Snapping Drake MTG Card
1997-05-01 - Number 67d
1997-05-01 - Number 67
1999-07-01 - Number 52
2000-10-01 - Number 15
2005-10-07 - Number 64
2007-07-13 - Number 110
2007-07-13 - Number 110★
2009-07-17 - Number 72
2010-06-04 - Number 15
2018-07-13 - Number 75
2019-07-12 - Number 318
2019-11-07 - Number 499
2020-09-26 - Number M19-75
| Card sets | Released in 13 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Drake |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Text of card
Flying (This creature can't be blocked except by creatures with flying or reach.)
Drakes claim to be dragons—until the dragons show up.
Cards like Snapping Drake
Snapping Drake is a classic flyer within Magic: The Gathering, known for its presence in the air as a 3/2 creature. When we examine creatures of its ilk, we find Wind Drake as a notable comparison. Both share the same mana cost and flying ability, but Wind Drake has a more defensive 2/2 stat line compared to Snapping Drake’s offensive 3/2.
Another feathered peer in this aerial niche is Skywinder Drake, which notably shares the flying trait but comes with the stipulation of only being able to block creatures with flying. Conversely, Snapping Drake has no such constraints, offering more versatility on the battlefield. Aven Fisher bears mentioning too, as it brings a death-triggered benefit, giving the player a card upon its exit from the field. Snapping Drake lacks this, but stands in for its bigger offensive presence.
Each of these creatures fits into a similar deck space but brings its own angle to game dynamics. While Snapping Drake may not provide card advantage like Aven Fisher, its strength and simplicity make it a dependable choice, especially when looking for a straightforward flyer to add to your arsenal.
Cards similar to Snapping Drake by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Snapping Drake offers the advantage of an efficient 3/2 flying creature, allowing you to dominate the aerial battlefield. The inherent ability of flying not only provides a consistent offensive threat but also often guarantees a card advantage as it bypasses many common ground-blockers.
Resource Acceleration: Although Snapping Drake doesn’t directly provide mana or treasure tokens, it remains a budget-friendly card to cast with only four mana. This makes it a respectable choice for ramping up your threats on board without depleting your resources significantly, maintaining an economic balance in your deck’s mana curve.
Instant Speed: While Snapping Drake itself isn’t an instant, the versatility of the flying trait allows it to synergize well with instant-speed spells. It compels opponents to keep mana untapped to deal with its attacks, thus enabling your instants to be more effective during the late game or forcing your opponent to make difficult decisions at a moment’s notice.
Card Cons
Specific Mana Cost: Snapping Drake has a colored mana requirement in its casting cost, demanding one blue mana. This can be a potential hurdle for multi-colored decks where blue mana sources are limited or inconsistent.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Snapping Drake comes with a relatively steep total mana value of four, including the specific blue mana. In a game where tempo is vital, allocating four mana on a single creature can set a player back, especially when there are alternatives with additional abilities or higher stats for the same investment.
Discard Requirement: While Snapping Drake doesn’t have a discard requirement itself, its presence in a hand can indirectly force a player to discard other cards due to its higher mana cost. In situations where hand size needs to be managed carefully, holding onto a four-mana creature without immediate board impact can be a disadvantage.
Reasons to Include Snapping Drake in Your Collection
Versatility: Snapping Drake is a solid addition to blue-oriented decks or any build that prizes evasion tactics. Its flying ability makes it a reliable attacker or blocker against decks lacking aerial defense.
Combo Potential: This card pairs well with other spells that manipulate or capitalize on flying creatures. In combos, it can work synergistically with cards to empower its offensive or defensive capabilities.
Meta-Relevance: Given the ever-changing dynamics of the game, Snapping Drake can often find a home for itself in formats where higher flying creatures can dominate. It often slips under the radar in drafts, providing strategic value when chosen wisely.
How to beat
Snapping Drake presents a unique challenge with its flying ability, making it a vertical threat on the battlefield. In Magic: The Gathering, this card evokes a strategy often associated with control or evasion-focused decks. Its power lies in its capacity to soar over ground-based creatures, making it a consistent source of aerial offense.
Countering this high-flying menace requires a multifaceted approach. Ground creatures alone won’t suffice, so reach or flying creatures offer a solid defense. These can block Snapping Drake effectively, neutralizing its advantage. Additionally, spells that deal with flying creatures directly, such as Plummet, are highly effective. While the Drake might elude terrestrial threats, removal spells, which aren’t affected by its flying capability, can dispatch it irrespective of its position on the field. Sorcery-speed removals like Doom Blade or instant responses like Lightning Bolt also get the job done swiftly, ensuring that Snapping Drake’s presence is short-lived.
Understanding the range of counterplay options available can decisively turn the tables against Snapping Drake. By integrating the right mix of aerial defense and targeted removals, one can dismantle the aerial threat it poses and maintain control of the game’s flow.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Snapping Drake MTG card by a specific set like Portal and Portal, 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 Snapping Drake and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Snapping Drake Magic the Gathering card was released in 11 different sets between 1997-05-01 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by 3 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1997-05-01 | Portal | POR | 67d | 1997 | Normal | Black | Christopher Rush | |
| 2 | 1997-05-01 | Portal | POR | 67 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Christopher Rush | |
| 3 | 1999-07-01 | Starter 1999 | S99 | 52 | 1997 | Normal | White | Christopher Rush | |
| 4 | 2000-10-01 | Beatdown Box Set | BTD | 15 | 1997 | Normal | White | Christopher Rush | |
| 5 | 2005-10-07 | Ravnica: City of Guilds | RAV | 64 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Dave Dorman | |
| 6 | 2007-07-13 | Tenth Edition | 10E | 110 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Dave Dorman | |
| 7 | 2007-07-13 | Tenth Edition | 10E | 110★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | Dave Dorman | |
| 8 | 2009-07-17 | Magic 2010 | M10 | 72 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
| 9 | 2010-06-04 | Duels of the Planeswalkers | DPA | 15 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
| 10 | 2018-07-13 | Core Set 2019 | M19 | 75 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
| 11 | 2019-07-12 | Core Set 2020 | M20 | 318 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
| 12 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 499 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
| 13 | The List | PLST | M19-75 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Snapping Drake has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |