Dream Trawler MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Sphinx
Abilities Flying,Lifelink
Power 3
Toughness 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides consistent card draw on attack, boosting hand size for strategic game responses.
  2. Lifelink ability offers a life buffer, utilizing health as a strategic game resource.
  3. Instant speed hexproof activation ensures Dream Trawler’s resilience against threats.

Text of card

Flying, lifelink Whenever you draw a card, Dream Trawler gets +1/+0 until end of turn. Whenever Dream Trawler attacks, draw a card. Discard a card: Dream Trawler gains hexproof until end of turn. Tap it.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Dream Trawler offers consistent card drawing each time it attacks, fortifying your hand and giving you more options to respond to opponents’ threats.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating resources, Dream Trawler’s lifelink provides a valuable life buffer, allowing you to use health as a resource more liberally in other areas of the game.

Instant Speed: Although Dream Trawler itself is not an instant, its ability to gain hexproof at instant speed by discarding a card keeps it well-protected in the ever-changing battlefield, ensuring its resilience and sustained board presence.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Dream Trawler requires you to discard a card to activate its ability to gain hexproof until end of turn. While this can protect Dream Trawler from being targeted by spells or abilities, it might deplete your hand, especially if you need to use this defense frequently.

Specific Mana Cost: Dream Trawler has a demanding mana cost of two colorless, two white, and two blue mana. This specialization necessitates a deck heavily tailored around White and Blue mana sources, potentially limiting its inclusion in more diverse, multi-colored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a converted mana cost (CMC) of six, Dream Trawler comes onto the battlefield later in the game. When comparing this to other creatures or win conditions that could be played earlier, it’s crucial to consider if the investment aligns with your deck’s strategy and pace.


Reasons to Include Dream Trawler in Your Collection

Versatility: Dream Trawler offers a dynamic blend as both a resilient threat and a dependable source of card advantage. This makes it a valuable addition to control and midrange decks alike.

Combo Potential: Its ability to gain hexproof by simply discarding a card means it can be combined with various strategies that benefit from both cycling cards and maintaining a formidable presence on the board.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment dominated by creature-based strategies, Dream Trawler stands out as a lifeline, literally, with its lifelink ability. This, along with its capacity for aerial dominance, makes it a top pick against the current creature-heavy meta.


How to Beat Dream Trawler

Dream Trawler is a powerful card in MTG, known for its resilience and ability to dominate the battlefield. This card can be a real challenge; however, understanding the strategy to counter it can turn the tides in your favor. Board wipes are an effective method to deal with Dream Trawler, as they bypass its hexproof ability. Look to spells like Shatter the Sky or Doomskar, which can clear the board without targeting and avoiding the hexproof shield.

Another tactic involves preventing your opponent from drawing multiple cards, thereby restricting Dream Trawler’s power gain and lifelink benefit. Narset, Parter of Veils is a perfect planeswalker to shut down card draw engines. If Dream Trawler is already on the board, edict effects that force a player to sacrifice a creature like Liliana’s Triumph disrupt your opponent’s game by making sure Dream Trawler leaves the field, hexproof or not.

Disruptive spells that don’t target can also tie your opponent’s hands, such as Elspeth Conquers Death, which can exile Dream Trawler without targeting it directly. By carefully navigating around Dream Trawler’s strengths, you can manage this daunting MTG card and maintain control of the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Magic the Gathering is a universe teeming with intricacies, and mastering the art of the game involves understanding the capabilities of powerful cards like Dream Trawler. By learning about its pros, like card advantage and instant-speed protection, along with its cons, including the specific mana cost and discard requirement, you position yourself to optimize your deck’s performance. We delve deeper into the unique aspects Dream Trawler brings to your gameplay and how it can strategically fit into various deck archetypes. For avid collectors and competitive players alike, Dream Trawler is a compelling addition, promising to turn the tides in your favor with every match. Discover more strategies and insights with us, and elevate your MTG prowess to new heights.


