The 1993 Arabian Nights War Elephant, a foundational Magic: The Gathering card featuring unique banding mechanics and iconic fantasy design.
War Elephant
1993 • Magic: The Gathering • Arabian Nights
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Description
The War Elephant, designated as card number 11 in the 1993 Arabian Nights expansion, remains a significant piece of Magic: The Gathering history. As one of the earliest creature cards released by Wizards of the Coast, it introduces the complex banding mechanic that defined the set's strategic depth. This white mana creature costs {3}{W} to cast and features the trample ability, allowing it to push damage past blockers—a trait that made it a formidable presence in early gameplay. War Elephant stands out within this collection for its straightforward yet powerful rules text, which allows the player to control how combat damage is distributed among blocking creatures. This mechanic adds a layer of tactical complexity rarely seen in subsequent expansions. Whether you are a historian of the game or a completist building your Arabian Nights collection, this card offers a tangible link to the genesis of competitive trading card games. Its enduring legacy lies in its mechanical innovation and its role in establishing the creature types that define the game today.
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Card Details
The catalog profile below summarizes the card identity, featured subject, and notable collectible traits.
Catalog Profile
The core identity of the card within the set.
Featured Subject
The subject, team, league, and sport context tied to this card.
Featured
War Elephant
Game
Magic: The Gathering
TCG Attributes
Rarity, print treatment, and game-specific stats for this card.
Common
Kristen Bishop
Card Stock
English
{3}{W}
Creature — Elephant
2 / 2
W
Card Text
Abilities, attacks, oracle text, and flavor text printed on the card.
Trample; banding (Any creatures with banding, and up to one without, can attack in a band. Bands are blocked as a group. If any creatures with banding you control are blocking or being blocked by a creature, you divide that creature's combat damage, not its controller, among any of the creatures it's being blocked by or is blocking.)
"When elephants fight it is the grass that suffers." —Kikuyu Proverb