Darigaaz, Shivan Champion MTG Card


Darigaaz, Shivan Champion - Alchemy: Dominaria
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Dragon
Abilities Conjure,Flying
Released2022-10-05
Set symbol
Set nameAlchemy: Dominaria
Set codeYDMU
Power 5
Toughness 5
Number22
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byAndrew Mar

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides significant card advantage and on-board presence, making it a potent threat in MTG matches.
  2. Demands specific mana colors and costs, requiring careful deck building and resource management.
  3. Can act as a deck centerpiece in dragon-themed strategies, with formidable combo and reanimation potential.

Text of card

Flying At the beginning of your end step, conjure a random card from Darigaaz, Shivan Champion's spellbook into exile face down with three egg counters on it. It gains "At the beginning of your upkeep, if this card is exiled, remove an egg counter from it. Then if it has no egg counters on it, put it onto the battlefield."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Darigaaz, Shivan Champion provides players with card advantage by being a potent threat itself, drawing out removals from opponents or leading to advantageous trades. Its inherent abilities can overwhelm the board and pressure opponents into unfavorable situations, ensuring the player stays ahead in resources.

Resource Acceleration: This card can act as an engine for resource acceleration in decks that capitalize on creature-based strategies. Leveraging its stats and abilities, players are more likely to keep mana open for other crucial spells while presenting a formidable presence on the battlefield, thus efficiently using their resources.

Instant Speed: While Darigaaz itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, its ability to significantly impact the game upon resolution means it’s well worth the setup. Players can prepare the board state to maximize its impact, and coordinate with other instant speed interactions in their deck to optimize both offensive and defensive strategies.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Darigaaz, Shivan Champion comes with an extra cost that can impede your hand advantage. When casting this dragon, be prepared to part with a precious card from your hand, which might leave you at a disadvantage in drawn-out games where every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Harnessing the power of the Shivan Champion means tapping into a very specific mana pool. Requiring red, black, and green mana not only narrows the card’s deck compatibility but also necessitates a manabase that’s both diverse and well-managed. If your lands aren’t perfectly aligned, summoning Darigaaz could become a challenge.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an imposing presence comes an equally imposing cost. To deploy Darigaaz onto the battlefield, seven mana is a hefty price – one that must be paid wisely. True, this dragon’s abilities are formidable, but in fast-paced matches, the opportunity cost of not deploying quicker threats or responses might just outweigh Darigaaz’s brawny prowess.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Darigaaz, Shivan Champion boasts a flexible role in dragon-themed or multi-color decks, owing to its ability to provide a formidable presence on the board. Its robust stats make it a solid threat in a wide array of strategies.

Combo Potential: This card’s reanimation ability when it comes to graveyard strategies cannot be overstated. It opens doors for combo plays by recurring other powerful creatures or being the linchpin in a resurrection-focused deck.

Meta-Relevance: In a constantly shifting Magic the Gathering battlefield, Darigaaz, Shivan Champion represents a unique advantage. Its recursion capability can outpace control deck strategies, ensuring longevity in various metagames that value resilient threats.


How to beat

Darigaaz, Shivan Champion, presents a daunting challenge on the battlefield with its formidable flying ability and the potential to grow stronger with each attack. To counter this fierce competitor, one strategy is to control the board with removal spells that can exile or destroy without allowing regeneration. Cards like Path to Exile or Doom Blade, depending on the color you’re playing, are efficient ways to handle such a threat.

Another effective tactic is to prevent Darigaaz from hitting the battlefield in the first place. Counter spells like Counterspell or Mana Leak can nip the problem in the bud, keeping your opponent’s key play from ever taking effect. Then, if Darigaaz does make it onto the field, having board wipe spells at the ready can reset the playing field. Supreme Verdict or Wrath of God can clear multiple threats including Darigaaz, Shivan Champion, regardless of its size at that time.

Directly dealing with Darigaaz requires precise timing and the right answers. It’s all about maintaining board control, utilizing removals, countering crucial plays, and executing timely board wipes to neutralize the advantage Darigaaz provides to an MTG player’s game plan.


Cards like Darigaaz, Shivan Champion

Darigaaz, Shivan Champion introduces a formidable presence on the battlefield in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, echoing the might of other legendary dragons such as Atarka, World Render. Both legends boast the power to deal massive damage, with Darigaaz, Shivan Champion amping up each attacking dragon’s strength. Atarka, however, takes it a step further by offering double strike to your dragons, potentially doubling the carnage they wreak on your opponent.

Examining further, we notice the kinship between Darigaaz and Lathliss, Dragon Queen. Lathliss rewards players with a 5/5 dragon token for every nontoken dragon entering the battlefield, whereas Darigaaz’s impact is immediate, enhancing the power of dragons you already control. While Lathliss has an ability to empower dragons, the sheer buff Darigaaz provides could easily turn the tide of a game when the timing is right.

Considering these comparisons, Darigaaz, Shivan Champion holds its own as a valuable asset in MTG, particularly for players building around a dragon theme. Its unique mix of raw power and tribal synergy can indeed be a game-changer in the right deck scenario.

Atarka, World Render - MTG Card versions
Lathliss, Dragon Queen - MTG Card versions
Atarka, World Render - MTG Card versions
Lathliss, Dragon Queen - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Darigaaz, Shivan Champion MTG card by a specific set like Alchemy: Dominaria, 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 Darigaaz, Shivan Champion and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Darigaaz, Shivan Champion has restrictions

FormatLegality
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
TimelessLegal