Dryad Arbor MTG Card
2007-05-04 - Number 174
2012-08-31 - Number 5
2021-03-19 - Number 277
2020-09-26 - Number FUT-174
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Land Creature — Forest Dryad |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
(Dryad Arbor isn't a spell, it's affected by summoning sickness, and it has ": Add to your mana pool.") Dryad Arbor is green.
"Touch no tree, break no branch, and speak only the question you wish answered." —Von Yomm, elder druid, to her initiates
Cards like Dryad Arbor
Dryad Arbor stands out among the lands in Magic: The Gathering as a unique combination of land and creature type. In comparison, Treetop Village is another card that blurs the line between creature and land. Both cards provide versatility on the battlefield. However, Treetop Village must be transformed into a creature using its activation cost and is not always a creature like Dryad Arbor.
Exploring further, we look to Faerie Conclave, which also shares the dual nature of becoming a creature. Similar to Treetop Village, it needs to be activated to engage as a creature and carries a mana cost for such conversion. Dryad Arbor, on the other hand, is always a creature, which presents both an opportunity for immediate utility and the exposure to summoning sickness.
Considering the role of such unique dual cards in MTG, Dryad Arbor offers an unmistakable advantage for decks that capitalize on immediate board presence. While it doesn’t require mana to become a creature, players must weigh the pros and cons of having a land entering the battlefield tapped and the risks it entails as a creature susceptible to removal. As a Forest Dryad, it exemplifies flexibility and potential in land-creature strategy.
Cards similar to Dryad Arbor by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Dryad Arbor. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Yawgmoth | Modern | Yawgmoth | Modern Challenge 64 2024-04-28 |
 | Cradle Control | Legacy | Cradle Control | Legacy League 2024-04-28 |
| Devoted Combo | Modern | Devoted Combo | Modern Preliminary 2024-04-28 |
 | Bant Depths | Legacy | Selesnya Depths | Legacy Challenge 64 2024-04-28 |
 | BRG | Legacy | Legacy League 2024-04-28 | |
| Selesnya Depths | Legacy | Selesnya Depths | Legacy Challenge 64 2024-04-28 |
 | Abzan Depths | Legacy | Selesnya Depths | Legacy Challenge 32 2024-04-28 |
| Naya Depths | Legacy | Selesnya Depths | Legacy League 2024-04-28 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: As a unique Forest creature, Dryad Arbor can be summoned as a land which strategically doesn’t count as your spell of the turn. This feature offers a subtle advantage, allowing you to develop your board while keeping your spell options open for impactful plays.
Resource Acceleration: Dryad Arbor’s dual nature as both a creature and a land provides a resource acceleration without costing a spell slot. It taps for green mana, helping to streamline your mana curve and facilitate the casting of key spells earlier in the game.
Instant Speed: Although not an instant itself, Dryad Arbor interacts favorably with effects that operate at instant speed. For instance, you can fetch it with cards like Green Sun’s Zenith or put it onto the battlefield with land search effects during the end step of your opponent’s turn, preserving the surprise element and tactical flexibility.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Dryad Arbor is vulnerable to effects that force you to discard lands, which can interrupt your mana curve and gameplay rhythm, particularly since it’s also a creature susceptible to removal.
Specific Mana Cost: While Dryad Arbor doesn’t require a specific mana to play, it cannot produce colored mana, which may not be optimal in multicolored decks needing diverse mana sources.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Dryad Arbor costs zero mana, it enters the battlefield tapped. Other lands or creatures that tap for mana do so immediately, offering a potentially faster advantage.
Reasons to Include Dryad Arbor in Your Collection
Versatility: Dryad Arbor is a unique card as it’s both a land and a creature. This duality allows it to be played as a mana source while still being a formidable creature that can attack or block. Its flexibility makes it a valuable asset in decks that exploit landfall mechanics or require creatures for synergy.
Combo Potential: Its creature type, Forest Dryad, opens up numerous combo possibilities. It pairs well with cards like Green Sun’s Zenith, allowing for a turn-one acceleration, or it can be sacrificed to effects that require a creature, essentially turning a land into a surprise resource for combo interactions.
Meta-Relevance: In metagames with a prevalence of strategies that capitalize on the number of creatures or lands in play, Dryad Arbor provides an edge. It bypasses summoning sickness as a land, but can also contribute to the creature count when needed, making it adaptable to various competitive environments.
How to beat
Dryad Arbor is not your typical land card in Magic: The Gathering. Unlike other lands, it’s also a creature, making it vulnerable to both land destruction and creature removal. When facing this unique Forest Dryad, you’ll find it important to remember that, despite its ability to tap for green mana, it doesn’t have the protection other lands enjoy. Creature removal spells like Path to Exile or Doom Blade can target Dryad Arbor without complications because of its creature status.
Importantly, stay aware of the summoning sickness rule that affects Dryad Arbor as a creature meant to produce mana. You can’t use its mana ability the turn it comes into play unless you have a way to give it haste, making it a slower option compared to other lands. Board wipes such as Wrath of God can clear Dryad Arbor off the board while removing other threats as well. Taking advantage of its dual nature is key; anticipate when your opponent might play it to optimize your removal strategy and maintain control of the game.
Understanding how to effectively counteract the unique twist Dryad Arbor brings to the battlefield is crucial. By employing suitable removal at the perfect moment, you can neutralize this land-creature hybrid before it becomes a significant problem for your game plan.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Dryad Arbor MTG card by a specific set like Future Sight and From the Vault: Realms, 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 Dryad Arbor and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Dryad Arbor Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2007-05-04 and 2021-03-19. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2007-05-04 | Future Sight | FUT | 174 | future | Normal | Black | Eric Fortune | |
| 2 | 2012-08-31 | From the Vault: Realms | V12 | 5 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Brad Rigney | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | FUT-174 | future | Normal | Black | Eric Fortune | ||
| 4 | 2021-03-19 | Time Spiral Remastered | TSR | 277 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Eric Fortune |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Dryad Arbor has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Dryad Arbor card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2011-09-22 | If Dryad Arbor is changed into another basic land type (such as by Sea’s Claim), it continues to be a creature and a Dryad. |
| 2013-06-07 | Although originally printed with a characteristic-defining ability that defined its color, this card now has a color indicator. This color indicator can’t be affected by text-changing effects (such as the one created by Crystal Spray), although color-changing effects can still overwrite it. |
| 2021-03-19 | Dryad Arbor is played as a land. It doesn’t use the stack, it’s not a spell, it can’t be responded to, it has no mana cost, and it counts as your land play for the turn. |
| 2021-03-19 | Due to its color indicator (appearing to the left of its type line), Dryad Arbor is green. Color indicators apply in all zones, not just the battlefield. |
| 2021-03-19 | Forest is a land type and Dryad is a creature type. |
| 2021-03-19 | If Dryad Arbor is changed into another basic land type, it continues to be a green Dryad creature. |
| 2021-03-19 | If a Dryad Arbor gains flash, or you have the ability to play Dryad Arbor as though it had flash (due to Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir or Scout’s Warning, for example), you can ignore the normal timing rules for when during your turn you can play a land, but not any other restrictions. You can’t play Dryad Arbor during another player’s turn, and you can’t play Dryad Arbor if you don’t have any land plays remaining. |