Blinding Drone MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Eldrazi Drone
Abilities	Devoid
Released	2016-01-22
Set symbol
Set name	Oath of the Gatewatch
Set code	OGW
Power	1
Toughness	3
Number	41
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Lake Hurwitz

Key Takeaways

Offers board control by tapping creatures, giving a strategic advantage during combat phases.
Requires colorless mana, influencing deck-building and mana resource management.
Competes with similar cards but stands out with its unique tap ability.

Text of card

Devoid (This card has no color.) , : Tap target creature. ( represents colorless mana.)

"Zendikar's true gods have risen. Whether in reverence or agony, all the world will kneel." —Ayli, high priest of the Eternal Pilgrims

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Blinding Drone offers nuanced board control, as it can effectively tap an opponent’s creature each turn. This can lead to a significant advantage over the course of a game by ensuring your creatures can attack with less risk of counters.

Resource Acceleration: This card aligns well with decks that have colorless mana sources. Utilizing colorless mana for Blinding Drone’s ability means the rest of your mana can be used for other spells, maintaining the tempo and potentially speeding up your win condition.

Instant Speed: The tap ability of Blinding Drone can be activated at instant speed, providing flexibility during gameplay. You can strategically wait until the most opportune moment, such as right before your opponent’s combat phase, to disable their key attacker or blocker, thus leaving them at a critical disadvantage.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Though not a drawback intrinsic to Blinding Drone itself, any card that necessitates a discard to activate its ability can pose a problem for your hand, especially if you’re already facing resource constraints.

Specific Mana Cost: Blinding Drone requires a colorless mana to tap an opposing creature. This means you must have a source of colorless mana available, which can restrict deck-building options and require specific lands or artifacts that produce colorless mana, potentially limiting its versatility across various deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sitting at two mana, including one colorless, just to put Blinding Drone onto the battlefield, before even considering the additional cost for its ability, may seem steep when compared to other creatures with similar tap abilities. The need for colorless mana in addition to the ability’s activation cost can make it a somewhat resource-intensive choice, especially in the earlier phases of the game.

Reasons to Include Blinding Drone in Your Collection

Versatility: Blinding Drone offers strategic flexibility to any deck utilizing colorless mana. Its ability to tap potential blockers or threats complements a variety of tactical approaches.

Combo Potential: This creature can seamlessly integrate into decks that manipulate the number of colorless creatures or lands, setting up powerful board states or unlocking synergies with other colorless cards.

Meta-Relevance: Given the right environment, particularly where creature-based strategies prevail, Blinding Drone can serve as a crucial control element, disrupting opponents’ plans and maintaining tempo in your favor.

How to beat

Blinding Drone emerges as a strategic player in the realm of MTG, a component of the complex ecosystem shaped by the formidable Devoid mechanic. This colorless creature harnesses the versatility of colorless mana, establishing its presence on the battlefield by potentially locking down an opponent’s threats. Blinding Drone slots seamlessly into decks leveraging colorless spells and lands, turning it into a key tactical asset.

Prevailing over Blinding Drone calls for a multifaceted approach. Averting reliance on singular, powerful creatures minimizes the impact of its tap-down ability. Instead, deploying a swarm of smaller, less critical creatures can dilute the Drone’s control. Additionally, removal spells offer a direct solution, efficiently neutralizing Blinding Drone before its ability disrupts your game plan. Incorporating instant-speed interaction ensures you retain tempo, keeping the Drone at bay while developing your board state.

Ultimately, understanding the ecosystem in which Blinding Drone thrives allows a savvy player to outmaneuver its restrictive grasp. By remaining adaptable and prioritizing board control, one can work around the constraints Blinding Drone imposes and emerge victorious in the intricate dance of MTG.

Cards like Blinding Drone

Blinding Drone presents itself as a strategic piece within the realm of colorless control creatures in Magic: The Gathering. It draws parallels to cards like Eldrazi Skyspawner, which also contributes to the board presence with a colorless Scion token. Yet, Blinding Drone shines with its ability to tap creatures, offering a tactful advantage for tempo plays. Eldrazi Skyspawner lacks the control aspect, providing a different kind of value instead.

Another akin creature is Mist Intruder. Although it serves a distinct purpose of ingesting cards from the opponent’s library, it doesn’t impact the battlefield’s immediacy like Blinding Drone’s tap potential. Mist Intruder is also more aggressively costed, allowing for an earlier play but without the board-controlling ability.

Moreover, the comparison can extend to cards like Tide Drifter, which boasts a similar colorless theme. Tide Drifter provides toughness to allies rather than controlling enemies. In contexts where defense is less of a priority than suppression, Blinding Drone clearly has the upper hand. Ultimately, it’s these unique abilities to harness the power of colorless mana and control the pace of the game that distinguishes Blinding Drone in Magic: The Gathering.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Blinding Drone MTG card by a specific set like Oath of the Gatewatch, 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 Blinding Drone and other MTG cards: