Drag Under MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Combining creature bounce and card draw, Drag Under disrupts opponents and maintains player’s hand resources.
  2. As a sorcery, strategic timing is crucial to maximize Drag Under’s main phase effectiveness.
  3. Despite its utility, the mana cost and discard requirement may limit Drag Under’s inclusion in some decks.

Text of card

Return target creature to its owner's hand. Draw a card.

Some took to their boats to escape the unfolding nightmare. The remains of their vessels now litter the shores of Nephalia.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Drag Under allows the player to return a creature to its owner’s hand while drawing a card. This dual action not only disrupts the opponent’s board presence but also replenishes the hand, maintaining the flow of resources and options available.

Resource Acceleration: While Drag Under itself does not directly accelerate resources, its ability to temporarily remove a threat can give the player the crucial time needed to stabilize their board or draw into more impactful resources and strategies.

Instant Speed: As a sorcery, Drag Under requires strategic planning, positioning its use primarily for the player’s main phase. This allows the player to optimize the timing of casting, following it up with further development of their own board, thus capitalizing on the temporary advantage gained.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Drag Under calls for a player to discard a card, creating a potential setback especially when your hand is already dwindling or the card you’re required to let go is key to your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: This sorcery is not only blue but also requires an additional colorless component, demanding a two-mana commitment in specific colors that could be restrictive for multicolored decks wanting to stay mana-flexible.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing three mana, Drag Under is more expensive in comparison to other bounce spells, which might offer similar or enhanced effects for a more economical mana investment.


Reasons to Include Drag Under in Your Collection

Versatility: Drag Under is a flexible card that can be slotted into a variety of blue decks. Its ability to return a creature to its owner’s hand while also allowing the player to draw a card makes it useful in tempo-based strategies or as a simple form of creature control.

Combo Potential: This card can work well with strategies that benefit from casting spells, as it can trigger prowess or help achieve delirium status. Additionally, it can reset your own creatures for value, like those with enter-the-battlefield effects.

Meta-Relevance: Against decks that heavily rely on maintaining a board presence, Drag Under serves as a tool to disrupt opponent strategies. In environments where creatures play a significant role, the tempo advantage gained from this card can be pivotal.


How to beat Drag Under

Drag Under is an intriguing control card within the realm of Magic: The Gathering that combines the utility of a bounce spell with the added bonus of card draw. This mix can disrupt the momentum of aggressive opponents by returning their key creatures to hand, while simultaneously replenishing your own options, making Drag Under a multifaceted threat.

To effectively counter this card, prioritizing mana efficiency and diversification of threats can be instrumental. Unlike more potent removal spells, Drag Under grants a temporary relief on the battlefield, essentially renting you the space rather than granting it indefinitely. Therefore, deploying low-cost creatures or ones with enter the battlefield effects can minimize the setback of being returned to your hand; your gameplay keeps its tempo, and you can maintain pressure despite the setback of Drag Under.

Additionally, having instant-speed responses such as counterspells or hexproof-granting abilities negates the impact of Drag Under, ensuring your essential creatures remain a constant threat on the field. In essence, staying agile and adaptive is key when facing cards like Drag Under, allowing you to maintain control and ultimately come out on top in the match.


Cards like Drag Under

Drag Under is a utility spell in Magic the Gathering that offers a unique combination of effects. The closest analogy is Unsummon, a classic spell that returns a creature to its owner’s hand without the additional draw. However, Drag Under adds a layer of strategy by allowing the player to draw a card, increasing hand advantage, unlike the simpler mechanism of Unsummon.

Another analogous card is Voyage’s End, which, akin to Drag Under, permits the caster to draw a card, but with the added benefit of scrying 1, allowing you to control your next draw. It is important to note, the cost of both Voyage’s End and Drag Under are the same, but scrying can provide a significant tactical advantage in a game.

Lastly, examining Temporal Eddy, it also sends a creature back to its owner’s hand but it places it on top of the owner’s library instead. This can lead to a temporary resource denial, a different utility compared to the card advantage given by Drag Under. While Drag Under doesn’t disturb the opponent’s deck, the added card draw smooths out your future plays.

As you maneuver through the complexities of Magic the Gathering, evaluating these variably costed bounce spells with their pros and cons is essential, and Drag Under proves to be a balanced option in the midst of other offerings.

Unsummon - MTG Card versions
Voyage's End - MTG Card versions
Temporal Eddy - MTG Card versions
Unsummon - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Voyage's End - Theros (THS)
Temporal Eddy - Time Spiral (TSP)

Cards similar to Drag Under by color, type and mana cost

Volcanic Eruption - MTG Card versions
Timetwister - MTG Card versions
Baleful Stare - MTG Card versions
Déjà Vu - MTG Card versions
Exhaustion - MTG Card versions
Political Trickery - MTG Card versions
Time Ebb - MTG Card versions
Dream Cache - MTG Card versions
Tinker - MTG Card versions
Sage's Knowledge - MTG Card versions
Undo - MTG Card versions
Ingenious Mastery - MTG Card versions
Animating Faerie // Bring to Life - MTG Card versions
Queen of Ice // Rage of Winter - MTG Card versions
Tasha's Hideous Laughter - MTG Card versions
Reminisce - MTG Card versions
Fabricate - MTG Card versions
Counsel of the Soratami - MTG Card versions
Vacuumelt - MTG Card versions
Wistful Thinking - MTG Card versions
Volcanic Eruption - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Timetwister - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Baleful Stare - Portal (POR)
Déjà Vu - Portal (POR)
Exhaustion - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Political Trickery - World Championship Decks 1997 (WC97)
Time Ebb - Tempest Remastered (TPR)
Dream Cache - Tempest (TMP)
Tinker - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Sage's Knowledge - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Undo - Starter 1999 (S99)
Ingenious Mastery - Strixhaven: School of Mages (STX)
Animating Faerie // Bring to Life - Throne of Eldraine (ELD)
Queen of Ice // Rage of Winter - Throne of Eldraine (ELD)
Tasha's Hideous Laughter - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos (PAFR)
Reminisce - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Fabricate - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Counsel of the Soratami - Tenth Edition (10E)
Vacuumelt - Guildpact (GPT)
Wistful Thinking - Planar Chaos (PLC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Drag Under MTG card by a specific set like Eldritch Moon and Welcome Deck 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 Drag Under and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Drag Under Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2016-07-22 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-07-22Eldritch MoonEMN 572015normalblackTianhua X
22017-04-15Welcome Deck 2017W17 92015normalblackTianhua X
32019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 3572015normalblackTianhua X
42020-09-26The ListPLST W17-92015normalblackTianhua X
52022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 2882015normalblackTianhua X
62023-03-21Shadows over Innistrad RemasteredSIR 622015normalblackRovina Cai

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Drag Under has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Drag Under card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2016-07-13 If the targeted creature becomes an illegal target before Drag Under resolves, you won’t draw a card.

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