria and sealed Dominaria away from the rest of the multiverse, but it also leveled most of the Terisian continent and completely vaporized Argoth.
*** The battle for Serra's Realm. Urza's forces defeat the Phyrexians, but the fighting causes the entire plane to collapse.
*** Basically the whole campaign in the ''Invasion'' saga. The coalition wins, but Dominaria becomes a postapocalyptic wasteland.
** The Thran managed to defeat the Phyrexians, but afterwards, their civilization was too weak to survive, and collapsed.
** In the ''Time Spiral'' block, every time Teferi's team manages to close a time rift, they stabilize that area at the cost of a planeswalker's power and/or life.
** The conclusion of the Amonkhet block sees the survivors freed from servitude to Nicol Bolas. Unforunately, the magic barrier that kept the city of Nactamun as the last verdant place on a world of endless deserts has been destroyed, and four of the five gods are dead.
** [[http://magiccards.info/eve/en/93.html Pyrric Revival]] does this against death.
** [[http://magiccards.info/fut/en/3.html Barren Glory]] turns it into a win condition.
* RatMen: The Nezumi from the Kamigawa block, a race of Black mana-aligned rat man ninjas. They usually live in swamps or on the outskirts of human cities, which they often raid, and some of their shamans can summon and control swarms of insects, tying into this trope's association with vermin.
* RayOfHopeEnding: The Amonkhet block ends on this note. [[spoiler:Nicol Bolas reveals his true colors to the people worshipping him as God-Pharaoh, activating his army of Eternals and using them to massacre both gods and men, all while handily defeating the Gatewatch and breaking their spirits. However, the survivors of Naktamun are able to escape into Amonkhet's desert, and despite the dangers ahead they have the guidance of Hazoret (the SoleSurvivor of Amonkhet's gods) and Samut (a Planeswalker whose spark ignited at the very peak of the Hours). Despite the severe tragedy caused by Bolas' machinations, the denizens of Amonkhet are once again able to decide their own fate, no longer enthralled by lies of a God-Pharaoh.]]
-->[[spoiler:"What will happen to us?" they asked.\\
The vizier paused. "I think... I think that's up to us now."]]
* RazorWings: [[http://magiccards.info/som/en/140.html Bladed Pinions]] from ''Scars of Mirrodin''.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Sidar Jabari from the ''Mirage'' storyline, King Darien from the ''Ice Age'' saga, Commander Eesha in the ''Odyssey'' arc (but only [[KnightTemplar in comparison to her two predecessors]]).
* RedOniBlueOni: Respectively...
** Mishra and Urza.
** Chandra and Jace.
* ReducedToDust: The card "[[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=397750 All Is Dust]]."
* ReligionOfEvil: Phyrexia, particularly the [[LightIsNotGood White-aligned]] "Machine Orthodoxy" of ''New Phyrexia''.
* {{Retcon}}: In addition to the game changes mentioned above, there have been changes to the game's story and background:
** Summoned creatures were originally presented as being actual creatures from another universe, pulled across and enslaved by the caster; now, they're essentially magical copies.
** The story of ''Coldsnap'', essentially an entire set {{retcon}}ned onto the end of ''Ice Age'' block.
** Then there's the "Revision". In the early days of Magic, the novels and comics where done by outside companies. Eventually (around the time of the Weatherlight Saga), Wizards of the Coast decided to publish their own books. They took this point to clear up and change some aspects of the {{canon}}, and said that, henceforth, the pre-revision books would be canon unless a post-revision book contradicted them.
** Since it was a continuity and nostalgia heavy block, the Scars of Mirrodin saga retconned several parts of the original Mirrodin books and a few parts of the Weatherlight Saga, causing many headaches to fans.
* RentAZilla: During the ''Dissension'' tie-in novel, Ravnica is attacked by giant monsters. First there's some Nephilim that grow giant-sized and start smashing things, then the Izzet's dragon guildmaster Niv-Mizzet flies in to fight them off, and eventually Experiment Kraj and Rakdos the Defiler join the fray as a result of a GambitPileup. Widespread destruction ensues.
* RevisitingTheRoots: ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'''s 2009 core set, ''Magic 2010'', marked a return to the flavor-driven design sensibility of the original ''Alpha'' and ''Beta'' releases.
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter:
** Beebles. [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=t%3Abeeble Awww...]]
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=213800 Brass Squire]] and the [[MechaMooks Myr]] in general.
** Don't forget the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=9779 Infernal Spawn of Evil]] and the even more ridiculously cute [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=73981 Infernal Spawn of the Infernal Spawn of Evil]].
* RidiculouslyDifficultRoute: The "[[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370757 Canyon Minotaur]]" card references this.
-->''"We'll [[ClimbingTheCliffsOfInsanity scale these cliffs]], traverse [[RopeBridge Brittle Bridge]], and then fight our way down the [[LethalLavaLand volcanic slopes]] on the other side."''\\
''"Isn't the shortest route through the canyon?"''\\
''"Yes."''\\
''"So shouldn't we--"''\\
''"[[ShortCutsMakeLongDelays No]]."''
* RocBirds: Rocs have appeared throughout the history of the game as large and powerful Bird creatures. In later sets especially they tend to be depicted as enormous golden eagles.
** The first roc, [[https://scryfall.com/card/me4/132 Roc of Kher Ridges]], was released in the very first set ever printed.
** Two cards, [[https://scryfall.com/card/9ed/214/rukh-egg Rukh Egg]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/m12/32/roc-egg Roc Egg]], depicted inert eggs (weak, 0/3 creatures in-game) that on dying and "breaking" open to create a much larger bird (a 4/4 and 3/3 creature with flying). The rukhs, also called "stonefeathers" and resembling bat-winged rocs, are supposed in-universe to descend from "a phoenix that sacrificed its flame for a body of stone".
