Dripping Dead MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Zombie
Released	2003-02-03
Set symbol
Set name	Legions
Set code	LGN
Power	4
Toughness	1
Number	67
Frame	1997
Layout	normal
Border	black
Illustred by	Thomas M. Baxa

Key Takeaways

Dripping Dead provides card advantage, resource acceleration, and instant speed adaptability during gameplay.
Challenges include hand depletion, mana specificity, and a mana cost that competes with similar creatures.
Unblockable in certain conditions, potent in zombie decks, and maintains battlefield relevance in creature-heavy metas.

Text of card

Dripping Dead can't block. Whenever Dripping Dead deals combat damage to a creature, destroy that creature. It can't be regenerated.

It oozes death from every pore.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Dripping Dead card can be a valuable addition to your deck by potentially providing consistent card advantage. Each time the card fulfills its condition, it allows you to draw, which helps to replace itself in your hand and maintain a robust selection of options throughout the game.

Resource Acceleration: Integrating Dripping Dead into your deck strategy can contribute to resource acceleration by influencing the board state. Every turn it remains active, it pressures your opponent or fuels your own resource machinery, effectively accelerating your game plan.

Instant Speed: With capabilities that can be activated at instant speed, Dripping Dead offers flexibility in gameplay. This feature allows you to adapt to the evolving game, making choices that are reactive to your opponent’s actions or the current state of the match, providing a tactical edge over sorcery speed cards.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Dripping Dead requires discarding another card when casting it. This can deplete your hand, making it difficult to maintain card advantage during the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Dripping Dead’s casting cost demands a significant amount of black mana. This specificity can be challenging to accommodate, particularly in multicolored decks that might not consistently generate enough black mana to play the card when needed.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that may be deemed steep for its abilities, Dripping Dead competes with other creatures and spells that may offer more impactful presence or abilities for the same or lower mana investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Dripping Dead’s ability to be unblockable as long as it’s the only creature attacking allows it to fit seamlessly into EDH/Commander decks that capitalize on direct player damage or combat-related triggers.

Combo Potential: This card holds potential in zombie tribal decks, synergizing with cards that benefit from creatures dying or dealing combat damage, thus enabling various combo lines or providing persistent board presence.

Meta-Relevance: In formats where creature-based strategies dominate, Dripping Dead serves as a consistent menace, able to bypass crowded battlefields and thereby maintain its relevance in such metagames.

How to beat

Dripping Dead is a card that can pose a significant challenge to MTG players due to its lethal combination of abilities. This zombie creature has the potential to lock down the battlefield with the deterrent of its deathtouch ability, making your opponents think twice before blocking it. Its daunting presence is further bolstered by its ability to regenerate, helping it withstand attempts to take it down.

To effectively combat Dripping Dead, one needs to adopt a strategic approach that circumvents its strengths. Cards capable of exiling creatures, such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, are highly effective as they can permanently remove Dripping Dead from the game bypassing its regeneration. Board wipes like Wrath of God or Damnation are also useful tools, as they can clear the board without targeting and allowing regeneration to be a factor. Additionally, using spells that restrict the creature’s abilities to block or require sacrifices can undermine its resilience to direct removal.

Considering these tactics, dealing with Dripping Dead can become manageable. By meticulously selecting the right cards and the appropriate time to play them, players can level the playing field against this formidable adversary.

Cards like Dripping Dead

Dripping Dead stands out in the world of Magic: The Gathering as a creature card with a distinctive presence on the battlefield. A parallel can be drawn when looking at the Sengir Vampire, a card that shares a similar ability to grow stronger by feasting on the creatures it destroys. In contrast, Dripping Dead offers the uniqueness of being indestructible when it blocks, ensuring its staying power. However, Sengir Vampire isn’t burdened with the condition of only being able to block creatures flying overhead.

Winding up the comparison, the Vampire Nighthawk offers a similar feel with its combination of flying and lifelink, allowing it to serve as a robust defender or an aggressive attacker. Although it lacks the sturdiness provided by Dripping Dead’s Lethal defense, Vampire Nighthawk compensates with greater versatility and agility on the playing field. Each card holds its merit, making the choice heavily dependent on strategy and deck synergy.

Examining these comparable cards, it’s clear that while Dripping Dead may not be as versatile in attack, its forte lies in the unique protective role it offers, making it a solid addition to MTG decks that thrive on robust defense.

Sengir Vampire - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)

Vampire Nighthawk - Wizards Play Network 2009 (PWP09)

Cards similar to Dripping Dead by color, type and mana cost

Commander Greven il-Vec - MTG Card versions

Chittering Harvester - MTG Card versions

Crossway Troublemakers - MTG Card versions

Demonic Hordes - Limited Edition Beta (LEB)

Necrosavant - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)

Cateran Slaver - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)

Wire Surgeons - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Chittering Harvester - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Crossway Troublemakers - Crimson Vow Commander (VOC)

Rakshasa Debaser - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Visara the Dreadful - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)

Iname, Death Aspect - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)

Deathcurse Ogre - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dripping Dead MTG card by a specific set like Legions, 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 Dripping Dead and other MTG cards: