Dragon Blood MTG Card
1998-10-12 - Number 293
2003-10-02 - Number 163
2013-09-06 - Number 67
2022-12-02 - Number 762
2023-01-13 - Number 221
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Artifact |
Key Takeaways
- Dragon Blood’s ability for creature strengthening makes it an enduring threat on the board.
- Fits well in mana-rich decks, scaling with resources to accelerate towards victory.
- Instant speed activation offers flexibility and surprise element in gameplay.
Text of card
o3, oc T: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
Fire in the blood, fire in the belly.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Dragon Blood provides a significant edge, as it allows repeatable creature strengthening. Each usage bolsters your creatures, effectively granting an enduring advantage that accumulates over time, correlating with a persistently increasing threat on the board.
Resource Acceleration: Encompassing an ability that scales with your mana resources, this card can repeatedly bolster your creatures. The synergy with decks that untap or produce additional mana makes it a potent accelerator towards winning states.
Instant Speed: The real power of Dragon Blood lies in its flexibility, offering the leverage to sprint your creatures at instant speed. This can turn the tides by enabling surprise enhancements during combat or at the end of an opponent’s turn, keeping opponents guessing and managing threats fluidly.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Dragon Blood demands players discard a card to activate its ability, which can be a serious setback when you can’t afford to lose any more pieces from your hand.
Specific Mana Cost: With its specific requirement for red mana, Dragon Blood can be restrictive, fitting primarily in mono-red or red-heavy multicolored decks, potentially leaving out players running other color combinations.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Allocating three mana to cast Dragon Blood might be costly, especially considering other alternatives available that could potentially provide more immediate or versatile benefits for the same or less investment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Dragon Blood is a dynamic addition to any deck that thrives on +1/+1 counters or aspires to enhance the power of its creatures. Its flexible nature allows it to be a key component in a variety of archetypes, from aggressive aggro builds to methodical control strategies.
Combo Potential: With its ability to perpetually enhance creatures, Dragon Blood works wonders in the synergistic dance of combos, pairing excellently with cards that capitalize on counter manipulations or that require creatures of certain power thresholds to activate abilities.
Meta-Relevance: With the current landscape often favoring creature-based tactics and strategies that evolve over the course of a game, having Dragon Blood in your arsenal ensures that your creatures can scale up to meet and surpass the evolving challenges of the battlefield.
How to beat
Dragon Blood is a compelling artifact in the world of Magic: The Gathering, prized for its ability to strengthen creatures on the battlefield. This card operates by accumulating charge counters, which can be paid for to buff up a creature’s power and toughness indefinitely. However, having a strategy to overcome its enhancements is crucial for players facing this powerful artifact.
To effectively counter Dragon Blood, removing it directly from the game is a sound tactic. Artifact destruction spells like Shatter or Naturalize can dismantle the opposition’s setup, rapidly leveling the playing field. Alternatively, employing counterspells to prevent Dragon Blood from ever hitting the table can prove to be a preemptive strike, blocking the threat before it takes root. For those with a more creature-focused strategy, cards like Acidic Slime offer the double advantage of a deathtouch blocker and a built-in artifact nullifier upon entering the battlefield.
Ultimately, while Dragon Blood has the potential to create formidable creatures, its presence isn’t insurmountable. By integrating artifact control elements into your deck and maintaining a proactive stance, you can effectively neutralize the threat of Dragon Blood and secure your standing in your Magic: The Gathering matches.
Cards like Dragon Blood
Dragon Blood is a unique artifact in the MTG universe, reminiscent of other power-boosting cards like Sunforger. Where Sunforger stands out for its instant card-fetching ability, Dragon Blood offers a steady route to bulk up creatures. It grants a +1/+1 counter for any creature at the cost of three mana and tapping, similar to the Ring of Xathrid which also powers up creatures but focuses on a regenerative trait instead.
Comparing to the more aggressive Crystalline Crawler, which accumulates counters that can be converted into mana of any color, Dragon Blood appears less dynamic but more straightforward in its purpose. Crystalline Crawler requires board presence and subsequent interactions, where Dragon Blood simplifies by straightforwardly increasing a creature’s size.
Ultimately, while there are several artifacts in MTG that provide creature buffs, Dragon Blood secures its niche by being a reliable, easily activated source of permanent power boosts, making it a valuable tool in long haul matches where incremental advantages are key.
Cards similar to Dragon Blood by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Dragon Blood MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga and Mirrodin, 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 Blood and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Dragon Blood Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 1998-10-12 and 2023-01-13. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1998-10-12 | Urza's Saga | USG | 293 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Greg Simanson | |
| 2 | 2003-10-02 | Mirrodin | MRD | 163 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Ron Spencer | |
| 3 | 2013-09-06 | Duel Decks: Heroes vs. Monsters | DDL | 67 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Ron Spencer | |
| 4 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 762 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Ron Spencer | |
| 5 | 2023-01-13 | Dominaria Remastered | DMR | 221 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Greg Simanson |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Dragon Blood has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