** On Ravnica, rocs were among the creatures that managed to endure the plane becoming covered by [[CityPlanet a single, endless city]] far in the past. In the modern day [[https://scryfall.com/card/dgm/8 they perch on the world-city's spires instead]], occasionally tearing off whole roofs when they forget to loosen their claws when taking off; many are also used by the Boros Legion as [[HorseOfADifferentColor flying mounts]] and as a way of apprehending criminals by the simple means of [[https://scryfall.com/card/rtr/196 snatching them up in their talons and carrying them off into the sky]].
** Rocs are also found on the plane of Kaladesh, where [[https://scryfall.com/card/kld/3 at least some have four wings]].
** Tarkir has [[https://scryfall.com/card/ktk/31 its own native rocs]], which after the altering of the timeline [[https://scryfall.com/card/dtk/43 become competitors to the dragons]].
* RodentsOfUnusualSize:
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3982 This.]]
* RollingAttack: [[http://magiccards.info/som/en/180.html Myr Battlesphere]] and [[http://magiccards.info/arc/en/78.html Armadillo Cloak]] are prominent examples.
* RoyallyScrewedUp: Lord Konda, the mad king of Kamigawa. To gain immortality, he abducts an entity from the Spirit World, instigating a devastating war between mortals and spirits.
* RuleOfSymbolism: Urza ascends into (or even dies and is resurrected into, depending on your point of view) becoming a divinely powerful planeswalker after using the Golgothian Sylex. Golgotha, also known as Calvary, was in Literature/TheBible the place where Jesus Christ was crucified. To add to this, he bleeds into the chalice (which somewhat bears a resemblance to the HolyGrail) from a forehead wound. He'll then go on to be the primary opponent of a GodOfEvil who lives in ''[[Literature/TheDivineComedy Dante's Inferno]]''-esque {{Hell}}-like realm.
* RunningGag: The flavor text of Lhurgoyf is one Saffi Eriksdotter, warning someone that the monster is approaching. It has been spun off into '''three''' different cards.
** The first was the Silver Bordered, "Ach Hans Run," alluding to the line.
** The second was Saffi Eriksdotter herself, a Legendary creature who can sacrifice herself to save others.
** The third was Hans Eriksson, released a staggering 25 years after Lhurgoyf. Fittingly, Hans finds creatures from his controller's deck, which then try to kill him.
* SaintlyChurch: The Church of Avacyn [[spoiler:until ''Shadows over Innistrad'']].
* SandWorm: Wurms, which are essentially giant serpentine dragons, come in all shapes and sizes -- including some that tunnel through solid ice.
** Amonkhet and Ikoria explicitly have classic sandwurms, as represented by the card Greater Sandwurm, present in both sets.
* SavageWolves: [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=t%3Awolf&v=card&s=issue Most Wolves]] in ''Magic'' fall under this category. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220551 This one]] is 50% scarier than most.
* SapientShip: The Skyship ''Weatherlight'' gains sapience towards the end of its storyline.
* SceneryGorn:
** Magic frequently visits settings that could easily described as hell on Earth, but they always make a point to have the cards showing off the landscape look incredible, even if that landscape is oh say, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=198071 MADE OF DEAD PEOPLE]].
** Definitely the case in New Phyrexia. Some of the land art was based on what happened to the art in Scars block after Phyrexia got involved.
* SchizoTech:
** The game has [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=23222 power armor]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=135240 a tank]], and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=33695 a machine gun]].
** Also, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=1133 Rocket Launcher]] and a [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=24679 mech]].
** [[http://magiccards.info/5dn/en/66.html Goblin Brawler]] uses a rock.
* SchrodingersCanon: As mentioned above, pre-Revision canon is canon, until it isn't.
%%* ScienceDestroysMagic: Yawgmoth's hope.%%ZCE
* ScorpionPeople: The Amonkhet cycle includes the [[https://magiccards.info/akh/en/108.html Soulstinger]], a dual-typed Scorpion Demon resembling a gray-skinned humanoid with the lower body of a scorpion and grotesquely elongated arms ending in two additional stingers.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: The flavor of planeswalkers' loyalty counter system; if they take too much damage or perform too many big favors for you, they'll run out of loyalty towards you and leave.
* SdrawkcabName: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=332 Nevinyrral's Disk]] is a shout-out to the Warlock's Disc from ''Literature/TheMagicGoesAway'' by Creator/LarryNiven.
* SeahorseSteed: More than a few merfolk cards have seahorses. These range from [[http://magiccards.info/in/en/248.html actual, if huge, seahorses]] to [[http://magiccards.info/fe/en/58.html a full-on hippocampus]].
* SealedCastInAMultipack: The ''Innistrad'' storyline features this. The Helvault, a giant silver mass, imprisons the legendary angel Avacyn, along with the demon she was fighting at the time, Griselbrand, and a whole host of other angels and demons. The Helvault eventually gets broken in the expansion called ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Avacyn Restored]]''.
* SealedEvilInACan:
** The main motivation behind Yawgmoth's RoaringRampageOfRevenge.
** The card "Dark Depths" is your own personal can. If you can unseal it (either by pumping 30 mana into it in increments of 3, or by [[http://magiccards.info/zen/en/114.html getting]] [[http://magiccards.info/ds/en/37.html creative]]), you get a 20/20 indestructible flying monstrosity.
** The Eldrazi are Sealed Evil In The [[http://magiccards.info/wwk/en/136.html Eye of Ugin]]. [[http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Multiverse/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/feature2/85a Yes, they get loose.]]
* SealedGoodInACan: The [[BigGood angel Avacyn]] was dragged into the Helvault she made to seal away unkillable demons. Based on the mechanics of the Helvault card [[spoiler:getting her out means freeing everything else inside]].
