Drake Umbra MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant,Totem armor
Released	2010-04-23
Set symbol
Set name	Rise of the Eldrazi
Set code	ROE
Number	63
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Howard Lyon

Key Takeaways

Drake Umbra’s Totem Armor saves creatures from destruction, optimizing resource preservation and board stability.
Instant speed casting allows strategic flexibility, turning the tide of combat at crucial moments.
The card’s versatility enhances multiple deck types, making it a worthwhile addition for competitive play.

Text of card

Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +3/+3 and has flying. Totem armor (If enchanted creature would be destroyed, instead remove all damage from it and destroy this Aura.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Drake Umbra provides a significant advantage by effectively transforming its enchanted creature into a more durable threat. This not only can lead to favorable combat situations but also makes the creature a more persistent force on the board, capable of generating continued value for each turn it remains uncontested.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly producing mana or tokens, the key attribute of Drake Umbra in terms of resources is its Totem Armor ability. By saving a creature from destruction, it allows you to preserve your mana and resources that would have otherwise been spent on recasting or reestablishing board presence.

Instant Speed: As an aura that can be cast at any time creatures can be targeted, Drake Umbra allows players to wait until the most strategically advantageous moment to enchant their creature. Whether it’s a surprise block or an unexpected swing for lethal, the instant speed casts add a level of tactical depth to your gameplay.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Drake Umbra does not have a discard requirement, but any additional costs or upkeep can be a strategic liability, potentially disrupting your hand and overall gameplay if not managed wisely.

Specific Mana Cost: This aura has a specific mana cost that involves both generic and blue mana, which could restrict its integration in multi-color decks not heavily based in blue, possibly limiting its versatility on the battlefield.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that may be considered steep for its enchant creature effect, Drake Umbra’s investment might compete with other potential plays in your strategy, meaning players have to evaluate its worth in the context of other available cards within the same mana range.

Reasons to Include Drake Umbra in Your Collection

Versatility: Drake Umbra can be an asset to various deck builds, providing crucial protection as well as a power boost. Its ability to grant flying makes it suitable for decks that aim to dominate through aerial superiority.

Combo Potential: The totem armor ability of Drake Umbra can be a linchpin in combos that revolve around maintaining a formidable board presence. It can help preserve key creatures from destruction, often frustrating your opponent’s removal strategies.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where flying creatures are prevalent, Drake Umbra gains extra significance. It’s a valuable inclusion for decks that need to stay on par with the current meta’s pace, ensuring your creatures can survive to make an impact on the game.

How to beat

Drake Umbra is an aura card that has been turning heads in the MTG community due to its power to boost a creature’s combat capabilities significantly. When attached to a creature, it not only confers a stat boost of +3/+3 but also bestows the powerful ability of flight and totem armor, a mechanic that allows the enchanted creature to avoid destruction by instead destroying the aura.

To overcome this formidable card, players must employ strategic responses. Pinpoint removal spells that can bypass the totem armor’s protection by not destroying the creature, such as exile or bounce effects, are particularly effective. Spells like Path to Exile or Unsummon can effectively neutralize the threat posed by a creature enhanced with Drake Umbra without triggering the totem armor’s save. Similarly, board wipes that don’t explicitly destroy, like Terminus, can also be a clean solution to reset the battlefield and remove creatures shrouded by Drake Umbra’s protection.

Ultimately, while Drake Umbra can certainly turn the tides of battle, a carefully tailored deck with the right answers can manage the challenge it presents. Knowing which spells can outmaneuver such powerful enhancements is essential for any player looking to maintain the upper hand in MTG’s intricate battlefield.

Cards like Drake Umbra

Drake Umbra adds a layer of complexity and protection to creatures in Magic: The Gathering similar to other aura cards. It closely rivals cards like Spectral Flight, which also grants a bonus to a creature’s power and flying ability. The prime difference lies in Drake Umbra’s Totem armor ability, offering a creature an extra life of sorts by sacrificing the aura instead of the creature in the event of destruction. Spectral Flight, while less costly, lacks this notable defensive attribute.

Comparing it to another counterpart, On Serra’s Wings, which elevates a creature with +1/+1, flying, vigilance, and lifelink, distinctly showcases Drake Umbra’s focus on survivability rather than varied enhancements. On Serra’s Wings delivers a suite of abilities but is more vulnerable without the protective shell offered by the Totem armor. Fly is another aura with parallels, as it’s straightforward with the flying ability and is much less mana-intensive, but again, it doesn’t provide the same protective guarantee that Drake Umbra ensures with Totem armor.

When evaluating Drake Umbra amongst its peers, this card stands out for players prioritizing endurance and resilience for their creatures, underlining the card’s unique position in the MTG meta.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Drake Umbra MTG card by a specific set like Rise of the Eldrazi, 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 Drake Umbra and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Drake Umbra has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2010-06-15	If a creature enchanted with an Aura that has totem armor would be destroyed by multiple state-based actions at the same time the totem armor’s effect will replace all of them and save the creature.
2010-06-15	If a permanent you control is enchanted with multiple Auras that have totem armor, and the enchanted permanent would be destroyed, one of those Auras is destroyed instead — but only one of them. You choose which one because you control the enchanted permanent.
2010-06-15	If a spell or ability (such as Planar Cleansing) would destroy both an Aura with totem armor and the permanent it’s enchanting at the same time, totem armor’s effect will save the enchanted permanent from being destroyed. Instead, the spell or ability will destroy the Aura in two different ways at the same time, but the result is the same as destroying it once.
2010-06-15	If a spell or ability says that it would “destroy” a permanent enchanted with an Aura that has totem armor, that spell or ability causes the Aura to be destroyed instead. (This matters for cards such as Karmic Justice.) Totem armor doesn’t destroy the Aura; rather, it changes the effects of the spell or ability. On the other hand, if a spell or ability deals lethal damage to a creature enchanted with an Aura that has totem armor, the game rules regarding lethal damage cause the Aura to be destroyed, not that spell or ability.
2010-06-15	Say you control a permanent enchanted with an Aura that has totem armor, and the enchanted permanent has gained a regeneration shield. The next time it would be destroyed, you choose whether to apply the regeneration effect or the totem armor effect. The other effect is unused and remains, in case the permanent would be destroyed again.
2010-06-15	Totem armor’s effect is applied no matter why the enchanted permanent would be destroyed: because it’s been dealt lethal damage, or because it’s being affected by an effect that says to “destroy” it (such as Doom Blade). In either case, all damage is removed from the permanent and the Aura is destroyed instead.
2010-06-15	Totem armor’s effect is mandatory. If the enchanted permanent would be destroyed, you must remove all damage from it and destroy the Aura that has totem armor instead.
2010-06-15	Totem armor’s effect is not regeneration. Specifically, if totem armor’s effect is applied, the enchanted permanent does not become tapped and is not removed from combat as a result. Effects that say the enchanted permanent can’t be regenerated (as Vendetta does) won’t prevent totem armor’s effect from being applied.
2013-07-01	If a creature enchanted with an Aura that has totem armor has indestructible, lethal damage and effects that try to destroy it simply have no effect. Totem armor won’t do anything because it won’t have to.
2013-07-01	Say you control a permanent enchanted with an Aura that has totem armor, and that Aura has gained a regeneration shield. The next time the enchanted permanent would be destroyed, the Aura would be destroyed instead — but it regenerates, so nothing is destroyed at all. Alternately, if that Aura somehow gains indestructible, the enchanted permanent is effectively indestructible as well.
2013-07-01	Totem armor has no effect if the enchanted permanent is put into a graveyard for any other reason, such as if it’s sacrificed, if it’s legendary and another legendary permanent with the same name is controlled by the same player, or if its toughness is 0 or less.