Eternal Dragon MTG Card


Eternal Dragon offers reliable land drops and card advantage with its Plainscycling and graveyard return. The card’s specific mana cost and discard requirement can challenge deck building and strategic play. Its persistent presence, combo potential, and meta relevance make it a unique addition to MTG collections.
Card setsReleased in 9 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Dragon Spirit
Abilities Cycling,Flying,Plainscycling
Power 5
Toughness 5

Text of card

Flying : Return Eternal Dragon from your graveyard to your hand. Play this ability only during your upkeep. Plainscycling (, Discard this card from your hand: Search your library for a plains card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.)


Cards like Eternal Dragon

Eternal Dragon holds a unique spot in the roster of Magic: The Gathering’s flying creatures. Notably, it shares some aspects with other high-profile cards such as Emeria Shepherd. Both offer a way to interact with lands, however, Eternal Dragon allows players to search for a Plains card directly to hand during the upkeep phase, ensuring a steady land drop. Emeria Shepherd, in contrast, focuses on reanimation, a powerful effect but one that is conditional on land drops, specifically Plains.

Diving deeper into similarities, we find Dragonlord Ojutai. While both dragons bring a formidable presence to the skies, Dragonlord Ojutai requires combat damage to a player to trigger its anticipatory card draw, whereas Eternal Dragon focuses on resilience, with its Plainscycling ability and the self-recursion from the graveyard, triggered during the upkeep for a consistent board presence.

Assessing the value each card brings to one’s deck, Eternal Dragon stands out with its versatile mana-fixing and endurance, particularly in control decks that value land drops and longevity. Its presence is a testament to the enduring design of MTG cards that balance between utility and power.

Emeria Shepherd - MTG Card versions
Dragonlord Ojutai - MTG Card versions
Emeria Shepherd - MTG Card versions
Dragonlord Ojutai - MTG Card versions

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

Elder Land Wurm - MTG Card versions
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Archangel - MTG Card versions
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Soul of Eternity - MTG Card versions
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite - MTG Card versions
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Kami of the Honored Dead - MTG Card versions
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Ghosts of the Innocent - MTG Card versions
Angel of Glory's Rise - MTG Card versions
Windbrisk Raptor - MTG Card versions
Pale Wayfarer - MTG Card versions
Yoked Plowbeast - MTG Card versions
Vengeful Archon - MTG Card versions
Elder Land Wurm - MTG Card versions
Seraph - MTG Card versions
Archangel - MTG Card versions
Ancestor's Chosen - MTG Card versions
Serra Avatar - MTG Card versions
Drogskol Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Soul of Eternity - MTG Card versions
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite - MTG Card versions
Resolute Archangel - MTG Card versions
Crowd Favorites - MTG Card versions
Konda, Lord of Eiganjo - MTG Card versions
Kami of the Honored Dead - MTG Card versions
Luminous Angel - MTG Card versions
Angel of Retribution - MTG Card versions
Ghosts of the Innocent - MTG Card versions
Angel of Glory's Rise - MTG Card versions
Windbrisk Raptor - MTG Card versions
Pale Wayfarer - MTG Card versions
Yoked Plowbeast - MTG Card versions
Vengeful Archon - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Eternal Dragon. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Orzhov ControlOrzhov Control PremodernMisty Premodern Winter Finals
Deadguy AleDeadguy Ale PremodernEternal Weekend Europe 2023 Premodern Mainevent
Selesnya ControlSelesnya Control PremodernEternal Weekend Europe 2023 Premodern Mainevent
Rift SlideRift Slide PremodernEternal Weekend Europe 2023 Premodern Mainevent
Boros ControlBoros Control PremodernEternal Weekend Europe 2023 Premodern Mainevent

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Eternal Dragon’s Plainscycling ability lets you search for a Plains card and put it into your hand, thus ensuring you have the land resources you need while keeping your hand size steady. Additionally, its ability to return to your hand from the graveyard at the beginning of your upkeep ensures a persistent presence and a recurring source of card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: The Plainscycling feature serves as a form of resource acceleration, allowing you to sift through your deck to find the necessary mana sources. This can be particularly useful to smooth out your mana curve and ensure land drops in the early game or finding the right color mana in a multicolor deck.

Instant Speed: Although the abilities of Eternal Dragon are not at instant speed, the fact that the return from the graveyard to your hand occurs at the beginning of the upkeep means that you can plan your turns knowing you’ll have additional options available. This can influence your opponent’s decisions and allow you to better manage your resources during each round.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To maximize the utility of Eternal Dragon’s abilities, a player may need to discard other cards. This can put players in a difficult position when their hand is already depleted and sacrificing any card could hinder their strategic plans.

