Dromoka's Gift MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Instant |
| Abilities | Bolster |
| Released | 2015-03-27 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Dragons of Tarkir |
| Set code | DTK |
| Number | 184 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Winona Nelson |
Key Takeaways
- Dromoka’s Gift allows card advantage by increasing creature power at crucial moments.
- Offers resource acceleration, turning modest creatures into significant threats.
- Countered by instant-speed removals and strategic play that targets key creatures.
Text of card
Bolster 4. (Choose a creature with the least toughness among creatures you control and put four +1/+1 counters on it.)
The simplest gift from a dragon can be a revered accolade for a human warrior.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Dromoka’s Gift is a boon for those looking to tip the scales in their favor with a potential surge in card advantage. This gift from the formidable dragon manifests in bolstering your creatures and leads to a more formidable board presence that can overwhelm opponents.
Resource Acceleration: By augmenting your creatures, this spell propels your resource acceleration as it can turn even the most humble of creatures into significant threats. This shift in the battlefield dynamics may force your opponent to respond, often at the cost of depleting their own resources to handle your enhanced creatures.
Instant Speed: The true power of Dromoka’s Gift shines at instant speed. Deploy it tactically during combat or at the end of your opponent’s turn to maximize surprise and strategic value. Its instant nature means you can adapt to the evolving game state, keeping your options open while dictating the pace of play.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Holding Dromoka’s Gift in your hand can be a liability, as it requires discarding another card to reap its benefits. This condition can be particularly detrimental when your options are already waning, and each card in your hand is crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: Dromoka’s Gift demands a very particular mana investment, necessitating two green and two white mana. This can pose a challenge for multicolored decks that may not consistently generate the necessary colors.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Dromoka’s Gift can be a game-changing play, its mana cost is on the higher end of the spectrum. This might deter players, especially when there are alternatives that achieve similar effects with a lower commitment of resources.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Dromoka’s Gift can seamlessly integrate into various deck strategies, notably those that rely on bolstering creatures or need instant-speed interaction to tip the combat phase in their favor.
Combo Potential: This card can significantly enhance synergies within counters-based decks or with cards that thrive on +1/+1 counter distribution, amplifying their impact on the game board.
Meta-Relevance: Given Dromoka’s Gift’s alignment with the bolster mechanic, it has a place in a meta that values creature survivability and combat tricks that can turn the tide of battle during key interactions.
How to beat
Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of Dromoka’s Gift is crucial when strategizing in Magic: The Gathering. Noted for its bolster mechanic, Dromoka’s Gift can quickly turn a small creature into a significant threat. To counter this instant card, it is essential to maintain a removal strategy in your deck that can target creatures both before and after they are bolstered. Instant speed removal like Path to Exile or Fatal Push can be particularly effective, allowing you to respond to the casting of Dromoka’s Gift directly.
Furthermore, it’s beneficial to monitor your opponent’s mana and play patterns. Since Dromoka’s Gift costs five mana, it often requires the entire turn’s resources, leaving your opponent potentially exposed to a counterstrike. Employing spells that can negate or counter noncreature spells can also dismantle your opponent’s plans, with options such as Negate or Dovin’s Veto being suitable choices. Also, keep an eye on the board state; the less creatures your opponent has, the less valuable Dromoka’s Gift becomes, encouraging a playstyle that controls the number of opposing creatures.
By integrating these tactics into your MTG matches, Dromoka’s Gift’s impact can be mitigated, allowing you to maintain supremacy over the battlefield. In assessing your defensive options, your ability to beat Dromoka’s Gift will elevate, ensuring your strategy remains one step ahead.
Cards like Dromoka's Gift
Dromoka’s Gift presents a unique buff offering in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, akin to the commands of bolster mechanics. Its nearest relative is perhaps Ainok Bond-Kin, which not only bolsters but also grants first strike to a creature until the end of the turn. However, Dromoka’s Gift edges out with the ability to bolster 4, significantly enhancing a single creature’s presence on the battlefield.
In the spectrum of bolster spells, Scale Blessing stands out as well, allowing not just one, but all creatures you control to get a +1/+1 counter if at least one already has one. Dromoka’s Gift doesn’t have this board-wide impact but focuses on substantially empowering a solitary target. There’s also Map the Wastes which adds a mana ramp benefit along with a bolster 1 effect, yet Dromoka’s Gift provides a much larger temporary boost in power.
While examining these options, it’s evident that Dromoka’s Gift is crafted for those moments where a significant power surge in a single creature could turn the tides, contrasting with others that offer more generalized enhancements or additional benefits beyond bolstering. It holds a strong position within Magic: The Gathering’s arsenal of bolster spells, particularly for those strategizing towards single-target creature dominance.
Cards similar to Dromoka's Gift by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Dromoka's Gift MTG card by a specific set like Dragons of Tarkir, 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 Dromoka's Gift 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 Dromoka's Gift has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Dromoka's Gift card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2015-02-25 | Bolster itself doesn’t target any creature, though some spells and abilities that bolster may have other effects that target creatures. For example, you could put counters on a creature with protection from white with Aven Tactician’s bolster ability. |
| 2015-02-25 | You determine which creature to put counters on as the spell or ability that instructs you to bolster resolves. That could be the creature with the bolster ability, if it’s still under your control and has the least toughness. |
