Hazerider Drake MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Drake
Abilities	Flying,Protection
Released	1996-10-08
Set symbol
Set name	Mirage
Set code	MIR
Power	2
Toughness	3
Number	268
Frame	1997
Layout	normal
Border	black
Illustred by	Zina Saunders

Key Takeaways

Attacks by Hazerider Drake yield treasure tokens, enhancing card advantage and boosting mana resources.
The drake’s flexibility with instant-speed plays can significantly enhance your in-game tactical options.
Although powerful, Hazerider Drake’s discard requirement and specific mana colors can limit its utility.

Text of card

Flying, protection from red

"The hazerider danced in the thunderstorm and sang to its music." —Afari, *Tales*

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Hazerider Drake rewards you by creating a new treasure token whenever it attacks, ensuring a steady flow of card advantage. With each token representing both a card and extra mana, you maintain momentum and have resources to leverage against your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: This drake doesn’t just fly high; it propels your game forward. Each treasure token it creates is a versatile resource, which can be harnessed to accelerate your mana pool. Deploying more spells or summoning high-cost creatures earlier can quickly tip the scales in your favor.

Instant Speed: Beyond its static abilities, the Hazerider Drake shines in its synergy with instant-speed spells. Its presence on the battlefield enhances your strategic options during your own turn and also when countering your opponent’s moves, without compromising your board state.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Hazerider Drake comes with the necessity to discard a card for triggering its prowess. While this can fuel certain strategies, it can be a hindrance when your hand is already stretched thin, potentially costing you valuable resources.

Specific Mana Cost: Hazerider Drake demands a specific mana combination to cast. This can make it challenging to seamlessly integrate into multicolored decks that may not consistently produce the required mana types, limiting its versatility across various builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its casting cost sitting on the higher side for its abilities, Hazerider Drake faces stiff competition from other creatures in the same mana range. Players may find other cards that provide greater impact on the board for the same or lower mana investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Hazerider Drake’s adaptability shines in a variety of deck archetypes. Its flying ability allows for consistent aerial attacks, ideal for evasion-centric strategies.

Combo Potential: The card’s prowess in combination plays is evident. Its ability to untap another target permanent can integrate seamlessly with tap-activated abilities or to create surprise defensive maneuvers, amplifying both offensive and control strategies.

Meta-Relevance: With the ever-shifting MTG meta, Hazerider Drake remains relevant. Its potential for immediate board impact makes it a formidable threat against a wide array of popular deck builds, keeping your gameplay fresh and competitive.

How to Beat

Hazerider Drake is a card that can present a challenge on the battlefield in MTG. As a creature with flying, it has the strategic advantage of being unblockable by creatures without reach or flying themselves. Additionally, its ability to give other creatures you control with flying a boost in power makes it even more of a threat.

To counteract Hazerider Drake, focus on removal spells that can handle flying creatures or include creatures with reach in your deck to provide a line of defense. Targeted removal like “Murder” or “Path to Exile” cleanly answers the Drake, bypassing its evasion. Alternatively, board sweepers such as “Wrath of God” or “Day of Judgment” can eliminate the Drake regardless of its abilities. It is also beneficial to limit the Drake’s impact by keeping the battlefield clear of other flyers that could benefit from its power-boosting ability.

Ultimately, understanding the nuances of your opponent’s strategy and having the right countermeasures in place will allow you to neutralize the threat of Hazerider Drake and maintain control of the game.

Cards like Hazerider Drake

Hazerider Drake introduces an interesting dynamic among flying creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Much like Air Elemental, another flyer with a solid power and toughness, Hazerider Drake commands the skies effectively. However, what gives Hazerider Drake its uniqueness is its Ward ability, giving it a defense mechanism against targeted spells or abilities with a cost. Air Elemental, while sturdy, doesn’t boast such a protective trait.

Contrastingly, Windreader Sphinx shares a similar flying feature but it focuses on card advantage each time a creature with flying attacks. While Windreader Sphinx can be a powerful card in aerial-themed decks, Hazerider Drake is more defensively oriented, catering to players who value the ward ability for resilience. Additionally, Mist Raven also exhibits similarities with a flying ability but with a focus on tempo through its ability to return a creature to its owner’s hand upon entering the battlefield. Although Mist Raven can disrupt opponents’ plans, Hazerider Drake provides consistent protection, which might be more beneficial over the course of the game.

When considering other flyers in the game, Hazerider Drake offers a competitive balance of aggression and defense, establishing its place in the roster of creatures capable of dominating the aerial zone while safeguarding itself with its ward ability.

Air Elemental - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)

Cards similar to Hazerider Drake by color, type and mana cost

Kangee, Aerie Keeper - MTG Card versions

Grand Arbiter Augustin IV - MTG Card versions

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Taigam, Ojutai Master - MTG Card versions

Raff Capashen, Ship's Mage - MTG Card versions

Hargilde, Kindly Runechanter - MTG Card versions

Sawtooth Loon - Duel Decks: Venser vs. Koth (DDI)

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Hussar Patrol - Duel Decks: Speed vs. Cunning (DDN)

Ascended Lawmage - Conspiracy: Take the Crown (CN2)

Thunderclap Wyvern - Starter Commander Decks (SCD)

Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker - Commander Anthology Volume II (CM2)

Taigam, Ojutai Master - Multiverse Legends (MUL)

Raff Capashen, Ship's Mage - Neon Dynasty Commander (NEC)

Hargilde, Kindly Runechanter - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hazerider Drake MTG card by a specific set like Mirage, 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 Hazerider Drake and other MTG cards: