<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lathliss, Dragon Queen" href="#" target="_blank">Lathliss, Dragon Queen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.alexkonstad.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alex Konstad</a></span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Every Spring, college basketball has massive tournaments for both men and women, where even people who don’t follow the sport fill out brackets and follow along as immensely-talented athletes partake in a chaotic melee. Blue-bloods (perennially good teams) like Duke and Kansas University feel advantaged in maintaining the status quo, but little-known upstarts (Cinderellas) like Loyola-Chicago and Saint Peter’s relish in crashing the party. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Four years ago, I decided to make a similarly exciting and inclusive event, the Theme Deck Throwdown, to crown <em>Magic</em>’s best Typal deck.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For the last four years, I’ve run the Throwdown, with a similar mixture of blue-bloods and Cinderella stories. My process for organizing the event can be found in <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/interview-with-unsummonedskull-on-his-philanthropic-efforts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this week’s Community Corner article</a>. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This year’s winner is a fresh take on a type that has been written about before; in fact, it was the <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-a-dragon-commander-deck-with-the-ur-dragon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first type</a> I wrote about in this series!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We’ll see how this <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lathliss, Dragon Queen" href="#" target="_blank">Lathliss, Dragon Queen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander deck takes Dragons in a fun and original direction, and how it took down the whole event!</span></p>
<h2>Dragon History</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dragons, for some odd reason, seem to be drawn to odd amounts of colors. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scion of the Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Scion of the Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are traditional powers, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm" href="#" target="_blank">Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the most popular and powerful commanders of all time. The winner of the Throwdown eschewed another two colors, going monochromatic. Somehow, that only seemed to make the deck scarier.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mono-red Dragons do have a bit of a pedigree, as the <a href="https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/6879867#paper" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gassy Knoll</a> Standard deck led to one of the most iconic moments in Pro Magic history. That deck was heavy on ramp and rituals, leading to explosive plays with remarkable consistency. While the cards may be different, the general strategy strongly resembles the Throwdown winner.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scion of the Ur-Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Even within one color, Dragons are a deep creature type with a range of abilities. They can draw cards, deal direct damage, and even remove dangerous threats, all without having to commit non-Dragon deck slots. And, for at least this year, they reign supreme as the best creature type in <em>Magic</em>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how do they fill these diverse roles? And what gave them the edge to win the event?</span></p>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lathliss, Dragon Queen" href="#" target="_blank">Lathliss, Dragon Queen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lathliss, Dragon Queen"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lathliss, Dragon Queen" href="#" target="_blank">Lathliss, Dragon Queen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might not be the most powerful Dragon commander, or even the only option in her colors, but she does bring a (wing)beating. Six mana is a lot for a commander, which is a major reason why the need for mana is so high. Even being a 6/6 flier doesn’t provide enough of a reason to run it as a commander.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Its activated and triggered abilities, however, start to tell the story of how this deck took down the tournament. Making all of the Dragons breathe fire is a nice trick, but many of them are already big fliers on their own. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Making a 5/5 flying body whenever a Dragon enters, however, is the key to victory.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Going wide and tall simultaneously is tremendously powerful, and the brewer unlocked the key to Lathliss’s power by including Dragons that could be cast for small amounts of mana. This made it so the deck could be aggressive with a six-mana commander, hitting unaware opponents for huge chunks of life and wrapping up the game in 1-2 humongous combat steps.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how did it pull this off? And how did it do it so consistently?</span></p>
