Summary
If there is one creature type that has become iconic inMagic: The Gathering, it’s Dragons. These massive, scaly, fire-breathing beasts are among the terrifying creatures in the game, both in the Magic universe and when facing them down on the battlefield.
If you’re a Dragon aficionado, then you know just how great these creatures can be, but the sheer number of Dragons in Magic can be a bit overwhelming. If you want to turn up the heat on your Magic games, these creatures are the way to go.
What Are Magic’s Dragons?
Here, There Be Dragons
Dragons in the Magic: The Gathering universe count themselves as some of the biggest and most powerful creatures in the game. They are found on practically every plane in Magic’s multiverse, from Alara to Zendikar, and generally follow the same draconic characteristics from plane to plane.
Gigantic wings, a serpentine body, and of course, their elemental breath are all the main features of Dragons in Magic, who all come from the first Dragon,an entity called The Ur-Dragon. This avatar of Dragon-kind is a primordial being, one who was around at the beginning of the universe. The Ur-Dragon is the first Dragon, whose wings created the first Dragons to exist in the Multiverse, spawned by the beating of its immense wings.
Magic’sDragons come in all colors,though you will find the vast majority of them in red. Dragons tend to bevery intelligent, capable of complex societies and speech, as well as vast magical power.Although this isn’t true across all planes, or even all Dragons on a plane.
In the fairy tale world of Eldraine, Dragons are intelligent and often hoard spells or magical items rather than gold. Meanwhile, on Ixalan, it was widely believed that it was one of the few planes that didn’t have a native Dragon species, though a species of Dragons was discovered deep inside the hollow world.
There have been somevariations in the Dragon genealogy since the days of The Ur-Dragon. Dragons from the plane of Kaladesh have taken on an almost tiger-like appearance, with the Dragons here covered in orange fur with black stripes, as well as having very cat-like characteristics. On the plane of Thunder Junction, their Dragons appear to be a hybrid species, taking on elements of Scorpions, like claws and a stinger on the tips of their tails.
There Are 337 Dragon Creature Cards
These Span Across All Colors
If we’re just looking at creatures with the Dragon creaturethere are 337 Dragon creature cardsacrossall colors and colorless cardsin Magic. Among these Dragons, you have powerhouses like Terror of the Peaks and Astral Dragon, which can turn the tide in a game exceptionally quickly in your favor.
Othericonic dragonsinclude the infamousNiv-Mizzet, Parun, which isa fantastic way to close out a game of Commanderthrough any number of combos and combat tricks. The three colorMiirym, Sentinel Wyrmcounts itself among the best of the commanders in the game if you’re looking to run a deck filled to the brim with these creatures.
That 337 number is technically a bit off thanks to some changes made toMagic: The Gathering Arena. If we include cards that have been rebalanced on Arena, or cards that are exclusively found on the digital version of the game,that number climbs to 353.
As we mentioned before, thevast majority of Dragons are exclusively red, with around 41 percent of all Dragons in Magic found in the color identity. The color combination of black and green features the fewest number of Dragon cards, with only one, thelegendary Elder Dragon of Strixhaven, Beledros Witherbloom.
There Are 1,156 Cards With Dragons On Them
A Dragon By Any Other Name
Dragon creatures aren’t the only cards that feature Dragons in the artwork however. When you factor in instants, sorceries, planeswalkers, lands, and more, you get1,156 cards with Dragons in the artwork.
Some of these cards, like the Amonkhet Invocation version of Damnation,feature the vile Nicol Bolas, a former planeswalker Dragon that lost his spark during the cataclysmic Mending event that reworked the entire multiverse. Other cards,like the classic enchantmentSneak Attack,have a napping Dragon surrounded by a gang of Goblins.
Among these cards, you gettokens, art series cards, lands, schemesfrom the Archenemy format, and even rebalanced cards from Arena.
