Dream Stalker MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Illusion
Power 1
Toughness 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Dream Stalker’s ability generates card advantage by reusing enter-the-battlefield effects.
  2. It can safeguard land drops for consistent mana development in your game.
  3. The card’s value rises with meta shifts, proving flexible in various strategies.

Text of card

When Dream Stalker comes into play, return a permanent you control to its owner's hand.

What happens when it is the dream that wakes and the sleeper that fades into memory?


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Dream Stalker, with its ability to return another permanent you control to your hand, can recur creatures with beneficial enter-the-battlefield effects or other permanents that offer utility, thus potentially generating card advantage over multiple turns.

Resource Acceleration: While Dream Stalker itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, bouncing a land back to your hand effectively safeguards an extra land drop for turns where you might be missing land plays, ensuring your mana development stays on course.

Instant Speed: Dream Stalker may not have instant speed, but it pairs well with cards that do. Casting spells or activations at instant speed before returning them with Dream Stalker’s ability allows for flexible and strategic play, taking full advantage of your resources each turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Dream Stalker necessitates returning a permanent you control to your hand upon entering the battlefield. This can be disruptive to your board state and is a setback if you’re trying to maintain a strong board presence.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting of Dream Stalker requires blue mana, which can limit deck-building options. Decks that do not run blue mana sources or have a tight mana base may struggle to accommodate this card effectively.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its 1/5 stat line, the mana cost of two, including one blue, might be seen as steep when there are lower-cost creatures that can fulfill similar roles or offer better synergies within a deck’s strategy without the drawback of returning a valuable permanent to your hand.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Dream Stalker serves as an adaptable piece in many blue-based decks. Its ability to return another permanent you control to your hand upon entry can reset enchantments, save critical creatures, or reuse come-into-play effects, which fits various strategies and board states.

Combo Potential: This card’s bounce effect is key for triggering enter-the-battlefield abilities multiple times. In combo decks, it can facilitate infinite loops with the right pieces, such as “Cloudstone Curio” or “Aluren,” making it a hidden gem for crafting game-winning synergies.

Meta-Relevance: With the constant evolution of the MTG meta, Dream Stalker can unexpectedly counter prevalent removal spells or provide a recurring blocker against aggressive creature strategies. Its relevance surges in a meta where flexibility and repeatable effects are paramount.


How to beat

Dream Stalker, a card from Magic: The Gathering, is an intriguing creature that offers strategic flexibility with its ability to return another permanent you control to your hand when it enters the battlefield. To effectively counter this blue elemental creature, it is essential to disrupt the synergy it creates. Players can utilize instant speed removal spells before Dream Stalker’s ability resolves, ensuring their opponent does not gain the benefit of reusing enter-the-battlefield triggers. Similarly, employing counter spells when Dream Stalker is cast prevents it from affecting the board state entirely. Timing and understanding when to neutralize the Dream Stalker’s effectiveness can shift the momentum in your favor, limiting the opponent’s potential for card advantage and board control.

Strategically, focusing on maintaining a clear battlefield can be key, as Dream Stalker relies on other permanents being in play to maximize its value. It’s all about anticipation and making sure that Dream Stalker’s arrival isn’t a dream come true for your opponent. Keeping a tight control on the match and recognizing the right moment to act will ensure that you maintain the upper hand.


BurnMana Recommendations

MTG enthusiasts understand that the beauty of the game lies in nuanced strategies and card interactions. Dream Stalker, with its unique ability to return permanents to your hand, can be a tactical asset in your blue-centric decks. It’s essential to recognize the depth it adds, especially when paired with cards with enter-the-battlefield effects or as a recurring defensive bulwark. Consider its place in your collection to harness these synergies and fortify your gameplay. Our insights delve into the strategies that make Dream Stalker a compelling choice. Dive deeper with us and discover how to optimize this card’s potential for your MTG arsenal.


Cards like Dream Stalker

Dream Stalker, a distinctive creature in the realm of MTG, shares some functionalities with cards like Man-o’-War. Both are blue creatures with the ability to return other permanents to their owner’s hand. Where Dream Stalker is his own requiring a mere two mana for a 1/5 body, Man-o’-War is slightly costlier but offers an immediate tempo advantage by returning an opponent’s creature upon entering the battlefield.

Another card with a similar bounce effect is Aether Adept. While the Adept has smaller stats and costs three mana, it allows for targeting of opponents’ creatures, providing a built-in removal utility. This contrasts with Dream Stalker’s ability which primarily targets the player’s own permanents, setting up the potential for reusing enter-the-battlefield effects or rescuing key pieces from adverse conditions.

Ultimately, Dream Stalker’s value lies in its versatility and durability. It serves as a robust blocker while enabling strategic plays through its bounce effect, making it an intriguing choice for decks utilizing enter-the-battlefield triggers or needing to protect valuable permanents from removal or exile effects in the game of MTG.

Man-o'-War - MTG Card versions
Aether Adept - MTG Card versions
Man-o'-War - Visions (VIS)
Aether Adept - Magic 2011 (M11)

Cards similar to Dream Stalker by color, type and mana cost

Vodalian Soldiers - MTG Card versions
Zephyr Falcon - MTG Card versions
Giant Albatross - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Sphere - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Condor - MTG Card versions
School of Piranha - MTG Card versions
Coral Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Wu Light Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Sea Eagle - MTG Card versions
Overtaker - MTG Card versions
Hazy Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Darting Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Thought Eater - MTG Card versions
Spellstutter Sprite - MTG Card versions
Sneaky Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Coral Eel - MTG Card versions
Storm Crow - MTG Card versions
Aquamoeba - MTG Card versions
Soratami Cloudskater - MTG Card versions
Minamo Sightbender - MTG Card versions
Vodalian Soldiers - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Zephyr Falcon - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Giant Albatross - Homelands (HML)
Phantasmal Sphere - Alliances (ALL)
Skyshroud Condor - Tempest (TMP)
School of Piranha - Exodus (EXO)
Coral Merfolk - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Wu Light Cavalry - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Sea Eagle - Starter 1999 (S99)
Overtaker - Mercadian Masques Promos (PMMQ)
Hazy Homunculus - Prophecy (PCY)
Darting Merfolk - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Thought Eater - Odyssey (ODY)
Spellstutter Sprite - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Sneaky Homunculus - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Coral Eel - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Storm Crow - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Aquamoeba - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)
Soratami Cloudskater - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Minamo Sightbender - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dream Stalker MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral and Duel Decks: Jace vs. Vraska, 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 Dream Stalker and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Dream Stalker Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2006-10-06 and 2021-03-19. Illustrated by Brian Despain.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12006-10-06Time SpiralTSP 582003normalblackBrian Despain
22014-03-14Duel Decks: Jace vs. VraskaDDM 72003normalblackBrian Despain
32021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 632015normalblackBrian Despain

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Dream Stalker has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-03-19 Dream Stalker’s ability doesn’t target any permanent. Because of this, no player may take action between the time you choose the permanent to return and the time you return it.
2021-03-19 You may return Dream Stalker itself to its owner’s hand as its triggered ability resolves.

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