Draco MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost16
RarityRare
TypeArtifact Creature — Dragon
Abilities Domain,Flying
Power 9
Toughness 9

Key Takeaways

  1. Draco can be a linchpin in decks crafted for domain or cost-reduction strategies, significantly impacting gameplay dynamics.
  2. It’s a heavy-hitter for combos, adding depth and providing a meta-relevant edge for those seeking to make a big splash.
  3. While its high mana cost is a challenge, Draco’s domain ability can turn it into a more accessible threat in diverse mana bases.

Text of card

Draco costs less to play for each basic land type among lands you control. Flying At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice Draco unless you pay o10. This cost is reduced by for each basic land type among lands you control.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Draco MTG card is a formidable asset for anyone seeking to build up their board presence. As one of the most impactful creatures in the game, playing Draco can shift the momentum significantly, and if leveraged with reanimation or cost reduction strategies, it can be a game-changer.

Resource Acceleration: Although Draco doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its substantial domain ability can reduce its casting cost. For players using a five-color deck or with numerous land types in play, this means that Draco can be cast at a much lower mana investment, potentially leaving resources free for other tactics.

Instant Speed: While Draco itself does not operate at instant speed, it synergizes well in formats or decks that utilize flash mechanics to get creatures onto the battlefield unexpectedly. This characteristic can create powerful and surprising shifts in the game state, especially during more competitive play.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Engaging Draco in your deck prompts a significant ask right off the bat – you’ll need to discard a card just to unleash its potential. Such a demand can toughen your strategic plays, especially when you’re clinging to a slender hand size and every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: With a specific requirement of 16 colorless mana to summon the Draco, it’s unmistakably aligned with decks that can generate vast amounts of mana or modify casting costs. This restricts its compatibility, focusing it towards a niche playstyle or deck construction and potentially sidelining it in many players’ collections.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When you face off against the myriad of MTG cards available, the Draco stands out with a mana cost that towers over most. Investing 16 mana is a formidable task, and considering the range of creatures and spells at your disposal, the question lingers: could your mana be more effectively allocated?


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Draco card is a unique choice for decks utilizing cost-reduction mechanics or domain strategies, easily sliding into builds that capitalize on varied mana bases or types of permanents on the field.

Combo Potential: Draco’s massive converted mana cost makes it an excellent candidate for cheat-into-play tactics or spells that leverage high mana costs for devastating effects, adding depth to combo-driven playstyles.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames where high-impact plays are crucial, Draco can serve as a powerful finisher or enabler in a well-constructed deck, adapting to the shifting dynamics of competitive play.


How to beat

Draco presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with its immense mana cost and daunting presence in Magic: The Gathering. What sets it apart is not just its power but its ability to potentially alter the cost of playing it based on the number of basic land types among the lands you control. Removing such a colossal creature from the fray is no small feat, yet one viable strategy to overcome it involves maneuvering around its Domain mechanic.

Counterspells, for instance, can hinder Draco before it ever manifests on the field. Using disruption effects targeted at a player’s mana base can also increase Draco’s casting cost, making it harder to play. Additionally, effective removal spells that don’t depend on the creature’s power, such as Path to Exile or Unmake, can exile it, bypassing the battlefield entirely. Lastly, keeping pressure with a faster, aggro gameplay style may help a player to triumph before their opponent can gather the necessary resources to cast Draco. Playing smart and maintaining control of the game’s pace is essential to counteracting the might of Draco in a match.


Cards like Draco

Draco is a unique powerhouse in Magic: The Gathering, soaring above its counterparts with sheer mana cost and impact. With a mana value of sixteen, this artifact creature overshadows similar behemoths like Blightsteel Colossus and Darksteel Colossus. While both colossi boast indestructibility and lethal power, it’s Draco’s potential to dent the opponent’s life total from the get-go through its domain ability that sets it apart. Each basic land type you control reduces its casting cost, making it more accessible amidst a versatile mana base.

In contrast, Progenitus offers a similar awe-inspiring presence on the battlefield. Yet, instead of a reduced casting cost, Progenitus comes with protection from everything, guaranteeing an unassailable position once played. Most noteworthy is Emrakul, the Aeons Torn, which presents annihilator and time-warp effects upon casting—however, these eldritch titans while impactful, don’t offer Draco’s cost variability linked to land types.

For players seeking to impact the board through titanic creatures, Draco may not have the indestructibility of the colossi or the comprehensive protection of Progenitus, but it certainly commands attention through its domain mechanic, potentially altering gameplay the moment it spreads its wings over the battlefield.

Blightsteel Colossus - MTG Card versions
Darksteel Colossus - MTG Card versions
Progenitus - MTG Card versions
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn - MTG Card versions
Blightsteel Colossus - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Darksteel Colossus - Darksteel (DST)
Progenitus - Grand Prix Promos (PGPX)
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn - Rise of the Eldrazi Promos (PROE)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Draco MTG card by a specific set like Planeshift and From the Vault: Dragons, 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 Draco and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Draco Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2001-02-05 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Sam Wood.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12001-02-05PlaneshiftPLS 1311997normalblackSam Wood
22008-08-29From the Vault: DragonsDRB 32003normalblackSam Wood
32019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 15741997normalblackSam Wood
42020-09-26The ListPLST PLS-1311997normalblackSam Wood

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Draco has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2009-02-01 A number of nonbasic lands have basic land types. Domain abilities don’t count the number of lands you control — they count the number of basic land types among lands you control, even if that means checking the same land twice. For example, if you control a Tundra, an Overgrown Tomb, and a Madblind Mountain, you’ll have a Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest among the lands you control. Your domain abilities will be maxed out.
2009-02-01 How many lands you control of a particular basic land type is irrelevant to a domain ability, as long as that number is greater than zero. As far as domain is concerned, ten Forests is the same as one Forest.
2009-02-01 To determine the number of basic land types among lands you control, look at the lands you have on the battlefield and ask yourself whether the subtypes Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest appear within that group. The number of times you say yes (topping out at five) tells you how powerful your domain abilities will be.

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