Seacoast Drake MTG Card


Seacoast Drake - Magic 2014
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Drake
Abilities Flying
Released2013-07-19
Set symbol
Set nameMagic 2014
Set codeM14
Power 1
Toughness 3
Number70
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byScott Chou

Key Takeaways

  1. Seacoast Drake deters attacks, indirectly maintaining card advantage through board presence.
  2. Leaves mana free for other spells, aiding in early game flexibility and efficiency.
  3. Strategically chosen, can excel in flying-heavy metas or specific deck synergies.

Text of card

Flying

Seacoast drakes have been known to follow ships for hundreds of miles, waiting to snap up garbage, bait, and the occasional sailor.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Seacoast Drake might not directly generate card advantage, it can deter opponents from attacking, preserving your hand and battlefield presence. This can lead to indirect card advantage over time as you maintain your resources while developing your board.

Resource Acceleration: Seacoast Drake doesn’t provide traditional resource acceleration. However, it requires a low investment of only three mana, including one blue, making it an efficient play that leaves mana available for other spells.

Instant Speed: Seacoast Drake operates at sorcery speed, but its ability to fly gives you a tactical advantage when defending, allowing you to effectively block other flying creatures that could pose a threat at it enters the battlefield.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside to playing Seacoast Drake is that it lacks any ability to offset its cost through an alternate casting option or by recycling it from the graveyard. This can become a critical factor when your hand is nearly depleted and every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Seacoast Drake demands both blue mana and colorless mana in its casting cost, committing you to a blue-centric or at least blue-inclusive mana base. For multicolored decks, this requirement can pose a challenge and decrease the card’s versatility in deck construction.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a creature with only 1 power and 3 toughness, Seacoast Drake comes with a somewhat steep mana cost. Given this investment, players might expect a utility creature with more impact on the game—be it through higher stats or additional abilities—which Seacoast Drake does not provide.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Seacoast Drake offers a reliable flying creature for decks needing consistent early-game board presence. Its ability to block aerial threats makes it a strategic addition in formats where fliers are prevalent.

Combo Potential: As a low-cost creature with flying, Seacoast Drake works well with synergies that capitalize on flying creatures or those that require sacrificing a creature for greater effects.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors aggressive flying creatures, Seacoast Drake serves as an excellent defender. Its presence can deter attacks and maintain a strategic defense while building up to more potent threats.


How to beat

Seacoast Drake holds its own in the blue creatures lineup of Magic: The Gathering. With flying as its primary ability, it soars over ground-based defenses, making it an evasive element in early game skirmishes. Its defensive stance is characterized by its two toughness, which provides resilience against common one-damage spells and effects.

Overcoming Seacoast Drake requires strategic planning. Cards with reach or those that can deal direct damage, irrespective of flying, are effective counters. Spells like Shock or Lightning Strike can dispatch it easily with their instantaneous impact. Ensnaring it with enchantments that negate flying abilities or those that have the capacity to reduce its toughness also prove to be reliable counters. Additionally, utilizing creatures with intimidate or menace can apply pressure on your opponent’s game plan, as the Drake cannot block these effectively.

Taking Seacoast Drake into account, it’s crucial to include versatile removal or control elements in your deck. These adaptations not only address the presence of Seacoast Drake but also enhance your deck’s overall capability to manage various threats effectively within the dynamic environment of Magic: The Gathering.


Cards like Seacoast Drake

Seacoast Drake, a creature card from the Magic: The Gathering universe, has some interesting parallels with other cards that occupy the same slot in the blue creature roster. One can notice similarities when it’s compared to cards like Welkin Tern and Coral Merfolk. While all three cards are two-mana creatures, each has distinct abilities that set them apart.

Welkin Tern shares the same cost and also flies, but it can’t block creatures on the ground, which might leave open flanks for your opponent’s assault. On the other hand, Coral Merfolk, although lacking flight, provides a stable 2/1 stat line for the same mana investment. Seacoast Drake finds a middle ground, with its ability to both block flying and ground creatures making it a versatile choice to control the board from early on in the game.

Strategic deck builders might consider the trade-offs between these cards. While Welkin Tern is aggressive, Seacoast Drake offers a defensive edge. In contrast, Coral Merfolk fits somewhere between the two. Assessing the specific needs of a deck’s strategy is crucial when deciding which of these creatures to include. Nonetheless, Seacoast Drake holds its own as a balanced option in blue oriented decks within Magic: The Gathering.

Welkin Tern - MTG Card versions
Coral Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Welkin Tern - Zendikar (ZEN)
Coral Merfolk - Urza's Saga (USG)

Cards similar to Seacoast Drake by color, type and mana cost

Vodalian Soldiers - MTG Card versions
Zephyr Falcon - MTG Card versions
Giant Albatross - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Sphere - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Condor - MTG Card versions
School of Piranha - MTG Card versions
Coral Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Wu Light Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Sea Eagle - MTG Card versions
Overtaker - MTG Card versions
Hazy Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Darting Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Thought Eater - MTG Card versions
Spellstutter Sprite - MTG Card versions
Sneaky Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Coral Eel - MTG Card versions
Storm Crow - MTG Card versions
Aquamoeba - MTG Card versions
Soratami Cloudskater - MTG Card versions
Minamo Sightbender - MTG Card versions
Vodalian Soldiers - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Zephyr Falcon - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Giant Albatross - Homelands (HML)
Phantasmal Sphere - Alliances (ALL)
Skyshroud Condor - Tempest (TMP)
School of Piranha - Exodus (EXO)
Coral Merfolk - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Wu Light Cavalry - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Sea Eagle - Starter 1999 (S99)
Overtaker - Mercadian Masques Promos (PMMQ)
Hazy Homunculus - Prophecy (PCY)
Darting Merfolk - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Thought Eater - Odyssey (ODY)
Spellstutter Sprite - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Sneaky Homunculus - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Coral Eel - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Storm Crow - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Aquamoeba - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)
Soratami Cloudskater - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Minamo Sightbender - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Seacoast Drake MTG card by a specific set like Magic 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 Seacoast Drake and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Seacoast Drake has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

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