Hidden Gems for The Ur-Dragon

Welcome to another edition of Hidden Gems, where we dive into Magic’s ever-deepening archives to unearth overlooked, underappreciated, and long-forgotten treasures for Commander.

Today’s guest of honor is The Ur-Dragon. This chonky boy is one of the most popular commanders of all time and is the top choice for the most popular creature type, Dragons. Naturally, there are seven billion choices for the 99. Here are four recommendations that you should try out.

#1. Changelings

Dragons tend to be more expensive, so the first obstacle of building a functional deck is figuring out the early game. There’s plenty of ramp worth including, but also several small “Dragons” that can help flesh out this end of the curve. Realmwalker can give you card advantage. Taurean Mauler can come out as early as turn two (Thanks Daddy Ur-Dragon!) and scale up (get it?) as the game progresses. Mirror Entity can scare off threats and act as a way to pump up your team to end the game. And don’t forget Crib Swap. Never forget Crib Swap.

$2.59$2.49

$1.89$1.79

Realmwalker	CardKingdom $4.99	TCGPlayer $3.63
Taurean Mauler	CardKingdom $2.49	TCGPlayer $2.59
Mirror Entity	CardKingdom $1.79	TCGPlayer $1.89
Crib Swap	CardKingdom $0.39	TCGPlayer $0.46

#2. Elminster

Getting multiple Dragons to stay on the battlefield is a difficult task, making it harder to trigger The Ur-Dragon’s second ability. Only a few cards create lots of Dragons in one go, and Elminster happens to be one of them. If you can hit a high mana-value card, a bounty of little Dragon Faeries will be at your command. With your army of Ur-babies, you can dig deep for an Ur-Mommy and your opponents will know no greater fear.

Elminster	CardKingdom $1.29	TCGPlayer $1.00
Elminster (Borderless)	CardKingdom $2.29	TCGPlayer $1.00

#3. Firkraag, Cunning Instigator

At four mana (Thanks again, Ur-Daddy!), this little instigator can put in some work. If you can get it down early, it will help you control the board by making your opponents turn on each other. It’ll grow and draw cards if left unchecked, practically paying for itself and stalling the game until your mana base can pay for bigger and scarier Dragons.

Firkraag, Cunning Instigator	CardKingdom	TCGPlayer
Firkraag, Cunning Instigator (Extended Art)	CardKingdom $5.99	TCGPlayer $3.06

#4. Spit Flame

This isn’t the most glamorous pick, but removal can keep you alive in the early game. The key here is that this spell is repeatable. And card advantage is a girl’s best friend. Once your mana base is established, you might even be able to cast it multiple times in one turn by playing it, playing a Dragon, returning it, and casting it again. Four damage can kill a lot of things, and eight damage can kill most everything else.

Spit Flame	CardKingdom $0.59	TCGPlayer $0.54
Spit Flame	CardKingdom $0.69	TCGPlayer $0.38

That’s all for this week. Good luck building your Dragon decks, you crazy kids. Just remember—whenever you build a typal deck, always, always, ALWAYS look at changelings. And Mistform Ultimus. Don’t play him. Just look at him. He walked so changelings could run and we need to respect that.

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Further Reading:

Magic Cards to Buy Now - Dragons, Goblins, Pirates, and Elves

The Best Magic Set of 2023 for Commander