* SeaMonster: Leviathans, krakens, sea serpents, Giant Enemy Crabs, assorted giant fish and whales... notably enough, they're often blue, absurdly huge and little more than ravening predators, despite the Blue color being anything but based on brute force. Of note is the Serpent-typed [[https://scryfall.com/card/tpr/65/sea-monster Sea Monster]] card.
-->''It's easy to believe the monster is a myth -- until you feel three hundred thousand pounds of myth crashing down on your ship.''
* SeaSerpents: Serpents are a creature type dedicated to this sort of beasts, and distinct from regular snakes. The vast majority are marine, but they can be found in swamps, lakes or rivers, typically in planes were seas aren't present -- the Myth/EgyptianMythology-inspired plane of Amonkhet, for instance, has serpents living in the mighty Luxa River. Notable examples of serpents include the lionfish-like [[https://scryfall.com/card/m20/61/frilled-sea-serpent Frilled Sea Serpent]], the classic [[https://scryfall.com/card/me4/60/sea-serpent Sea Serpent]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/m10/70/serpent-of-the-endless-sea Serpent of the Endless Sea]], which gets bigger and stronger the more Island lands you control.
* SelkiesAndWereseals: There are three different selkie cards; all of them are green/blue merfolk.
* {{Shadowland}}: Shadowmoor, the dark reflection of Lorwyn, is a literal example.
* ShapedLikeItself: The flavor text for Lhurgoyf simply reads, "Ach Hans, run! It's the Lhurgoyf!"
%%* ShapeshifterWeapon: [[https://scryfall.com/card/tpr/132/flowstone-blade Flowstone Blade]]
* ShapeshiftingExcludesClothing:
** [[https://scryfall.com/card/eve/161/snakeform Snakeform]] shows a snake that was once a mage slithering out of a pile of clothes.
** [[https://scryfall.com/card/ori/81/turn-to-frog Turn to Frog]], which turns a target creature into a small frog for a turn, shows such an animal hopping out of a discarded suit of armor.
** [[https://scryfall.com/card/plc/57/ovinize Ovinize]] depicts a sheep among discarded weapons and armor.
* SheduAndLammasu: In the game's history, there have been only two lammasu creature cards:
** [[https://scryfall.com/card/rav/22/hunted-lammasu Hunted Lammasu]], depicted with a bull-like body, wings and a bearded and horned human head, appeared in the original ''Ravnica'' block. Lammasu ruled the world's prairies in the past, before Ravnica's urban growth covered it entirely, and now endlessly roam its skies as they flee ancient enemies.
** [[https://scryfall.com/card/ktk/28/venerable-lammasu Venerable Lammasu]], from the Asian-inspired plane of Tarkir, resembles the former, but with a face covered by a black mask with four horn-like projections. Tarkir's lammasu roam far above the world on inscrutable errands of their own, and are known to appear on the eves of great events.
* ShockAndAwe: Much less so than one would expect, most red elemental magic tends to use fire. Though there are plenty of shocking cards, such as the original [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=191089 damage spell]].
* ShootTheDog: Pretty much Urza's whole hat. He does awful things in the name of protecting Dominaria from Phyrexia and Yawgmoth. At the end of the story, Dominaria ends up in shambles, but ultimately in better shape than Phyrexia. A pity that, however slowly, Phyrexia can regrow [[FromASingleCell from a single drop of Glistening Oil.]]
* ShootTheShaggyDog: During the Mirran-Phyrexian war, Venser, Koth, and Elspeth try to free Karn from Phyrexian influence. They even manage to free him from the taint via Venser's HeroicSacrifice. And then Karn leaves Mirrodin and the Phyrexians win anyway.
** Elspeth's entire ''life'' is just one long string of these, ending with her being betrayed and murdered in a fit of jealous spite by the God she served.
* ShoutOut: The card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=383179 Aggressive Mining]] was made by Markus Persson, the creator of ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'', so the card shows a very cubical and blocky mine.
** The story "Sacrifice" is about the Gitrog Monster, a giant, evil frog. Said frog [[WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}} hypnotizes people with its pulsating black eyes that play a horrible droning noise.]]
** ''Theros''' included a card name [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Loyal Pegasus.]] Well, Wizards ''is'' owned by Hasbro...
** One story for the Guilds of Ravnica block features what is implied to be a planeswalking ''baby.'' Said baby vanishes and then returns holding [[VideoGame/StardewValley a mysterious, purple, star-shaped fruit.]]
* SinisterMinister: Almost any black creature of the Cleric subtype falls under this trope.
* SinisterScythe: [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=scythe&v=card&s=cname Several]].
* SixthRanger: Liliana to the Gatewatch. Ajani even more so, since he shares his colors with two already existing members.
* SlaveBrand: The Orzhov Syndicate from Ravnica; slaves (debtors to Orzhov's higher-ups) bear the guild seal as tattoos.
* SlouchOfVillainy: [[http://media.wizards.com/images/magic/daily/arcana/666_heu2s44j9q.jpg Yep]].
* SmashTheSymbol:
** The FlavorText of [[http://magiccards.info/nph/en/99.html Victorious Destruction]] is a quote by a Phyrexian leader ordering the destruction of structures the Mirran refugees were rallying around.
** The ''Innistrad'' printing of [[https://scryfall.com/card/mm3/88/ancient-grudge Ancient Grudge]] shows a werewolf angrily smashing an Avacynian icon.
* SnakesAreSexy: [[https://scryfall.com/card/dka/58/deadly-allure Deadly Allure]] shows a woman lounging in a skimpy outfit and a snake wrapped around herself.
