The alkaline earth metals
The alkaline earth metals occupy Group 2. A Group 2 atom has a pair of electrons in its highest occupied electron shell.
The usual Group 2 ion forms when both outer electrons are lost, producing an ion with a 2+ charge.
Losing these electrons means the metal is oxidised. As it supplies electrons to another species, the metal acts as a reducing agent.
The physical trends considered here involve Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba.