Green Dragon MTG Card


Green Dragon provides board control and may clear opponents’ creatures on entry, enhancing your strategic stance. Despite the power, it demands specific mana and can strain resources if your hand is already limited. With versatility and combo potential, Green Dragon remains a meta-relevant force within MTG decks.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Dragon
Abilities Flying
Power 4
Toughness 4

Text of card

Flying Poison Breath — When Green Dragon enters the battlefield, until end of turn, whenever a creature an opponent controls is dealt damage, destroy it.

Green dragons take special pleasure in corrupting the good-hearted.


Cards like Green Dragon

Green Dragon is a powerful creature that roars into the battlefield of Magic: The Gathering, marking its presence with a formidable command of the skies. Among the creatures that share lineage with Green Dragon, there’s Atarka, Dragonlord, which also bestows a significant impact when it takes to the air. Both command attention with their sheer size, yet Green Dragon stands out with its straightforward and clean entry, without the complexities of additional colors or abilities that Atarka, Dragonlord presents.

Another comparable behemoth in the realm of flying creatures is the iconic Verdurous Gearhulk. While the Gearhulk does not possess the dragon subtype, it parallels Green Dragon in the way it can instantly strengthen your board state. The difference lies in the Gearhulk’s modular approach to distributing +1/+1 counters, offering a more tailored advancement in power and toughness. In contrast, Green Dragon’s simplicity is a double-edged sword, providing both an easy-to-understand strategy and a potential predictability for opponents.

Assessing their roles in a deck, each has its virtues, with Green Dragon providing a straightforward and potent threat from above, while its kin and analogs offer nuanced strategies to conquer the skies of Magic: The Gathering.

Verdurous Gearhulk - MTG Card versions
Verdurous Gearhulk - MTG Card versions

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

Gaea's Liege - MTG Card versions
Wiitigo - MTG Card versions
Autumn Willow - MTG Card versions
Ancient Silverback - MTG Card versions
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Verdeloth the Ancient - MTG Card versions
Nemata, Grove Guardian - MTG Card versions
Gang of Elk - MTG Card versions
Kavu Howler - MTG Card versions
Crashing Centaur - MTG Card versions
Giant Warthog - MTG Card versions
Rhox - MTG Card versions
Kodama of the East Tree - MTG Card versions
Terra Stomper - MTG Card versions
Feral Throwback - MTG Card versions
Brontotherium - MTG Card versions
Elvish Aberration - MTG Card versions
Force of Nature - MTG Card versions
Craw Wurm - MTG Card versions
Fangren Pathcutter - MTG Card versions
Gaea's Liege - MTG Card versions
Wiitigo - MTG Card versions
Autumn Willow - MTG Card versions
Ancient Silverback - MTG Card versions
Sulam Djinn - MTG Card versions
Verdeloth the Ancient - MTG Card versions
Nemata, Grove Guardian - MTG Card versions
Gang of Elk - MTG Card versions
Kavu Howler - MTG Card versions
Crashing Centaur - MTG Card versions
Giant Warthog - MTG Card versions
Rhox - MTG Card versions
Kodama of the East Tree - MTG Card versions
Terra Stomper - MTG Card versions
Feral Throwback - MTG Card versions
Brontotherium - MTG Card versions
Elvish Aberration - MTG Card versions
Force of Nature - MTG Card versions
Craw Wurm - MTG Card versions
Fangren Pathcutter - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Green Dragon MTG card provides a tactical advantage through its ability to influence board state by potentially removing opposing creatures upon entering the battlefield. This can lead to a more dominant position and continuously pressure your opponent to respond.

Resource Acceleration: Including the Green Dragon in your deck enhances mana efficiency, especially if you are leveraging any ramp strategies. By aligning with other cards that foster resource growth, the Green Dragon can be played earlier than expected, catching opponents off guard and accelerating your game plan.

Instant Speed: Although the Green Dragon itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, its presence can free up your mana usage. You can optimize your turns by playing other instant speed spells while waiting for the perfect moment to summon this formidable creature. This strategic approach can maintain flexibility in your game flow and maximize your responsiveness to threats.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While not specific to the Green Dragon card directly, many powerful creatures often come with a drawback, and for some dragons, this could mean having to discard a card. Such a condition can be resource-draining and strategically limiting especially if your hand is already running low.

Specific Mana Cost: The Green Dragon, being a creature that embodies the essence of green mana, has an inherent requirement for green mana sources. This specificity can pose deck-building constraints, limiting its synergy primarily to green-centric or multicolored decks that can reliably produce green mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Typically, dragons in MTG come with a hefty mana cost, and the Green Dragon is no exception. Summoning such a creature demands a significant mana investment, which can hinder your tempo, particularly when compared to other creatures with lower mana costs that can impact the board earlier in the game.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Green Dragon brings a flexible approach to gameplay, fitting nicely into decks that thrive on large creatures and trample effects. Its ability to disrupt enemies with flying provides an additional layer of utility that ensures it’s not just a one-dimensional play.

Combo Potential: This card can synergize with effects that capitalize on dealing damage or with those that benefit from dragons or creatures with flying. Its presence can enhance several strategies and can be the cornerstone of a powerful dragon-themed deck.

Meta-Relevance: Given the game’s evolution, dragons hold their ground firmly. The Green Dragon, in particular, can be a formidable answer to decks that rely heavily on smaller creatures, while also being potent enough to challenge control decks with its impactful presence on the board.


How to beat

The Green Dragon MTG card can be a challenging opponent with its formidable presence on the battlefield. Its flying ability allows it to evade ground-based blockers, making it a significant threat each turn it remains in play. To counter this dragon effectively, players should consider the use of removal spells that can bypass its flying capability. Spells such as Murder, Hero’s Downfall, or the white staple Swords to Plowshares can be particularly effective as they can target and eliminate the Green Dragon regardless of its evasive abilities.

Furthermore, players can utilize control elements like Pacifism to restrain the Green Dragon, preventing it from attacking or blocking, effectively neutralizing it as a threat without removing it from the board. Ensnaring creatures with enchantments or artifacts that keep it tapped or incapable of attacking are also viable strategies. Preparing a strategic deck with an array of responses will ensure you’re equipped to handle the Green Dragon and minimize its impact on the game.

Ultimately, the key to defeating the Green Dragon lies in maintaining board control, managing resources wisely, and executing timely removal or control spells to overcome its aerial supremacy and turn the tide in your favor.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive into the strategic depths of MTG with the Green Dragon and watch as it breathes life into your deck. The right creature can wield monumentally transformative power, shaping the board to your command. As you’ve seen, the Green Dragon offers more than its might; it harmonizes with an array of deck strategies and possesses a unique ability to become a game-changer. It stands as a card worth mastering, and its role within the meta can’t be ignored. Continue your journey to tactical excellence with us and envelop your collection in the might of dragons. Discover more about this imposing creature and how to best wield its power today.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Green Dragon MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, 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 Green Dragon and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Green Dragon Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-07-23 and 2021-07-23. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 927842015NormalBlackCampbell White
22021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten RealmsAFR 1862015NormalBlackIlse Gort
32021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten RealmsAFR 2952015NormalBorderlessCampbell White

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Green Dragon has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2021-07-23 Green Dragon's Poison Breath ability continues to function until end of turn even if Green Dragon is destroyed or otherwise leaves the battlefield. It takes some time for toxic gas to dissipate.
2021-07-23 Green Dragon's Poison Breath ability is different than deathtouch. Notably, creatures still need to deal damage to a blocking creature equal to its toughness before dealing damage to another blocking creature or trampling over to a player or planeswalker.