<h2>Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lathliss, Dragon Queen" href="#" target="_blank">Lathliss, Dragon Queen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This Lathliss deck used a crafty mix of power and speed to overwhelm the competition. The Dragons included were carefully selected to serve a few key roles, and managed to beat down effectively and efficiently. They ruled the skies, and it was both terrifying and breathtaking to behold.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Knollspine Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ganax, Astral Hunter"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lathliss is a commander that wants Dragons to enter and grants them a big ol’ friend when they do. The best complements for her are Dragons that also have enters the battlefield (ETB) effects. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knollspine Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Knollspine Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the living incarnation of the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spinerock Knoll" href="#" target="_blank">Spinerock Knoll</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> card that fueled the Gassy Knoll Standard deck, is an excellent follow-up to a big attack, drawing a bunch of cards, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ganax, Astral Hunter" href="#" target="_blank">Ganax, Astral Hunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> enables the big attacks by making Treasures when we cast Dragons, enabling us to cast more big scaly bois.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scourge of Valkas"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stormscale Scion"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And what do we do with all those Dragon spells we’re stringing together? Burn opponents with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scourge of Valkas" href="#" target="_blank">Scourge of Valkas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or make a bunch of copies of a real Dragon lord with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stormscale Scion" href="#" target="_blank">Stormscale Scion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These are the heavy hitters, the Dragons we can ride to victory like a Targaryen from <em>Game of Thrones</em>.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fire-Belly Changeling"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Universal Automaton"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The few changelings in the deck are among the more controversial includes. There are plenty of Dragons, so resorting to changelings does seem a bit weenie (in the Typal community, changelings are typically used only when there aren't enough members, and are kind of seen as a bit of a concession), but they do serve an important role. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fire-Belly Changeling" href="#" target="_blank">Fire-Belly Changeling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Universal Automaton" href="#" target="_blank">Universal Automaton</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are cheap “Dragons” that allow the deck to maximize Lathliss and use our mana efficiently.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how do we get enough mana to cast a six-drop and make a Dragon or two in the same turn?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The short answer is, we need to ramp. This deck uses quite a few early mana rocks, but isn’t too dependent on them because of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Furnace Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Furnace Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>’s exiling all artifacts. As a result, the deck uses rituals (instants and sorceries that make mana) to enable big turns, much like the famed Gassy Knoll deck.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Geosurge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Irencrag Feat"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Geosurge" href="#" target="_blank">Geosurge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Irencrag Feat" href="#" target="_blank">Irencrag Feat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> help us go from four mana to seven, making it easy for us to cast our commander. They can also be used on Lathliss’s activated ability, which is an excellent mana sink and gets around the downside of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Irencrag Feat" href="#" target="_blank">Irencrag Feat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, that only one spell can be cast with its mana.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Breaching Dragonstorm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Furious Rise"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Breaching Dragonstorm" href="#" target="_blank">Breaching Dragonstorm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Furious Rise" href="#" target="_blank">Furious Rise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are both repeatable card advantage engines that work with Dragons. The Dragonstorm gives us a free spell when it comes down and we can bounce it and replay it every time we cast a Dragon. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Furious Rise" href="#" target="_blank">Furious Rise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lets us impulse draw (exile top cards and cast from exile) each end step while we control a big Dragon, which should be every turn. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the kinds of cards that give the deck afterburners and enable us to win longer, more drawn-out affairs.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bonders&#039; Enclave"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rogue&#039;s Passage"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our manabase is mostly basics, enabling us to cast our spells on curve and not worry about lands coming into play tapped or getting our colors on time. This is a big advantage we have over the three- and five-color versions. Granted, mana keeps getting better and better as more lands get printed. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mountain" href="#" target="_blank">Mountain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s can’t draw cards or sneak creatures through, which is where <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bonders&#039; Enclave" href="#" target="_blank">Bonders&#039; Enclave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rogue&#039;s Passage" href="#" target="_blank">Rogue&#039;s Passage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> come in.</span></p>