* SnakeVersusMongoose: Both of the cards that depict a mongoose, [[https://scryfall.com/card/inv/183/blurred-mongoose Blurred Mongoose]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/mh1/174/nimble-mongoose Nimble Mongoose]], show the creature in the act of killing a snake.
* SoulJar: [[https://scryfall.com/card/m19/113/phylactery-lich Phylactery Lich]] has you choose an artifact you control as this, and dies when that artifact is destroyed.
* SpellBook:
** The cards themselves represent pages in your SpellBook. Certain artifacts, such as Jalum Tome, give you access to more spells (that is, let you draw more cards) each turn.
** And the actual card Spellbook removes the 7-card limit on your hand, letting you hold as many cards as you can... [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment hold.]]
* SpikeShooter: Various creatures are [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=42039 shown]] or [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=4038&type=card implied]] to have this ability.
* StakingTheLovedOne: In the ''Dissension'' novel, when one of the protagonists' friends is converted into a [[http://magiccards.info/di/en/51.html Ragamuffyn]] zombie.
* StandardFantasyRaces: The primary races associated with the five colors of {{Mana}}, which are well-represented in almost every world, are the civilized but fractious humans for White, the forest-dwelling and mystical elves for Green, the chaotic and aggressive but none-too-bright goblins for Red, various forms of TheUndead for Black, and reclusive and sorcerous merfolk for Blue. Other recurring races include dwarves, Red/White mountain-dwellers skilled with crafts and fierce in war; Red/Black orcs, usually found as raiders, warriors and barbarians; powerful, ferocious and destructive dragons; and wise and ancient treefolk whom only the elves have regular contact with. Alliances and enmities change from setting to setting, but tend to fall along color lines -- most factions get along with ones aligned with the same color or allied ones, but are opposed to ones from enemy colors (humans and elves are usually opposed to the undead, for instance).
* StartOfDarkness: ''The Thran'', for Yawgmoth.
* StealthPun: The M13 set's Mark of the Vampire. [[Characters/MagicTheGathering Markov]], the vampire.
* StrappedToAnOperatingTable:
** The [[http://media.wizards.com/images/magic/daily/li/li136_Vedalken_Anatomist.jpg Vedalken Anatomist]] is depicted with a goblin victim in the background.
** In the ''Invasion'' block, Metathran general Thaddeus is captured by the sadistic Tsabo Tavoc and is strapped down and vivisected before his twin brother Agnate arrives to deliver a MercyKill.
** Venser and Koth, when they're captured by Phyrexians in the "Scarred" comic. (They get away.)
** The ''Innistrad'' version of [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=230767 Curiosity]] features a werewolf strapped to an operating table as a human sorcerer prepares to do magical research on it.
* SturdyAndSteadyTurtles: [[https://magiccards.info/ktk/en/141.html Meandering Towershell]], a very large turtle creature, is notable for having its slowness written in as a mechanic. Instead of attacking normally on the turn when it's activated, like most creatures do, it's removed from battle for a turn, and in the next turn it returns into play and deals damage to its target, representing the slow process of the Towershell plodding over to its foe and attacking.
%%* {{Squee}}: But [[http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=106473 not that kind]].%%ZCE
* SugarApocalypse: Arguably the Great Aurora that changed the fairy-tale land of Lorwyn into the dark, bleak Shadowmoor.
* SugarBowl: Lorwyn, except for the [[CantArgueWithElves arrogant]], [[InhumanlyBeautifulRace beautiful]], [[BeautyIsBad evil]] [[MasterRace elves]] and arguably the [[WeAreAsMayflies short-lived,]] insectoid, [[TheTrickster tricksy]] [[OurFairiesAreDifferent fae]].
* SmallNameBigEgo: Ertai's entire schtick. Even after his transformation:
-->''Altered by Phyrexian science, corrupted by black mana, and twisted by rage, Ertai still looked in the mirror and saw only glory.''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:T-Z]]
* TeleFrag: In ''Time Streams'', [[spoiler:this is how Urza kills [[BigBad K'rrik/Kerrick]], by Planeswalking into him thanks to some advice from [[GeniusLoci Multani]].]]
* {{Telepathy}}: A standard blue ability. Cards that invoke it typically involve revealing hidden information, such as the aptly-named [[http://magiccards.info/m10/en/74.html Telepathy]] card.
* TemporalParadox:
** It's more than possible to have multiple versions of the same specific thing from various points in the storyline in play at once; for example, there's nothing stopping you having both the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=8883 Tolarian Academy]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=116725 its ruins]] in play together.
** When they created the original planeswalker rules, they planned ahead that these storyline characters would get several cards and decided that two planeswalkers of the same type (usually their first name) cannot be in play together. However, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=201213 Nicol]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=179441 Bolas]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=136209 Venser]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=212240 of Urborg]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=212632 Karn]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=214350 the silver golem]] and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=426907 Samut]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=430833 of Amonkhet]] all exist both as a legendary creature and a planeswalker, and can be in play under both their identities. A later change to the rules made planeswalkers legendary instead, letting you have multiple versions of the same planeswalker in play at once.
** It's also possible to send mana into the past to play certain spells from the ''Future Sight'' expansion. If you fail to send mana into the past on your next turn, [[NonStandardGameOver you cease to exist]]. ClockRoaches indeed.
* ThatSatisfyingCrunch: Frequently mentioned on cards that destroy artifacts.
* ThemeParkVersion: Zigzagged. Many of Magic's planes are a FantasyCounterpartCulture of one flavor or another and the attention to detail varies. For example:
** Amonkhet is very much a ThemeParkVersion of ancient egypt, covered in pyramids, mummies, and crocodile demons.
** Kamigawa, on the other hand, has received praise for the measured amount of Westernised trappings of feudal Japan (for example, Ninjas only appear in one of Kamigawa's three sets), and for concepts core to Shinto being the actual basis for the setting.
