All 5 Archetype Cards in Magic Ranked

Last updated on September 22, 2023

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. Let's get into it!

What Are Archetype Creatures in MTG?

Archetype of Finality | Illustration by Chris Rahn

The Archetype creatures are an uncommon cycle of enchantment creatures 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 were a one-off cycle of creatures tied to the original Theros block. Their designs haven’t been referenced or repeated since.

#5. Archetype of Finality

Archetype of Finality falls cleanly in last place. Deathtouch can be potent to spread around creatures, but the casting cost 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, just play creatures with the keyword itself.

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, with Courage winning by a small margin. First strike is generally better than deathtouch on offense, and a board full of first strikers is arguably more effective on defense too.

Removing first strike from opposing creatures means that you always have the initiative in combat, except when double strike is involved. But there's some blow-out potential 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 Garruk's Uprising or Old One Eye.

Removing trample from opposing creatures can be completely hit or miss. It doesn’t matter at all if you’re the aggressor, but when it does matter it’ll likely 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 untouchable, and your opponents’ are now exposed. Being an enchantment would normally be a downside on a creature this expensive since it dies to a wider variety of removal spells, but it has hexproof anyways so that doesn’t matter.

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.

#1. Archetype of Imagination

Archetype of Imagination costs six mana, but it can end the game on the spot. Giving all your creatures flying and grounding your opponents’ blockers 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 Commander games.

Best Archetype Creature Payoffs

Keyword Tribal

Wizards has added more keyword support over the years, with direct callouts to certain evergreen mechanics. 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 and Kangee, Sky Warden. 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.

Wrap Up

Archetype of Endurance | Illustration by Slawomir Maniak

I’m hoping Wizards will revisit the Archetype cycle one day with a fresh set of keyword-stealing 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, so I’ll be content with that. What about you? Have you sniped a game out of nowhere with Archetype of Aggression or Archetype of Imagination, or have you found a home for some of the weaker ones? Let me know in the comments below or over in the Draftsim Discord.

Thank you for making Draftsim your #1 stop for all things Magic!