<h2>How Does This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lathliss, Dragon Queen" href="#" target="_blank">Lathliss, Dragon Queen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ferocity of the Wilds"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon Tempest"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Generally speaking, the deck’s game plan is simple but effective: make giant fliers and attack players without fliers early and often. We do have backup plans for opponents that can match us with flying blockers, but we can usually beat those players with wave after wave of giant flying lizards.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ferocity of the Wilds" href="#" target="_blank">Ferocity of the Wilds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives us a way to break parity against decks with smaller fliers, like Faeries. They may be able to present blockers, but trample invalidates them and our size and inevitability enable us to lean on them until they run out of bodies.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives our Dragons haste, including the ones Lathliss creates, and gives us a source of repeated direct damage. These abilities give us the reach (ways to get through damage in a locked board) to take players out and the ability to bring the beatdown.</span></p>
<h2>Lathliss, Dragon Queen Commander Deck List</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Red Crown of Dragons" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="&nbsp;
[Commander]
*1 Lathliss, Dragon Queen
[/Commander]
&nbsp;
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Sarkhan the Masterless
[/Planeswalkers]
&nbsp;
[Creatures]
*1 Archwing Dragon
*1 Avaricious Dragon
*1 Boulderborn Dragon
*1 Dragon Egg
*1 Dragon Hatchling
*1 Dragonmaster Outcast
*1 Dragonspeaker Shaman
*1 Embermouth Sentinel
*1 Fire-Belly Changeling
*1 Furnace Dragon
*1 Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge
*1 Ganax, Astral Hunter
*1 Hoard-Smelter Dragon
*1 Hoarding Dragon
*1 Knollspine Dragon
*1 Magmatic Hellkite
*1 Opportunistic Dragon
*1 Ryusei, the Falling Star
*1 Sarkhan&#039;s Whelp
*1 Sarkhan, Dragon Ascendant
*1 Scourge of Valkas
*1 Scourge of the Throne
*1 Shivan Devastator
*1 Siege Dragon
*1 Slumbering Dragon
*1 Steel Hellkite
*1 Stormscale Scion
*1 Stormshriek Feral // Flush Out
*1 Taurean Mauler
*1 Territorial Hellkite
*1 Thunderbreak Regent
*1 Tyrant&#039;s Familiar
*1 Universal Automaton
*1 Utvara Hellkite
*1 Wrathful Red Dragon
[/Creatures]
&nbsp;
[Artifacts]
*1 Dragon&#039;s Hoard
*1 Dragonstorm Globe
*1 Hazoret&#039;s Monument
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Mox Jasper
*1 Pillar of Origins
*1 Urza&#039;s Incubator
*1 Worn Powerstone
[/Artifacts]
&nbsp;
[Instants]
*1 Bolt Bend
*1 Dragonrage
*1 Scour from Existence
*1 Thrill of Possibility
[/Instants]
&nbsp;
[Sorceries]
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Geosurge
*1 Irencrag Feat
*1 Rite of Flame
*1 Tormenting Voice
*1 Wild Guess
[/Sorceries]
&nbsp;
[Enchantments]
*1 Breaching Dragonstorm
*1 Crucible of Fire
*1 Dragon Tempest
*1 Ferocity of the Wilds
*1 Fires of Invention
*1 Furious Rise
*1 Molten Echoes
*1 Where Ancients Tread
[/Enchantments]
&nbsp;
[Lands]
*1 Bonders&#039; Enclave
*1 Desert of the Fervent
*1 Dormant Volcano
*1 Forgotten Cave
*30 Mountain
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Smoldering Crater
[/Lands]
&nbsp;"></span></div></span></p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dragons are a ton of fun, with many different paths to building and victory. The Throwdown is also one of the coolest events of the year, and unexpected decks like this are a huge part of why.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how would you build Dragons? And what type would you represent at the Throwdown?</span></p>


Winning the Theme Deck Throwdown With Lathliss, Dragon Queen

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scion of the Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Scion of the Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://jimmurrayart.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Murray</a></em></p>
<p>Dragons are among the most popular creature types in Commander. But how do you play them? What are the best cards and commanders for Dragons? And how do Dragons win in Commander? This EDHREC Guide is here to answer all of these questions.</p>


<p>Throughout <em>Magic's</em> history, there have always been Dragons. Ever since <em>Alpha,</em> the skies haven't been safe and red decks had a not-so-secret weapon. Here there be Dragons, from <em>Magic</em><em>'s</em> beginning to <em>Magic's</em> end.</p>
<p>In fact, they're responsible for the formation of Commander!</p>
<p>Initially, it was an unofficial format called Elder Dragon Highlander (EDH), based around the five legendary Dragons from the <em>Legends</em> set back in the 1990s. It grew more popular with time and soon enough divorced itself from its Elder Dragon roots.</p>
<p>But Dragons continued to be prominent across future sets, being recognized as the iconic creature of the red color. They have changed to adapt to the zeitgeist of the game at any given time and are regularly some of the most powerful cards printed.</p>
<p>Despite that, they overwhelming are mid- to high-stat creatures with flying that are intended to be showstoppers. Some things never change.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Piru, the Volatile"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nicol Bolas"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcades Sabboth"></div></div>


<p>To put it plainly, Dragons are good! They're the iconic creature type of red for a reason. They're powerful, surprisingly flexible, and have wicked art.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Furnace Hellkite"></div></div>
<h2>Giant Flying Lizards</h2>
<p>By and large, they tend to fail the "vanilla test," but their abilities almost always compensate for this. The vanilla test is a quick assessment to judge a card's value by seeing if its power and toughness are equal to or greater than its cost.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancestor Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ancestor Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an example of a card that fails this test. As a 5/6, it is not worth playing for six mana unless its other abilities make it worthwhile. The flying keyword helps, though it's the ability to gain life whenever your creatures attack that offsets the stat deficit.</p>
