Taxonomy (Creature Type) Fail
Lore forum
Posted on Oct. 13, 2017, 7:29 p.m. by Jimmy_Chinchila
Perhaps it's just my background in taxonomy, but I find it rather annoying that Wizards would add the creature type Trilobite for Shore Keeper yet continue to label things like Skittering Heartstopper as an Insect when it is clearly not. Insects have 6 legs. It is a Centipede. In fact, it's no more an insect than a Crab is (it just happens to be also a terrestrial arthropod), yet they have their own creature type. To me a trilobite is more of a crab than a centipede is an insect. All I can think is that Vorapede and other past centipedes would have to be "adjusted", but that doesn't seem like such a big deal. They retro-changed Alpha Tyrranax with the addition of Dinosaur so why the heck are they still calling a centipede an insect?
RazortoothMtg says... #3
My insect tribal EDH deck I never got around to building!!!!!
I think the idea is, most people, like ERoss8 here and me, look at a centipede and think it's an insect, while a larger group of people will look at Shore Keeper and be like ya, that's a trilobite.
October 14, 2017 10:51 a.m.
RazortoothMtg says... #4
My insect tribal EDH deck I never got around to building!!!!!
I think the idea is, most people, like ERoss8 here and me, look at a centipede and think it's an insect, while a larger group of people will look at Shore Keeper and be like ya, that's a trilobite.
October 14, 2017 10:54 a.m.
The reason that there is no centipede type is likely because wizards didn't want to bother making a whole new creature type when they could lump them in with another creature type (insect). Shore keeper was called a trilobite because they were on a prehistoric kick with the dinosaurs and felt it would be fun flavor.
And the reason cards like the tyrranax got changed into dinosaurs is because now there is a set that has a tribal theme of dinosaurs and now that they are using the creature type they might as well relabel their creatures.
October 14, 2017 1:03 p.m.
Jimmy_Chinchila says... #6
I mean, it's a crap common and there's only one of them. They call spiders and scorpions by their name, it's just as accurate to call them insects as centipedes.
And it's not even a cool creature type. It's basically just a horseshoe crab.
October 14, 2017 2:01 p.m.
Jimmy_Chinchila says... #7
ERoss8 yeah everything with an exoskeleton and jointed limbs are arthropods, and within that there are crustaceans (lobster, crab, shrimp), arachnids (spider, scorpion), myriapods (centipedes, millipedes), and insects (bugs, beetles, ants, bees, flies, mantises, grasshoppers, moths, termites, dragonflies, mosquitos, etc). They're grouped by number of legs and whether they live on land or ocean, among other things.
All insects have 6 (no more or less) legs, arachnids have 8, myriapods have 30+. Crustaceans have 10 legs I believe.
October 14, 2017 2:20 p.m.
shinobigarth says... #8
if they were to turn all the centipedes to myriapods, they would have to then go ahead and make all the spiders and scorpions arachnids for consistency, crabs crustaceans etc, and just the spiders alone would be a big undertaking. they also use "beast" as a large catch-all type as well, many of which have nothing in common with each other if we're to go by the art.
could also be choices made to give more options for tribes, like if someone wanted to use Vorapede in tribal and wanted more options than the decidedly few myriapod creature choices that likely would be available if they designated them as such.
October 15, 2017 1:09 a.m. Edited.
Jimmy_Chinchila says... #9
shinobigarth I think the "lower" classification categories are fine, spider, crab, scorpion, insect...I'd just like to see "centipede" also.
But you make a good point with the Beast thing and the Tribal aspect as well. I guess I just thought if you're gonna add Trilobite for one creature you might as well add Centipede for a few more
October 15, 2017 12:27 p.m.
shinobigarth says... #10
if centipedes ever become a major creature type, they can always retroactively change all the appropriate ones to centipede like they did with dinos.
ERoss8 says... #2
I didn't know that centipedes aren't insects. That is good to know.
You make a very good case for this change, and I'm all for it. I love these random creature types that are random animals. Sign me up for centipedes!
October 13, 2017 8:45 p.m.