Specific Mana Cost: Eternal Dragon requires white mana to harness its full potential, necessitating a commitment to white mana sources. Players running multicolored decks may find integrating this card challenging, especially if white mana isn’t a primary color in their deck composition.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a steep cost to bring Eternal Dragon onto the battlefield, players may find it taxing on their mana resources, especially early in the game. Alternative creatures or spells could be deployed more efficiently, offering a higher impact at a lesser cost.


Reasons to Include Eternal Dragon in Your Collection

Versatility: Eternal Dragon offers a range of strategic uses, most notably its ability to recur from the graveyard to your hand. This plaincycling ability ensures that you’re never without a land drop or a high-impact spell late in the game.

Combo Potential: When synergized with graveyard mechanics or landfall triggers, Eternal Dragon becomes a powerful tool. It can be a recurring element for strategies revolving around sacrificing creatures or repeated spellcasting.

Meta-Relevance: As metas evolve and control decks become prevalent, its resilience to removal and consistent board presence can make it a valuable addition. Being a dragon, it also benefits from tribal support which can be relevant in various metas.


How to beat

Eternal Dragon is a unique card in Magic: The Gathering with its resilience and versatility being its greatest strengths. This imposing flyer, which can also cycle from your hand, poses a challenge due to its ability to return to your hand from the graveyard during your upkeep. To overcome this persistent creature, focusing on exile effects is key. Cards that remove Eternal Dragon from the game entirely bypass its graveyard-triggered ability, ensuring it doesn’t return to haunt your battlefield round after round.

Another effective strategy is to limit the resources of your opponent. Since Eternal Dragon’s abilities require a significant mana investment, disrupting your opponent’s land base or accelerating your own board presence can offset the advantage Eternal Dragon provides. Prioritizing land destruction or counterspells to intercept the dragon’s cycle or reanimation can drastically curtail its effectiveness, letting you maintain control of the game’s tempo.

Ultimately, contending with Eternal Dragon comes down to preparedness and resource management. Keeping your deck equipped with tools to either exile it or stifle your adversary’s mana resources can tilt the scales in your favor, ensuring that Eternal Dragon’s potentially game-changing impact is just a distant memory.


BurnMana Recommendations

As players delve into MTG, mastering cards like Eternal Dragon could be game-changing for both newcomers and veterans alike. Its plainscycling ability for consistent mana flow, and the persistent threat it poses from the graveyard, provide you with a sustained edge over your opponents. Whether it’s adapting to an evolving meta or spotting the potential for new combos, incorporating Eternal Dragon in your deck could mean the difference between a simple match and a memorable victory. Eager to explore how Eternal Dragon can elevate your deck strategy? We’re here to guide you through every shuffle and play, ensuring you possess not just a card, but a powerhouse in your MTG arsenal.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Eternal Dragon MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Scourge, 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 Eternal Dragon and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Eternal Dragon Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 2003-05-26 and 2021-07-23. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 313872003NormalBlackAdam Rex
22003-05-26ScourgeSCG 121997NormalBlackJustin Sweet
32004-09-01World Championship Decks 2004WC04 jn122003NormalGoldJustin Sweet
42004-09-01World Championship Decks 2004WC04 gn12a2003NormalGoldJustin Sweet
52007-02-10Pro Tour PromosPPRO 20072003NormalBlackAdam Rex
62013-11-01Commander 2013C13 102003NormalBlackAdam Rex
72014-06-16Vintage MastersVMA 262015NormalBlackAdam Rex
82020-04-17Commander 2020C20 882015NormalBlackJustin Sweet
92021-07-23Forgotten Realms CommanderAFC 662015NormalBlackJustin Sweet

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Eternal Dragon has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2009-02-01 Plainscycling is a form of cycling. Any ability that triggers on a card being cycled also triggers on Plainscycling this card. Any ability that stops a cycling ability from being activated also stops Plainscycling from being activated.
2009-02-01 Plainscycling is an activated ability. Effects that interact with activated abilities (such as Stifle or Rings of Brighthearth) will interact with Plainscycling. Effects that interact with spells (such as Remove Soul or Faerie Tauntings) will not.
2009-02-01 Unlike the normal cycling ability, Plainscycling doesn't allow you to draw a card. Instead, it lets you search your library for a Plains card. After you find a Plains card in your library, you reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
2009-02-01 You can choose to find any card with the Plains land type, including nonbasic lands. You can also choose not to find a card, even if there is a Plains card in your library.