<p>So while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancestor Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ancestor Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> wouldn't be worth playing if it had no abilities, the abilities it has make it worth including in decks where gaining life is important.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Silver Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Silver Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a Dragon that passes the vanilla test. As an 8/8, that by itself would be worth considering in a deck for eight mana. Flying as a keyword yet again adds some spark to the card. But the ability to roll a d20, draw that many cards, and also have no maximum hand size?</p>
<p>Flying colors, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Silver Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Silver Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! More than worth it.</p>
<p>These two creatures really exemplify Dragons best: giant flying lizards. They're high-statted flying bricks which are begging to be thrown at your enemy. They often have additional combat effects such as trample or the ability to increase their stats. Those that don't come with other utility.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ancestor Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ancient Silver Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Incinerator of the Guilty"></div></div>
<h2>Surprisingly Tricky</h2>
<p>Not every Dragon is intended to be a magical fighter jet. And yet, even those that focus on other aspects of the game still have great stats!</p>
<p>Take <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brainstealer Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Brainstealer Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who allows you to exile the top cards of your opponents' libraries and play them. And on top of that, they lose life every time you play their cards. Or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hypersonic Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Hypersonic Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which lets you cast sorceries as if they were instants.</p>
<p>In either case, the Dragon still has decent stats. They're fliers which can deal repeated, solid damage to an opponent. But they have additional tricks to give them utility outside of a frontal assault.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brainstealer Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hypersonic Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Broodcaller Scourge"></div></div>
<h2>Whelps, Hatchlings, and Dragonkin</h2>
<p>There's quite a few low-costed Dragons that aren't proper Dragons at all. Outside of Drakes, which are a completely separate creature type, whelps, hatchlings, and various forms of dragonkin all feature to occupy the low-cost Dragon niche.</p>
<p>Most have some ability to make their low stats more worth it, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Firespitter Whelp" href="#" target="_blank">Firespitter Whelp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Others like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Hatchling" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Hatchling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are just cheap Dragons that, with a bit of mana, can hold their own. And others still have some proper utility, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nadaar, Selfless Paladin" href="#" target="_blank">Nadaar, Selfless Paladin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>These creatures aren't standouts, but they're not meant to be. They're chaff that synergize with your Dragon-affinity spells and give you the breathing room to reach further down the mana curve.</p>
<p>And they do a good job with it!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Firespitter Whelp"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon Hatchling"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nadaar, Selfless Paladin"></div></div>


<p>Not every Dragon is worth including in your deck. Some are too expensive for their value while others just don't synergize well with other Dragons.</p>
<p>To be clear, Dragons don't have a single, glaring weakness. It's just that, like all creature types, they can't do everything. Only most things.</p>
<h2>You Are a Threat</h2>
<p>Somewhat temperamental based on your play group, but Dragons are one of those archetypes that has left quite a few people burned.</p>
<p>There are oppressive, game-ender Dragons out there. Two-card infinite combos. Even to a new player, seeing someone play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Earthquake Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Earthquake Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will indicate its controller is a threat.</p>
<p>And then there's Dragons that just get under players' skin, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh" href="#" target="_blank">Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>As a result, playing Dragons will mark you as a high-value target to be taken out until someone else makes a move. More experienced players won't be as inclined to assume you're the end-all be-all of the game. But with no information, Dragons are almost always a safe bet to prioritize first.</p>
<p>Dragons are not subtle. So they prevent you from playing them as such.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Earthquake Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund"></div></div>
<h2>You Are Vulnerable</h2>
<p>It takes quite a while for a Dragon deck to get going. It's sluggish and unresponsive, despite red's propensity for haste. Red doesn't have the sustainable mana-flow to keep up with the rapid deployment of Dragons. It certainly can grab temporary mana, but this is quite bursting and not conducive to building a board state.</p>
