Topaz Dragon // Entropic Cloud MTG Card

Topaz Dragon // Entropic Cloud - Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Instant — Adventure
Abilities	Deathtouch
Released	2022-06-10
Set symbol
Set name	Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate
Set code	CLB
Number	153
Frame	2015
Layout	Adventure
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jamroz Gary

Key Takeaways

Topaz Dragon offers card advantage, allowing for additional draws when attacking.
Entropic Cloud facilitates mana access on opponents’ turns, enhancing interaction.
The card’s requirement to discard can impact hand size and response flexibility.

Text of card

Creatures you control gain deathtouch until end of turn. (Then exile this card. You may cast the creature later from exile.)

What its gaze doesn't wither, its breath surely will.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With the ability to potentially replenish your hand, Topaz Dragon allows for an increase in card advantage. Each draw phase not only gets you your standard draw but also gives you an extra card if Topaz Dragon is attacking. This puts you ahead in resources and options.

Resource Acceleration: Entropic Cloud provides a unique form of resource acceleration. By enabling you to untap all lands you control at the beginning of each other player’s upkeep, it gives you access to mana during your opponents’ turns, which can be pivotal for interaction or flashing in threats.

Instant Speed: The capabilities of Entropic Cloud shine at instant speed, allowing you to wait until the last possible moment to make a move. This flexible timing means you can adapt to the evolving game state on the fly and maximize the effectiveness of your plays, without committing resources too early.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When deploying Topaz Dragon or casting Entropic Cloud, one of the drawbacks is the need to discard cards, potentially depleting your hand and reducing your ability to respond to opponents’ actions.

Specific Mana Cost: Both aspects of this card ask for specific mana types—Topaz Dragon requiring a substantial investment in red mana, while Entropic Cloud demands blue mana. This necessity could restrict their play to decks that are built around these colors, potentially limiting versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Topaz Dragon may not always be the most competitive choice given its considerable mana requirement. In MTG, faster-paced games or decks looking for efficient creatures might find the mana investment too hefty, despite the potential benefits it brings to the battlefield.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Topaz Dragon // Entropic Cloud offers a dual nature, fitting seamlessly into dragon-focused decks or any setup looking to leverage flying creatures. Its transformative ability ensures it adapts well to the changing tides of gameplay, allowing for strategic depth and flexibility.

Combo Potential: This card’s unique flip mechanism allows players to tailor their tactics mid-game, providing synergy with numerous strategies. Not only does it offer a potent presence in the air, but its Entropic Cloud side also presents new avenues for interaction with enchantment-related combos.

Meta-Relevance: Given the dynamic environment of current MTG play, having a card that can switch between a formidable creature and a game-altering enchantment can be crucial. It can hold its own against a range of popular decks, and its presence can significantly influence board states, making it a timely addition to any collection.

How to beat

Dealing with the dual-tier threat of Topaz Dragon // Entropic Cloud in MTG requires a solid strategy. When facing Topaz Dragon, remember that it thrives in longer games with its formidable presence and potential for card advantage. To counter this, speed up your gameplay and focus on removing it quickly from the battlefield. Efficient removal spells or creatures that can outmatch it in combat are your go-to options. On the flip side, when you confront Entropic Cloud, be wary of its deck disruption ability. Again, speedy plays are beneficial, and maintaining a diverse hand can mitigate the impact of its effect on your strategy. Consider cards that can shield you from hand disruption or allow you to recover key cards from your graveyard to stay ahead.

Furthermore, adjusting your deck to include versatile answers such as countermagic can frustrate the player piloting Topaz Dragon // Entropic Cloud. This way, you can prevent it from hitting the board in the first place or disrupt the synergy it aims to create. Be mindful of its casting cost, and set up your mana base and card draw to align your answers when they’re most needed. This ensures that you’re always ready to neutralize the threat and maintain control of the game.

Cards like Topaz Dragon // Entropic Cloud

The Topaz Dragon stands out in the MTG realm for its versatility and enigmatic duality. This card bears some resemblance to the esteemed Skyline Despot, which also takes to the skies with a dominating presence. However, the Dragon commands attention with its ability to grant you a card draw if you hit your opponent, a feature that the Despot does not have. Alternatively, Topaz Dragon has a higher mana cost, making it a weightier choice in your curve.

Switching gears, the Entropic Cloud side draws parallels with the infamous card pool contingent on chaos, such as Possibility Storm. Both cards introduce an unpredictable element to the game, but while Possibility Storm can completely alter the course of the match, Entropic Cloud provides a more focused disruption that can be tactically advantageous.

Comparing these cards’ offerings, we see Topaz Dragon // Entropic Cloud as a solid competitor. The card brings a unique blend of aerial assault and game disruption, proving its significance within the MTG universe. This duality not only enriches gameplay but also aligns with the strategic demands of innovative deck builders.

Cards similar to Topaz Dragon // Entropic Cloud by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Topaz Dragon // Entropic Cloud MTG card by a specific set like Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate, 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 Topaz Dragon // Entropic Cloud and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Topaz Dragon // Entropic Cloud has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2022-06-10	An adventurer card is a permanent card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it’s in your graveyard, Altar of Bhaal is an artifact card whose mana value is 2.
2022-06-10	An effect may refer to a card, spell, or permanent that “has an Adventure.” This refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an adventurer card’s set of alternative characteristics, even if they’re not being used and even if that card was never cast as an Adventure.
2022-06-10	Casting a card as an Adventure isn’t casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to the Adventure.
2022-06-10	If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner’s graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a permanent spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won’t be exiled and the spell’s controller won’t be able to cast it as a permanent later.
2022-06-10	If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won’t give you permission to cast it as a permanent spell.
2022-06-10	If an effect copies an Adventure spell, that copy is exiled as it resolves. It ceases to exist as a state-based action; it’s not possible to cast the copy from exile.
2022-06-10	If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative Adventure name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose.
2022-06-10	If an object becomes a copy of an object that has an Adventure, the copy also has an Adventure. If it changes zones, it will either cease to exist (if it’s a token) or cease to be a copy (if it’s a nontoken permanent), and so you won’t be able to cast it as an Adventure.
2022-06-10	If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it’s legal to cast that spell.
2022-06-10	When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card’s normal characteristics. The spell’s color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics.
2022-06-10	You must still follow any relevant timing rules for the permanent spell you cast from exile. Normally, you’ll be able to cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty.