War Behemoth

War Behemoth was originally printed in the Khans of Tarkir expansion for Magic: The Gathering, released by Wizards of the Coast in 2014. It was designed as a common-rarity creature to support the set's mechanical focus on the 'Morph' ability, which allowed players to cast cards face-down as colorless 2/2 creatures. This design choice was intended to evoke the flavor of the set's central conflict, emphasizing the element of surprise and the brutal, shifting nature of warfare on the plane of Tarkir.

The card was later included in 'The List,' a curated collection of reprints that appear in Set Boosters to provide players with nostalgic or mechanically interesting cards from throughout the game's history. The illustration for the card reflects the aesthetic of the Abzan Houses, a faction characterized by high toughness and a defensive, endurance-based playstyle. It was received as a straightforward, functional creature that highlights the set’s emphasis on combat durability rather than complex individual mechanics.