* ThievingMagpie: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129764 Thieving Magpie]] card.
* TigerVersusDragon: The ending of Alara block's storyline is this. Ajani Goldmane (a lionman, yes, but possessing tiger stripes) driven by rage and revenge, fights against Nicol Bolas, a time-tempered Dragon of renowned patience and planning.
* TimeTravel: How Vodalia wound up surviving at least to the time of the Phyrexian invasion, when every other Sarpadian empire got obliterated by this or that crisis.
** Tarkir block is heavily predicated on this trope. In the first set, ''Khans of Tarkir,'' Sarkhan Vol searches his home plane for Ugin the Spirit Dragon...but dragons have been driven to extinction after a revolution some thousand years previous. He finds Ugin's corpse, but also a time portal Ugin created before his death. The second set, ''Fate Reforged,'' sees Sarkhan using Ugin's Nexus to return to the distant past. He changes history so that the extinction--including Ugin--never happens. The third set, ''Dragons of Tarkir'' has Sarkhan return to the present, discovering that the tyranny of dragons was never thrown off and Tarkir remains under their control...but this time, Ugin is alive.
* ToBeLawfulOrGood: Gideon has a HeroicBSOD over this when [[PlayingWithFire Chandra]] reveals that the supposedly good organization he was a part of [[spoiler:executed her entire village for harboring a pyromancer when she was a child.]]
* TokenEvilTeammate: Liliana Vess, black's iconic Planeswalker. She's a card-carrying member of the Gatewatch (even if Oath of Liliana makes it clear that she's not particularly enthusiastic about it). She's also a master necromancer whose storyline revolves around the four demons she sold her soul to in exchange for her power. Oh, and she stole her iconic tiara from an angel she killed with a horde of zombies.
* TooDumbToLive:
-->''"You slew the gorgon? Show me."''
--->''--King Igalus, [[TakenForGranite last words]]''
* TooManyMouths: The All-Devouring Oni in the Kamigawa storyline was this taken to its logical extreme: a swarming cloud of mouths with dagger-like teeth.
* TorchesAndPitchforks:
** ''Innistrad'' has [[http://magiccards.info/isd/en/216.html torches]] and [[http://magiccards.info/isd/en/232.html pitchforks]], inspired by this trope.
** [[http://magiccards.info/isd/en/64b.html After several failed experiments, Ludevic managed to create a monster that fed on torch-wielding mobs.]]
** [[http://magiccards.info/vi/en/88.html Mob Mentality]], [[http://magiccards.info/isd/en/39.html Unruly Mob]], and [[http://magiccards.info/rav/en/112.html Vindictive Mob]] all depict torch/pitchfork-wielding mobs, as does the classic [[http://magiccards.info/query?q=Angry+Mob&v=card&s=cname Angry Mob]].
* TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129803 Phyrexian Newts]].
* TheThunderdome: The [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=39647 Grand Coliseum]] in the Onslaught block.
* TrappedInAnotherWorld: Toshiro Umezawa's [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished punishment]] from the Myojin of Night's Reach. [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown And she took his eyesight.]]
* TraumaticSuperpowerAwakening: Typical for Planeswalkers. Sometimes, igniting a planeswalker's spark is the result of an epiphany born of years of meditation and preparation. More often than not, its the result of physical, emotional, or psychic trauma.
** [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent Kiora]]? Eaten by a SeaMonster while trying to protect her sister. [[PlayingWithFire Chandra]]? Watched her father die and was sentenced to death due to her magical abilities as ''a child''. [[GadgeteerGenius Venser]]? Ground zero for a BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind between a plansewalker and a telepathic monster. [[ManipulativeBastard Urza]]? Continent-sinking, ice-age-inducing, reality-shattering [[FantasticNuke magical explosion]] to the ''face''.
** The Spark can also be ignited by extreme happiness, as proven by [[RebelLeader Samut]] in the ''Hour of Devastation'' storyline. In her immense happiness and relief that her god and people have managed to take down one of the corrupt gods and escape the fallen city, her Spark suddenly ignites.
* TreasureRoom: [[http://magiccards.info/som/en/93.html Hoard-Smelter Dragon]], [[http://magiccards.info/7e/en/140.html Greed]], etc.
* TreeTopWorld:
** The Skyshroud was an immense mangrove forest floating over the waters of a small sea on the plane of Rath. The forest reached immense heights, enough so that the elves living within its canopy could go their entire lives without approaching its root system -- a good thing too, as the merrows living in the flooded maze of roots beneath the forest proper were quite hostile to them.
** Murasa, one of the continents of the plane of Zendikar, is covered by thick canopies of vegetation so large that regular-sized forests can grow on their branches. These trees cover the continent so deeply in places that Murasans can go their whole lives without ever setting foot on the ground.
** Pyrulea is a plane in the shape of a hollow sphere around a central star, with its inner surface entirely covered by towering rainforests of trees so huge that their individual leaves are large enough to build a small house on.
* {{Uberwald}}: Innistrad, the GothicHorror-themed plane, home of vampires, werewolves, ghosts, zombies, mad scientists, demons, and all kinds of traditional horror tropes.
* UncannyValley: The trope is discussed InUniverse in [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=373528 Fleshmad Steed]]'s flavor text:
-->''More disturbing than the unknown is a distortion of the familiar.''
* UnscrupulousHero: Urza. Destroying large landmasses, starting wars, and conducting a vast eugenics program just to breed a few warriors, for example.
* UnwantedRescue: After Starke sabotaged Vuel's coming-of-age ritual, Gerrard saved Vuel from death. Vuel resents him for it, for death would have been preferable to him after his failure. Starke stokes Vuel's hatred to make him Volrath, evincar of Rath.
