Sea Drake MTG Card

Sea Drake combines early pressure with strategic landfall and return triggers in blue-centric decks. Its unique casting cost of returning two lands can set back tempo if not utilized effectively. With meta shifts favoring quick threats, Sea Drake’s efficiency and synergy shine in specific strategies.

Portal Second Age (P02)
1998-06-24 - Number 45

Masters Edition II (ME2)
2008-09-22 - Number 64

Vintage Masters (VMA)
2014-06-16 - Number 92

Modern Horizons 2 (MH2)
2021-06-18 - Number 268

Card sets	Released in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Drake
Abilities	Flying
Power	4
Toughness	3

Text of card

Flying When Sea Drake comes into play from your hand, return any two of your lands from play to your hand.

Cards like Sea Drake

Sea Drake joins the ranks of powerful, but conditional, creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Visually reminiscent of cards like Phantom Monster, Sea Drake also offers a 3/3 flying body for three mana. Yet, unlike Phantom Monster, Sea Drake demands a higher deckbuilding cost, forcing you to return two lands to your hand upon entering the battlefield. This can be seen as a significant setback or as an opportunity to reuse lands with enter-the-battlefield effects.

In the same category of creatures with a twist, we encounter Man-o’-War, known for its bounce ability. Though it targets creatures instead of lands and offers a smaller body, Man-o’-War can be a disruption tool while developing your board. Furthermore, Sealock Monster presents an intriguing comparison. While the Monster eventually becomes a formidable 5/5, it initially requires a more substantial mana investment and battlefield setup to unlock its full potential.

Considering the trade-offs, Sea Drake’s immediate board impact as an evasive creature sets a distinct standard in MTG creature-based strategies. While it comes with certain stark drawbacks, the advantages of tempo and aerial power are undeniable.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sea Drake enables you to return two lands to your hand when it enters the battlefield. This can be turned into an advantage in decks that benefit from replaying lands or triggering landfall abilities multiple times.

Resource Acceleration: As a 4/3 flier for only three mana, Sea Drake provides an above-curve body that can apply pressure early in the game. This can lead to a faster victory, outpacing your opponent’s resources.

Instant Speed: While Sea Drake itself does not have flash, pairing it with instant speed enablers can create surprise blockers or attackers during combat. This makes Sea Drake versatile in decks that can manipulate the timing of creature plays.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: As part of its casting cost, Sea Drake obliges players to return two lands they control to their hand. This can set back your board development significantly, especially if played early.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring two blue mana and one colorless, the card can be restrictive and difficult to cast in multicolored decks that don’t heavily favor blue. This limitation can challenge mana flexibility and stall gameplay.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While a 4/3 flyer for three mana seems efficient, the land return requirement combined with a specific mana composition pushes the card towards a higher effective cost. In decks where tempo is key, this can be a notable disadvantage.

Reasons to Include Sea Drake in Your Collection

Versatility: Sea Drake offers a unique dynamic to any blue-centered deck. As a 4/3 flyer for three mana, it presents a swift threat in the air. Its return two lands to hand downside can be effectively leveraged in decks designed to benefit from bouncing lands, such as those with landfall abilities or other enter-the-battlefield triggers.

Combo Potential: The seemingly negative effect of Sea Drake can be turned into an advantage with the right setup. It can multiply the value of cards with landfall abilities or untapped lands with instant-speed spells, amplifying the impact of your strategies while maintaining board presence with a sizable creature.

Meta-Relevance: With fast-paced games and a meta that rewards quick and significant threats, Sea Drake stands out as a cost-efficient creature capable of putting early pressure on opponents. Its synergy with other blue tempo plays makes it a relevant choice for players aiming to disrupt opponent strategies while staying ahead on the board.

How to beat

Sea Drake presents a unique challenge in MTG, arriving in play with a strong board presence while imposing a steep cost: returning two lands you control to your hand. To gain the upper hand against Sea Drake, a strategic approach is necessary. Efficient land play becomes pivotal. Explore options that allow lands to re-enter the battlefield either untapped or with minimal setback. Employ spells or creatures that let you play additional lands on your turns to swiftly rebuild your mana base.

Counterplay against Sea Drake also revolves around minimizing its impact. Instant removal spells that can target it as it hits the battlefield, such as Path to Exile or Rapid Hybridization, provide a clean solution to this flying threat without having to worry about your land disruption. Additionally, creatures with reach or those with effects that negate flying advantages, like Spidersilk Armor, can neutralize Sea Drake’s offensive capabilities.

Flexibility is key in outmaneuvering Sea Drake’s drawback while maintaining control of the game. As it’s a creature card with substantial influence, putting in place contingency plans through versatile spells, diverse land strategies, and foresight will ensure your decks can handle this powerful card with finesse.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sea Drake MTG card by a specific set like Portal Second Age and Masters Edition II, 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 Sea Drake and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Sea Drake Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 1998-06-24 and 2021-06-18. Illustrated by Rebecca Guay.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1998-06-24	Portal Second Age	P02	45	1997	Normal	Black	Rebecca Guay
2	2008-09-22	Masters Edition II	ME2	64	1997	Normal	Black	Rebecca Guay
3	2014-06-16	Vintage Masters	VMA	92	2015	Normal	Black	Rebecca Guay
4	2021-06-18	Modern Horizons 2	MH2	268	2015	Normal	Black	Rebecca Guay

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sea Drake 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 Sea Drake 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	Although you must choose two lands you control as the targets of Sea Drake's triggered ability, there is no consequence to Sea Drake if the ability doesn't resolve. If one of the lands becomes an illegal target in response, the remaining legal target will be returned to its owner's hand. If both targets have become illegal in response, nothing happens.
2021-06-18	If you can't target two lands you control with the triggered ability (perhaps because you control fewer than two lands), the ability will be removed from the stack. You won't return any lands. There is no consequence for this.