<p>You have your dragonkin to act as screening blockers to begin with. Once you can play a few Dragons, you'll have solid defenders that can fly.</p>
<p>But how will you deal with deathtouch? Removal? Targeting key Dragons that rarely have built-in protection? Not to mention, how you can deal with high-powered defenders or anything indestructible.</p>
<p>Most Dragons are sledgehammers. Some aren't! But not every problem can be solved by hitting it harder.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Bahamut"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ureni, the Song Unending"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Colossal Grave-Reaver"></div></div>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most played commander in the game</a> at the time of this guide's writing.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div></div>
<p>Its <em>eminence</em> ability allows your other Dragons to be cast for less, which is effectively a permanent discount of one colorless off of all your creatures. Then its second ability gives you card draw <em>and</em> playing a card for free.</p>
<p>There's a reason it's at the top of the list, even as expensive as it is. It can support any playstyle.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm" href="#" target="_blank">Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>Not quite as regularly played as the previous commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm" href="#" target="_blank">Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is still a force to be reckoned with, and the most popular commander in Temur (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) colors.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm"></div></div>
<p>Already passing the vanilla test, it has a cheeky bit of protection with ward <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. But of course, that's not why you play this commander. This commander lets you create a token duplicate of every nontoken Dragon you play, ignoring the Legend Rule.</p>
<p>That is to say, you can even duplicate legendary Dragons.</p>
<p>And it doesn't require it to be from your hand, mind you. It just has to be a nontoken Dragon entering the battlefield under your control. That means any recursion from the graveyard or flickering off-of and back onto the battlefield will trigger this as well.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tiamat" href="#" target="_blank">Tiamat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><em>D&amp;D</em>'s <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tiamat" href="#" target="_blank">Tiamat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doesn't disappoint when it comes to her moniker: the Queen of Dragons. A five-headed monstrosity representing the different colors of evil chromatic Dragons.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tiamat"></div></div>
<p>And she's an on-par 7/7 that gets you five unique Dragons and puts them in your hand. That is horrifying to watch happen and incredible to incorporate into your deck.</p>
<p>The utility on top of her stat-line is hard to beat! Her strength relies in getting you Dragons you need, which is a very frightening thing to contend with.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rivaz of the Claw" href="#" target="_blank">Rivaz of the Claw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>Despite not being a Dragon, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rivaz of the Claw" href="#" target="_blank">Rivaz of the Claw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes fielding other Dragons cheaper and easier. Which, for a three-mana commander, isn't bad at all!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rivaz of the Claw"></div></div>
<p>The core of Rivaz is allowing you to return Dragons cheaply from your graveyard, meaning anything with an enter-the-battlefield (ETB) effect can now activate twice. Heavy hitters can come back and on-death triggers can happen again.</p>
<p>This is a great reminder that your commander doesn't always need to be your ace!</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atarka, World Render" href="#" target="_blank">Atarka, World Render</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atarka, World Render" href="#" target="_blank">Atarka, World Render</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is probably the purest distillation of what most new players conceptualize a Dragon to be. She's a bit weak for her cost but flying and trample soften the blow. And she also gives double strike to all of your attacking Dragons.</p>
<p>That is <em>very</em> good given Dragons' stat-lines.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atarka, World Render"></div></div>
<p>This won't change traditional Dragon beatdown strategies. Double strike is a fantastic keyword, but it's not unbeatable. It sure is painful to deal with, though!</p>
<p>And of course, it makes her significantly harder to kill via combat while also ensuring she always hits for massive damage. She's not a bad option to try and win via commander damage!</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silumgar, the Drifting Death" href="#" target="_blank">Silumgar, the Drifting Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silumgar, the Drifting Death" href="#" target="_blank">Silumgar, the Drifting Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a quite tanky choice for a commander, focused entirely on not dying.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silumgar, the Drifting Death"></div></div>
<p>Natural hexproof is amazing to see on a commander. While its stats aren't anything impressive, seven toughness is quite a lot.</p>
<p>Then there's the main event, assigning -1/-1 to a player's board on attack. This will kill many tokens and some utility creatures, not to mention compensate for Silumgar's lacking power. It keeps your commander alive longer and helps the rest of your board advance, which is a surprisingly slick maneuver!</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dromoka, the Eternal" href="#" target="_blank">Dromoka, the Eternal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dromoka, the Eternal" href="#" target="_blank">Dromoka, the Eternal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a mid-range all-rounder. A 5/5 with flying and bolster 2, Dromoka assists your frailest creatures by building them up with +1/+1 counters.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dromoka, the Eternal"></div></div>
<p>This feels slow to build, and it is! However, might I direct you to its colors, <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>.</p>
<p>These are the colors that <em>thrive</em> off counters. Therefore, one more means of adding counters will snowball far quicker than you'd think.</p>
<p>So long as it isn't a token-spam deck and you're careful not to have too much chaff, you can support a strike force of incredible power with only a handful of creatures.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragonspeaker Shaman" href="#" target="_blank">Dragonspeaker Shaman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragonspeaker Shaman" href="#" target="_blank">Dragonspeaker Shaman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes your expensive creatures cheaper. That is almost never a bad thing, and with Dragons in particular, it's a necessity!</p>
<p>With red's love of impulse draw (exiling cards and being able to play them the turn they're exiled), it needs mana to capitalize on opportunities. Nothing's worse than accidentally exiling an incredible card, so marginal cost reduction adds up over time.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragonlord&#039;s Servant" href="#" target="_blank">Dragonlord&#039;s Servant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another such example.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonspeaker Shaman"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonlord&#039;s Servant"></div></div>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scourge of Valkas" href="#" target="_blank">Scourge of Valkas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scourge of Valkas" href="#" target="_blank">Scourge of Valkas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a creature that loves scaling. On its own, it's a midweight Dragon that can increase its strength for mana. Nothing atypical for a Dragon, but useful nonetheless.</p>
<p>But that's not why you play the Scourge. It has an ETB it grants to all other Dragons to deal scaling damage to any target. Ironically, this disincentivizes attacking with it in favor of keeping it alive for the utility, but the mixed abilities give it great flexibility.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scourge of Valkas"></div></div>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Utvara Hellkite" href="#" target="_blank">Utvara Hellkite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>An absolute monster, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Utvara Hellkite" href="#" target="_blank">Utvara Hellkite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will have your board get out of control fast. Any Dragon you control that attacks creates a 6/6 Dragon token... Which can then attack to create more Dragon tokens.</p>
<p>The fact it's a bit too expensive for its stats is inconsequential. After all, you're likely getting a handful of 6/6 tokens out of the deal. And that's before you get into other ETB effects for your Dragons!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Utvara Hellkite"></div></div>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Fire Crystal" href="#" target="_blank">The Fire Crystal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>There's a range of artifacts that decrease the cost of red spells and all of them are fantastic inclusions, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Fire Crystal" href="#" target="_blank">The Fire Crystal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> comes with additional benefits. It grants haste and the ability to copy your Dragons, which can be downright oppressive depending on the boardstate.</p>
<p>Even if you have no ETB effects, getting a 6+ power creature with flying for a turn will put in work. It's mid-costed, but you're already running a high-costed deck. If anything, this feels cheap by comparison.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Fire Crystal"></div></div>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fist of Suns" href="#" target="_blank">Fist of Suns</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>The <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fist of Suns" href="#" target="_blank">Fist of Suns</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> really only works with a commander like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that's already all five colors. However, strictly speaking, it's a cheaper alternative to most of your Dragons.</p>
<p>Assuming you have a means of getting mana of any color, which is a necessity for five-color decks, this is a much more convenient cost for your heavy-hitter Dragons. While situational, it can act as an alternative to other forms of cost reduction and/or if you have a subtheme in your deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fist of Suns"></div></div>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives a stacking ETB to all your Dragons, dealing progressively more damage the larger your board is. Not only does this scale with how many Dragons you have, it's also <em>any</em> target! So you can take out key creatures, deal ping damage to opponents, or reduce the loyalty of a planeswalker.</p>
<p>Then on top of that, it gives all your flying creatures haste. All for two mana!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon Tempest"></div></div>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dracogenesis" href="#" target="_blank">Dracogenesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dracogenesis" href="#" target="_blank">Dracogenesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card whose usage is entirely dependent on your opinion of its value. Eight mana to make all your Dragons free.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dracogenesis"></div></div>