* UnwantedSpouse: Urza's wife, Kayla. He won her hand in marriage by winning a contest of strength with an automaton he built. He was more interested in the relics in her father's vault than her.
* VampiresAreSexGods: Innistrad's vampires play closest to the trope, being gorgeous, aristocratic and generous with fanservice suiting all tastes. Which is not to say they aren't monsters, nor are they reluctant to use their personal charm to attract victims. Interestingly, Sorin Markov, vampire planeswalker from Innistrad, has been neither shown as nor implied to be involved with anyone, despite (because of?) his six thousand years plane-hopping. There's a very vague reference to "hedonism" in one of the earliest pieces describing him, but that's it.
* VerberCreature:
** Generally, a lot of creature cards are named this way -- considering how many cards the game has by this point, it doesn't come as a surprise that this one is among the many NamingConventions that ''MTG'' has utilized. Examples include [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=23017 Firescreamer]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193513 Gloomhunter]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=204958 Skinrender]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370539 Tombstalker]], and many, many more.
** This is a particularly common theme for the {{elemental|Embodiment}}s of the dual world of Lorwyn/Shadowmoor, such as [[https://scryfall.com/card/mm2/131 thunderblusts]], [[https://scryfall.com/card/mor/79 stenchskippers]], [[https://scryfall.com/card/mor/23 shinewends]], [[https://scryfall.com/card/mor/34 floodchasers]], [[https://scryfall.com/card/cma/96 cloudthreshers]], [[https://scryfall.com/card/cmd/122 faultgrinders]], [[https://scryfall.com/card/shm/27 woeleechers]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/c15/97 mulldrifters]], which embody concepts and emotions rather than physical elements and substances.
* VillainForgotToLevelGrind: The skyships ''[[http://magiccards.info/ps/en/133a.html Weatherlight]]'' (the heroes) and ''[[http://magiccards.info/ne/en/135.html Predator]]'' (the villains). When the two battle in Rath, the ''Weatherlight'' is outgunned and the heroes only escape through dumb luck. By the time of the Rathi Overlay in the ''Planeshift'' storyline, however, the ''Weatherlight'' had a more experienced crew and upgraded weaponry, and when the two skyships battled again, the ''Predator'' was thoroughly trounced.
* VillainOfAnotherStory: This trope crops up frequently. There are numerous villainous characters who only ever show up in flavor text or on a single card without making any notable appearances in the main storyline. Tibalt in ''Avacyn Restored'' and Vraska in ''Return to Ravnica'' are especially prominent examples, as villainous planeswalkers who never actually show up in the plot. Tibalt doesn't even have a short story to his name.
* VillainousRescue: Geth rescues Glissa and Slobad in the first Mirrodin Cycle by dropping a huge swarm of nim zombies on Memnarch's head. Literally.
* ViolenceReallyIsTheAnswer: Karn was an actual pacifist for most of the time he spent with the ''Weatherlight'' and its crew, to such a point that the way Volrath tortured him was by locking him in a flowstone prison cell with a few dozen goblinoids and shifting the ground to make him kill them with nothing but his bulk. The trope appears in ''Invasion'' when Karn realizes that remaining pacifist in the face of the Phyrexian invasion could cost him everyone he cares about, resulting in a RoaringRampageOfRevenge.
-->"Enough! If I must kill the guilty to save the innocent, then I will kill!"
* TheVirus: Phyrexia in ''Scars of Mirrodin''.
* VolcanicVeins: Koth of the Hammer, and the Vulshok in general.
* VoodooShark: The explanation for how the Phyrexians managed to gain a foothold on Mirrodin... and indeed, how Mirrodin was even populated since the plane was emptied at the end of the first story.
* WalkingWasteland: The Eldrazi, whose mere presence warps and destroys everything around them (the flavor of their "Annihilate" ability). This is illustrated nicely in [[http://magiccards.info/roe/en/141.html Disaster Radius]] and [[http://magiccards.info/roe/en/1.html All Is Dust]].
* WarElephants: There are a decent number of elephant and mammoth cards, mostly midsized green creatures with Trample.
* WarriorMonk: Most of Magic's monks fit this. For example: [[FanNickname Pancake]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=174957 Flipper]]
* WasOnceAMan: The werewolves, vampires, undead, and spirits of Innistrad were all once human.
* WaterfallIntoTheAbyss: The islands on the plane of ''Kamigawa'' float and are surrounded by waterfalls.
* WaterSourceTampering: [[http://magiccards.info/shm/en/193.html Poison the Well]] and [[http://magiccards.info/in/en/126.html Tainted Well]], which can mess with your opponent's lands.
* [[WellIntentionedExtremist Well-Intentioned Extremist]]: Heidar, Rimewind Master; Momir Vig, visionary EvilutionaryBiologist; also Yawgmoth started out as this. Urza is an [[AntiHero anti-heroic]] example.
* WhamEpisode: Oh no, the Phyrexians are back and they're attacking Mirrodin! Surely this invasion will be fought off -- there's no way the story team would allow the good guys to make such a catastrophic failure! Right? '''Right?''' ''Well...''
* WhamLine:
-->'''Sorin Markov:''' Avacyn, my angel... what has befallen you?
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The Planar Chaos expansion is an in-universe example.
* {{Whatevermancy}}: Magic has more than its share of -mancers, both of the classical divination kind and the modern "control whatever it is" kind (some, like Retromancer, are a bit shaky on what their name actually is supposed to mean). Matt Cavotta [[DiscussedTrope Discusses]] Magic's -mancers [[http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mc63 here]].
* WheelOfPain: Distinctly, it causes mental pain rather than physical pain: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=157204]]
* WhiteWolvesAreSpecial: [[https://scryfall.com/card/m12/194/sacred-wolf Sacred Wolf]], unlike the predominantly black, grey and brown wolves in other cards, has a pure white coat.
