Dong Zhou, the Tyrant MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Human Soldier
Power 3
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Dong Zhou offers the ability to utilize opponents’ turns, disrupting their strategies and pacing.
  2. His dual-colored mana cost may reduce flexibility but enables powerful control/sacrifice synergy.
  3. Strategic counters or protective gears like Swiftfoot Boots can mitigate Dong Zhou’s impact.

Text of card

When Dong Zhou comes into play, choose one of your opponent's creatures. That creature deals damage to him or her equal to its power. (Ignore this effect if your opponent doesn't have any creatures in play.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Dong Zhou, the Tyrant provides an edge in card advantage by letting you control another turn from an opponent. This bonus play provides a significant opportunity to utilize your opponent’s resources, potentially drawing into more options or disrupting their strategy.

Resource Acceleration: On entering the battlefield, the card allows for a potent form of resource acceleration. By taking an opponent’s turn, you can potentially deploy their untapped lands or resources, giving you a temporary boost in mana availability and speeding up your own game plan.

Instant Speed: While Dong Zhou, the Tyrant doesn’t operate at instant speed himself, the ripple effect of seizing an opponent’s turn can be as disruptive as a well-timed instant. It fundamentally alters the pacing and can catch opponents off-guard, much like an instant would, forcing them to adapt to an unexpected change in game flow.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: For Dong Zhou, the Tyrant to take full effect, you’re asked to give up part of your hand. This trade-off can be especially taxing if you’re already struggling to maintain card advantage on the battlefield.

Specific Mana Cost: Dong Zhou comes with a casting cost that includes both red and black mana. This requirement can hinder deck flexibility, as it necessitates a certain commitment to a dual-color mana base, potentially reducing the card’s utility in mono-color or various other deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clocking in at six mana, Dong Zhou’s cost is on the higher side. In a game where speed can determine the victor, the time it takes to marshal the resources for this play might set you back, especially considering other cards might perform similar functions with less strain on your mana pool.


Reasons to Include Dong Zhou, the Tyrant in Your Collection

Versatility: Dong Zhou, the Tyrant is a flexible card that can be added to various decks. His ability to take control of an opponent’s creature upon entering the battlefield is universally useful, aligning well with different strategies that focus on either temporary control or sacrifice mechanics for gain.

Combo Potential: The card has significant combo potential as it can be synergized with sacrifice outlets. Players can utilize Dong Zhou, the Tyrant’s ability to gain control of an opponent’s creature and then sacrifice it for value, making it a force to be reckoned with in any deck that exploits these interactions.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta dense with creature-based strategies, the ability to temporarily seize control of key creatures can be a game-changer. Dong Zhou, the Tyrant’s relevance gains traction as it can disrupt opponent’s plays and turn their own strengths against them, making it a worthy addition to control or midrange decks looking to capitalize on board presence.


How to beat

Dong Zhou, the Tyrant is a unique card that brings a strong presence to any Magic: The Gathering match. With an effect that can turn any creature against its owner, it’s crucial to have a strategy in place to tackle this commanding figure. To gain the upper hand against Dong Zhou, the Tyrant, having instant-speed removal spells can be highly effective. Cards like Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile can dispatch the tyrant before its ability becomes a problem. Additionally, countering Dong Zhou upon casting with spells like Counterspell or Mana Leak ensures it never gets a chance to disrupt your battlefield.

Another approach is to use cards that protect your creatures from being targeted by abilities. Cards that grant hexproof or shroud, like Swiftfoot Boots or Lightning Greaves, can provide a solid defense. Keeping a watchful eye on the board state and maintaining a hand with answers ready will give you the resilience against Dong Zhou’s game-altering potential. Lastly, beating Dong Zhou, the Tyrant also involves strategic planning; ensure to limit the number of creatures vulnerable on your side when Dong Zhou is likely to come into play. This foresight will weaken the impact of Dong Zhou’s ability and help you maintain control of the game.


Cards like Dong Zhou, the Tyrant

Dong Zhou, the Tyrant represents an intriguing dynamic in player and creature interaction within the game. This creature echoes the abilities of cards like Captivating Crew, which also lets you take control of your opponent’s creatures. Yet, Dong Zhou, the Tyrant goes further by making the stolen creature attack and inevitably sacrifice itself, a more aggressive and terminal approach compared to Captivating Crew’s temporary control.

Another parallel can be drawn with Act of Aggression. This instant card also snatches an opponent’s creature, albeit for a shorter duration — just until the end of the turn. The temporary control and instant speed provide more reactive tactics compared to Dong Zhou’s sorcery speed. Lastly, we can consider Zealous Conscripts, which has a similar one-turn control effect. However, it adds versatility by being able to untap any permanent and gain control of it, not solely creatures.

Comparatively, Dong Zhou, the Tyrant offers players a unique elimination strategy for opponents’ threats while the aforementioned cards focus primarily on temporary advantage. This distinct capability makes Dong Zhou a potent inclusion in decks that aim to undermine the opposition through more direct and permanent methods.

Captivating Crew - MTG Card versions
Act of Aggression - MTG Card versions
Zealous Conscripts - MTG Card versions
Captivating Crew - Ixalan Promos (PXLN)
Act of Aggression - New Phyrexia (NPH)
Zealous Conscripts - Avacyn Restored (AVR)

Cards similar to Dong Zhou, the Tyrant by color, type and mana cost

Earth Elemental - MTG Card versions
Eron the Relentless - MTG Card versions
Balduvian War-Makers - MTG Card versions
Hivis of the Scale - MTG Card versions
Hulking Cyclops - MTG Card versions
Flame Spirit - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Salamander - MTG Card versions
Ma Chao, Western Warrior - MTG Card versions
Covetous Dragon - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Strike Force - MTG Card versions
Volatile Arsonist // Dire-Strain Anarchist - MTG Card versions
Tephraderm - MTG Card versions
Avarax - MTG Card versions
Bonethorn Valesk - MTG Card versions
Frost Ogre - MTG Card versions
Heartless Hidetsugu - MTG Card versions
Shard Phoenix - MTG Card versions
Soul of Magma - MTG Card versions
Hunted Dragon - MTG Card versions
Torchling - MTG Card versions
Earth Elemental - Salvat 2011 (PS11)
Eron the Relentless - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Balduvian War-Makers - Alliances (ALL)
Hivis of the Scale - Mirage (MIR)
Hulking Cyclops - Visions (VIS)
Flame Spirit - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Flowstone Salamander - Tempest (TMP)
Ma Chao, Western Warrior - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Covetous Dragon - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Dwarven Strike Force - Odyssey (ODY)
Volatile Arsonist // Dire-Strain Anarchist - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Tephraderm - Onslaught (ONS)
Avarax - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Bonethorn Valesk - Scourge (SCG)
Frost Ogre - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Heartless Hidetsugu - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Shard Phoenix - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Soul of Magma - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Hunted Dragon - The List (PLST)
Torchling - Planar Chaos (PLC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dong Zhou, the Tyrant MTG card by a specific set like Portal Three Kingdoms and Masters Edition III, 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 Dong Zhou, the Tyrant and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Dong Zhou, the Tyrant Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1999-05-01 and 2009-09-07. Illustrated by Inoue Junichi.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11999-05-01Portal Three KingdomsPTK 1091997normalwhiteInoue Junichi
22009-09-07Masters Edition IIIME3 961997normalblackInoue Junichi

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Dong Zhou, the Tyrant has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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