Plague Drone MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Demon
Abilities Flying,Rot Fly
Power 3
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Plague Drone can shift the balance of hand resources by enabling card draw or opponent discard.
  2. Its potentially instant speed plays add a layer of surprise and flexibility during gameplay.
  3. Mana efficiency and creature synergies can lead to a quicker and powerful strategy execution.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Plague Drone MTG card by a specific set like Warhammer 40,000 Commander and Warhammer 40,000 Commander, 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 Plague Drone and other MTG cards:

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Text of card

Flying Rot Fly — If an opponent would gain life, that player loses that much life instead.

High-ranking plaguebearers of Nurgle's realm ride into realspace mounted upon Rot Flies—colossal daemonic insects whose appearance is so repugnant it scars the mind.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Plague Drone provides a strategic edge by potentially drawing cards or forcing the opponent to discard, ensuring a shift in hand resource balance.

Resource Acceleration: This card might offer mana efficiency that sets up for a quicker deployment of your strategy. Its synergistic effect with other creatures can also amplify this advantage.

Instant Speed: If Plague Drone or its abilities can operate at instant speed, it allows for surprise interactions during your opponent’s turn, giving you the flexibility to respond to threats or opportunities as they arise.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Plague Drone arrives with a stipulation that may deter players; it necessitates the discarding of a card, a trade-off that often leaves your hand size compromised. This could potentially lead to a disadvantage, especially when facing an opponent with a strategy that capitalizes on reducing the number of options in your hand.

Specific Mana Cost: The crafting of this creature demands a precise combination of mana, including color-specific resources. This can pose a challenge for decks that encompass multiple colors or lack the necessary mana fixing capabilities to consistently summon the Plague Drone without jeopardizing their overall mana curve and gameplay rhythm.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Drawing upon a fair chunk of resources, the summoning cost of Plague Drone may not align with the abilities it presents. When considering its mana investment, players often scrutinize the relative power and impact it holds against other creatures within the same cost realm. As a result, Plague Drone may fall by the wayside, overlooked for alternatives that pledge a greater bang for the buck in the diverse and ever-evolving battlefield of Magic the Gathering.


Reasons to Include Plague Drone in Your Collection

Versatility: Plague Drone can seamlessly integrate into various deck archetypes. This card excels in environments that capitalize on infect counters or proliferate mechanics, enhancing its adaptability.

Combo Potential: With its ability to give other creatures with infect the ability to regenerate, Plague Drone works remarkably well in synergistic combos. It’s a key piece in decks focused on maintaining a persistent board presence.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where infect decks are prevalent or on the rise, Plague Drone becomes an indispensable asset. It can shift the balance in games by strengthening infect-centric strategies against various opponents.


How to Beat Plague Drone

Plague Drone serves as an interesting tool for players looking to benefit from the proliferate mechanism in MTG. The capacity to give creatures you control with a +1/+1 counter flying until end of turn can be quite a tactical advantage, yet this card can be countered effectively. Tempo plays and removal spells are key to disrupting the potential synergy that Plague Drone brings to an opponent’s battlefield.

Strategically timing a removal spell when the opponent attempts to stack counters and activate Plague Drone’s ability can minimize the threat. It’s essential to manage your resources efficiently, as the power of Plague Drone lies in its ability to enhance an already substantial board. Board wipes or targeted removal like Fatal Push or Swords to Plowshares can efficiently handle the drone before it becomes a larger problem.

In essence, beating Plague Drone requires you to maintain control of the board, watching out for the optimal moment to strike. Prevent the counter accumulation, and you’ll clip its wings, rendering this creature far less intimidating. By doing so, you stay one step ahead in the game, preserving your position while interfering with your opponent’s strategy.


BurnMana Recommendations

If you’re looking to refine your MTG collection with versatile and synergistic creatures, Plague Drone should be on your radar. Ideal for players who thrive on strategy, this card enhances infect and counter-based decks, providing an edge in the right meta. And while it has its trade-offs, including a specific mana requirement and an initial discard cost, its potential in the right deck can’t be overlooked. Remember, consistency is key in MTG. Consider integrating Plague Drone into your deck, and with careful planning, its combo and meta relevance could elevate your gameplay significantly. Interested in discovering how Plague Drone can alter the tide of your matches? Join us for in-depth insights and optimal gaming strategies.


Cards like Plague Drone

Plague Drone emerges as a noteworthy creature in Magic: The Gathering, bearing a resemblance to certain other cards that can maneuver and drain opponents. One such example is Falkenrath Noble, also a creature that lets you sap an opponent’s life total every time another creature dies. However, Plague Drone’s strength lies in its synergy with colorless creatures, emphasizing specific deck themes such as Eldrazi.

Analogous to the Plague Drone is the Blood Artist, a creature card that causes life loss and gains you life whenever any creature perishes, not limited by your own—as Plague Drone does. However, Blood Artist lacks the tribal interactions that serve as Plague Drone’s specialty. Zulaport Cutthroat also enters this comparison as a life-draining ally, triggering upon the death of creatures you control, closely mirroring Plague Drone’s function while offering room for strategic deck building around sacrifice themes.

Considering the utility and deck compatibility, Plague Drone shines in decks geared toward colorless and devoid creatures, lending itself well to specific MTG strategies and setting it apart from its counterparts with its unique set of abilities.

Falkenrath Noble - MTG Card versions
Blood Artist - MTG Card versions
Zulaport Cutthroat - MTG Card versions
Falkenrath Noble - MTG Card versions
Blood Artist - MTG Card versions
Zulaport Cutthroat - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Plague Drone by color, type and mana cost

Hell's Caretaker - MTG Card versions
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Phyrexian Debaser - MTG Card versions
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Toxin Sliver - MTG Card versions
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Nim Shambler - MTG Card versions
Scourge of Numai - MTG Card versions
Deathgazer - MTG Card versions
Dirty Wererat - MTG Card versions
Faceless Butcher - MTG Card versions
Crowd of Cinders - MTG Card versions
Hell's Caretaker - MTG Card versions
Rag Man - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Debaser - MTG Card versions
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions
Slinking Skirge - MTG Card versions
Gravedigger - MTG Card versions
Scandalmonger - MTG Card versions
Urborg Shambler - MTG Card versions
Whispering Shade - MTG Card versions
Filth - MTG Card versions
Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions
Bold Plagiarist - MTG Card versions
Toxin Sliver - MTG Card versions
Vampiric Spirit - MTG Card versions
Nim Shambler - MTG Card versions
Scourge of Numai - MTG Card versions
Deathgazer - MTG Card versions
Dirty Wererat - MTG Card versions
Faceless Butcher - MTG Card versions
Crowd of Cinders - MTG Card versions

Printings

The Plague Drone Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2022-10-07 and 2022-10-07. Illustrated by Games Workshop.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12022-10-07Warhammer 40,000 Commander40K 472015NormalBlackGames Workshop
22022-10-07Warhammer 40,000 Commander40K 47★2015NormalBlackGames Workshop

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Plague Drone has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2022-10-07 Having more than one Plague Drone on the battlefield doesn’t have any noticeable effect on life gain. Once the effect of one Plague Drone applies, there is no life gain for the others to apply to.
2022-10-07 If more than one replacement effect tries to apply to a life gain event, the player who would gain life chooses the order in which they apply. For example, if a player who controls Alhammarret’s Archive would gain 3 life while Plague Drone is on the battlefield, that player may choose to have the 3 life become doubled to 6 life and then lose 6 life. The player may also choose to apply Plague Drone first, turning “gain 3 life” into “lose 3 life.” Alhammarret’s Archive would then not apply.