Pardic Dragon MTG Card

Pardic Dragon’s graveyard return ability ensures consistent threat and game longevity. Mana-intense casting cost can limit deck variety and on-curve playability. Strategic for diverse metas, combining resilience with evasive capabilities.

Time Spiral (TSP)
2006-10-06 - Number 173

Modern Masters (MMA)
2013-06-07 - Number 124

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Dragon
Abilities	Flying,Suspend
Power	4
Toughness	4

Text of card

Flying : Pardic Dragon gets +1/+0 until end of turn. Suspend 2— Whenever an opponent plays a spell, if Pardic Dragon is suspended, that player may put a time counter on Pardic Dragon.

Cards like Pardic Dragon

Pardic Dragon is an intriguing creature in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, sharing traits with fellow flyer Thundermaw Hellkite. Both cards can create game-ending scenarios with their substantial power and flying ability. Pardic Dragon, however, has a built-in mechanism for growth, gaining +1/+1 counters whenever a player plays a spell. Thundermaw Hellkite, by contrast, comes with a one-time effect to clear the skies of opposing creatures with flying, offering a different type of board control.

Analogous to Pardic Dragon in the aspect of counter accumulation is the well-known Taurean Mauler. Though not a dragon, the Mauler shares the ability to capitalize on opponents’ plays by bulking up. Conversely, the Mauler is more cost-effective than Pardic Dragon but lacks the aerial advantage and firebreathing ability that underscore Pardic’s battlefield presence.

When evaluating these creatures, Pardic Dragon emerges as a contender for its unique combination of offensive capabilities and interaction with the stack. The card is a fine choice for any strategy that benefits from the aggression and adaptability it offers to a game in motion.

Cards similar to Pardic Dragon by color, type and mana cost

Lu Bu, Master-at-Arms - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Pardic Dragon presents a repeatability factor, where its return-from-graveyard ability when a player casts a red spell can ensure ongoing board presence. This trait provides consistent card utility and puts pressure on your opponent to find an answer, thereby offering the kind of advantage that can tip the scales in your favor over the course of a match.

Resource Acceleration: In a deck tailored to ramping up mana, Pardic Dragon acts as a formidable late-game play. With its Flanking and mana-cost related abilities, this dragon, once in play, can quickly become the focal point of your strategies, enabling powerful synergies with other cards that benefit from having a high-powered creature in play.

Instant Speed: Not directly linked to instant speed itself, yet the dragon interacts well within environments abundant with instants. The ability to cast spells at instant speed while waiting to meet the conditions to bring Pardic Dragon back from the graveyard offers a dynamic playstyle where your mana is utilized efficiently at all stages of the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Pardic Dragon necessitates a card discard to fulfill its threshold ability. This can deplete a player’s hand and result in a card disadvantage, especially in a game where each card in hand counts towards achieving victory.

Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost to cast Pardic Dragon is not only high, but it also demands a hefty amount of red mana. This can restrict deck-building options, making it less versatile and potentially difficult to cast on curve, especially in multicolor decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total casting cost that includes four specific red mana, Pardic Dragon can be challenging to summon in the early to mid-game. There are alternative creatures available that may provide a stronger board presence or immediate impact for the same or lower mana investment.

Reasons to Include Pardic Dragon in Your Collection

Versatility: Pardic Dragon offers a flexible role in red-based decks that can adapt to various game states. Its flying ability makes it a solid evasive threat, and it can scale well into the late game.

Combo Potential: This card shines in decks that exploit mana acceleration and discard mechanics. With its threshold ability, it can return to the battlefield, seamlessly fitting into recurring strategies and synergizing with graveyard manipulation.

Meta-Relevance: As the meta shifts between aggro, control, and combo archetypes, Pardic Dragon remains relevant by providing a resilient threat that can press an advantage or recover from board wipes. Its impact in a match can often command an immediate answer from opponents, making it a strategic addition to your arsenal.

How to beat

Pardic Dragon is known among MTG players for its fiery presence on the battlefield. Dominating the skies with its Flying ability, it poses a significant threat if left unchecked. Notoriously associated with the suspend mechanic, Pardic Dragon can come into play unexpectedly, catching unprepared opponents off-guard.

One effective method for dealing with Pardic Dragon is to counter it before it can impact the game. Spell-based removal or counters when it’s suspended can prevent it from taking flight in the first place. If it manages to enter the battlefield, having instant-speed removal at hand is key. Another strategy is to outrun it by building a board presence so robust that the dragon’s arrival is simply too late. Cards that can tap or pacify creatures also work to mitigate the threat without having to resort to direct removal, leaving the dragon a mere spectator in the match.

Another aspect to consider is manipulating the time counters on Pardic Dragon. Mechanics that play with time counters may either expedite its arrival to prepare for it accordingly or delay it further, disrupting your opponent’s tempo. In sum, preparation and prompt responses are your best allies in nullifying Pardic Dragon’s potential to take over the game.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Pardic Dragon MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral and Modern Masters, 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 Pardic Dragon and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Pardic Dragon Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2006-10-06 and 2013-06-07. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2006-10-06	Time Spiral	TSP		173	2003	Normal	Black	Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai
2	2013-06-07	Modern Masters	MMA		124	2003	Normal	Black	Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Pardic Dragon has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2021-06-18	A creature cast using suspend will enter the battlefield with haste. It will have haste until another player gains control of it. (In some rare cases, another player may gain control of the creature spell itself. If this happens, the creature won’t enter the battlefield with haste.)
2021-06-18	As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don’t want to target. Timing permissions based on the card’s type are ignored.
2021-06-18	Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up.
2021-06-18	Exiling a card with suspend isn’t casting that card. This action doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to.
2021-06-18	If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it.
2021-06-18	If the card has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost.
2021-06-18	If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card’s owner’s next upkeep.
2021-06-18	If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can’t be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended.
2021-06-18	If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it’s exiled.
2021-06-18	If you can’t cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended.
2021-06-18	If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card.
2021-06-18	Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it’s on the stack).
2021-06-18	The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn’t paid.
2021-06-18	When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn’t matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it.
2021-06-18	You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile.
2021-06-18	You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage’s ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time.