Hinterland Drake MTG Card
2017-01-20 - Number 34
2019-11-07 - Number 401
2020-11-12 - Number 51
2020-09-26 - Number AER-34
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Drake |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- Hinterland Drake provides evasion and consistent damage as an affordable flying creature.
- Its presence influences opponents, potentially deterring sorcery-speed plays or attacks.
- Casting cost limits it to specific decks, posing challenges in multicolor builds.
Text of card
Flying Hinterland Drake can't block artifact creatures.
"As a kid, I dreamed of flying on those wild drakes. They inspired me to build wings of my own." —Nadja Cloudtoucher, aerowright
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Hinterland Drake’s flying ability is a subtle yet effective way to evade common blockers and consistently deal damage, which can slowly tilt the game in your favor, potentially giving you the upper hand without sacrificing cards from your hand.
Resource Acceleration: While Hinterland Drake doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its low mana cost and efficient 2/3 flying body optimize your mana expenditure, enabling you to deploy other threats or hold mana for reactive plays.
Instant Speed: Though the Hinterland Drake itself is not an instant, its mere presence on the battlefield can influence opponents’ decisions. Knowing you have a reliable blocker with flying at the ready might deter them from casting valuable creatures at sorcery speed or engaging in unfavorable attacks.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Hinterland Drake doesn’t directly require you to discard cards, playing it in a deck could mean having less room for cards that could offer card advantage or alternative benefits.
Specific Mana Cost: Hinterland Drake’s casting cost demands two islands, binding it firmly to blue-centric decks and possibly limiting its synergy with multicolor strategies that may not prioritize or support the solid blue mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, Hinterland Drake may seem reasonable, but in a format where efficiency is key, there are creatures at similar costs with additional abilities or greater power/toughness, offering a higher overall value in a competitive environment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Hinterland Drake is a flexible card, as it fits nicely into flying-focused decks or as a defensive three-drop creature. It thwarts opponents’ aerial attacks, offering solid board presence.
Combo Potential: Due to its ability to block flying creatures, it pairs well with control elements that keep the skies clear, bolstering both offensive and defensive strategies. Its synergy with bounce effects can also be valuable, resetting other creatures’ enter-the-battlefield triggers.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta with prevalent flying threats, the Drake serves as a dependable blocker, providing you with a tactical advantage, and often forcing opponents to find alternative ways to push through damage.
How to beat
Hinterland Drake is a notable flyer in the realm of limited formats within MTG. This card presents a valuable asset thanks to its ability to evade creatures without flying or reach when blocking. However, its strength comes with certain susceptibilities. Players aiming to neutralize Hinterland Drake’s impact can focus on strategies that overshadow its flying ability. Removal spells that do not target specifically but affect all creatures, such as board wipes, are highly effective. Spells like Wrath of God or Damnation can clear the board regardless of a creature’s evasion abilities.
Moreover, combat tricks that boost one’s creatures temporarily may also provide a means to surpass Hinterland Drake defensively. Enabling your ground creatures to contend with flyers temporarily during a crucial turn can shift the tide of battle. Just as well, utilizing spells that can remove or neutralize creatures without destroying them, such as Pacifism or Journey to Nowhere, can work around Hinterland Drake’s advantages, essentially grounding the creature without needing to engage it in combat.
When evaluating the various tools and tactics available in MTG, efficiently handling Hinterland Drake hinges on a player’s ability to implement a strategy that either disregards its flying or disables its abilities without direct confrontation.
Cards like Hinterland Drake
Hinterland Drake is a creature card that stands out in the realm of Magic: The Gathering with its straightforward flying ability, ensuring it can’t be blocked except by creatures with flying or reach. In relation to other three-mana cost creatures, Hinterland Drake reminds us of the beloved Skyspawner from the set Battle for Zendikar, which also flies, but offers an additional 1/1 Scion token that can be sacrificed for mana. Conversely, the Drake doesn’t provide such tokens but benefits from an absence of dependencies to be fully effective in the airspace.
Another creature that comes to mind is the Welkin Tern from Magic Origins, very similar in cost and ability, but the Tern has the constraint of only being able to block creatures with flying. The Drake has no such restrictions, offering a tad more flexibility in defense. Then there’s Stormwing Entity from Core Set 2021, which not only has prowess and flying but also aids in drawing a card upon its spell cost reduction trigger. Although Stormwing Entity is a higher investment, the potential payoff in both offense and card advantage places it on another level.
While Hinterland Drake may not have auxiliary abilities or token generation, its simple utility within the flying creatures’ niche gives it a solid position for players valuing consistency and unencumbered aerial control.
Cards similar to Hinterland Drake by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Hinterland Drake MTG card by a specific set like Aether Revolt and Mystery Booster, 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 Hinterland Drake and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Hinterland Drake Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2017-01-20 and 2020-11-12. Illustrated by Lake Hurwitz.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-01-20 | Aether Revolt | AER | 34 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lake Hurwitz | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 401 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lake Hurwitz | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | AER-34 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lake Hurwitz | ||
| 4 | 2020-11-12 | Kaladesh Remastered | KLR | 51 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lake Hurwitz |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Hinterland Drake has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
