Dragon Mage MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Dragon Wizard
Abilities Flying
Power 5
Toughness 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Control the game’s tempo by refreshing your hand with Dragon Mage’s unique draw ability.
  2. Dragon Mage’s high mana cost makes it a strategic late-game resource rather than a quick play.
  3. Adapt your play to counter Dragon Mage’s symmetrical effect to maintain a game advantage.

Text of card

Flying Whenever Dragon Mage deals combat damage to a player, each player discards his or her hand and draws seven cards.

"You'll bend to my will—with or without your precious sanity."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Dragon Mage’s ability to have each player discard their hand and draw seven cards can be a significant advantage. This renews your hand, potentially drawing into answers or threats that can change the game’s momentum.

Resource Acceleration: While the Dragon Mage doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the traditional sense, refilling your hand can indirectly lead to resource acceleration by giving you more options and ways to utilize your mana efficiently on subsequent turns.

Instant Speed: Though the Dragon Mage itself is not an instant, the ability to alter both players’ hands dramatically can be as impactful as an instant-speed effect because it can disrupt opponents’ plans right after they draw, similar to an end-of-turn move.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When you bring Dragon Mage into play and it deals combat damage, its ability forces each player to discard their hand and draw seven cards. This symmetrical effect can sometimes backfire, especially if you’re ahead with vital cards in hand that you’d prefer to keep.

Specific Mana Cost: Dragon Mage’s casting cost demands a significant red mana investment, requiring three red mana sources in its total cost. This can pose a challenge in multicolored decks that may not have consistent access to the required mana types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sitting at a substantial seven mana to cast, Dragon Mage is a late-game play. In quicker formats or when facing down fast-paced decks, the mana investment might be too cumbersome, making Dragon Mage a less viable option when speed is essential.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Dragon Mage can serve as a game-changer in a variety of decks. Its primary role is to refill a player’s hand, making it suitable for strategies that rely on a large hand size or require frequent access to new spells.

Combo Potential: When this creature’s ability triggers, all players discard their hands and draw seven new cards. This can be utilized in combination with graveyard-based strategies or to disrupt opponents’ carefully curated hands.

Meta-Relevance: Given that many gaming environments rely heavily on strategy and careful hand management, Dragon Mage offers a unique way to reset the playing field, making it a tactical option in shifting meta-games.


How to Beat Dragon Mage

The Dragon Mage card is an intriguing creature in Magic: The Gathering, boasting a significant impact on the game when it swings into a player. Known for its ability to cause each player to discard their hand and draw seven new cards, it resets hands but can also be turned to your advantage with some strategic play. Control spells that counteract creature spells, such as Counterspell, are direct methods to prevent Dragon Mage from hitting the board in the first place.

Targeted removal cards like Murder or Path to Exile are other efficient ways to deal with Dragon Mage once it’s already in play. If you’re aiming for a more strategic approach, consider using cards like Narset, Parter of Veils, which restricts your opponents from drawing more than one card, thereby reducing the advantage Dragon Mage offers them. Moreover, employing graveyard manipulation through cards like Relic of Progenitus can help you benefit from the forced discard, by selectively exiling key cards from opponents’ graveyards and diminishing their options. By considering these tactics, you can tilt the formidable power of Dragon Mage in your favor during gameplay.

Ultimately, preparing your deck with the right mix of counters, removal, and disruption is crucial to not just survive the wrath of Dragon Mage but to turn it into an opportunity to seize control of the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dragon Mage’s unique ability offers a dynamic twist in your MTG strategy, reshuffling the deck’s potential with every combat impact. As you harness the power of this creature, consider the synergies with graveyard play and the disruption it can pose to opponents. Keep in mind though, its high mana cost and potential self-sabotage if not timed correctly. Interested in finding the optimal blend of risk and reward with Dragon Mage in your arsenal? Dive deeper into our insights and enhance your collection’s versatility, ensuring you wield this arcane force effectively in your next duel.


Cards like Dragon Mage

Dragon Mage stands out in Magic: The Gathering for its ability to radically alter a game with its sweeping effect. Comparable to Wheel of Fortune, this creature offers players a fresh hand of seven cards, but at a higher mana cost and the addition of a hefty body on the battlefield. Dragon Mage requires combat to trigger, ensuring that its impact is felt in a more controlled timeframe than the instantaneous shift Wheel of Fortune delivers.

Magus of the Wheel is another parallel, a creature with a similar ability to refuel players’ hands. Although it doesn’t require attacking like Dragon Mage, it still needs a sacrifice and mana investment to activate. This makes Magus of the Wheel a flexible option, yet it does not present the same imposing presence as the flying powerhouse that is Dragon Mage.

Reforging the Soul is a spell that mirrors these effects through a miracle cost, potentially changing the game early on. However, unlike Dragon Mage, it doesn’t provide a body on the board, focusing purely on the hand-refreshing ability. Dragon Mage excels by combining a creature threat with a complex strategic hand reset, making it a unique and formidable card in the right deck.

Wheel of Fortune - MTG Card versions
Magus of the Wheel - MTG Card versions
Wheel of Fortune - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Magus of the Wheel - Commander 2015 (C15)

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Yidaro, Wandering Monster - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Butcher Orgg - Onslaught (ONS)
Goblin Dynamo - Legions (LGN)
Ashen Monstrosity - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Rimescale Dragon - Coldsnap (CSP)
Hamletback Goliath - Commander Anthology Volume II (CM2)
Boldwyr Intimidator - Morningtide (MOR)
Shivan Hellkite - Forgotten Realms Commander (AFC)
Knollspine Dragon - Game Night: Free-for-All (GN3)
Karplusan Giant - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Ridge Rannet - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Ancient Hellkite - Magic 2011 Promos (PM11)
Tyrant of Discord - Avacyn Restored (AVR)
Minotaur Aggressor - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Molten Primordial - Gatecrash (GTC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dragon Mage MTG card by a specific set like Scourge and Commander 2015, 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 Dragon Mage and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Dragon Mage Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2003-05-26 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12003-05-26ScourgeSCG 871997normalblackMatthew D. Wilson
22015-11-13Commander 2015C15 1512015normalblackMatthew D. Wilson
32016-11-11Commander 2016C16 1242015normalblackMatthew D. Wilson
42019-07-12Core Set 2020M20 1352015normalblackMatthew D. Wilson
52022-10-14Game Night: Free-for-AllGN3 732015normalblackMatthew D. Wilson
62022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 772015normalblackM.Matsumoto

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Dragon Mage has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PredhLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2019-07-12 If a player has fewer than seven cards in their library, that player loses the game after Dragon Mage’s triggered ability resolves. If each player loses the game this way, the game’s a draw.

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