Shimmer Dragon MTG Card
2019-10-04 - Number 317
2022-11-18 - Number 95
2022-12-02 - Number 347
2023-04-21 - Number 236
2024-02-09 - Number 117
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Dragon |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Power | 5 |
| Toughness | 6 |
Key Takeaways
- Shimmer Dragon excels in card advantage by transforming artifacts into powerful card-drawing tools.
- Instant speed activation of its abilities offers strategic play, maximizing mana usage and response options.
- Despite high mana costs, its combo potential and versatility justify its inclusion in artifact-heavy decks.
Text of card
Flying As long as you control four or more artifacts, Shimmer Dragon has hexproof. Tap two untapped artifacts you control: Draw a card.
The indigo dragon gladly traded a bit of its hoard for everlasting moonlight.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Shimmer Dragon is an exceptional powerhouse when it comes to card advantage. By tapping two untapped artifacts you control, it permits you to draw a card, effectively transforming those artifacts into potent sources of card draw. This capacity to cycle through your deck accelerates finding the right answers or threats to control the game board.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly creating resources, Shimmer Dragon synergizes exceptionally well with artifact decks, often abundant with artifacts that can be converted into resources or serve as mana sources. This synergy can dramatically increase the speed at which you deploy your game-changing spells.
Instant Speed: This dragon’s ability to tap artifacts and draw cards can be activated at instant speed, providing you with flexibility to respond to your opponent’s moves. This level of adaptability allows for more strategic plays, such as drawing into a potential response during an opponent’s turn or simply maximizing the use of your mana each cycle.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Shimmer Dragon necessitates that you tap two untapped artifacts you control in order to draw a card, which could potentially divert resources from other strategies or synergies within your deck. This can be a notable downside, especially if you’re unable to maintain a sufficient number of artifacts in play to utilize its ability effectively.
Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost of Shimmer Dragon is quite particular, requiring six mana including two blue. This not only necessitates a strong commitment to blue mana sources in your deck but also could delay playing this powerful dragon until the later stages of the game when you’ve finally amassed the required mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of six mana, Shimmer Dragon is at the higher end of the mana curve. While its 5/6 flying body and ability to draw cards are strong, the significant mana investment means that it may come into play too late in games where speed and early board presence are crucial.
Reasons to Include Shimmer Dragon in Your Collection
Versatility: Shimmer Dragon’s ability to tap two artifacts to draw a card makes it a powerful inclusion in artifact-heavy decks, fulfilling roles from card advantage engine to finisher.
Combo Potential: Its synergies with artifact tokens and other artifact-matters cards open up numerous combo possibilities, making it a dynamic play piece in combo-centric constructs.
Meta-Relevance: Given its sizable body and built-in hexproof activation, Shimmer Dragon holds its ground in metas where control strategies and midrange threats are prevalent, offering resilience to common removal spells while providing ongoing value.
How to Beat Shimmer Dragon
Shimmer Dragon stands out as a formidable flying creature card with hexproof as long as you control two or more artifacts. Its capacity to tap two untapped artifacts you control to draw a card adds a strategic layer to any game, offering a consistent card advantage and resilience against targeted removal. Despite these strengths, there are ways to neutralize this aerial threat and maintain the balance of play.
To effectively counteract Shimmer Dragon, board wipes like Wrath of God or Damnation are efficient tools, as they bypass hexproof by not targeting the creature directly. Artifact removal spells, such as Shatterstorm, can also dismantle the hexproof defense by reducing the number of artifacts you control, making the dragon vulnerable to targeted spells. Moreover, leveraging exile effects in cards such as Path to Exile or Containment Priest can remove Shimmer Dragon from the game entirely, circumventing its protective abilities. Cards that force a player to sacrifice a creature, like Diabolic Edict, also offer a viable solution, as hexproof does not shield against such actions.
Understanding the synergy that Shimmer Dragon shares with artifacts is key for outmaneuvering your opponent. Targeting the artifacts directly to strip down its defenses, or utilizing global effects to clear the board, can provide a path to defeating this powerful dragon and turning the tides of the match in your favor.
Cards like Shimmer Dragon
Shimmer Dragon stands out as a powerful asset in Magic: The Gathering, particularly within the realm of blue card draw creatures. Its ability to tap two untapped artifacts to draw a card puts it in league with cards like The Antiquities War, which also emphasizes the value of artifacts. Unlike Shimmer Dragon, though, The Antiquities War transforms your artifacts into potent creatures but does not provide consistent card draw.
Another relative is Vedalken Archmage. Every time you play an artifact, Vedalken Archmage allows you to draw a card, which can amount to significant card advantage much like Shimmer Dragon. The Archmage, however, does not have the flying defense or the flexibility to become hexproof by tapping four untapped artifacts. Padeem, Consul of Innovation offers some semblance of protection for your artifacts and a conditional draw mechanic, yet lacks the direct and repeatable card draw utility Shimmer Dragon provides.
Considering these comparisons, Shimmer Dragon is unique in its class for its ability to both protect itself while converting any artifact-heavy board state into a robust drawing engine, illustrating why it is a choice card for players utilizing artifact-centric strategies in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Shimmer Dragon by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Shimmer Dragon MTG card by a specific set like Throne of Eldraine and The Brothers' War Commander, 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 Shimmer Dragon and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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 Shimmer Dragon Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2019-10-04 and 2024-02-09. Illustrated by Lie Setiawan.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2019-10-04 | Throne of Eldraine | ELD | 317 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lie Setiawan | |
| 2 | 2022-11-18 | The Brothers' War Commander | BRC | 95 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Lie Setiawan | |
| 3 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 347 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lie Setiawan | |
| 4 | 2023-04-21 | March of the Machine Commander | MOC | 236 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lie Setiawan | |
| 5 | 2024-02-09 | Murders at Karlov Manor Commander | MKC | 117 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lie Setiawan |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Shimmer Dragon has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
