Drana's Chosen MTG Card
2016-01-22 - Number 84s
2016-01-22 - Number 84
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Vampire Shaman Ally |
| Abilities | Cohort |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Key Takeaways
- Drana’s Chosen offers board control by generating 2/2 black Zombie tokens during each upkeep.
- Cohort mechanic and ally tapping provide strategic resource acceleration in gameplay.
- The card’s synergy aligns with black-oriented decks, amplifying tribal and combo potential.
Text of card
Cohort — , Tap an untapped Ally you control: Create a tapped 2/2 black Zombie creature token.
"Drana commands me. I command my nulls. And so her bidding is done."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Drana’s Chosen is a powerful ally in any deck that seeks to dominate the board. With the ability to create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token during each of your upkeeps, it fuels sustained card advantage by increasing the number of creatures you have on the battlefield, without having to expend additional cards from your hand.
Resource Acceleration: This card has Cohort — an ability that activates when you tap an untapped Ally you control. By utilizing this mechanic, you effectively leverage your existing board state to accelerate your resource presence. The ally tapped isn’t just any resource, it’s an investment that continues to pay off with each activation and aids in overwhelming your opponents with sheer numbers.
Instant Speed: While Drana’s Chosen does not operate at instant speed, its ability to create tokens can be utilized during your upkeep, which means you can still keep mana available for instant speed interactions during your opponent’s turn. This allows for tactical flexibility, enabling you to react in real-time to threats or opportunities as they arise.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One major drawback of Drana’s Chosen is the prerequisite of discarding another card to activate its key abilities. This condition can lead to a depletion of valuable cards in your hand, making it less than ideal in scenarios where hand size is critical to maintaining an advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Drana’s Chosen also demands a specific mana setup to cast, requiring not just four mana but also a dedicated black mana source. This necessity can be restrictive, as it may not seamlessly fit into multicolor decks or those with a less stable mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of four mana to get this creature on the battlefield, it sits on the higher end of the mana curve. When evaluated against other four-mana creatures or spells in the game, Drana’s Chosen might not provide the same level of impact or efficiency, potentially making it a less optimal choice for competitive play.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Drana’s Chosen is adaptable to various black-oriented decks, fitting well in tribal builds focusing on vampires or zombies where creating creature tokens is beneficial. Its ability to generate additional creatures can also support sacrifice or death-trigger strategies.
Combo Potential: This card has great synergy with mechanics that revolve around casting from the graveyard or manipulating the number of creatures you control. It can be combined with cards that tap creatures for value or use the number of creatures on the battlefield to amplify effects or power.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where the board state is critical and games go long, Drana’s Chosen can provide a steady stream of creatures to maintain or turn the tide of control. Its potential in generating blockers or attackers each turn can be vital in outpacing your opponents within certain metagames.
How to beat
Drana’s Chosen is a powerful card on the battlefield, often tipping the scales with its cohort ability to create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token. This ability, however, can be mitigated with strategic gameplay. Key to defeating this formidable card is disrupting the cohort synergy. Consider using removal spells to target Drana’s Chosen before the token generation becomes overwhelming. Cards like Path to Exile or Fatal Push offer a direct answer to remove her from play.
Board wipes are also highly effective. Sweeping the field with a card like Wrath of God or Damnation can reset the board and negate the advantage the opposing player has built. It’s also worth noting that Drana’s Chosen requires another tapped ally to activate its ability, thus, limiting the ability’s use to once per turn. Using this to your advantage, you could restrict the opponent’s plays and force difficult decisions.
Ultimately, maintaining control over the battlefield and proactively dealing with threats like Drana’s Chosen can be key to securing victory. By prioritizing removal or disruption of the cohort mechanic, you stand a much better chance of outmaneuvering decks that rely on this card’s token generation strength.
Cards like Drana's Chosen
Drana’s Chosen is a standout creature card that marks its presence in MTG by mastering the art of token generation. This card bears semblance to other token generators like Captain of the Watch, which also deploys multiple creature tokens upon entering the battlefield. However, Drana’s Chosen leverages its ally synergy by producing a 2/2 black Zombie creature token with each untap. The Captain, while it buffs Soldiers and produces three tokens all at once, lacks this repeatable token-generating capability.
Delving deeper into the pool of comparable MTG cards, we come across Luminarch Ascension — a potent enchantment with a different angle on token creation. It amasses power through the prevention of damage to you and then converts that into Angel tokens. Unlike Drana’s Chosen, which requires a continual untap action, Luminarch Ascension’s approach is more passive and potentially offers a payoff in the form of 4/4 flying Angels.
Through this lens, when we compare Drana’s Chosen to other token creators in the game, the card secures its own niche. It affords players who favor ally tribal decks a reliable engine to expand their board state turn after turn, emphasizing its unique strength in synergistic strategies.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Drana's Chosen MTG card by a specific set like Oath of the Gatewatch Promos and 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 Drana's Chosen 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 Drana's Chosen Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-01-22 and 2016-01-22. Illustrated by Deruchenko Alexander.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-01-22 | Oath of the Gatewatch Promos | POGW | 84s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Deruchenko Alexander | |
| 2 | 2016-01-22 | Oath of the Gatewatch | OGW | 84 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Deruchenko Alexander |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Drana's Chosen has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Drana's Chosen card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2016-01-22 | To activate a cohort ability, the Ally with that ability must have been under your control continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn. Informally, it can’t have “summoning sickness.” However, the other Ally you tap can be one that just came under your control. (Note that tapping the second Ally doesn’t use -he tap symbol].) |
