Dreadmalkin MTG Card
2019-05-03 - Number 87
2024-01-12 - Number 75
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Zombie Cat |
| Abilities | Menace |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Key Takeaways
- Dreadmalkin excels by recycling creatures, enhancing card advantage through sacrifice and reanimation tactics.
- It pressures opponents early and dictates game tempo with its menacing presence and low cost.
- While powerful, it requires careful play to avoid diminishing your board or hand resources.
Text of card
Menace (This creature can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.) , Sacrifice another creature or planeswalker: Put two +1/+1 counters on Dreadmalkin.
The feline Eternal felt Liliana's command, looked at her disdainfully, flicked its paw, and scampered away across the rooftops.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Dreadmalkin’s ability to sacrifice another creature as a cost gives you the potential to reuse eternalize or embalm abilities, effectively recycling your creatures and gaining more from your cards than your opponent can from theirs.
Resource Acceleration: Though Dreadmalkin itself doesn’t produce extra mana, its low casting cost allows for a quicker deployment of other spells. Plus, having a 1/1 creature with menace early in the game can apply pressure, allowing you to potentially dictate the pace of the game.
Instant Speed: Dreadmalkin’s activated ability can be used at instant speed, enabling unexpected combat tricks or interaction on your opponent’s turn, thereby altering the battlefield in your favor on the fly.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Dreadmalkin necessitates a card to be sacrificed to activate its ability. This can deplete your hand or board presence, possibly leaving you at a disadvantage against resource-abundant opponents.
Specific Mana Cost: This fiendish feline carries a specific mana cost that demands one black mana. This restricts its inclusion to decks that have black mana readily available, potentially sidelining it in multicolor deck construction.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Weighing in at one black mana and two other mana for a 1/1 creature, it’s a nontrivial investment considering the baseline stats. While its potential growth is a plus, decks may find more immediate value in other creatures with a lower mana cost or those that offer additional abilities upon entering the battlefield.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Dreadmalkin is a robust addition to any black deck, particularly those that thrive on sacrifice mechanics or need a resilient one-drop creature.
Combo Potential: This feline fiend pairs exceptionally well with cards that generate token creatures, allowing you to buff it significantly through its sacrifice ability, thus enabling powerful attack strategies early in the game.
Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to grow quickly and serve as a graveyard-filling tool, Dreadmalkin holds its ground in a variety of metas, especially those dominated by creature-centric decks and graveyard synergy.
How to beat
Dreadmalkin is a menacing creature in the battlefield, known for its sneaky strength and ability to grow quickly. This agile black cat isn’t just an ordinary feline; it wields a formidable mechanic where you can sacrifice another creature to give it +3/+3 until end of turn. Players facing Dreadmalkin must be wise and act swiftly. One efficient strategy is using removal spells that can target it regardless of its size, such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile.
Moreover, since Dreadmalkin thrives on having other creatures to sacrifice, controlling the number of creatures your opponent has can also turn the tables. Spells that clear the board or force an opponent to sacrifice creatures can effectively neutralize Dreadmalkin’s advantage. Playing enchantments like Seal Away or utilizing creatures with ‘enters the battlefield’ effects that exile or destroy creatures can also create a robust defense against this predatory threat.
Understanding Dreadmalkin’s reliance on other creatures and staying one step ahead with timely removals or board control can shift the momentum in your favor and neutralize this feline menace from the game of Magic: The Gathering.
Cards like Dreadmalkin
Dreadmalkin claims a niche spot in the pantheon of aggressive one-drops in Magic: The Gathering. With its menacing ability and the potential to grow larger by sacrificing other creatures, it bears a resemblance to cards like Vampire Lacerator, a strong early-game aggressor. However, unlike Lacerator, Dreadmalkin can become quite the powerhouse, albeit at the expense of other creatures on your battlefield.
Grasping Scoundrel is another card that players may parallel with Dreadmalkin for its early damage output. Although Scoundrel comes out swinging with potentially 2 damage on the first attack, it lacks the versatility and staying power provided by Dreadmalkin’s sacrifice ability. Gutterbones enters the conversation as well, being another one-drop with recursive ability. Yet, for quicker power scaling and evasive attacks thanks to menace, Dreadmalkin outshines its skeletal counterpart.
Considering these aspects, Dreadmalkin positions itself uniquely among one-drop creatures, offering more than just an early beatdown card but rather a strategic piece that can adapt to the board state and become a consistent threat over time.
Cards similar to Dreadmalkin by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Dreadmalkin MTG card by a specific set like War of the Spark and Ravnica Remastered, 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 Dreadmalkin 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 Dreadmalkin Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-05-03 and 2024-01-12. Illustrated by Aaron Miller.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2019-05-03 | War of the Spark | WAR | 87 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Aaron Miller | |
| 2 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 75 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Aaron Miller |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Dreadmalkin has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
