Surrak Dragonclaw MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Human Warrior
Abilities Flash
Power 6
Toughness 6

Key Takeaways

  1. Surrak Dragonclaw ensures creatures hit the battlefield, granting them a persistent, uncounterable presence.
  2. Giving your creatures trample, Surrak accelerates your board state, pushing for swifter victories.
  3. Despite being a game-changer, Surrak’s restrictive mana cost and high investment can be limiting factors.
Flash card art

Guide to Flash card ability

Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.

Text of card

Flash Surrak Dragonclaw can't be countered. Creature spells you control can't be countered. Other creatures you control have trample.

Both his rank and his scars were earned in single combat against a cave bear.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Surrak Dragonclaw ensures that your creature spells can’t be countered, providing a steady flow of creatures onto the battlefield which translates into a significant card advantage and game presence.

Resource Acceleration: Surrak enhances your mana efficiency by giving all your creatures trample, allowing you to push through extra damage and potentially end games quicker. This kind of battlefield acceleration can be as critical as having more mana.

Instant Speed: One of the standout features of Surrak is his Flash ability, allowing you to surprise your opponents by playing him at instant speed. This tactical advantage can shift the tides of a game, especially when you flash him in to grant your other creatures uncounterable status precisely when it’s most disruptive to your opponent’s strategy.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While not applicable to Surrak Dragonclaw himself, one downside to including him in your deck could be the need to strategize around this powerful card. You may find yourself discarding others to make way for Surrak’s entry, especially in tight game situations.

Specific Mana Cost: Surrak Dragonclaw commands a diverse mana base to cast—specifically one green, one blue, one red, and two other mana. This can make him a challenging fit in decks not aligned with a Temur color scheme and may restrict your deck-building options.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, Surrak Dragonclaw can be considered a high investment in the earlier turns of the game. This can be particularly noticeable when competing cards provide significant impact at a lesser mana cost, potentially putting you at a disadvantage if you’re unable to get him on the field promptly.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Surrak Dragonclaw stands out due to its flexibility across multiple deck archetypes. Its ability to grant your creature spells uncounterable is a significant advantage, especially in formats where control decks are prevalent.

Combo Potential: Surrak’s inclusion in your deck opens the door for numerous combo opportunities. With the capacity to give trample to other creatures, it can easily become a key piece in an aggressive combo strategy, ensuring that your heavy hitters connect with your opponent.

Meta-Relevance: Surrak Dragonclaw holds a particular relevance in the meta by being a formidable threat against control-heavy decks. Its presence on the battlefield can tilt the game in your favor by allowing key creatures to evade counterspells and ensuring their impact in the game is felt.


How to Beat Surrak Dragonclaw

Surrak Dragonclaw is a formidable figure in Magic: The Gathering, striking the battlefield with force and ensuring your creature spells cannot be countered. His presence often tilts the game to your favor, but every card has its Achilles heel. To effectively neutralize this Temur leader, control decks should focus on removal spells that don’t target creatures directly, such as board wipes. Cards like Wrath of God or Damnation can sweep the board clean, bypassing Surrak’s protection.

Players can also pivot strategies towards playing creatures with potent enter-the-battlefield abilities that can remove Surrak without needing the stack, like Shriekmaw or Ravenous Chupacabra. Additionally, counter his formidable abilities by utilizing cards that change the rules of engagement, such as Torpor Orb, which nullifies Surrak’s ability to grant your creatures haste and his own triggered ability upon entering. The key lies in smart deck construction and anticipating the trample this legendary creature can bring to a match.

Ultimately, while Surrak Dragonclaw presents a significant threat due to his anti-counter and team-boosting capabilities, savvy players can prepare and adjust their tactics accordingly to triumph over this powerful adversary.


BurnMana Recommendations

Expanding your MTG deck with Surrak Dragonclaw can be a game-changing move, blending the robust abilities of granting your creatures uncounterable status with the added bonus of trample. As we’ve dissected his strengths and potential drawbacks, it’s clear that Surrak is more than just a card – he’s a statement on the battlefield. For players eyeing strategic depth and surprise plays, incorporating this Temur powerhouse offers substantial benefits. Whether countering control-heavy opponents or looking to dominate with direct damage, Surrak’s versatility is unmatched. Unearth the full potential of Surrak Dragonclaw in your collection and let your creatures roar across the battlefield unimpeded. Dive into our detailed strategies and optimize your play style by making Surrak the cornerstone of your next victorious deck.


Cards like Surrak Dragonclaw

Surrak Dragonclaw is a powerful figure in the MTG universe, renowned for granting your creatures trample and an uncounterable presence. In the realm of creature support, Thunderfoot Baloth is a commonly compared entity. Though the Baloth boosts creatures with a definitive +2/+2 as long as you control a commander, it doesn’t shield your spells from being countered like Surrak. One might also look to Urabrask the Hidden, which also impacts the board by hastening your creatures and slowing down the opposition. Unlike Surrak, Urabrask doesn’t affect the stack, but it deeply hinders your opponents’ defenses.

For those who value uncounterable spells, Vexing Shusher is another key player. While it doesn’t bolster the board like Surrak, it can be used more flexibly to protect key spells from control strategies. Lastly, Spellbreaker Behemoth and Surrak share traits, ensuring creatures can’t be countered. Spellbreaker, however, narrowly focuses on large creatures and lacks Surrak’s added boon of granting trample to all your attacking creatures.

Weighing these options, Surrak Dragonclaw holds a unique position, knitting together the tapestry of trample, uncounterability, and broad creature support, an impressive suite of abilities not easily mirrored in the MTG landscape.

Thunderfoot Baloth - MTG Card versions
Urabrask the Hidden - MTG Card versions
Vexing Shusher - MTG Card versions
Spellbreaker Behemoth - MTG Card versions
Thunderfoot Baloth - Commander 2014 (C14)
Urabrask the Hidden - New Phyrexia (NPH)
Vexing Shusher - Launch Parties (PLPA)
Spellbreaker Behemoth - Alara Reborn (ARB)

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Surrak Dragonclaw MTG card by a specific set like Khans of Tarkir and Khans of Tarkir Promos, 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 Surrak Dragonclaw and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Surrak Dragonclaw Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2014-09-26 and 2022-09-09. Illustrated by Jaime Jones.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12014-09-26Khans of TarkirKTK 2062015normalblackJaime Jones
22014-09-26Khans of Tarkir PromosPKTK 206s2015normalblackJaime Jones
32022-09-09Dominaria United CommanderDMC 1692015normalblackJaime Jones

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Surrak Dragonclaw has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2014-09-20 A spell or ability that counters spells can still target a creature spell you control. When that spell or ability resolves, the creature spell won't be countered, but any additional effects of that spell or ability will still happen.

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