Wake the Dragon MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeSorcery
Abilities Flashback,Menace

Key Takeaways

  1. Generates card advantage through summoning multiple Dragon tokens which can dominate the board.
  2. Allows for strategic plays by saving mana and surprising opponents with instant speed dragon army.
  3. Demands card discard and specific mana, making it a calculated yet potentially rewarding inclusion.

Text of card

Create a 6/6 black and red Dragon creature token with flying, menace, and "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, gain control of target artifact that player controls." Flashback (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Wake the Dragon can potentially shift the board state in your favor by summoning multiple Dragon creature tokens when you meet its requirement to trigger its effect. This could mean amassing a formidable flight that could overwhelm your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana or treasure tokens, this enchantment can effectively cheat substantial costs of numerous Dragon creatures onto the battlefield, sidestepping traditional casting constraints and saving you valuable mana for other strategic plays.

Instant Speed: The enchantment itself isn’t cast at instant speed, but its triggered ability can create a surprise army of dragons during your opponent’s turn, assuming you’ve set off the requirement. This mechanic ensures that you are leveraging your dragons out of the usual pace, potentially during a phase your opponent is least prepared for.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Wake the Dragon demands that you discard another card to play it, a significant drawback when your hand is already sparse or if the discarded card is of high strategic value. Ensuring you maintain an optimal hand size becomes essential when including this in your deck.

Specific Mana Cost: To cast this spell, a precise combination of mana is necessary, which may not align with all strategies. If your deck doesn’t consistently produce the required types of mana, incorporating Wake the Dragon could compromise its fluidity and reliability.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a steep mana cost, Wake the Dragon can stress your resource pool, especially in the early game. It could cause a delay in executing your game plan as there are other options that might achieve similar board impacts with less investment.


Reasons to Include Wake the Dragon in Your Collection

Versatility: Wake the Dragon is a card that can seamlessly slip into different deck archetypes, from those harnessing direct damage to others that utilize sacrificial mechanics to the player’s advantage. The card’s ability to interact with the battlefield upon destruction of your permanents, makes it a flexible choice in reactive strategies.

Combo Potential: This card holds the potential to create game-altering combinations by summoning a plethora of Dragon tokens. When used in tandem with effects that purposely destroy your own permanents, Wake the Dragon can be the cornerstone of a powerful and impactful combo.

Meta-Relevance: Given that the meta often cycles through phases where control decks dominate, having an enchantment like Wake the Dragon can flip the script on opponents by turning their removal spells into a double-edged sword, thus keeping your strategy relevant and formidable.


How to beat

Wake the Dragon is a powerful enchantment card that brings a formidable strategy to the Magic: The Gathering scene. Upon the enchantment’s destruction, the card allows its controller to put a Dragon creature card from their hand onto the battlefield. This can quickly turn the tides of a game by bringing a high-cost, game-dominating creature into play much sooner than anticipated. To counteract this, a focus on preventing the enchantment from being destroyed is key. Strategies can include avoiding targeting Wake the Dragon with removal spells or abilities that would typically destroy it. Instead, employing exile effects or utilizing card abilities that return it to its owner’s hand can neutralize its effect without triggering its dangerous ability.

Cards with abilities to counter enchantments or that restrict the opponent from casting spells of certain types are effective as well. This ensures that Wake the Dragon never hits the battlefield in the first place. Additionally, having an answer ready for the potential Dragon that could be dropped is essential. This means keeping removal spells that can handle large creatures or spells that negate abilities or creature advantages at the ready. Directly preparing for and outmaneuvering Wake the Dragon’s impact will be your best defense against this fiery threat.


BurnMana Recommendations

Delving into the world of Magic the Gathering, Wake the Dragon stands out as a strategic piece for MTG enthusiasts. Its ability to summon a flight of dragons can drastically alter the course of a match. If you’re keen on building a deck around this enchantment or elevating your existing dragon-themed strategy, there’s much to consider. The card’s potential to create a sudden army of dragons, coupled with its synergy in specific deck types, makes it a noteworthy addition. Discover the depths of its utility and how it can serve as a catalyst in your fiery arsenal. Navigate over to learn strategies to optimize your deck with Wake the Dragon and ensure you have the upper hand in your next duel.


Cards like Wake the Dragon

Wake the Dragon carves its niche within the realm of red sorcery cards in Magic: The Gathering. It shares similarities with other red sorceries like Dragonstorm, which also revolves around the mighty dragon summoning theme. However, Wake the Dragon’s unique trigger condition, where it requires a dragon you control to be targeted, makes it a calculated risk with potentially massive reward. Dragonstorm, in contrast, depends on the storm count to unleash multiple dragons without a specified trigger.

Turning to other spells, Draconic Intervention is part of the dragon-centered sorcery suite, offering board wipe with a damage twist based on Exiled card’s mana value. While Draconic Intervention doesn’t summon dragons, it prepares the board for your dragons to dominate. Another similar card, Sarkhan’s Triumph, allows the tutor of a dragon creature card directly to your hand, ensuring you get the dragon you need without the conditional requirements that Wake the Dragon sets up.

Ultimately, Wake the Dragon stands out amongst its peers by turning a common setback into an opportunity for players to tip the scales. Its unique playstyle encourages strategic setup and can lead to a powerful swing in board state in favor of dragon enthusiasts.

Dragonstorm - MTG Card versions
Draconic Intervention - MTG Card versions
Sarkhan's Triumph - MTG Card versions
Dragonstorm - MTG Card versions
Draconic Intervention - MTG Card versions
Sarkhan's Triumph - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Wake the Dragon by color, type and mana cost

Plague Spores - MTG Card versions
Toil // Trouble - MTG Card versions
Morgue Burst - MTG Card versions
Grave Upheaval - MTG Card versions
Plague Spores - MTG Card versions
Toil // Trouble - MTG Card versions
Morgue Burst - MTG Card versions
Grave Upheaval - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wake the Dragon MTG card by a specific set like Tales of Middle-earth Commander and Tales of Middle-earth 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 Wake the Dragon and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Wake the Dragon Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-06-23 and 2023-06-23. Illustrated by Henry Peters.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12023-06-23Tales of Middle-earth CommanderLTC 742015NormalBlackHenry Peters
22023-06-23Tales of Middle-earth CommanderLTC 1542015NormalBlackHenry Peters
32023-06-23Tales of Middle-earth CommanderLTC 4842015NormalBlackHenry Peters

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wake the Dragon has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2023-06-16 "Flashback
-ost]" means "You may cast this card from your graveyard by paying
-ost] rather than paying its mana cost" and "If the flashback cost was paid, exile this card instead of putting it anywhere else any time it would leave the stack."
2023-06-16 A spell cast using flashback will always be exiled afterward, whether it resolves, is countered, or leaves the stack in some other way.
2023-06-16 If a card with flashback is put into your graveyard during your turn, you can cast it if it's legal to do so before any other player can take any actions.
2023-06-16 To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost (such as a flashback cost) you're paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell is determined only by its mana cost, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was.
2023-06-16 You can cast a spell using flashback even if it was somehow put into your graveyard without having been cast.
2023-06-16 You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions, including those based on the card's type. For instance, you can cast a sorcery using flashback only when you could normally cast a sorcery.