<p>That effect is very powerful and intended for the late-game, and its cost reflects that. Red isn't known for its ability to protect its enchantments, so there's always the risk of investing all of your mana into an enchantment that immediately gets removed.</p>
<p>To mitigate this, make sure you have a high-costed Dragon or two in your hand, ideally exceeding eight mana in value to cover the cost. But with that contingency in place, this is an essential card for Dragon decks. Particularly if you pair it with card draw to maximize the burst potential of playing multiple Dragons at a time.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crucible of Fire" href="#" target="_blank">Crucible of Fire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crucible of Fire" href="#" target="_blank">Crucible of Fire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes your big creatures bigger. Your Dragons were already flying over most creatures and likely winning exchanges with those that could defend against them.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crucible of Fire"></div></div>
<p>But if you can get trample? You're attacking uncontested? Perhaps you need a bit more survivability?</p>
<p>Your Dragons are simply <em>better,</em> which makes it hard not to include.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Garruk&#039;s Uprising" href="#" target="_blank">Garruk&#039;s Uprising</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Garruk&#039;s Uprising" href="#" target="_blank">Garruk&#039;s Uprising</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> functions similarly to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temur Ascendancy" href="#" target="_blank">Temur Ascendancy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, though instead of haste it grants trample. Both give you ETB card draw from your Dragons and are worthwhile inclusions if they align with your commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Garruk&#039;s Uprising"></div></div>
<p>But as an additional benefit, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Garruk&#039;s Uprising" href="#" target="_blank">Garruk&#039;s Uprising</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> also lets you draw a card immediately if you meet its conditions, paying for itself. Though any enchantment that grants card draw based on your creatures' power will get the job done!</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crux of Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Crux of Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crux of Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Crux of Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has the potential to wipe out your Dragons, certainly. But as board wipes go, being able to remove every creature other than your own is a pretty good deal.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crux of Fate"></div></div>
<p>It's fairly expensive, but that just means you'll wait until later in the game to cast it. Which, of course, is after you can establish your board presence with some expensive Dragons and capitalize on the empty board.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph" href="#" target="_blank">Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>There isn't much to say about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph" href="#" target="_blank">Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>You're running Dragons? Put it in your deck! It's a relatively cheap way to ensure you get the Dragon you need into your hand.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph"></div></div>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fearsome Awakening" href="#" target="_blank">Fearsome Awakening</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fearsome Awakening" href="#" target="_blank">Fearsome Awakening</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives you some fairly expensive recursion. However, it strengthens your Dragons. You're already running an expensive deck, so relying on this really is a gamble.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fearsome Awakening"></div></div>
<p>However, a fair few cards give your Dragons ETBs. You get to trigger those, have a powerful creature that's now even more powerful, potentially with haste?</p>
<p>Suddenly, it's worth it.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarkhan Unbroken" href="#" target="_blank">Sarkhan Unbroken</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarkhan Unbroken" href="#" target="_blank">Sarkhan Unbroken</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a staggeringly good suite of abilities for a Dragon deck. Draw a card and gain mana? That's utility in a deck that is starved for it. Get a 4/4 flying red Dragon token? More creatures that scale with your enchantments and abilities!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sarkhan Unbroken"></div></div>
<p>Search your library for <em>any</em> number of Dragons and put them onto the battlefield? Now that's just a win condition.</p>
<p>Just keep in mind that Dragons don't have many built-in protections. You may be able to give them all haste, but make sure they don't fall victim to a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> just to be discarded down to your hand limit at turn's end.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sivitri, Dragon Master" href="#" target="_blank">Sivitri, Dragon Master</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sivitri, Dragon Master" href="#" target="_blank">Sivitri, Dragon Master</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> offers some protection in the form of taxing attacking creatures, though this won't be very useful to you once you have your Dragons set up. It certainly can give you the flexibility to not worry about leaving blockers, meaning you can go all-out on the offense, though that's not why you run her.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sivitri, Dragon Master"></div></div>
