Rimescale Dragon MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	7
Rarity	Rare
Type	Snow Creature — Dragon
Abilities	Flying
Released	2006-07-21
Set symbol
Set name	Coldsnap
Set code	CSP
Power	5
Toughness	5
Number	95
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jeff Easley

Key Takeaways

Its freezing ability provides ongoing control, and thus a distinct card advantage.
Instant speed activation allows for flexible, strategic plays in-game.
High mana cost demands thoughtful deck construction and resource management.

Text of card

Flying {S}: Tap target creature and put an ice counter on it. ({S} can be paid with one mana from a snow permanent.) Creatures with ice counters on them don't untap during their controllers' untap steps.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Rimescale Dragon ensures you remain ahead by offering repeatable freeze mechanics to control the battlefield. This ability to neutralize opposing creatures turn after turn without requiring additional card expenditure helps maintain card advantage over time.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly offering mana or resource acceleration, Rimescale Dragon’s presence effectively slows down the opponent, which can be seen as an indirect form of acceleration, allowing you to forge ahead while the opposition remains hindered.

Instant Speed: The dragon’s ability to tap down creatures can be activated at instant speed, permitting flexible play during any point of the game. This allows you to adapt to changing situations on the fly and utilize your mana efficiently, aligning with your broader game strategy while keeping opponents on their toes.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Rimescale Dragon necessitates a snow mana to activate its ability, often requiring you to specifically draft or build your deck around snow lands or sources, which might not align with your strategy or available resources.

Specific Mana Cost: Sporting a demand for two red and four other mana to cast, Rimescale Dragon’s mana cost is a substantial ask in a deck, limiting its accessibility to those capable of generating significant mana amounts, particularly red.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a demanding casting cost of six mana, the Rimescale Dragon can be a challenging play, especially when faced with faster aggro decks or when competing for a slot in your high mana curve against other impactful dragons or finishers.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Rimescale Dragon offers a unique edge in decks that leverage snow lands. Its ability to lock down opponents’ creatures by tapping them can be extremely useful in various play scenarios, adapting to control-centric or midrange strategies well.

Combo Potential: The dragon is a prime candidate for decks built around ice counters and related mechanics. It pairs particularly well with cards that benefit from creature tap effects or those that enable untap synergies, thus unlocking new combo avenues.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-based strategies dominate, Rimescale Dragon’s freezing ability can be a game-changer, disrupting the opponent’s board and giving you the upper hand. Its relevance increases as the meta evolves to adapt to cold strategies.

How to beat

Rimescale Dragon presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with its ability to lock down opposing creatures in a deep freeze. To successfully navigate against this frosty threat, removal spells that can target a high-cost creature become essential. Direct damage spells or exile effects can effectively neutralize the Dragon before it’s able to assert control over the game’s tempo.

Deck builders would do well to think ahead, including versatile answers such as instant-speed removal allowing players to react during any phase of the game. Another key tactic involves prioritizing the Dragon as a primary target for removal, making sure it doesn’t remain active on the field to establish a win condition. Additionally, strategies that circumvent creature abilities, for instance cards that protect your creatures from being targeted or that grant them indestructible, can be effective in diminishing Rimescale Dragon’s impact on your army.

Confronting a Rimescale Dragon requires discipline and precise timing. By incorporating answers into your deck that are capable of eradicating such threats and by using those answers judiciously, you stand a solid chance of outlasting the formidable cold wrought by Rimescale Dragon’s icy presence.

Cards like Rimescale Dragon

Exploring the icy peaks of powerful MTG cards, Rimescale Dragon emerges as a noteworthy creature in the realm of cold manipulation. With its ability to freeze opposing creatures solid, it’s reminiscent of Frost Titan. Both cards have the power to lock down the battlefield, but Rimescale Dragon comes with the flexibility of targeting multiple creatures at any given time. As long as you have the snow mana to sustain its ability, Rimescale Dragon can continually keep your opponent’s forces at bay.

In contrast, Icefall Regent sports a similar chill factor but focuses on individual control, penalizing opponents for attempting to break free from the icy grasp. This card might be less resource-intensive, but the dragon’s singular focus can be a limiting factor compared to Rimescale Dragon’s expansive frosty domain. Skred is another card that shares synergy with snow lands, directly delivering damage equivalent to the number of snow lands you control. Despite being a removal spell rather than a creature, the philosophy of leveraging a snow-covered battlefield aligns with Rimescale Dragon’s strategy of power through frost.

Taking the frosty theme into account, Rimescale Dragon not only demonstrates direct control over the board but also enhances its strategic depth when synergized with snow mana, making it a tier above its cold counterparts in MTG.

Cards similar to Rimescale Dragon by color, type and mana cost

Yidaro, Wandering Monster - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Rimescale Dragon MTG card by a specific set like Coldsnap, 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 Rimescale Dragon and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Rimescale Dragon has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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