Dream Strix MTG Card

Dream Strix provides card advantage, drawing upon entry to the battlefield or graveyard interaction. Its synergies with flash enablers allow for unexpected plays, increasing in-game resource efficiency. While versatile, its specific mana cost and discard requirement can pose deckbuilding challenges.
Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Bird Illusion
Abilities Flying,Learn
Power 3
Toughness 2

Text of card

Flying When Dream Strix becomes the target of a spell, sacrifice it. When Dream Strix dies, learn. (You may reveal a Lesson card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand, or discard a card to draw a card.)

Cards like Dream Strix

Dream Strix has piqued the interest of Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts as a multifaceted creature card. Its attributes align it closely with Murmuring Mystic, a creature that also promises additional value upon casting an instant or sorcery. While Murmuring Mystic generates 1/1 blue Bird Illusion creature tokens with flying, Dream Strix offers a different approach by allowing its controller to draw a card when it dies after blocking or being blocked.

Another card that echoes the essence of Dream Strix is Baleful Strix. Both share the bird creature type and have flying along with an advantageous enter-the-battlefield or leaves-the-battlefield effect. However, Baleful Strix provides deathtouch and draws a card upon entering the battlefield, granting an immediate advantage. Dream Strix, conversely, intrigues players with its potential to disrupt the opponent’s attack and card advantage upon its departure from the battlefield.

Ultimately, Dream Strix holds a unique place in deckbuilding strategies. Where Murmuring Mystic is suited for decks focusing on casting numerous noncreature spells, and Baleful Strix excels in control-oriented environments, Dream Strix offers an intriguing blend of aerial defense and card replenishment upon its demise.

Murmuring Mystic - MTG Card versions
Baleful Strix - MTG Card versions
Murmuring Mystic - MTG Card versions
Baleful Strix - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Dream Strix enables you to draw a card upon entering the battlefield, providing a pivotal benefit in card advantage. Should it end up in your graveyard from the library, the ability triggers again, effectively filtering your deck and keeping your hand replenished.

Resource Acceleration: While Dream Strix doesn’t directly create resources, its casting cost of three mana aligns well for a turn-three play. The card’s 2/1 flying body serves as an early threat, forcing opponents to deal with it quickly or face consistent damage, inadvertently accelerating your route to victory.

Instant Speed: As a creature, Dream Strix lacks the instant speed trait. However, it synergizes perfectly with various flash enablers in MTG, allowing for a surprise blocker or an end-of-turn play that maintains tempo and maximizes your resource efficiency during the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Dream Strix’s ability necessitates discarding a card which might deplete your hand, especially when you’re already struggling with card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: This bird spirit’s casting cost demands blue and black mana, making it less versatile and potentially challenging to play in multi-colored decks that don’t focus on these colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With three mana required, including one blue and one black, Dream Strix may be competing with other impactful three-drops in the same mana bracket that don’t require an additional card to be discarded.

Reasons to Include Dream Strix in Your Collection

Versatility: Dream Strix stands out as a flexible option for decks looking to control the board or push forward an aggressive strategy. Its flying trait allows it to be a reliable attacker and blocker in the air while also enabling graveyard synergy when it dies.

Combo Potential: Upon leaving the battlefield, Dream Strix lets you cast a spell from the top of your library, offering a strategic advantage by potentially synergizing with spells that have an immediate board impact or those that can be set up for future turns.

Meta-Relevance: As gameplay often revolves around key spells and avoiding counters, Dream Strix can be influential by functioning as both an enabler and a deterrent, fitting seamlessly into evolving meta strategies where instant value is king.

How to beat

Dream Strix has emerged as a challenging card hurdle for Magic: The Gathering players. It efficiently combines value and versatility, a creature that offers card draw upon its demise. To counteract this flying threat, one effective strategy is utilizing removal spells that exile rather than destroy. With exile effects, Dream Strix’s ability to let its controller draw a card is effectively nullified since it never hits the graveyard.

Another strategy is to mitigate Dream Strix’s impact by deploying cards that profit from the death of creatures. This way, you benefit even if your opponent draws a card. Thus, turning Dream Strix’s death-trigger downside to your advantage. Furthermore, preventing Dream Strix from dying in combat by employing deathtouch blockers could also thwart your opponent’s plans, as they won’t receive the card draw benefit if they are reluctant to attack.

Overall, confronting Dream Strix requires a mix of tactical plays and precise card choices. Addressing it head-on with the right removal or turning its dying draw into a strategic foothold will keep you ahead in the game and possibly lead you to victory against this cunning creature.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dream Strix MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Strixhaven: School of Mages, 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 Dream Strix and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Dream Strix Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-04-23 and 2021-04-24. Illustrated by YW Tang.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 900142015NormalBlackYW Tang
22021-04-23Strixhaven: School of MagesSTX 2962015NormalBlackYW Tang
32021-04-23Strixhaven: School of MagesSTX 422015NormalBlackYW Tang
42021-04-24Strixhaven: School of Mages PromosPSTX 42s2015NormalBlackYW Tang
52021-04-24Strixhaven: School of Mages PromosPSTX 42p2015NormalBlackYW Tang

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Dream Strix has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2021-04-16 If Dream Strix becomes the target of a spell, it will be sacrificed before that spell tries to resolve. If it is the only target of that spell, it will be removed from the stack rather than resolving, and no part of its instructions will be performed.
2021-04-16 If a card is brought into the game from outside the game, it will stay in the game until it ends or until its owner leaves the game, whichever comes first.
2021-04-16 If instructed to learn, you may do nothing. Discarding a card and putting a Lesson card into your hand are both optional.
2021-04-16 If you bring a card into the game from outside the game in a Constructed tournament (or a Constructed game played under tournament conditions), you may select only a card from your sideboard. In casual Constructed games, the card comes from your collection.
2021-04-16 If you bring a card into the game from outside the game in a Sealed Deck or Booster Draft event, you may select only a card that is in the card pool that you built your deck from.