Bone Dragon MTG Card


Bone Dragon stands out with its ability to resurrect, adding a relentless edge to MTG strategies. Its dual nature in mana cost and hefty return fee from the graveyard poses both strengths and challenges. Versatile and meta-relevant, Bone Dragon’s recursive threat can be crucial for victory in long games.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityMythic
TypeCreature — Dragon Skeleton
Abilities Flying
Power 5
Toughness 4

Text of card

Flying , Exile seven other cards from your graveyard: Return Bone Dragon from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.

Its roar is the clatter of a thousand bones.


Cards like Bone Dragon

Bone Dragon stands as a formidable creature in Magic: The Gathering, reminiscent of other powerful dragons like Glorybringer and Thundermaw Hellkite. While Bone Dragon may not possess the direct damage abilities of Glorybringer or the immediate board impact of Thundermaw Hellkite, it offers a unique angle with its ability to resurrect from the graveyard. This recursion potential sets it apart, offering strategic flexibility and late-game endurance.

Comparable also to Rekindling Phoenix, Bone Dragon thrives on resilience. Though the Phoenix effectively returns to the battlefield upon death with its token-based mechanic, Bone Dragon requires a setup, needing seven other cards in your graveyard to be exiled. This exchange, however, is a strategic play that aligns well with deck themes that embrace graveyard interactions, giving it an edge in the right build.

The strength of Bone Dragon lies in this persistent threat it poses from the graveyard, standing as a testament to its unique role among MTG’s dragon roster. It demonstrates that while raw power is effective, the ability to rise from defeat can be just as formidable in the ever-evolving game of Magic: The Gathering.

Glorybringer - MTG Card versions
Thundermaw Hellkite - MTG Card versions
Rekindling Phoenix - MTG Card versions
Glorybringer - MTG Card versions
Thundermaw Hellkite - MTG Card versions
Rekindling Phoenix - MTG Card versions

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

Skyshroud Vampire - MTG Card versions
Predatory Nightstalker - MTG Card versions
Fallen Angel - MTG Card versions
Stone Catapult - MTG Card versions
Grotesque Hybrid - MTG Card versions
Earwig Squad - MTG Card versions
Indulgent Tormentor - MTG Card versions
Sootfeather Flock - MTG Card versions
Zombie Cutthroat - MTG Card versions
Vermiculos - MTG Card versions
Gluttonous Zombie - MTG Card versions
Woebearer - MTG Card versions
Wei Elite Companions - MTG Card versions
Halo Hunter - MTG Card versions
Malakir Bloodwitch - MTG Card versions
Caustic Crawler - MTG Card versions
Shriekmaw - MTG Card versions
Reaper of Sheoldred - MTG Card versions
Dementia Bat - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Plaguelord - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Vampire - MTG Card versions
Predatory Nightstalker - MTG Card versions
Fallen Angel - MTG Card versions
Stone Catapult - MTG Card versions
Grotesque Hybrid - MTG Card versions
Earwig Squad - MTG Card versions
Indulgent Tormentor - MTG Card versions
Sootfeather Flock - MTG Card versions
Zombie Cutthroat - MTG Card versions
Vermiculos - MTG Card versions
Gluttonous Zombie - MTG Card versions
Woebearer - MTG Card versions
Wei Elite Companions - MTG Card versions
Halo Hunter - MTG Card versions
Malakir Bloodwitch - MTG Card versions
Caustic Crawler - MTG Card versions
Shriekmaw - MTG Card versions
Reaper of Sheoldred - MTG Card versions
Dementia Bat - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Plaguelord - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Bone Dragon gives players a strategic upper hand by returning from the graveyard to the battlefield. This recurring presence can be key to outlasting opponents and maintaining pressure on the board, effectively offering a form of card advantage as you don’t need to draw additional creatures.

Resource Acceleration: Its activation cost, which involves exiling seven other cards from your graveyard, can be seen as a form of resource acceleration. This ability effectively utilizes what would be dormant resources in your graveyard to generate a powerful and impactful presence on the battlefield.

Instant Speed: While the Bone Dragon itself does not operate at instant speed, its ability to return from the graveyard can be activated at instant speed. This permits tactically surprising your opponent by bringing it back during their end step, setting up your board for your next turn without consuming resources during your own turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Bone Dragon’s ability to return from the graveyard necessitates discarding valuable cards from your hand, putting you at a potential resource disadvantage when facing decks that can capitalize on your diminished hand.

Specific Mana Cost: To cast Bone Dragon, you need both black mana and generic mana, which can be challenging for multicolored decks or those lacking sufficient mana fixing to consistently meet this demand.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a five mana cost to cast from your hand and an additional hefty activation fee from the graveyard, Bone Dragon competes with other high-impact creatures and spells which may offer immediate board presence or effects without the additional graveyard setup.


Reasons to Include Bone Dragon in Your Collection

Versatility: Bone Dragon adds value to any deck looking for a resilient finisher. Its ability to return from the graveyard gives it staying power in both aggressive and control strategies.

Combo Potential: This fearsome dragon synergizes with self-mill or discard strategies, turning graveyard stocking into a resource. It can anchor an entire strategy around graveyard play, meshing with cards that enable reanimation and recursion.

Meta-Relevance: Given the ever-changing nature of the metagame, Bone Dragon’s innate flexibility keeps it relevant. Its ability to come back from the graveyard can be a game-changer, particularly in longer games where resources are stretched thin.


How to Beat Bone Dragon

Bone Dragon enters the battlefield from the graveyard, presenting a recursive threat that requires specific strategies to overcome. Dealing with this fearsome creature demands careful planning, but there are several effective tactics available to dedicated players. Graveyard hate cards, such as Rest in Peace or Scavenging Ooze, can remove Bone Dragon from the game completely, preventing its return. Another approach is to employ exile effects—cards like Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares can handle the dragon permanently, as they prevent it from hitting the graveyard in the first place.

Counterspells also serve as a formidable defense, thwarting the initial casting or the activation of its return ability. For those who prefer a proactive approach, controlling the opponent’s graveyard size is key, as a smaller graveyard means the resurgence of Bone Dragon is less likely. In short, keeping its resurrection in check hinges on preemptive graveyard management and swift, permanent removal solutions.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Bone Dragon MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2019 and Core Set 2019 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 Bone Dragon and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Bone Dragon Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2018-07-13 and 2018-07-13. Illustrated by Jason A. Engle.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-07-13Core Set 2019M19 882015NormalBlackJason A. Engle
22018-07-13Core Set 2019 PromosPM19 88s2015NormalBlackJason A. Engle

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Bone Dragon has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal