Drift of the Dead MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Wall
Abilities Defender
Power *
Toughness *

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides strong board protection, leveraging graveyards into a line of defense against opponents.
  2. Supports decks that employ self-mill or graveyard strategies, boosting its power and toughness significantly.
  3. Instant-speed graveyard fillers can unexpectedly strengthen Drift of the Dead, thwarting foe strategies.

Text of card

Drift of the Dead has power and toughness each equal to the number of snow-covered lands you control.

"Take their dead, and entomb them in the snow. Risen, they shall serve a new purpose." —Lim-Dûl, the Necromancer


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Drift of the Dead can essentially serve as a wall that is difficult for your opponent to remove, safeguarding your life points and helping to ensure you don’t fall behind in defending your board.

Resource Acceleration: This card synergizes well with decks focused on self-mill or graveyard strategies, effectively turning your graveyard into a resource that can accelerate your board presence with a sizable blocker.

Instant Speed: Though not an instant itself, Drift of the Dead benefits from instant speed graveyard fillers that can quickly change its power and toughness, surprising your opponent by making it larger right before they commit to an attack or block.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Drift of the Dead comes with an inherent downside in that it mandates players to have a snow-covered land card in the graveyard to prevent it from being detrimental. This situation can cause tension for players who may not want to part with valuable land cards early in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: With its mana cost entailing a generic and a snow mana, Drift of the Dead can impose deck-building restrictions. Players are compelled to integrate snow lands into their decks which could limit the card’s versatility across various deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: A thorough analysis reveals that the mana investment to cast Drift of the Dead may be steep considering the payoff. Other cards in the same mana range could potentially provide a more immediate impact on the battlefield without the snow land stipulation.


Reasons to Include Drift of the Dead in Your Collection

Versatility: Drift of the Dead excels in decks where the graveyard size can be controlled and expanded. Its power and toughness are determined by the number of snow lands in your graveyard, making it a robust defender in the right setup. Whether you’re playing a snow-themed deck or one that focuses on graveyard mechanics, Drift of the Dead can be a key piece.

Combo Potential: For decks that capitalize on self-mill or land sacrifice, Drift of the Dead offers solid combo potential. By increasing the number of snow lands in your graveyard, not only do you boost its stats, but you can also work alongside cards that benefit from having a high land count in the graveyard to unlock powerful synergies.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where graveyard strategies are prevalent, Drift of the Dead can shine. Its presence in your collection equips you to counter decks that aim to benefit from or disrupt graveyard contents, making it a strategic choice in certain metagame environments.


How to beat

Drift of the Dead is an intriguing wall-type creature in Magic: The Gathering, which gains power and toughness equal to the number of snow lands a player controls. It is a card that can potentially become a significant obstacle, especially in formats or decks where snow lands are prevalent. To tackle this icy barrier, having removal spells that don’t rely on the creature’s power and toughness is key. Cards like Path to Exile or Fatal Push can effectively deal with it no matter how large it grows.

Another practical approach is to sidestep the Drift of the Dead entirely by using flying creatures. Since Drift lacks flying, aerial attackers can soar over it, unimpeded. Furthermore, you may want to consider using cards that change lands’ types, such as Blood Moon, which would nullify all the snow land advantages and greatly weaken Drift of the Dead. Overall, while the card can be daunting under the right conditions, there are multiple strategies and specific card choices that can help to neutralize this frosty foe.


Cards like Drift of the Dead

Drift of the Dead stands out in MTG as a unique Ice Age snow-themed wall with a variable power and toughness. It has a direct competitor in Wall of Frost, a card that similarly impedes attacking creatures with cold-based defensive abilities. While Wall of Frost has consistent power and toughness, Drift of the Dead’s strength ebbs and flows with the number of snow lands under a player’s control, providing a dynamic defensive option.

When examining other similar defenders, Wall of Ice comes into consideration. It boasts a hefty 0/7 on its stat line, but it doesn’t offer the scalable potential of Drift of the Dead. Conversely, Glacial Wall offers the flexibility of a lower casting cost compared to Drift of the Dead but lacks the thematic synergy with snow lands that can enhance a deck’s strategy around the frosty mechanic.

Deciding on the inclusion of Drift of the Dead in a deck hinges on a strategist’s preference for an adaptable defender that can grow in strength with a snow land-based mana base. As such, Drift of the Dead can be an integral piece in decks designed to capitalize on the chilling power of snow lands.

Wall of Frost - Magic 2010 (M10)
Wall of Ice - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Glacial Wall - Ice Age (ICE)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Drift of the Dead MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age and Coldsnap Theme Decks, 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 Drift of the Dead and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Drift of the Dead Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1995-06-03 and 2008-09-22. Illustrated by Brian Snõddy.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11995-06-03Ice AgeICE 1231993normalblackBrian Snõddy
22006-07-21Coldsnap Theme DecksCST 1232003normalblackBrian Snõddy
32008-09-22Masters Edition IIME2 861997normalblackBrian Snõddy

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Drift of the Dead has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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