-->"I raised my bow, and the wolf stared at me. Under its gaze, my finger would not release the string." -- Aref the Hunter
* WillOTheWisp:
** [[https://scryfall.com/card/a25/115/will-o-the-wisp Will-o'-the-Wisp]] is a Spirit creature that doesn't do much beyond fly, but it's Black -- the color associated with swamps, and its card indeed shows the wisps drifting in a dark mire -- and its flavor text references will-o-the-wisp myths of various sorts. Its original text consist of lines from ''Literature/TheRimeOfTheAncientMariner'' describing ghost-fires on the sea, while its modern one references an in-universe myth of the ghost of a deceased woman wandering the moors at night with a lantern in hand, trying to find her lost brother and dooming the living who meet her to join in her endless search.
** [[https://scryfall.com/card/me2/114/withering-wisps Withering Wisps]] are a Black enchantment that damages creatures once for each swamp card you have in play.
** The Shadowmoor set includes a group of five cards -- [[https://scryfall.com/card/shm/55/aphotic-wisps Aphotic Wisps]], [[https://scryfall.com/card/shm/31/cerulean-wisps Cerulean Wisps]], [[https://scryfall.com/card/shm/88/crimson-wisps Crimson Wisps]], [[https://scryfall.com/card/shm/15/niveous-wisps Niveous Wisps]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/shm/132/viridescent-wisps Viridescent Wisps]] -- depicted as clusters of floating, ghostly lights, which whisper indecipherable messages to the living and show omens and visions in their glow.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity:
** Many Planeswalkers go mad when they first awaken to their true potential. In more mortal matters, many mages in Dominaria's history have gone on rampages while drunk on their newly-developed creations or power sources.
** Urza started slipping into this in his plans to defeat Phyrexia.
* TheWorfEffect: "Hm, so, we have this group of planeswalkers called The Gatewatch, and we want to show the audience how powerful they are. How do we do that? Oh, I know! We'll have them kill two of the Eldrazi titans in their first story! You know, those colossal, would-devouring monstrosities we've told the audience time and time again are nearly unstoppable and totally unkillable." Although there are implications that the consequences are far more dire.
** [[spoiler:In turn, they go to confront Nicol Bolas despite Ajani's wisdom for the story of Amonkhet. Despite all the hyping of how freakishly powerful the Chain Veil and their inborn talents are compared to most other mages with their specialties, they're all soundly defeated -- Nicol Bolas even penetrates Gideon's impenetrable shield for good measure!]]
* TheWorldIsAlwaysDoomed: Not ''always'', but surprisingly often, and more so since the story got into the habit of moving on to a new world as soon as the current one stops being doomed.
** In the Time Spiral block, the near-apocalypse that was the main storyline of the block was caused by ''so many near-apocalypses on the same world'' that time, space and magic were unraveling. When a [[AGodAmI planeswalker]] who sat out part of a previous interdimensional war returns to Dominaria, he tries to bring with him two continents that he had taken to another dimension with him.
* WorldHalfEmpty:
** Shadowmoor. It's the MirrorUniverse of Lorwyn, and where that world represented a fairytale land, Shadowmoor represents the dark side of those tales. The fiery Flamekin have guttered into Cinders, the helpful Merfolk have become cruel pirates, and the tight-knit families of the Kithkin have become insular and xenophobic.
** Grixis, one of the Shards of Alara, is a dark world, filled with undead and demons and slowly falling apart. Most of the magic in the plane is dependent on draining the life, blood, and memories from the living, and there isn't quite enough left... Arguably, ''all'' the Shards are this, as two of the colors of magic are gone from each, but Grixis is the most dystopian.
** Rath, a plane created by Phyrexia to eventually be superimposed on Dominaria. The WorldHalfEmpty aspect was highlighted in ''Nemesis''.
** There's also an obscure factoid that one of [[ArabianNightsDays the 1001 Rabiahs]] is just as bad as Phyrexia.
* WorldOfBadass: Zendikar. See EverythingTryingToKillYou, above. Wimpy planeswalkers strongly advised to keep out.
* WorldOfPun:
** Such as [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=29785 ''He exercises his right to bear arms'']].
** There are also the cards "Crashing Boars" and "Apes of Rath".
** [[http://magiccards.info/on/en/160.html "Over-Soul'd Cemetery"]].
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=42184 "Wheel and Deal"]]. [[DontExplainTheJoke See, it makes your opponents get the effects of]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=202558 "Wheel of Fortune"]] [[DontExplainTheJoke and gives you a card draw...]]
** Unglued and Unhinged are about 50% puns (the other half is a mixture of cardpaper and in-jokes that only players of the game will get).
*** Unhinged had Donkey Folk, which only existed to make puns on "ass". There was Smart Ass, Dumb Ass, Fat Ass, Cheap Ass, Bad Ass, and City of Ass.
** There are also the Clay Pigeon (a 1/1 flying bird that had an effect when thrown), the Rock Lobster (it wasn't a rock, and many take it for granite), the Paper Tiger (who burns bright and folds easily), and the Scissors Lizard (who has a lot of shear power).
** Fowl Play turns things into chickens.
** The Man of Measure is better at offense or defense depending on whether you're measured as taller or shorter than an opponent.
** The Standing Army doesn't tap when it attacks, because they're always standing... but only as long as you are too.
* WorldSundering:
** This has happened to Dominaria on a number of occasions, most notably when Urza used the Golgothian Sylex to create a powerful explosion on the island of Argoth. This completely destroyed the island and shattered the plate beneath it, creating a colossal deep-sea tech stretching almost from pole to pole, which allowed the cold water-loving homarids of the southern polar oceans to migrate into the northern hemisphere, and create large-scale climate shifts that culminated in a global ice age.
