Ambitious Dragonborn MTG Card


Ambitious Dragonborn offers card draw and cost reduction, fueling both hand size and battlefield impact. Its requirement for red mana and card discarding can constrain deck flexibility and hand robustness. Despite a higher mana cost, it remains a versatile card, key to dragon-centric and power-based strategies.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Dragon Barbarian
Power 0
Toughness 0

Text of card

Ambitious Dragonborn enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it, where X is the greatest power among creatures you control and creature cards in your graveyard.

The raging green dragon left destruction—and at least one admirer—in its wake.


Cards like Ambitious Dragonborn

Ambitious Dragonborn enters the vast world of creature spells in MTG with a distinct set of abilities that warrant close comparison with its kin. Like Lathliss, Dragon Queen, Ambitious Dragonborn leans into the dragon tribal theme, but carves its own niche with its prowess in bolstering both power and dragon synergy on the battlefield. Unlike Lathliss, which requires a higher mana investment, Ambitious Dragonborn is accessible earlier in the game, giving players an advantage in tempo.

Draconic Disciple presents another interesting comparison. It too offers dragon synergy, but its primary role is different, acting as a mana dork and potential late-game threat. Where Ambitious Dragonborn excels is in its immediate impact and combat capabilities, whereas Draconic Disciple bides time for a larger payoff. Then there’s Dragonmaster Outcast, a creature that at face value seems unrelated, yet in the late game can generate dragon tokens, paralleling the thematic connection—though the Outcast’s ability is conditional and less aggressive than Ambitious Dragonborn’s straightforward approach.

Considering these comparisons, Ambitious Dragonborn finds its stride in decks that desire early to mid-game presence with dragon synergies, showcasing its value as a flexible and combatively oriented card in MTG’s ever-expanding roster.

Lathliss, Dragon Queen - MTG Card versions
Draconic Disciple - MTG Card versions
Dragonmaster Outcast - MTG Card versions
Lathliss, Dragon Queen - MTG Card versions
Draconic Disciple - MTG Card versions
Dragonmaster Outcast - MTG Card versions

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Carnivorous Plant - MTG Card versions
Erhnam Djinn - MTG Card versions
War Mammoth - MTG Card versions
Aurochs - MTG Card versions
Lhurgoyf - MTG Card versions
Jackalope Herd - MTG Card versions
Rootwater Alligator - MTG Card versions
Golden Bear - MTG Card versions
Argothian Swine - MTG Card versions
Elvish Piper - MTG Card versions
Erithizon - MTG Card versions
Saber Ants - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Cutter - MTG Card versions
Ulvenwald Oddity // Ulvenwald Behemoth - MTG Card versions
Fungusaur - MTG Card versions
Viridian Lorebearers - MTG Card versions
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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ambitious Dragonborn excels at boosting your hand, offering extra draw power that can help you outpace your opponents. With each attack potentially yielding new card options, it keeps your resources flowing and maintains pressure on your foe.

Resource Acceleration: This card isn’t just about adding creatures to the board; it’s a powerhouse for accelerating your resources. By reducing the cost of your dragon spells, it enables faster, more impactful plays, giving you a serious edge in the mana race.

Instant Speed: What sets Ambitious Dragonborn apart is its ability to engage at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to adapt to the battlefield on the fly. This critical timing allows you to maximize your strategic plays and keep opponents second-guessing your next move.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Ambitious Dragonborn demands that you discard a card to fully capitalize on its abilities. This is often a steep price to pay, especially in games where maintaining card advantage is crucial. Depleting your hand could leave you vulnerable to your opponent’s strategies or unable to respond to threats effectively.

Specific Mana Cost: The Ambitious Dragonborn card slots into decks that can produce red mana. This specific demand restricts deck-building flexibility, excluding it from mono-colored decks apart from red or multicolored decks that can’t reliably generate red mana in the early game when you’d ideally want to play it.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that is on the higher end of the scale for its effects, Ambitious Dragonborn can be seen as a less than optimal choice when compared to other creatures in its category. Investing a significant amount of mana could put you behind in tempo, especially if you’re up against decks that operate at a faster pace.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Ambitious Dragonborn offers flexibility in deck building, adapting to a range of strategies. It shines in decks that capitalize on creature synergies or require formidable board presence.

Combo Potential: With its abilities tied to power increases, Ambitious Dragonborn can be a linchpin in explosive turns, particularly when paired with cards that bolster creature power or provide additional combat phases.

Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, cards that interact with counters and power-modifying effects frequently find their place. Ambitious Dragonborn can be a significant player in environments where maximizing creature effectiveness is crucial.


How to beat

Ambitious Dragonborn presents an interesting challenge on the battlefield. With its structured ability to become more powerful as you cast Dragon spells, it demands a strategic approach to mitigate its strength. Addressing Ambitious Dragonborn essentially becomes a game of disrupting the user’s strategy. By denying the player the opportunity to cast Dragon spells through counterspells or the removal of Dragons from their hand or library, you can restrict the power boost that Ambitious Dragonborn would receive.

Additionally, it is imperative to keep removal spells in hand for when Ambitious Dragonborn tries to capitalize on those Dragon spell synergies. Efficient removal like Path to Exile or Fatal Push can be particularly effective at dealing with the creature before it gets too large. Moreover, playing around the Ambitious Dragonborn’s potential growth by setting up defensive measures or racing the opponent with an aggressive approach can force the card to be less impactful. After all, if the user cannot play the Dragons that empower the Ambitious Dragonborn, its ambitious nature can quickly be tempered.

Overall, the key resides in staying preemptive and reactive. Disrupt the enabling conditions of Dragon spells, remove the creature before it becomes a significant threat, and you’ll have effectively countered the ambition of the Ambitious Dragonborn.


BurnMana Recommendations

Diving deep into the strategic layers of MTG, Ambitious Dragonborn emerges as a card rife with potential, ready to spice up the dynamics of your deck. With its nuances in card advantage, resource acceleration, and the element of instant speed play, it’s a game-changer that promises a fresh breath of tactical air. This card’s grandeur, however, comes with the wary eye it demands for its high mana cost and the exacting condition of discarding. As you tailor your deck’s might to the battlegrounds, ponder on the Ambitious Dragonborn’s ability to sculpt your victory. Let us guide you through optimizing your card collection to harness its raw power and command the dragons that will lead you to overwhelming wins. Discover more strategies and refine your deck-building prowess with BurnMana to etch your name in the annals of MTG legends.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ambitious Dragonborn MTG card by a specific set like Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate and Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate, 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 Ambitious Dragonborn and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ambitious Dragonborn Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2022-06-10 and 2022-07-07. Illustrated by Gaboleps.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 2132015NormalBlackGaboleps
22022-07-07Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's GateHBG 1982015NormalBlackGaboleps

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ambitious Dragonborn has restrictions

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

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ambitious Dragonborn card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2022-06-10 Ambitious Dragonborn is not yet on the battlefield when its effect looks for the creature or creature card with the greatest power, so any creatures that have a bonus to their power based on the number of creatures on the battlefield won't count it until after it enters with counters.