Haven of the Spirit Dragon MTG Card
2015-03-27 - Number 249
2017-08-25 - Number 255
2021-07-23 - Number 245
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Land |
Text of card
: Add to your mana pool. : Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast a Dragon creature spell. , , Sacrifice Haven of the Spirit Dragon: Return target Dragon creature card or Ugin planeswalker card from your graveyard to your hand.
Cards like Haven of the Spirit Dragon
Haven of the Spirit Dragon is a powerful land card in Magic: The Gathering that offers a mana flexibility uncommon in other cards. It shares similarities with cards such as Cavern of Souls and Path of Ancestry, both of which provide mana for creature spells. Cavern of Souls ensures your creatures can’t be countered and caters to a tribal theme, whereas Path of Ancestry also offers a color-fixing aspect and enables scrying when casting a creature of the same type.
Although Haven of the Spirit Dragon doesn’t protect creatures from being countered, it does allow for a different kind of utility. It can tap for colorless mana or for one mana of any color that can be used specifically for Dragon spells or abilities. Additionally, Haven provides the unique ability to bring a Dragon creature card from the graveyard back to your hand, giving it a resilience factor that Cavern of Souls and Path of Ancestry lack. It supports a long-term strategy that is highly valued among players who enjoy Dragon-focused decks.
Assessing its role within the ecosystem of specialized land cards, Haven of the Spirit Dragon holds its own. Its versatile mana generation combined with its utility in recurring Dragon cards from the graveyard places it in a niche that suits commanders and other formats where Dragons are prominent.
Cards similar to Haven of the Spirit Dragon by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Haven of the Spirit Dragon. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 5c Midrange | Pioneer | 5c Midrange | Pioneer Challenge 32 2024-03-31 |
 | All Other Decklists | Pioneer | Gruul Ramp | NRG Series $10,000 Showdown - Chicagoland, Illinois (Pioneer) |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Haven of the Spirit Dragon shines in the card advantage department because it taps not only for mana but also can be sacrificed to return a Dragon creature or Ugin planeswalker card from your graveyard to your hand. This ability to recur key creatures and planeswalkers ensures that your threats continue to press the game even after they’ve been dealt with initially.
Resource Acceleration: In terms of resource acceleration, this land provides a significant boost by generating any color of mana specifically for casting Dragon spells. This can be invaluable for multicolor Dragon decks that need to meet specific mana requirements efficiently. Additionally, its ability to tap for colorless mana makes it versatile and useful in various situations when you’re not casting Dragons.
Instant Speed: The utility to recover a powerful Dragon or Ugin at instant speed allows for strategic plays. Players can wait until the end of an opponent’s turn to bring back a threat, optimizing the use of mana and potentially catching an adversary off-guard. This instant-speed interaction creates opportunities for powerful surprise plays that can shift the tide of the game in your favor.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While utilizing Haven of the Spirit Dragon, players must be prepared to discard it to activate its crucial ability. This factor demands careful strategizing as it can only be used once, and then it’s lost from the battlefield.
Specific Mana Cost: The card’s unique mana generation is precious, enabling casting of Dragon spells or activating abilities of Dragons. However, it mainly produces colorless mana, which can be restrictive for decks seeking more diverse mana sources.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When it comes to land utility, Haven of the Spirit Dragon’s conversion into a creature reanimation tool comes at a notable cost. Tapping and sacrificing means you’re investing mana and board presence purely to retrieve a Dragon, possibly hampering your turn’s overall mana efficiency.
Reasons to Include Haven of the Spirit Dragon in Your Collection
Versatility: Haven of the Spirit Dragon offers a rare form of mana flexibility. It supports decks that rely on dragons or Urza’s Incubator, providing a stable and often crucial mana base for various dragon-themed decks.
Combo Potential: This land card is an enabler for dragon combos, offering a seamless way to recur key creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield, thus enhancing strategies centered around dragons or tribal synergies.
Meta-Relevance: Given its unique capability to interact with dragon cards, Haven of the Spirit Dragon holds its value in formats where dragons are dominant or as a tech choice in diverse metagames to outmaneuver certain archetypes.
How to beat
Haven of the Spirit Dragon is a unique land card that holds a place of importance in decks built around Dragons. Its ability to tap for one colorless or to tap for mana of any color specifically for Dragon spells makes it a linchpin in many Dragon-centric strategies. Moreover, its capacity to resurrect your powerful Dragons from the graveyard to your hand gives it a resilient edge.
To successfully counter the Haven of the Spirit Dragon, disruption is key. Land destruction spells or effects that target nonbasic lands can be highly effective here. By eliminating the Haven from play, you not only cut off a source of mana versatility for your opponent but also their ability to recur powerful Dragon creatures. Artifact removal spells that reach into nonbasic lands can also disrupt the flow of the game by removing this strategic asset from your opponent’s board.
Enforcing graveyard hate is another tactic for dampening the strength of Haven of the Spirit Dragon. Cards like Tormod’s Crypt, which exile an opponent’s graveyard, can nullify the Haven’s ability to function as a recovery tool. This denial of resources can often tilt the favor in balance and challenge your opponent’s strategy, making it harder for them to maintain their board presence and momentum.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Haven of the Spirit Dragon MTG card by a specific set like Dragons of Tarkir and Commander 2017, 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 Haven of the Spirit Dragon 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
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Printings
The Haven of the Spirit Dragon Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2015-03-27 and 2021-07-23. Illustrated by Raymond Swanland.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2015-03-27 | Dragons of Tarkir | DTK | 249 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Raymond Swanland | |
| 2 | 2017-08-25 | Commander 2017 | C17 | 255 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Raymond Swanland | |
| 3 | 2021-07-23 | Forgotten Realms Commander | AFC | 245 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Raymond Swanland |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Haven of the Spirit Dragon has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Haven of the Spirit Dragon card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2015-02-25 | The mana produced by Haven of the Spirit Dragon's second ability can be used to pay for any additional or alternative costs (such as dash costs) involved in casting a Dragon creature spell. |