Dross Crocodile MTG Card

Fifth Dawn (5DN)
2004-06-04 - Number 47

Tenth Edition (10E)
2007-07-13 - Number 138

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Zombie Crocodile
Power	5
Toughness	1

Key Takeaways

Dross Crocodile offers powerful offense for low mana, ideal for aggressive early gameplay.
Its single toughness point makes it susceptible to most removal spells or blockers.
Despite weaknesses, its simplicity can enhance aggressive and graveyard-based decks.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Dross Crocodile, while there is no direct card draw, the advantage comes from having a straightforward four-power creature for only four mana. This power level ensures a consistent and threatening board presence, often demanding answers from opponents and potentially causing them to expend more resources to deal with it.

Resource Acceleration: While not a direct source of resource acceleration, the Crocodile’s cost-effective stat line can lead to indirect advantages. By applying pressure early, it can shift the pace of the game in your favor, forcing opponents to play defensively and potentially stalling their development.

Instant Speed: Dross Crocodile itself may not have instant speed, but its mere presence can influence your instant-speed interactions. Opponents must consider the threat it poses and may hesitate to commit to plays if they’re unsure what reactive spells you could have at the ready, giving you a psychological edge.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Dross Crocodile’s performance as a creature on the battlefield could be overshadowed by the necessity of considering other synergistic discard strategies in your deck. Discarding can be detrimental when you find yourself needing every card in hand to combat opponents’ threats.

Specific Mana Cost: Dross Crocodile comes with a specific mana cost requirement, which is predominantly black. This can restrict its inclusion in decks that are not heavily focused on black mana or multicolor decks that can’t reliably produce the necessary black mana in the early game when you’d most want to deploy the Crocodile.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The casting cost for Dross Crocodile weighs in at four mana, which is significant for a creature that offers no additional abilities or benefits upon entering the battlefield. For the same mana investment, players might access creatures or spells with greater impact, versatility, or with abilities that offer some form of card advantage or protection.

Reasons to Include Dross Crocodile in Your Collection

Versatility: Dross Crocodile is a straightforward addition especially useful in decks that thrive on having a high-power creature with minimal investment. This card’s simplicity allows it to fit into various archetypes that might need to present a significant threat early on.

Combo Potential: While not intricate in its design, the Dross Crocodile can serve as an efficient piece in sacrifice-based strategies or decks that capitalize on the graveyard, often enabling more complex interactions or paving the way for larger threats.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where speed is of the essence, a four-power creature for four mana can apply the necessary pressure. Especially in a casual or creature-heavy meta, the Dross Crocodile can be a cost-effective way to challenge opponents early in the game.

How to Beat Dross Crocodile

Dross Crocodile is a creature card that has found a place in the world of Magic: The Gathering due to its simplicity and raw power. It shines in decks that benefit from a high power-to-casting cost ratio. Structurally, it’s a 5/1 creature for just four mana, an enticing prospect for players looking to deal significant damage early on.

Nevertheless, overcoming this reptilian menace can be straightforward. Its glaring weakness lies in its single point of toughness, making it vulnerable to almost any damage dealt. Spells or abilities that can deal at least one damage can easily dispatch the Crocodile. Cards like Shock and Dead Weight therefore serve as efficient answers to it. Moreover, blocking it with any creature that has at least one toughness ensures a trade-off, if not a favorable exchange for the defending player.

Tactically, Dross Crocodile’s impact is maximum when it avoids combat that would lead to its demise. It’s imperative for opposing players to manage their resources in a way that allows them to remove the Crocodile without losing tempo, ultimately rendering the four-mana investment an inefficient play for the creature’s controller.

Cards like Dross Crocodile

Dross Crocodile is a creature card that finds its niche in the world of Magic: The Gathering with its straightforward approach as a powerful yet cost-effective beatstick. Aligned with the likes of Hulking Ogre, this creature offers considerable power for its mana cost but at a trade-off. While the Crocodile comes with a respectable 4/1 stats for just four mana, Hulking Ogre presents a similar mana-to-power ratio with the added advantage of a higher toughness, making it a more resilient choice for players who are concerned about keeping their creatures on the board.

The Crocodile also shares similarities with Canyon Minotaur, which offers players a stable 3/3 creature for the same amount of mana. What sets Dross Crocodile apart, though, is its potential to deal more damage swiftly, trading off defensive capabilities for an aggressive edge. Comparatively, Canyon Minotaur offers a more balanced power and toughness, favoring players aiming for reliable long-term board presence. This mirrors the classic Magic: The Gathering trade-off between aggression and durability, where Dross Crocodile opts distinctly for the former.

Evaluating Dross Crocodile amidst its peers, we observe that it epitomizes an aggressive approach in deck building, encouraging swift and decisive matches, asserting its place among four-mana creatures that favor players looking to overwhelm opponents with sheer force in early to mid-game strategies.

Cards similar to Dross Crocodile by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dross Crocodile MTG card by a specific set like Fifth Dawn and Tenth Edition, 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 Dross Crocodile and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Dross Crocodile Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2004-06-04 and 2007-07-13. Illustrated by 2 different artists.