** Zendikar is periodically wracked by the Roil, a magical event that reshapes the landscape of even entire continents on a regular, though unpredictable, basis. This makes maps nigh useless, and permanent settlements few and far between.
** A number of cards, such as [[http://magiccards.info/us/en/101.html Sunder]], [[http://magiccards.info/ds/en/146.html Sundering Titan]] and [[http://magiccards.info/shm/en/156.html Worldpurge]], destroy all or a specific section of lands (or permanents in general) in play, representing cataclysmic disasters that reshape entire landscapes.
* WorldWreckingWave: The Eldrazi cause these for Zendikar, as seen in [[http://magiccards.info/roe/en/1.html All Is Dust]].
* WorthlessYellowRocks: Gold to the Returned from the underworld of ''Theros'', where literally everything is made of gold. Their currency is the far-less-common-in-the-underworld clay, as used to carve funeral masks.
* WrenchWench: [[http://magiccards.info/in/en/249.html Hanna]] from the original **Weatherlight**, and the rebuilt one has [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=443096 Tiana]].
* WretchedHive: Keyhole Downs in Ravnica, as exemplified by [[http://magiccards.info/rtr/en/33.html Conjured Currency]] and [[http://magiccards.info/rtr/en/22.html Seller of Songbirds]].
* YearInsideHourOutside: In the novel Time Streams, a temporal explosion results in a group of Phyrexians getting stuck in a pocket of this kind of temporal anomaly, which makes them a much more dangerous threat to Urza and his allies and results in plenty of unusual strategies from both sides.
* YinYangBomb: ''Ravnica's'' [[ChurchMilitant Boros Legion (red/white)]], [[NightOfTheLivingMooks Golgari Swarm (black/green)]], [[TheMafia Orzhov]] [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Syndicate (white/black)]], [[MadScientist Izzet League (blue/red)]] and [[GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke Simic Combine (green/blue)]].
* YourBrainWontBeMuchOfAMeal: Seen in the flavor text of [[http://magiccards.info/le/en/53.html Synapse Sliver.]]
-->''"Species [=XR17=] feeds upon the mental energies of its victims. This explains why the goblins remain unaffected."''
--->''--Riptide Project researcher''
* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: Essentially the core conflict in ''Literature/ThePurifyingFire''. The Order of Heliud values order above all else and views the pyromancers of Keral Keep as dangerous uncontrollable individuals.
* YourUniverseOrMine: After ascending, Elspeth wanders the Blind Eternities looking for a new home. She finds it in Bant, which is everything she could have ever hoped for. When the inevitable apocalypse comes to Bant, she decides to leave the plane thinking that it's for the best if they learn to fend for themselves rather than rely on her considerable power.
* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: In-universe, Planeswalkers are this to people before the mending, especially in Dominaria -- largely because they either went mad with power or proved to be manipulative assholes, and on occasion both, or one and then the other.
* ZombieApocalypse:
** Grixis. Given that there are a good chunk of zombies on the plane, and everything is going to hell, it certainly fits the end trope. A bit more Romero in that the zombies aren't the source of the plane being messed up, but that magic is out of balance so that BlackMagic overtakes everything and regrowth is no longer an option.
** {{Invoked}} in the ''Archenemy'' deck [[http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/464 Bring About the Undead Apocalypse]]
** [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=262669 Zombie Apocalypse]] is a card in ''Dark Ascension''.
[[/folder]]

** The Myth/ClassicalMythology-inspired ''Theros'' expansion features a pantheon of fifteen gods; one major god for each color overseeing a broad field of power -- such [[http://magiccards.info/ths/en/85.html Erebos, God of the Dead]] and [[http://magiccards.info/ths/en/66.html Thassa, God of the Sea]] -- and one minor god for each color pair, overseeing something more specialized -- such as [[https://magiccards.info/jou/en/151.html Keranos, God of Storms]] and [[https://magiccards.info/bng/en/148.html Karametra, God of Harvests]]. They are noted for featuring GodsNeedPrayerBadly as a game mechanic: they are enchantment creatures, meaning they are effectively living, sapient spells. If your devotion to their color (the number of mana symbols on your permanent cards) drops below a certain level, they stop being creatures and become enchantments only.

** The Gruul Clans of Ravnica believe in a deity called Illharg, the Raze-Boar, who they believe will come one day to lead them in a plane-wide rampage against civilization. As it turns out, [[https://scryfall.com/card/war/133/ilharg-the-raze-boar he's very much real as well]].
** [[http://mtgsalvation.gamepedia.com/Maro-Sorcerers Maro-Sorcerers]], each the embodiment of a forest in Dominaria, are frequently worshipped as deities (Titania of Argoth being an early example), although they are subservient to Gaea, the world soul of Dominaria, who would be more fitting [[HaveYouSeenMyGod were she present]].

* GardenGarment: Dryads.

* GiantFlyer: All kinds.

* GodOfEvil: Yawgmoth.

** Zendikar's [[PlanetOfHats Hat]] is that of adventure, this is caused in large part by 'The Roil' which reshapes the landscape of even entire continents on a regular, though unpredictable basis. Making maps nigh useless, and permanent settlements few and far between.
** [[http://magiccards.info/us/en/101.html Sunder]].
** [[http://magiccards.info/ds/en/146.html Sundering Titan]].
** [[http://magiccards.info/arb/en/92.html Maelstrom Pulse]].
** [[http://magiccards.info/arb/en/30.html Soulquake]].
** [[http://magiccards.info/shm/en/156.html Worldpurge]].
** [[http://magiccards.info/us/en/185.html Fault Line]]. You get the point. There's a lot of these, with a number of different flavor applications.