Drifter il-Dal MTG Card


Top-deck manipulation with Drifter il-Dal ensures better draw consistency for crucial spells or lands. Prowess and storm spell synergy amplifies resource effectiveness, maximizing each spell’s potential. Suspend at instant speed allows mana flexibility and strategic planning without sacrificing immediate play options.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Wizard
Abilities Shadow
Power 2
Toughness 1

Text of card

Shadow (This creature can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.) At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice Drifter il-Dal unless you pay .

They study the deeds of their traitorous ancestors, hoping the stories may reveal a way back to the physical world.


Cards like Drifter il-Dal

Drifter il-Dal holds a unique position among creatures in Magic: The Gathering. It is akin to other shadow creatures such as Dauthi Slayer, both flaunting the shadow ability, which allows them to only be blocked by creatures with shadow. This elusive quality makes them stealthy attackers that are challenging to defend against. Unlike Drifter il-Dal, Dauthi Slayer has a consistent offensive presence, thanks to its inherent “attacks each turn if able” feature.

When looking at other one-mana creatures, Jhessian Thief stands out with its prowess feature, amplifying its power with every noncreature spell cast, though it lacks the unblockable nature of shadow. Moreover, Jhessian Thief draws a card each time it deals combat damage to a player, contrasting with Drifter il-Dal’s straightforward approach to combat.

The comparison shows that while Drifter il-Dal might not have card draw or guaranteed attack capabilities, it excels in evasiveness. This trait ensures Drifter il-Dal is a reliable choice for players seeking to bypass defenders with ease. Consequently, Drifter il-Dal’s capacity to consistently avoid being blocked provides it with an edge in certain strategic builds focused on direct damage.

Dauthi Slayer - MTG Card versions
Jhessian Thief - MTG Card versions
Dauthi Slayer - MTG Card versions
Jhessian Thief - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Drifter il-Dal by color, type and mana cost

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Merfolk of the Pearl Trident - MTG Card versions
Flying Men - MTG Card versions
Shrieking Drake - MTG Card versions
Cloud Pirates - MTG Card versions
Fledgling Osprey - MTG Card versions
Manta Riders - MTG Card versions
Faerie Squadron - MTG Card versions
Faerie Seer - MTG Card versions
Fugitive Wizard - MTG Card versions
Wandering Ones - MTG Card versions
Dreamcatcher - MTG Card versions
Sage of Epityr - MTG Card versions
Screeching Sliver - MTG Card versions
Timebender - MTG Card versions
Cloud Sprite - MTG Card versions
Merrow Witsniper - MTG Card versions
Cursecatcher - MTG Card versions
Martyr of Frost - MTG Card versions
Grixis Illusionist - MTG Card versions
Enclave Cryptologist - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Drifter il-Dal presents subtle opportunities for card advantage by enabling top-deck manipulation crucial in ensuring you draw into key spells or lands as needed.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly providing resource acceleration, the potential synergy with prowess and storm mechanics allows you to amplify the impact of your other spells, effectively making your resources go further.

Instant Speed: With suspend being a mechanic that allows activation at instant speed, Drifter il-Dal can be suspended during an opponent’s turn, thereby keeping mana available for immediate responses while setting up future plays.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the most notable drawbacks of Drifter il-Dal is the discard requirement for its shift ability. This can put players at a significant disadvantage, particularly in the late game when card advantage is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: Drifter il-Dal’s specific mana cost demands both blue and black mana, which may not seamlessly fit into every deck’s mana base. This can sometimes limit the card’s playability, especially in decks that don’t support these colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While offering evasion and potential card advantage, its mana cost can be somewhat steep for the effect it delivers. Other cards in the game provide similar or better effects with a more favorable cost-to-benefit ratio, potentially overshadowing Drifter il-Dal’s appeal in a finely tuned deck.


Reasons to Include Drifter il-Dal in Your Collection

Versatility: Drifter il-Dal is a card that seamlessly slips into any deck with a focus on instant and sorcery cards. This shadow creature can be a stable early-game offensive option or a strategic asset in rogue and ninja decks.

Combo Potential: With its evasion ability, it pairs well with cards that benefit from successful combat damage to a player. It helps enable combos that require getting creatures through the defense line without contest.

Meta-Relevance: Drifter il-Dal thrives in metas where creatures with shadow or unblockable capabilities are useful due to their ability to evade common defensive setups, thus maintaining pressure or fulfilling specific role conditions.


How to Beat Drifter il-Dal

Drifter il-Dal is one of those challenging creatures in MTG that demands attention, particularly in formats that support aggressive shadow strategies. Its evasion ability, shadow, makes it unblockable by creatures without shadow, setting it apart as a formidable early-game threat. The key to overcoming Drifter il-Dal lies in understanding its limitations. Firstly, with only 1 toughness, it’s highly vulnerable to any form of damage. Utilizing cheap removal spells, even something as straightforward as Shock, can dispose of it before it chips away at your life total.

Alternatively, you can outpace Drifter il-Dal by deploying creatures with higher toughness and leveraging spells or abilities that affect multiple creatures. Board wipes are particularly effective as they counter the potential accumulation of shadow creatures on your opponent’s battlefield. Don’t forget to manage your life total wisely; sometimes, preserving your life points in the early game gives you the leverage you need to stabilize the board and take control later. Above all, prompt action is critical – address Drifter il-Dal expediently, and your chances of maintaining dominance in the game increase significantly.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Drifter il-Dal MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral and Time Spiral Remastered, 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 Drifter il-Dal and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Drifter il-Dal Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2006-10-06 and 2021-03-19. Illustrated by Justin Sweet.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12006-10-06Time SpiralTSP 592003NormalBlackJustin Sweet
22021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 652015NormalBlackJustin Sweet

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Drifter il-Dal has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Drifter il-Dal card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2021-03-19 If an attacking creature has multiple evasion abilities, such as shadow and flying, a creature can block it only if that creature satisfies all of the appropriate evasion abilities.
2021-03-19 Multiple instances of shadow on the same creature are redundant.
2021-03-19 Once a creature has been blocked, that creature remains blocked and will deal and be dealt combat damage even if it gains or loses shadow or if the blocking creature gains or loses shadow.