Ebon Dragon MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Dragon
Abilities Flying
Power 5
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Ebon Dragon makes opponents discard, subtly impacting their strategic options and hand size.
  2. Its flight and size pose a significant threat, potentially taxing opponents’ resources heavily.
  3. High mana cost and specific requirements can make casting Ebon Dragon challenging.

Text of card

Flying When Ebon Dragon comes into play from your hand, you may force your opponent to choose and discard a card from his or her hand.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: When Ebon Dragon enters the battlefield, you compel your opponent to discard a card, tipping the balance of card quantity in your favor. This effect not only potentially disrupts their strategy but also ensures you’re a step ahead when it comes to available resources in hand.

Resource Acceleration: Ebon Dragon doesn’t directly accelerate your resources, but by providing a significant flying threat, it can apply pressure that may force opponents to use up valuable resources to handle it. This, in turn, can put you in a more favorable position as the game progresses.

Instant Speed: Though Ebon Dragon itself isn’t an instant, its intimidating presence on the board means opponents must constantly be wary of what you could have available at instant speed. The dragon enables you to dictate the pace, potentially deterring opponents from committing to the board and allowing you to capitalize on their hesitation with instant speed spells from your hand.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Ebon Dragon’s enter the battlefield ability forces an opponent to discard a card, however, this can sometimes backfire. In situations where an adversary benefits from having cards in their graveyard or possesses a minimal hand size, the effect might not be as crippling as intended.

Specific Mana Cost: Summoning the Ebon Dragon demands a precise blend of mana – two black and five others. This can be challenging for decks that aren’t mono-black or those not focused on a solid mana base. Consequently, deploying it can become complicated or delayed in a multi-colored deck.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total mana value of seven, the Ebon Dragon’s cost is on the steeper end. For such a significant mana investment, there are other creatures and spells available in MTG that could deliver more instant impact or versatility on the battlefield.


Reasons to Include Ebon Dragon in Your Collection

Versatility: Ebon Dragon offers flexibility in gameplay, due to its dual role as a flying threat and a means of disrupting the opponent’s hand. This allows it to be a valuable addition to dragon-themed decks and control strategies alike, as it impacts the board and the opponent’s options.

Combo Potential: This card has synergy with decks that capitalize on discard mechanics or reanimation strategies. Its entrance trigger can be repeatedly leveraged in the right deck, providing consistent value each time it’s brought back from the graveyard to the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors creature-based combat, Ebon Dragon stands out with its sizable body and flight, able to evade many common defenders. Moreover, its hand disruption ability is particularly useful against decks that rely heavily on specific cards to win.


How to beat

The Ebon Dragon is an intriguing creature card, bringing a unique challenge to the table in a game of Magic: The Gathering. This formidable dragon’s entrance into the battlefield with an ability forcing an opponent to discard a card can disrupt even the best-laid plans. However, its five black mana cost makes it a late-game player, which means you have an opportunity to prepare a strategy to counter it. To effectively tackle the Ebon Dragon, consider cards that exile or transform creatures before the dragon’s effect triggers, such as Path to Exile or Pongify.

Mana ramping to swift board-clearing spells like Damnation or Wrath of God can also be crucial, as removing the Ebon Dragon once it’s landed can reset the game in your favor. Moreover, countering the dragon with cards like Counterspell or Mana Leak is a direct and efficient way to ensure it never poses a threat. Lastly, having instant-speed removal options in your deck can give you the flexibility to target the Ebon Dragon immediately after it hits the battlefield, circumventing its discard ability. With the right mix of foresight and timely reactions, the Ebon Dragon’s imposing presence can be thoroughly neutralized.


Cards like Ebon Dragon

Ebon Dragon serves as a captivating option amongst black creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. It shares a thematic and functional kinship with cards like Kokusho, the Evening Star. Both creatures have impactful “enters the battlefield” effects aimed to influence the game’s balance. Ebon Dragon, however, requires opponent’s hand intervention as it forces a card discard upon entering, whereas Kokusho focuses on life swing, gaining and dealing life when it dies.

Another comparison leads us to the haunting visage of Abyssal Persecutor, a powerful creature that perturbs the endgame with its “can’t win, can’t lose” condition while offering a significantly cheaper casting cost than the Ebon Dragon. Both cards are high-impact creatures but influence the board in starkly different ways, with Abyssal Persecutor giving players a potential edge as long as its damning condition can be navigated or removed.

With a multitude of intriguing and powerful effects, Ebon Dragon stands tall in the vast array of creature cards in Magic: The Gathering, providing strategic discard ability and an imposing presence on the board.

Kokusho, the Evening Star - MTG Card versions
Abyssal Persecutor - MTG Card versions
Kokusho, the Evening Star - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Abyssal Persecutor - Worldwake (WWK)

Cards similar to Ebon Dragon by color, type and mana cost

Lord of the Pit - MTG Card versions
Minion of Tevesh Szat - MTG Card versions
Minion of Leshrac - MTG Card versions
Cateran Overlord - MTG Card versions
Deathbringer Regent - MTG Card versions
Black Dragon - MTG Card versions
Reaper of Night // Harvest Fear - MTG Card versions
Zombie Brute - MTG Card versions
Patron of the Nezumi - MTG Card versions
Tresserhorn Skyknight - MTG Card versions
Lim-Dûl the Necromancer - MTG Card versions
Phage the Untouchable - MTG Card versions
Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet - MTG Card versions
Sheoldred, Whispering One - MTG Card versions
Sutured Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Abhorrent Overlord - MTG Card versions
Fell Shepherd - MTG Card versions
Butcher of Malakir - MTG Card versions
Eater of Hope - MTG Card versions
Scourge of Nel Toth - MTG Card versions
Lord of the Pit - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Minion of Tevesh Szat - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Minion of Leshrac - Ice Age (ICE)
Cateran Overlord - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Deathbringer Regent - Commander 2021 (C21)
Black Dragon - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms (AFR)
Reaper of Night // Harvest Fear - Throne of Eldraine (ELD)
Zombie Brute - Legions (LGN)
Patron of the Nezumi - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Tresserhorn Skyknight - Coldsnap (CSP)
Lim-Dûl the Necromancer - Time Spiral (TSP)
Phage the Untouchable - Conspiracy (CNS)
Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet - Zendikar (ZEN)
Sheoldred, Whispering One - Multiverse Legends (MUL)
Sutured Ghoul - Magic 2012 (M12)
Abhorrent Overlord - Theros Promos (PTHS)
Fell Shepherd - Commander 2013 (C13)
Butcher of Malakir - From Cute to Brute (PCTB)
Eater of Hope - Midnight Hunt Commander (MIC)
Scourge of Nel Toth - Commander 2015 (C15)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ebon Dragon MTG card by a specific set like Portal and From the Vault: Dragons, 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 Ebon Dragon and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ebon Dragon Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1997-05-01 and 2011-01-10. Illustrated by Donato Giancola.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11997-05-01PortalPOR 911997normalblackDonato Giancola
22008-08-29From the Vault: DragonsDRB 62003normalblackDonato Giancola
32011-01-10Masters Edition IVME4 801997normalblackDonato Giancola

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ebon Dragon has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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