Wardscale Dragon MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Dragon |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Released | 2015-01-23 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Fate Reforged |
| Set code | FRF |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 4 |
| Number | 30 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Jason Rainville |
Key Takeaways
- Wardscale Dragon provides card advantage, deterring opponents and enriching your resource pool.
- Strategic deck building is required due to its color identity and specific mana cost.
- Its versatile nature makes it a valuable inclusion for dragon-oriented defensive strategies.
Text of card
Flying As long as Wardscale Dragon is attacking, defending player can't cast spells.
Dromoka's brood emerge from the dragon tempests covered with tough scales that protect them from most clan weapons and magic.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Wardscale Dragon helps you secure a more robust hand by providing an edge when it interacts with cards that benefit from controlling a dragon, leading to efficient turnover and a deeper pool of resources during play.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly ramping mana, the presence of Wardscale Dragon can deter opponents from targeting your other resources, effectively accelerating your game plan by allowing your assets to remain on the battlefield and be utilized to their fullest potential.
Instant Speed: Although Wardscale Dragon is not an instant itself, it complements instant-speed spells nicely. Being vigilant on the board, it enables you to deflect attention from your strategies, freeing up your mana for instant speed interactions on your opponent’s turn without having to worry as much about shields being down.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Wardscale Dragon often involves strategic deck construction to align with its color identity and abilities. However, it lacks an innate discard mechanism, which means that without additional support from other cards to create such conditions, its potential may sometimes go unutilized in certain plays.
Specific Mana Cost: Wardscale Dragon comes with a specific mana cost structure, requiring both colorless and white mana. This condition can be challenging for players running multicolored decks, possibly hindering the dragon’s inclusion in more versatile and dynamic strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Boasting a mana value that puts it in the mid to high range cost-wise, Wardscale Dragon can be a weighty investment early in the game. Players must balance this with other demands on their mana resources, potentially delaying the execution of other crucial plays or establishment of board presence.
Reasons to Include Wardscale Dragon in Your Collection
Versatility: Wardscale Dragon offers a flexible playstyle that can be adopted into various deck builds. Its dragon tribe and protective abilities make it valuable in situations where proactive defense is necessary against an opponent’s targeting spells. This card interacts well in a deck focused on large creatures or those that aim to exploit the advantages of flying creatures.
Combo Potential: With its unique ability to protect permanents from spells during combat, Wardscale Dragon pairs well with strategies that involve combat tricks or other dragons. The synergy this card has with cards that reward you for controlling dragons or for going into combat enhances its combo capabilities in dragon-themed decks.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta game where spot removal is prevalent, Wardscale Dragon shines by offering a layer of resilience during combat phases. Its situational utility can tilt the balance in your favor when facing decks that rely heavily on targeted spells to maintain control.
How to beat
Wardscale Dragon possesses a unique feature that makes it a force to reckon with in Magic: The Gathering, particularly because it prevents your opponent from casting spells during combat. Tackling this fierce flyer requires a well-considered strategy, as direct interaction during your own turn is key. The trick lies in timing; dealing with Wardscale Dragon when it’s not your turn to fight is crucial. Utilizing instant-speed removal spells before the combat phase or after it has concluded sidesteps the spell-shielding ability of this dragon and allows you to control the board effectively.
Additionally, cards with Flash hold a strategic advantage, giving you the power to spring surprises on your adversary during their turn. Creatures like Vendilion Clique can be played right before the end phase of your opponent’s turn to bypass the combat-centric limitations of the Wardscale Dragon’s ability. Moreover, never underestimate the value of board wipes; a well-placed Supreme Verdict can clear the path regardless of combat scenarios.
Permanent-based removal such as Detention Sphere or Cast Out also provides a decisive answer, excelling beyond the Dragon’s protective ward during non-combat phases, which is when they can be legally activated. In essence, when facing down the Wardscale Dragon, apply foresighted plays and prioritize non-combat phase actions to maintain the upper hand.
Cards like Wardscale Dragon
Wardscale Dragon introduces a unique layer of strategy to battlefield sustainment in MTG. It shares several traits with other dragon-themed cards, most notably the penchant for offering both offensive and defensive capabilities. Take Scalelord Reckoner, for instance; this card also excels at protecting your other creatures by deterring opponents from targeting them, albeit through a different mechanism of retribution rather than warding.
Stormwing Dragon, while not providing direct protection to other creatures, is another comparable card as it comes equipped with flying and ward. However, in contrast, Wardscale Dragon adds to your defensive arsenal by also making your spells harder to counter on your turn, a specific advantage not seen with Stormwing Dragon. Scalelord Reckoner doesn’t protect spells but punishes targeting, and Stormwing requires a higher mana investment for its ward ability.
Considering the dynamic of creature protection, Wardscale Dragon stands out in the realm of MTG. Its capacity to shield both creatures and spells during your turn presents a distinctive blend of offense and defense, carving a niche that makes it particularly appealing for players seeking an edge in the battlefield’s protection game.
Cards similar to Wardscale Dragon by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Wardscale Dragon MTG card by a specific set like Fate Reforged, 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 Wardscale Dragon 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Wardscale Dragon has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Wardscale Dragon card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2014-11-24 | The defending player can still activate abilities or take special actions, such as turning a face-down creature face up. |
| 2014-11-24 | “Defending player” refers to the player Wardscale Dragon is attacking or the controller of the planeswalker Wardscale Dragon is attacking. In multiplayer formats that allow attacking multiple players, your other opponents can still cast spells, even if you control other creatures attacking those players or planeswalkers those players control. |