<p>Tutoring Dragons and destroying all non-Dragons, those are what we want. The protection is, at best, a niche "nice to have." You'll have to work to get that board wipe, and that's not always what your goal should be.</p>
<p>A board wipe is scary, meaning your opponents may target Sivitri. That means paying her tax and exposing themselves. Depending on the experience of your group, that may be even more valuable.</p>
<p>Or they just hit her with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hero&#039;s Downfall" href="#" target="_blank">Hero&#039;s Downfall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>; can't help that.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarkhan the Masterless" href="#" target="_blank">Sarkhan the Masterless</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarkhan the Masterless" href="#" target="_blank">Sarkhan the Masterless</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is more of a gimmick inclusion, though certainly not useless. His passive is the real star, dealing damage to creatures attacking you equal to your number of Dragons. Which, in all likelihood, will be more than a handful.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sarkhan the Masterless"></div></div>
<p>That removes the threat of low-power creatures that can't be blocked and whittles down giant stat-lines which could normally tank your Dragons.</p>
<p>Sarkhan's ability to convert your planeswalkers to 4/4 flying Dragons is fine, it's not the reason you'd run him. And creating a single 4/4 Dragon for over half his starting loyalty is simply not worth it.</p>
<p>But if you're running Superfriends, an archetype oriented around including many planeswalkers, he's not the worst inclusion!</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crucible of the Spirit Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Crucible of the Spirit Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crucible of the Spirit Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Crucible of the Spirit Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doesn't initially seem to be very useful, given it's a 1:1 trade of mana. But in multicolored Dragon decks, and particularly with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it's exactly the flexibility you'll need to pivot between Dragons.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crucible of the Spirit Dragon"></div></div>
<p>It's slow and requires you build it up over time, which luckily you'll probably have at least a single mana remaining at the end of each turn to spend on it. In its least convenient, you're effectively saving mana between turns, which is never a bad thing.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arena of Glory" href="#" target="_blank">Arena of Glory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arena of Glory" href="#" target="_blank">Arena of Glory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lets you push forward more active aggression, assuming you're managing to keep up with your Dragons' costs. It allows you to spend a mana and exert it to gain two mana and give haste to a creature spell you cast with it. Exerting a permanent means its doesn't untap during your next untap step.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arena of Glory"></div></div>
<p>There's plenty of removal in commander, so it makes sense that your big, scary creatures are going to be targeted with them. After all, few other archetypes can effectively fight Dragons directly. So haste is just one more way to get value from them before they're removed.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kessig Wolf Run" href="#" target="_blank">Kessig Wolf Run</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kessig Wolf Run" href="#" target="_blank">Kessig Wolf Run</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives a creature trample for a turn. Certainly, it makes them stronger, but Dragons can be shut out by any chump-blocker with flying or reach.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kessig Wolf Run"></div></div>
<p>This not only enhances their power but gives them the ability to hit through that. Which, with high-powered cards like Dragons, is really useful!</p>


<p>Dragons love flying up to your opponents and reducing their life to 0. They also love dealing 21 commander damage.</p>
<p>When running a Dragon deck, you can really take your pick!</p>
<p>Their big stats and flying gives them great positions to accomplish this, with their largest obstacle really just being the speed at which they can accomplish it. Very few opponents won't respond to your slowly-building draconic ranks with removal or blockers of their own.</p>
<p>But if you're able to defend your board and continue the attack, you will be able to simply wear down opponents directly.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chaos Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lightning Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ganax, Astral Hunter"></div></div>


<p>Perhaps the most famous Dragon-related infinite combo is Niv-Mizzet dealing damage when you draw a card and multiple enchantments allowing you to draw a card when dealing damage. There are multiple variations of this combination on both the creature and enchantment front, but the core principle is the same.</p>
<p>As a two-card infinite combo, this is restricted to higher brackets and won't see much casual play. Further, it's such a well-known strategy that any attempt to play its components will likely lead to them being shut down.</p>
<p>However, so long as you have cards to draw you have ammo to fuel Niv-Mizzet's fire! So fire away.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Niv-Mizzet, Parun"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curiosity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind"></div></div>


best dragon commanders

Winning the Theme Deck Throwdown With Lathliss, Dragon Queen

EDHREC Guide to Dragons in Commander