Cards like Dream Trawler

Dream Trawler is a standout card in Magic: The Gathering known for its defensive and offensive capabilities. It shares some traits with the iconic Sphinx’s Revelation, which is revered for its life gain and card draw effects. Dream Trawler builds on this by adding a formidable flying body that’s protected during your turn. Unlike Sphinx’s Revelation, Dream Trawler continuously accrues card advantage and fortifies your life total while posing a significant aerial threat.

Analogously, Lyra Dawnbringer presents a life gain theme, offering a bonus to other angels and boasting lifelink. Yet, it lacks Dream Trawler’s draw mechanic and protection ability. On the other hand, The Scarab God focuses less on life gain and more on graveyard interaction, offering a resilient end-game threat. Both Lyra and The Scarab God present powerful options, but neither encapsulates Dream Trawler’s unique blend of stabilization and pressure.

In summary, examining the strengths and synergies of similar offerings in MTG reveals Dream Trawler’s rare mix of card advantage, life gain, and protective measures, making it a distinct choice for players seeking an impactful, resilient finisher in their deck.

Sphinx's Revelation - MTG Card versions
Lyra Dawnbringer - MTG Card versions
The Scarab God - MTG Card versions
Sphinx's Revelation - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Lyra Dawnbringer - Dominaria Promos (PDOM)
The Scarab God - Amonkhet Invocations (MP2)

Cards similar to Dream Trawler by color, type and mana cost

Hunding Gjornersen - MTG Card versions
Rasputin Dreamweaver - MTG Card versions
Kasimir the Lone Wolf - MTG Card versions
Pristine Skywise - MTG Card versions
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Bruna, Light of Alabaster - MTG Card versions
Isperia, Supreme Judge - MTG Card versions
Medomai the Ageless - MTG Card versions
Cunning Breezedancer - MTG Card versions
Azor, the Lawbringer - MTG Card versions
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Ethereal Valkyrie - MTG Card versions
Flockchaser Phantom - MTG Card versions
Gwaihir the Windlord - MTG Card versions
The Eighth Doctor - MTG Card versions
Hunding Gjornersen - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Rasputin Dreamweaver - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Kasimir the Lone Wolf - Legends (LEG)
Pristine Skywise - Commander 2019 (C19)
Sovereigns of Lost Alara - Ultimate Masters (UMA)
Bruna, Light of Alabaster - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Isperia, Supreme Judge - Starter Commander Decks (SCD)
Medomai the Ageless - Theros (THS)
Cunning Breezedancer - The List (PLST)
Azor, the Lawbringer - Rivals of Ixalan (RIX)
Azorius Skyguard - Ravnica Allegiance (RNA)
Ethereal Valkyrie - Kaldheim Commander (KHC)
Flockchaser Phantom - March of the Machine Commander (MOC)
Gwaihir the Windlord - The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth (LTR)
The Eighth Doctor - Doctor Who (WHO)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dream Trawler MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Theros Beyond Death 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 Dream Trawler and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Dream Trawler Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2020-01-24 and 2020-01-24. Illustrated by Jesper Ejsing.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 799012015normalblackJesper Ejsing
22020-01-24Theros Beyond Death PromosPTHB 214s2015normalblackJesper Ejsing
32020-01-24Theros Beyond Death PromosPTHB 214p2015normalblackJesper Ejsing
42020-01-24Theros Beyond DeathTHB 2142015normalblackJesper Ejsing
52020-01-24Theros Beyond DeathTHB 3362015normalblackJesper Ejsing

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Dream Trawler 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 Dream Trawler card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2020-01-24 Dream Trawler’s second triggered ability resolves before blockers are declared. This normally causes its first triggered ability to trigger, which also resolves before blockers are declared.
2020-01-24 You can activate Dream Trawler’s last ability even if it’s already tapped. It still gains hexproof until end of turn.

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