Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Vampire Shaman
Abilities Flying
Power 4
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Drana offers card advantage by combining creature removal with self-strengthening abilities.
  2. She accelerates resources for powerful plays, intensifying with each land drop.
  3. Although not instant speed, her ability still generates strategic psychological leverage.

Text of card

Flying : Target creature gets -0/-X until end of turn and Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief gets +X/+0 until end of turn.

"If our former masters would have us kneel again, they shall feel our defiance slashed across their membranes."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief, offers a unique form of card advantage by enabling targeted creature removal while simultaneously strengthening itself. This dual-action potentiates board control while preserving cards in hand for other strategic plays.

Resource Acceleration: As a powerful late-game vampire, this commander can utilize the abundance of mana to escalate the power on the board quickly. Every land drop increases the potential destructive capacity Drana brings, delivering a potent resource acceleration that can dominate the late game.

Instant Speed: While Drana’s activated ability isn’t at instant speed, it promotes strategic depth by compelling opponents to reconsider their actions during their turn. The mere presence of open mana can suggest instant speed interaction, leading to a psychological advantage and indirectly affecting the pace and plays of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Involving a high-stakes gameplan, Drana Kalastria Bloodchief demands that the player invests both cards and mana into her abilities. This can potentially leave you with fewer cards in hand, hindering your ability to respond to an opponent’s threats or advance your board position.

Specific Mana Cost: Drana’s activation cost requires a specific combination of mana, including both generic and black mana. This cost often necessitates a heavy commitment to black mana sources within your deck, reducing the flexibility in deck building, especially for multicolored decks that need to accommodate a diverse mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana and additional investments for her ability activations, Drana is considered mana-intensive. This can delay her impact on the game, as the setup requires a significant amount of time and resources that could be allocated to developing the board or disrupting opponents earlier on.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Drana Kalastria Bloodchief is a powerful inclusion in any black-centric or multicolor deck. Her ability to directly destroy creatures offers flexible control options during both offensive and defensive plays.

Combo Potential: As a source of repeatable creature removal, this vampiric powerhouse can easily become the focal point of combos, utilizing the slain creatures to empower other cards or strategies on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: Given her strong presence in commander formats and utility in matchups where creature-based strategies prevail, having Drana in your collection means you’re well-equipped to handle an array of metagame shifts.


How to beat

Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief is a formidable foe in MTG due to her ability to destroy creatures while growing in power. However, she’s not invincible. Targeted removals like Path to Exile or Assassin’s Trophy can effectively deal with her before her controller is able to utilize her for dominance. Keeping her off the battlefield is crucial as her ability only works when she’s in play.

Counterspells also work well to keep Drana at bay. Denying her casting altogether with a well-timed Mana Leak or Counterspell ensures she doesn’t get the opportunity to take control of the game. If she does resolve, instant speed removals like Murder or Hero’s Downfall during your opponent’s end step can catch an unsuspecting opponent off guard, especially when they’ve tapped out to use her ability.

Lastly, playing around Drana requires managing your own creatures. Refrain from over-committing to the board if you can help it. In doing so, you minimize her targets and potential to escalate in strength, while also maintaining pressure and the potential to counterstrike once she’s dealt with. Keep the game at your pace, and you’ll find defeating Drana is within reach.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the art of Magic: The Gathering is an exhilarating process, full of strategic depth and high-stakes decisions. Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief embodies these complexities, serving as both a formidable threat and a valuable asset in your deck. With her in your arsenal, you gain not just a card but a game-changer capable of swinging the match in your favor. We encourage players to delve deeper into strategies that optimize Drana’s destructive prowess while learning to mitigate potential drawbacks. Enhance your MTG experience and refine your deck-building skills with us. Discover how Drana can redefine your playstyle and help you command the battlefield.


Cards like Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief

Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief holds her unique charm within the robust line-up of vampire cards in MTG. When pitted against her kin, such as Nirkana Revenant, both creatures tap into the magical reserve of black mana to empower their abilities. Where Nirkana Revenant amplifies your mana pool, doubling the output of your swamps, Drana, on the other hand, transforms this mana directly into raw power, decimating opponent creatures while bulking herself up.

Another notable card is Bloodline Keeper, a powerhouse in vampire decks that focuses on overwhelming your foes with a legion of vampire tokens. While it contributes to board presence, Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief excels in single-handedly altering the battlefield dynamic with her ability to target and destroy the creatures that stand in her way.

Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter is a formidable comparison, blending both life manipulation and creature control. Yet, Drana redefines the game with her ease of repeated removal, justifying her place in many MTG decks. Her presence demands an answer, and with the correct mana support, she can become an unstoppable force.

With Drana, players gain an intimidating commander capable of flipping the tide of battle, presenting a unique approach to the vampire archetype in MTG.

Nirkana Revenant - MTG Card versions
Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter - MTG Card versions
Nirkana Revenant - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter - Commander 2011 Launch Party (PCMD)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief MTG card by a specific set like Rise of the Eldrazi and Commander 2014, 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 Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2010-04-23 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Mike Bierek.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12010-04-23Rise of the EldraziROE 1072003normalblackMike Bierek
22014-11-07Commander 2014C14 1412015normalblackMike Bierek
32017-08-25Commander 2017C17 1122015normalblackMike Bierek
42019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 6332015normalblackMike Bierek
52020-09-26The ListPLST C17-1122015normalblackMike Bierek

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2010-06-15 If the targeted creature is an illegal target by the time the ability resolves, the ability doesn’t resolve. Drana won’t get the bonus.
2010-06-15 The value of X may exceed the targeted creature’s toughness. Drana’s bonus is based on the value of X, regardless of what the targeted creature’s toughness was.
2010-06-15 You may target Drana itself with its ability. For example, if you do and X is 3, Drana will become 7/1 until end of turn.

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