Hoard-Smelter Dragon MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Dragon
Abilities Flying
Power 5
Toughness 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Its ability to destroy artifacts offers both threat removal and creature strengthening.
  2. Instant speed activation increases tactical options and surprise potential.
  3. Mana cost and reliance on opponent artifacts limit its flexibility in some decks.

Text of card

Flying : Destroy target artifact. Hoard-Smelter Dragon gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is that artifact's converted mana cost.

He collects the precious metals, and then converts the rest to propellant.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Hoard-Smelter Dragon comes equipped with the ability to dismantle artifacts. Each time you utilize its ability, you not only remove an opponent’s key piece but also bulk up your dragon, swinging the board advantage in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly accelerating your resources, each artifact destroyed can be considered a setback for your adversaries, indirectly boosting your standing in the resource game.

Instant Speed: Its activation can be employed at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to disrupt your opponent’s strategy during their turn and unexpectedly enhancing your dragon’s power before delivering a critical blow.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Hoard-Smelter Dragon doesn’t have a direct discard requirement, it demands a steady accumulation of artifacts from your opponents to leverage its ability, which can be limiting in matchups where artifacts are scarce.

Specific Mana Cost: The dragon’s casting cost includes three generic and one red mana, which requires a commitment to red mana sources, potentially making it less flexible in multicolored decks that need to manage a diverse mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total mana cost of six, this dragon comes into play later in the game. This can be troublesome against quick, aggressive strategies that may have already established a strong board presence or tempo advantage.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Hoard-Smelter Dragon offers an adaptable presence on the battlefield, capable of acting as both an offensive threat and a removal tool. It can seamlessly integrate into decks that have a focus on artifacts or those just needing a robust flyer.

Combo Potential: With the ability to destroy artifacts and grow in strength, this dragon synergizes well with strategies that manipulate or exploit artifacts, allowing for powerful interactions and amplified board presence.

Meta-Relevance: Given the prevalence of artifacts in many current decks, having a creature that can not only benefit from enemies’ artifacts but also remove key pieces from play makes Hoard-Smelter Dragon a card worth considering in a variety of competitive situations.


How to beat Hoard-Smelter Dragon

Hoard-Smelter Dragon presents a formidable challenge on the battlefield with its ability to destroy artifacts and grow stronger. To effectively counter this flying behemoth, one must disrupt its growth strategy by controlling the number of artifacts in play. Artifact removal spells become key, allowing players to limit the dragon’s power and potential for damage. Additionally, having instant-speed removal spells can be crucial. They enable players to react swiftly during the combat phase or in response to the dragon’s ability activation, ensuring the dragon’s removal before it can capitalize on its strengths.

In multi-player settings, diplomatic strategies can also come into play. Collaborating with opponents to manage the threat can lead to cooperative artifact removal or shared defenses against the dragon. Moreover, enchantments that prevent damage or spells that create indestructible creatures can serve as a bulwark against Hoard-Smelter Dragon’s fiery onslaught. By focusing on these strategies and maintaining a balance of power on the board, players can neutralize the significant threat posed by Hoard-Smelter Dragon and protect their game state from potential domination.


BurnMana Recommendations

As we’ve delved into the prowess of Hoard-Smelter Dragon, we’ve seen its strengths and peculiarities, revealing what makes this fiery behemoth a noteworthy addition to MTG collections. While its ability to target and dismantle artifacts is a double-edged sword, it’s an undeniable asset in the right meta. If your arsenal craves a dynamic force capable of tilting the scales in artifact-rich environments, this dragon warrants consideration. For those eager to harness its might or seeking methods to subdue it, we extend an invitation to deepen your knowledge and refine your tactics. Ascend to dragon-slaying glory or embody the dragon’s wrath with us.


Cards like Hoard-Smelter Dragon

Hoard-Smelter Dragon is a unique creature in the MTG universe, belonging to the dragon archetype renowned for its powerful flyers. This dragon distinguishes itself with an ability that allows it to destroy artifacts and grow stronger simultaneously. Comparing this to other artifact-focused cards, Hoard-Smelter Dragon shares thematic similarities with cards like Manic Vandal, which also deals with artifacts but lacks the scalability of the dragon.

Analogous in function, we see Steel Hellkite, which has the capability of destroying multiple artifacts based on the damage it deals to opponents. However, while both dragons manipulate artifact destruction as a primary theme, Hoard-Smelter Dragon benefits from being able to target specific threats and gain power, offering a tactical advantage in terms of board presence and combat strategy.

Lastly, Oxidda Scrapmelter is another example that provides a destroy artifact ability upon entering the battlefield. While it shares this direct impact with Hoard-Smelter Dragon, it doesn’t have the recurring threat or power boost that makes the dragon a persistent menace on the battlefield. In summary, Hoard-Smelter Dragon stands out in MTG as an artifact bane, thriving in environments where it can continuously leverage its destructive growth for a commanding presence.

Manic Vandal - MTG Card versions
Steel Hellkite - MTG Card versions
Oxidda Scrapmelter - MTG Card versions
Manic Vandal - Magic 2011 (M11)
Steel Hellkite - Scars of Mirrodin Promos (PSOM)
Oxidda Scrapmelter - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)

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Kamahl, Pit Fighter - Duels of the Planeswalkers (DPA)
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Lu Bu, Master-at-Arms - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Inferno Titan - Commander Masters (CMM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hoard-Smelter Dragon MTG card by a specific set like Scars of Mirrodin and Commander 2014, 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 Hoard-Smelter Dragon and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Hoard-Smelter Dragon Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2010-10-01 and 2021-07-23. Illustrated by Eric Deschamps.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12010-10-01Scars of MirrodinSOM 932003normalblackEric Deschamps
22014-11-07Commander 2014C14 1782015normalblackEric Deschamps
32018-06-08Commander Anthology Volume IICM2 1042015normalblackEric Deschamps
42021-04-23Commander 2021C21 1732015normalblackEric Deschamps
52021-07-23Forgotten Realms CommanderAFC 1282015normalblackEric Deschamps

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Hoard-Smelter Dragon has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2011-01-01 If the mana cost of a permanent includes , that X is considered to be 0.
2011-01-01 If the targeted artifact is an illegal target by the time the activated ability resolves, the ability doesn't resolve. Hoard-Smelter Dragon won't get the bonus.
2013-07-01 If the activated ability resolves but the targeted artifact isn't destroyed (perhaps because it has indestructible or it regenerates), Hoard-Smelter Dragon will still get the bonus.

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