All 5 Archetype Cards in Magic Ranked

Last updated on September 10, 2025

Archetype of Imagination | Illustration by Robbie Trevino

Move aside grouphuggers, today’s list is for the selfish players. If you’ve ever wanted to have a monopoly on a keyword, then keep reading.

The Archetype creatures from 2014’s Born of the Gods are here to make you the king of keywords. If you came to learn about the archetypes of Magic decks, that's a separate and much longer discussion, otherwise, let's get into it!

What Are Archetype Creatures in MTG?

Archetype of Finality | Illustration by Chris Rahn

The Archetype creatures are a cycle of enchantment creatures at uncommon rarity from Born of the Gods that give your entire board a keyword ability while stripping it from opposing creatures. Unlike a lot of cards that remove abilities, the Archetypes make it impossible for the opposing creatures to regain those abilities.

Occasionally referred to as “keyword lords,” the Archetypes are a one-off cycle of creatures tied to the original Theros block and represented in each color. Their designs haven’t been referenced or repeated since.

There are four reprints, three on The List: Aggression, Endurance and Finality, and Archetype of Imagination in Duskmourn: House of Horror Commander that counts nicely as an enchantment creature for eerie and establishes evasion.

#5. Archetype of Finality

Archetype of Finality falls cleanly in last place. Deathtouch is potent to spread around creatures, but the mana value is bloated and the stat-line is embarrassing. It makes every creature you control a speed bump, but if you care that much about deathtouching creatures, play creatures with the keyword itself. Lots of cheap equipment grant deathtouch to one of your creatures like Hunter's Blowgun, Vorpal Sword, or Basilisk Collar.

Removing deathtouch can help you push past pesty blockers, but it’s an infrequent enough problem that it doesn’t warrant playing a silver bullet card like this. If you keep losing to Fynn, the Fangbearer or you just really hate the third chapter on Binding the Old Gods, then go for it.

#4. Archetype of Courage

Archetype of Finality and Archetype of Courage are clearly the worst of the pack, and Courage wins by a small margin. First strike is generally better than deathtouch on offense, and a board full of first strikers is more effective on defense too.

Removing first strike from opposing creatures means that you always have the upper hand in combat, except when double strike is involved. You are set up for some blow-outs when Archetype of Courage is removed mid-combat and your creatures suddenly lose first strike.

#3. Archetype of Aggression

Red gives us the trample lord with Archetype of Aggression. A lot of Commander decks boil down to “attack with big dumb creatures,” and trample is one of the best ways to make that a winning strategy. Most trample-granting cards are green, so this is best suited for a red creature deck that doesn’t already have access to cards like Overrun, Garruk's Uprising or Kodama of the West Tree.

When you remove trample from opposing creatures it is usually a completely hit or miss. If you want to be the trampler, it often doesn’t matter at all, but when it does matter, it could save you a bunch of damage. Finishers like Embercleave and Craterhoof Behemoth are much less scary when you remove trample from the equation (though let’s be honest, you’re probably still dying to Craterhoof).

#2. Archetype of Endurance

Archetype of Endurance gives your team everyone’s favorite keyword: hexproof. Your creatures become untargetable, and your opponents’ are now exposed. Being an enchantment would normally be a downside on a creature this expensive since it dies to enchantment removal as well, but it has hexproof anyways so that matters a lot less.

This won’t affect ward abilities or shroud, but hexproof is common enough for Archetype of Endurance to impact the opponent’s board. Commanders like Narset, Enlightened Master and Uril, the Miststalker lean heavily on having hexproof, and Archetype of Endurance leaves them vulnerable. It also hoses commonly-played equipment cards like Swiftfoot Boots and Mask of Avacyn, and hinders Commander staples like Tamiyo's Safekeeping, Dawn's Truce, and Heroic Intervention.

#1. Archetype of Imagination

Archetype of Imagination costs 6, and can end the game on the spot. Giving all your creatures flying and hating on all your opponents' flying creatures means your team is virtually unblockable, aside from the stray reach creature. It’s a fragile body, but a legitimate win condition when timed correctly.

Flying is the most common form of evasion, and removing that might put your opponents in a position where they can’t attack at all. Long gone are the days where Archetype of Imagination was a common threat, but the Grinch Who Stole Flying can still get the job done in casual games.

Best Archetype Creature Payoffs

Keyword-Matters

Wizards has added more keyword support over the years, with direct callouts to certain evergreen mechanics. Sephara, Sky's Blade is a massive payoff when you control the only fliers. Kwende, Pride of Femeref and Path of Mettle work well with Archetype of Courage, while Hooded Blightfang and Vraska, Swarm's Eminence combo with Archetype of Finality.

It’s not hard to find trample or flying payoffs for the red or blue Archetypes. You have cards like Quartzwood Crasher, Kangee, Sky Warden, and Jubilant Skybonder. Archetype of Endurance doesn’t get much love in this category since hexproof neither has nor needs extra support cards.

Enchantress

Just a quick reminder that the Archetypes are all enchantments and therefore have some extra playability in enchantress decks. It’s hard to imagine a deck that’s fully committed to enchantments and also wants a combat-centric card like Archetype of Courage, but it’s not unfathomable.

Does Archetype of Courage Affect Double Strike?

No, Archetype of Courage will not remove double strike from opposing creatures. It does give all of your creatures a chance to deal damage in the first strike damage step of the combat phase, and is redundant on any of your double strike creatures.

Wrap Up

Archetype of Endurance | Illustration by Slawomir Maniak

I hope Wizards will revisit the Archetype cycle one day with a fresh set of keyword-stealing and granting creatures. Maybe we can get a lifelink or indestructible Archetype, or maybe a reverse Archetype that gives your opponents’ creatures defender.

We only have the five to work with for now and some of them still see play to this day. What about you? Have you sniped a game out of nowhere with Archetype of Aggression or Archetype of Imagination, or have you found a perfect fit for one of these? Let me know in the comments or over in the Draftsim Discord.

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