| Bat | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Creature Type | |
| (Subtype for creature/kindred cards) | |
| Beeble Scale | 3[1] |
| Statistics |
45 cards
 11.1%  75.6%  2.2%  2.2%  8.9% 15 Bat creation cards
as of Bloomburrow 20%  60% 13.3%  6.7% |
| Scryfall Search | |
| type:"Bat" | |
Bat is a creature type used for cards that depict nocturnal flying mammals with wings formed from four elongated digits of the forelimb covered by a cutaneous membrane and that may have echolocating skills.
Description[ | ]
Associated primarily with black mana, Magic's bats originally tended to be fearsome and dangerous, a stark contrast to the harmless tiny insect-eating flyers from our world (although those do exist on the Multiverse, such as Dakmor Bat). More often than not they were associated with Vampires. They appear often at common rarity as a weak flier, with 4 or less combined power and toughness. Their play pattern is intermixed with gaining and spending life.[2] Before Lost Caverns of Ixalan, the only non-Black bat was the silver-bordered Surgeon G̶e̶n̶e̶r̶a̶l̶ Commander with its bizarre selection of creature types (alongside Wombat and Chameleon). Since then, bats have been occasionally associated with white, likely due to synergy with vampires and due to their social habits.
The first card to bear the creature type Bat was Vampire Bats in Legends. Bloomburrow was the first set to feature Bat-typal.[3]
Storyline[ | ]
Bloomburrow[ | ]
Bats are one of the animalfolk of Bloomburrow. They are known for their clerics and astronomers who read the movements of celestial objects.[4] Nocturnal creatures, they use the moon and stars to determine their choices and fuel their magic. Fortune-telling and star reading are popular batfolk hobbies. The Cosmos contains spiritual wisdom passed on by the batfolk of past generations who have joined their ancestors in the night sky.[5]
At their best, batfolk are dependable and loyal protectors with strong ties to their compatriots.[6] At their worst, batfolk are obtuse, adhering overly rigidly to hierarchies and order. Batfolk are deeply protective of their community, occasionally superstitious, and focused on maintaining the balance between all things: light and darkness, life and death, day and night.[7][6] As a result of being awake when others are asleep, they serve as silent guardians of the vulnerable creatures of Valley. They have three clawed fingers on their wings, which they use to grasp objects.
Batfolk community consists of rigid roles and defined hierarchies.[6] One of their primary roles is the establishment of large-scale projects with their communal organization and resources. Aside from organizers, batfolk can be found as clerics and musicians, often taking the night shift. Batfolk who are more inclined toward adventure are called Drifting Stars and are regarded with a mixture of fascination and frustration by the community at large. Batfolk magic is related to the stars and night sky that they worship. Batfolk sing as a part of the casting, which can cause auditory damage as they chant. Batfolk sometimes dabble in minor augury.
At the end of each of the four moon phases, batfolk across Valley host a celebration known as a Lunar Paean.[6] Other animalfolk who were born during the same lunar pattern as when the ritual is held often join the festivities. Fortunes are performed for those present, and children born during the current phase are assigned star charts, while their parents are given guidance to help raise them. The celebration concludes with a moon-watching ceremony where families can look out into the firmament and assign stars to recently deceased loved ones or find the stars of their ancestors.
Twice a day, mirrors reflect light from the sun and moon into a massive opaline gem embedded in the center of the Lighttrap Spires.[8] There, an elder batfolk trades their sight for vision of the realms beyond Valley. Their eyes are subsequently filled with a unique nebula-like pattern that marks their ascension to the upper ranks of the priesthood.
One of their kin, Zoraline, assisted Mabel in her quest to stop the Calamity Beasts.[9]
Innistrad[ | ]
On Innistrad, vampires can change into bats which have such clarity of hearing that simple sounds become symphonies.
Stensia is pestered by undead Marrow Bats.
Ixalan[ | ]
On Ixalan, the bat god Aclazotz is the enemy of the sun god and ruler of the night. Local imps and demons are rather bat-like (and, at least in the case of the former, they are bat-imp hybrids).
The Oltecs living in Ixalan's Core fly on giant bats.[10]
Mirrodin[ | ]
Grimclaw Bats patrolled the Mephidross. Once Mirrodin became Phyrexia, they were compleated.
Ravnica[ | ]
Bats in Ravnica are primarily associated with the Orzhov Syndicate. Unlike other bats, which are primarily black, these bats, especially the Blind Hunters, are mostly equally white mana as well.[11] They are used as assassins and messengers.
Giant bats are also used as mounts by the Golgari Swarm, particularly by the guild's hunters.
In the Return to Ravnica block, and especially Gatecrash, the Dimir seem to have acquired bat-motifs, such as in the architecture [12] and the design of their Horrors. However, the Basilica Screecher is still attached to the Orzhov guild.
Ulgrotha[ | ]
Sengir Bats accompany the infamous Baron Sengir, the vampire lord who rules the Dark Barony from Castle Sengir.
Vampire bats[ | ]
The classical Vampire Bats are titanic flying creatures that may be used as steeds, for example by Kulrath Knights. They occur in Dominaria and Shadowmoor, as well as in a few other planes.
Notable Bats[ | ]
Tokens[ | ]
| Token Name | Color | Type Line | P/T | Text Box | Source | Printings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bat | Black | Creature — Bat | 1/1 | Flying | ||
| Black | Creature — Bat | 1/2 | Flying , Sacrifice this creature: Return an exiled card named Sengir Nosferatu to the battlefield under its owner's control.
|
|||
| Black | Creature — Bat | 2/1 | Flying | |||
| Darkstar Augur | Black | Creature — Bat Warlock | 1/1 | Flying At the beginning of your upkeep, reveal the top card of your library and put that card into your hand. You lose life equal to its mana value. (This token's mana cost is  .)
|
||
| Starscape Cleric | Black | Creature — Bat Cleric | 1/1 | Flying This creature can’t block. Whenever you gain life, each opponent loses 1 life. (This token's mana cost is .)
|
References[ | ]
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (2019-10-27). "Where are bats on the Beeble scale?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 9, 2024). "Do Bats have something more interesting going on than lifegain?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 9, 2024). "The Bloom of Burrow, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Valerie Valdes (July 1, 2024). "Bloomburrow Episode 1: Calamity Comes to Valley". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Neale LaPlante Johnson (July 11, 2024). "Planeswalker's Guide to Bloomburrow, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b c d Neale LaPlante Johnson (July 17, 2024). "Planeswalker's Guide to Bloomburrow, Part 3". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Tiny and Mighty - Bloomburrow Debut (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (July 9, 2024).
- ↑ Neale LaPlante Johnson (July 16, 2024). "Planeswalker's Guide to Bloomburrow, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Valerie Valdes (July 2, 2024). "Bloomburrow - Episode 2: An Expected Party". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ The Preview Panel at MagicCon: Barcelona (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (July 28, 2023).
- ↑ Magic Arcana (March 30, 2006). "Sketches: Blind Hunter". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ The Magic Creative Team (December 05, 2012). "Planeswalker's Guide to Gatecrash: Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
