Thalakos Drifters MTG Card
1998-06-15 - Number 47
2014-06-16 - Number 97
2015-05-06 - Number 70
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Thalakos |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Text of card
Choose and discard a card: Thalakos Drifters gains shadow until end of turn. (This creature can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.)
They drift in and out of shadow and ever on toward madness.
Cards like Thalakos Drifters
Thalakos Drifters holds a niche position among blue creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Its comparison with other creatures often leads players to Delusions of Mediocrity, a creature with a similar blue mana symbol count. While Delusions doesn’t offer the shadow ability, it provides an immediate life boost, a stark contrast to the subtle board presence of Thalakos Drifters.
The subtle strength of Thalakos Drifters may also be compared to Phantom Warrior. Both share the unblockability factor; however, Phantom Warrior is consistently unblockable, whereas Thalakos Drifters uses the shadow ability, making it only blockable by creatures with shadow. Moreover, Thalakos Drifters edges out with its looting ability upon dealing combat damage, giving players card filtering options.
Assessing these cards and their unique offerings, players might lean towards Thalakos Drifters for its potential to slip past defenses and its utility in hand management. Despite not being a staple in all blue decks, Thalakos Drifters has the qualities that can make it a clever play in the right strategy.
Cards similar to Thalakos Drifters by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Thalakos Drifters offer a unique advantage by enabling you to filter through your deck. With the ability to draw and then discard a card, you can streamline your hand, creating opportunities to capitalize on the game’s flow.
Resource Acceleration: Thalakos Drifters are not direct enablers of resource acceleration. However, by improving card quality in your hand, they indirectly influence your ability to access the right resources when you need them.
Instant Speed: Although Thalakos Drifters operate at sorcery speed, their shadow ability means they are often unblockable, allowing for consistent damage and a reliable presence on the battlefield.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Thalakos Drifters require players to discard another card to use its shadow ability, which could lead to a diminished hand, weakening your overall game position. This trade-off can be particularly costly in strategies where card advantage is crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: Casting Thalakos Drifters demands both blue and colorless mana, meaning that its affinity is more narrowed towards blue-focused or multicolored decks, potentially limiting its integration into decks that don’t support blue mana as readily.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that involves three mana, including two that must be blue, Thalakos Drifters sits at a higher threshold which might make it a less attractive option compared to other creatures in the three-mana bracket. This cost-to-effect ratio can influence its playability in formats that favor lower cost creatures with similar or better abilities.
Reasons to Include Thalakos Drifters in Your Collection
Versatility: Thalakos Drifters offers a distinctive trait in blue decks – providing graveyard utility. Due to its Shadow ability, it can evade many defenders and fits smoothly into strategies that capitalize on unblockable creatures.
Combo Potential: With the ability to discard a card to draw a card when it deals damage, it works well in decks that benefit from cycling cards or strategies that utilize the graveyard for card advantage and synergies.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where graveyard interaction is prevalent or against opponents lacking Shadow creatures, Thalakos Drifters can be a recurring source of card selection and a reliable damage dealer on the board.
How to beat
Thalakos Drifters stands out in the realm of MTG due to its shadow ability, enabling it to slip past traditional defenses and rebuff most blockers. Comparable to phantom warriors, the drifters are elusive, their evasion not unlike the skulking mechanisms of other ghostly entities within the game’s diverse tapestry of creatures. This can be particularly vexatious since shadow creatures can only block or be blocked by other shadow creatures.
To effectively counteract the Thalakos Drifters, strategic deck building is critical. Incorporate cards that can remove or neutralize creatures without targeting them directly. Global enchantments or spells that affect the entire board can bypass the Drifters’ evasion abilities. Consider mass removal spells like “Wrath of God” or “Damnation,” which can clear the battlefield of all creatures regardless of their abilities, ensuring the Thalakos Drifters don’t linger to perturb your strategy.
It is imperative to anticipate and adapt to the challenges posed by evasive cards. Implementing versatile removal in your arsenal will ensure that even the most elusive of threats, like the Thalakos Drifters, can be addressed, securing your position in the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Thalakos Drifters MTG card by a specific set like Exodus and Vintage Masters, 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 Thalakos Drifters and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- 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 Thalakos Drifters Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1998-06-15 and 2015-05-06. Illustrated by Andrew Robinson.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1998-06-15 | Exodus | EXO | 47 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Andrew Robinson | |
| 2 | 2014-06-16 | Vintage Masters | VMA | 97 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Andrew Robinson | |
| 3 | 2015-05-06 | Tempest Remastered | TPR | 70 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Andrew Robinson |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Thalakos Drifters has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Thalakos Drifters card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | The reminder text is only accurate when this card has Shadow. |