Clockwork Dragon MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityRare
TypeArtifact Creature — Dragon
Abilities Flying
Power 0
Toughness 0

Key Takeaways

  1. Clockwork Dragon provides excellent card advantage upon dealing combat damage, fuelling your game resources.
  2. It encourages strategic deck building with abilities that enhance its presence and evolve gameplay.
  3. This artifact creature’s demand for specific conditions can be a double-edged sword, impacting its utility.

Text of card

Flying Clockwork Dragon comes into play with six +1/+1 counters on it. Whenever Clockwork Dragon attacks or blocks, remove a +1/+1 counter from it at end of combat. : Put a +1/+1 counter on Clockwork Dragon.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Clockwork Dragon can be a true mechanized marvel when it comes to card advantage. Each time it deals combat damage, you get the opportunity to draw cards, potentially overwhelming opponents with a stream of resources.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly impacting your mana pool, this artifact creature can prove pivotal in games by providing consistent board presence. As you tick up its counters and manage to keep it in play, you essentially save mana by not having to redeploy threats each turn.

Instant Speed: Clockwork Dragon doesn’t directly interact at instant speed, but this characteristic comes into play with its synergies. In a deck that can untap it or manipulate counters at instant speed, Clockwork Dragon evolves from a mere creature to a versatile combatant, able to adapt to the fluid dynamics of any match.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Clockwork Dragon demands players to pitch another card from their hand upon entry, potentially depleting valuable hand resources that could be crucial later in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Its casting cost is locked at five generic and one blue mana, necessitating a solid mana foundation and possibly restricting the card’s inclusion in multicolored or non-blue decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clockwork Dragon sits at a steep six mana value to cast. In today’s fast-paced games, there are other creatures and constructs that might provide similar or greater impact at a lower cost and with more flexible deployment options.


Reasons to Include Clockwork Dragon in Your Collection

Versatility: Clockwork Dragon’s flexible power level, which scales with the amount of mana you invest into it, allows it to adapt to a variety of game states. It’s a welcome addition in decks that can manage the board while investing in the long game.

Combo Potential: As an artifact creature, Clockwork Dragon synergizes with strategies that capitalize on artifact manipulation. It can be pivotal in combos exploiting abilities to untap artifacts or proliferate counters.

Meta-Relevance: Within a meta that celebrates artifact themes or has prevalent modular and counter-based mechanics, Clockwork Dragon can become a key player, especially when paired with support cards that accentuate its strengths and mitigate its upkeep costs.


How to beat

Clockwork Dragon presents a unique challenge on the battlefield, contributing to the rich diversity in the MTG arsenal. Its ability to grow in power with the accumulation of +1/+1 counters makes it a formidable flying threat as the game progresses. To counter this mechanical beast, there are some effective strategies you can employ.

First and foremost, removal spells are your friend when dealing with Clockwork Dragon. Since the dragon needs to attack or block to gain those counters, spells like Doom Blade or Path to Exile can eliminate it before it becomes too strong. Artifact removal specifically, like Shatter or Disenchant, is also highly efficient due to the dragon’s artifact creature type.

Countermagic is another powerful tool. By holding up mana for a counterspell such as Cancel or Negate, you can prevent the dragon from ever taking flight. Another tactic is to minimize the impact of those counters. Cards that prevent counters from being placed, like Solemnity, or cards that can manipulate counters like Vampire Hexmage, dealing with Clockwork Dragon becomes significantly easier.

Lastly, utilizing board wipes like Wrath of God can reset the playing field, keeping Clockwork Dragon’s growing threat at bay. It’s about timing and choosing the right moment to strike. By anticipating and disrupting your opponent’s strategy, you can ensure that Clockwork Dragon doesn’t wind up the clock to your defeat.


Cards like Clockwork Dragon

The Clockwork Dragon joins the ranks of modular creatures in Magic: The Gathering, similar to its kin such as Arcbound Ravager. Both cards thrive off counters, with the Ravager able to sacrifice artifacts to grow its own power. The Clockwork Dragon, however, gains its +1/+1 counters differently, accumulating them as it deals combat damage and losing them when it takes damage.

When examining other dragons in MTG, it’s hard not to draw parallels with Steel Hellkite, another mechanized behemoth. Steel Hellkite requires an energy investment to destroy each nonland permanent with converted mana cost equal to the energy paid, offering a versatile removal option. Clockwork Dragon doesn’t boast such a board impact, but it can operate as a more reliable damage dealer given consistent combat success.

Other notable comparisons include Triskelion, which also has the ability to remove +1/+1 counters but uses them to ping any target for damage. This versatility can offer direct control over the board and finish off opponents, albeit without the potentially recurring power growth of Clockwork Dragon.

In essence, while there are numerous mechanic creatures with counter-based strategies, Clockwork Dragon offers a unique combination of combat resilience and potential growth that can be leveraged in the right deck build.

Arcbound Ravager - MTG Card versions
Steel Hellkite - MTG Card versions
Triskelion - MTG Card versions
Arcbound Ravager - Darksteel (DST)
Steel Hellkite - Scars of Mirrodin Promos (PSOM)
Triskelion - Antiquities (ATQ)

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

Mishra's War Machine - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Machine - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Colossus - MTG Card versions
Lotus Guardian - MTG Card versions
Wondrous Crucible - MTG Card versions
Myr Enforcer - MTG Card versions
Chromatic Orrery - MTG Card versions
Pentavus - MTG Card versions
Darksteel Gargoyle - MTG Card versions
Death-Mask Duplicant - MTG Card versions
Arcbound Lancer - MTG Card versions
Solarion - MTG Card versions
Triskelavus - MTG Card versions
Platinum Angel - MTG Card versions
Sphinx-Bone Wand - MTG Card versions
Myr Battlesphere - MTG Card versions
Akroma's Memorial - MTG Card versions
Aether Searcher - MTG Card versions
Pilgrim of the Fires - MTG Card versions
Hexplate Golem - MTG Card versions
Mishra's War Machine - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Diabolic Machine - Renaissance (REN)
Phyrexian Colossus - Duel Decks: Phyrexia vs. the Coalition (DDE)
Lotus Guardian - Invasion (INV)
Wondrous Crucible - The Brothers' War Commander (BRC)
Myr Enforcer - Jumpstart: Historic Horizons (J21)
Chromatic Orrery - Core Set 2021 (M21)
Pentavus - The List (PLST)
Darksteel Gargoyle - Darksteel (DST)
Death-Mask Duplicant - Darksteel (DST)
Arcbound Lancer - Darksteel (DST)
Solarion - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Triskelavus - Time Spiral (TSP)
Platinum Angel - The Brothers' War Retro Artifacts (BRR)
Sphinx-Bone Wand - Duel Decks: Izzet vs. Golgari (DDJ)
Myr Battlesphere - Phyrexia: All Will Be One Commander (ONC)
Akroma's Memorial - The List (PLST)
Aether Searcher - Conspiracy (CNS)
Pilgrim of the Fires - Fate Reforged (FRF)
Hexplate Golem - The List (PLST)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Clockwork Dragon MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin and The List, 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 Clockwork Dragon and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Clockwork Dragon Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2003-10-02 and 2003-10-02. Illustrated by Arnie Swekel.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12003-10-02MirrodinMRD 1552003normalblackArnie Swekel
22020-09-26The ListPLST MRD-1552003normalblackArnie Swekel

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Clockwork Dragon has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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