Neverwinter Dryad MTG Card


Boosts land draw, refining deck performance and elevating chances of drawing significant cards. Enables quick mana ramp, potentially advancing your board presence faster than your adversary. Allows instant-speed interaction, offering strategic flexibility in response to opponents’ moves.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Dryad
Power 1
Toughness 1

Text of card

, Sacrifice Neverwinter Dryad: Search your library for a basic Forest card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.


Cards like Neverwinter Dryad

Neverwinter Dryad holds a unique role in the world of Magic: The Gathering as a one-mana green creature that offers strategic depth. This card draws parallels to Llanowar Elves, a staple in many decks for its mana acceleration. While Llanowar Elves allow for tapping to generate green mana, Neverwinter Dryad specializes in thinning your deck by sacrificing itself to search for a Forest card, similarly improving your mana consistency but with a one-time effect.

Another card worth mentioning is Sakura-Tribe Elder, which shares the same sacrifice mechanic for land ramp. However, it comes at double the mana cost of Neverwinter Dryad, and it can fetch any basic land, not just a Forest. This makes Sakura-Tribe Elder more flexible in multicolored decks. Additionally, there’s Arboreal Grazer, a creature that puts a land directly onto the battlefield upon entering, providing an immediate but non-repeatable ramp unlike Neverwinter Dryad’s delayed effect.

Examining the value they provide, Neverwinter Dryad stands out in mono-green decks or those seeking an efficient, early game ramp option. Although it doesn’t offer the repeated utility of elves or the wider land options of the elder, it makes up for it with its cost-effective land search ability.

Llanowar Elves - MTG Card versions
Sakura-Tribe Elder - MTG Card versions
Arboreal Grazer - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Elves - MTG Card versions
Sakura-Tribe Elder - MTG Card versions
Arboreal Grazer - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Neverwinter Dryad by color, type and mana cost

Scryb Sprites - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Elves - MTG Card versions
Ghazbán Ogre - MTG Card versions
Shanodin Dryads - MTG Card versions
Wall of Wood - MTG Card versions
Village Elder - MTG Card versions
Spike Drone - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Elite - MTG Card versions
Elvish Berserker - MTG Card versions
Tree Monkey - MTG Card versions
Wild Dogs - MTG Card versions
Elvish Herder - MTG Card versions
Pouncing Jaguar - MTG Card versions
Scavenger Folk - MTG Card versions
Willow Geist - MTG Card versions
Nimble Mongoose - MTG Card versions
Elvish Lyrist - MTG Card versions
Elvish Pioneer - MTG Card versions
Hana Kami - MTG Card versions
Norwood Ranger - MTG Card versions
Scryb Sprites - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Elves - MTG Card versions
Ghazbán Ogre - MTG Card versions
Shanodin Dryads - MTG Card versions
Wall of Wood - MTG Card versions
Village Elder - MTG Card versions
Spike Drone - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Elite - MTG Card versions
Elvish Berserker - MTG Card versions
Tree Monkey - MTG Card versions
Wild Dogs - MTG Card versions
Elvish Herder - MTG Card versions
Pouncing Jaguar - MTG Card versions
Scavenger Folk - MTG Card versions
Willow Geist - MTG Card versions
Nimble Mongoose - MTG Card versions
Elvish Lyrist - MTG Card versions
Elvish Pioneer - MTG Card versions
Hana Kami - MTG Card versions
Norwood Ranger - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Neverwinter Dryad, players gain access to more lands, effectively thinning the deck to draw more impactful cards as the game progresses. This green creature ensures that you’re not only playing creatures but also building a stronger deck with every land fetched from your library.

Resource Acceleration: By having the ability to sacrifice Neverwinter Dryad to search for a basic Forest card, you can potentially ramp up your mana resources as early as turn two. This kind of resource acceleration is key in enabling bigger threats or pivot plays on the board ahead of your opponent’s curve.

Instant Speed: Although Neverwinter Dryad itself is not an instant, it allows for instant speed interaction. You can choose to sacrifice it in response to an opponent’s action, ensuring that you make the most tactical play possible while not missing a beat in your own strategy.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Neverwinter Dryad card comes with a stipulation that ties into resource management. Players find themselves having to let go of valuable cards from their hand to fully utilize the Dryad’s abilities, which can be costly when working with a hand that’s been carefully curated for strategic plays.

Specific Mana Cost: Another aspect to consider is the mana cost associated with Neverwinter Dryad. The specific requirement for green mana means that it may not seamlessly fit into decks that utilize a broader spectrum of colors or those that focus on different strategies outside of what green mana typically supports. This limitation can deter its inclusion in multicolored or versatile decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating the mana investment against other cards in the same cost bracket, the Dryad could be viewed as less appealing. For the mana spent, players often expect an immediate and significant impact on the game state. However, the mana you invest in the Neverwinter Dryad could potentially be leveraged for more impactful creatures or game-changing spells, making it a less attractive option when considering the overall cost-to-benefit ratio.


Reasons to Include Neverwinter Dryad in Your Collection

Versatility: Neverwinter Dryad is a flexible card that can serve multiple roles in various decks. Its ability to act both as an early blocker and a means of land ramp can support a range of strategies from aggressive to control-oriented builds.

Combo Potential: This card shines when paired with landfall mechanics or strategies that capitalize on sacrifices, offering avenues for synergy with a multitude of deck themes and combo setups.

Meta-Relevance: Given its low mana cost and utility, Neverwinter Dryad can be particularly useful when facing off against fast-paced aggro decks or when needing an extra land to stabilize the game, making it a practical choice in many current meta environments.


How to beat

The Neverwinter Dryad card in Magic: The Gathering is a prime example of an early game creature that can shape the battlefield with its utility. As a low-cost card that offers both a defensive and a mana-accelerating option, it presents a unique challenge for opponents. With its simple but effective ability to trade itself in for a Forest card, Neverwinter Dryad can ramp up a player’s mana resources significantly during the early stages of play.

To effectively counter this card, understanding the pace of your deck is crucial. Faster decks can prioritize removing Neverwinter Dryad quickly before its controller benefits from the mana acceleration. Slower, control-oriented decks might focus on card advantage and removal spells that can handle multiple creatures at once, bypassing the need to directly engage with the Dryad’s mana-ramp ability.

Overall, countering Neverwinter Dryad involves a balance of swift removal and strategic planning to ensure it doesn’t give your opponent too much of an advantage. By doing so, you can maintain control of the game and keep your opponent’s mana development in check.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the nuances of Neverwinter Dryad can be pivotal for MTG enthusiasts who want to refine their gameplay. This versatile card offers strategic advantages through deck thinning and resource acceleration, essential for cultivating a successful strategy. Its compatibility with landfall mechanics and sacrifice-based synergies makes it a valuable asset for certain deck archetypes. If you seek to optimize your deck’s performance or explore new synergies within the ever-evolving meta, then integrating Neverwinter Dryad could be a smart move. Dive deeper into its potential and make it a cornerstone of your collection. Learn more with us and enhance your MTG expertise.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Neverwinter Dryad MTG card by a specific set like Adventures in the Forgotten Realms and Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Neverwinter Dryad and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Neverwinter Dryad Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2021-07-23 and 2021-07-23. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten RealmsAFR 3292015NormalBlackJeff Dee
22021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten RealmsAFR 1952015NormalBlackDonato Giancola

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Neverwinter Dryad has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal