Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge: Enchantments & Artifact Interactions
If you’ve ever built a deliberately artifact-heavy deck, you know that the true metagame isn’t just about spells and creatures—it’s about the rhythm you strike with your pieces. Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge slides into that rhythm like a seasoned drummer: a red dragon with a built-in requirement and a treasure-fueled payoff. At a mana cost of {2}{R}, this legendary creature—5/4 with Flying—asks you to lean into your artifact count before it can truly swing. Those little treasures you generate later in the game aren’t just celebratory confetti; they’re mana in disguise, ready to fuel your next decisive play. 🧙♂️🔥
From the lore-forward perspective, dragons in Tarkir often carry a blend of warfare savvy and cunning resource management, and Gadrak is no exception. The line “Gadrak can’t attack unless you control four or more artifacts” creates a deliberate tempo with a dragon that is otherwise eager to dive into combat. It rewards players who’ve invested in mana rocks, artifact-based ramps, and synergy engines that convert those artifacts into real force on the battlefield. The end-step trigger—“create a Treasure token for each nontoken creature that died this turn”—turns even a single board wipe into a potential economic engine. It’s not just careening toward a big hit; it’s a disciplined slide from battlefield control into a gold-macre ramp that empowers your next turn with explosive velocity. ⚔️
“A dragon that’s as happy counting its coins as it is counting your threats.”
Why enchantments and artifacts matter here
Gadrak’s design hinges on artifacts—your color palette, your ramp, and your removal insurance. Enchantments that tilt the battlefield in your favor often pair well with a deck leaning on artifacts for acceleration. Think of enchantments that smooth your mana curve, protect your board state, or accelerate your treasure economy. With four or more artifacts on the table, Gadrak opens up a menacing doorway to aerial pressure and overwhelming endgame potential. And because the Treasure tokens can be sacrificed for mana of any color, you’re not locked into red mana alone; you’re primed to cast your multicolor spells, or to fuel a late-game blast of X-costs that might otherwise be out of reach. 🧙♂️💎
In practice, your artifact package could include a mix of mana rocks (like artifacts that produce mana), ritual accelerants, and those delightful temporary mana sources. When you couple Gadrak’s end-step Treasure river with an enchantment or two that reuses or recovers artifacts, you create a recurring cycle: survive the early pressure, ramp with treasures, and unleash a late-game onslaught with a dragon that’s already flown the coop. The deckbuilding challenge becomes balancing a reliable early defense—so Gadrak can actually attack—with a robust late-game plan that depends on those Treasure tokens to cast your heaviest spells. This is where the synergy shines: the best lines weave artifact-based ramp and enchantment support into a single, cohesive engine. 🔥🎲
Speaking of the engine, the card’s type line—Legendary Creature — Dragon—signals that you’re playing in the Commander space for sure. Its rarity is rare, and the set hints at a design philosophy that embraces broad-gaming flexibility and flavorful synergy with Treasure tokens. The flavor text of the era paints dragons as calculating masterminds who value not just raw power, but the art of resource extraction—the mirror to a modern artifact-driven meta. The art, by Daarken, carries a weighty presence that makes it a centerpiece on the battlefield and a conversation starter at your local store or virtual table. 🧨🎨
Practical stylings aside, you’re also looking at a card that remains legal in Modern and Legacy—while standard rotations keep it out of the rotation for most players, it’s a frequent star in Commander tables. That cross-format viability matters when you’re evaluating impact: you’re likely to see Gadrak in a range of games where artifact sacrifice and Treasure creation are common currency. It’s not just a creature; it’s a strategic lever you can pull in a lot of different ways. And yes, that lever can power out some truly dramatic turns, especially when you’ve stacked your board with low-cost artifacts and resilient enchantments that keep your engine humming. ⚒️💎
For fans who want to blend a modern tech vibe with classic MTG nostalgia, the very idea of a dragon that negotiates with coin counters feels both timely and timeless. It’s the kind of card that invites you to map your curve, protect your mana, and savor a moment when the table recognizes that your treasures aren’t just shiny—they’re the fuel for your next thunderclap of a play. And if you’re grabbing gear for your battles between rounds, a rugged, dependable phone case is a quiet, practical companion—the kind of merch crossover that makes sense for gamers who respect both the minutiae of deck-building and the realities of a day at the store. This is where craft meets battlefield. 🧙♂️🧭
To keep you fully equipped on and off the table, consider pairing your deck-building drive with gear that stands up to real-life MTG sessions. The world of Magic is vast, and so is the hobby’s ecosystem—encompassing cards, strategies, and even stylish accessories that celebrate the craft. If you’re looking to protect your gear without sacrificing style, a sturdy, glossy polycarbonate case can travel with you from tournament to tournament. It’s the kind of practical upgrade that makes long nights of drafting and combat feel just a bit smoother. And that’s the spirit this dragon embodies: practical power, stylish presentation, and a little bit of mischief. 🔥🎲
Rugged Phone Case: Impact Resistant Glossy Polycarbonate
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Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge
Flying
Gadrak can't attack unless you control four or more artifacts.
At the beginning of your end step, create a Treasure token for each nontoken creature that died this turn. (It's an artifact with "{T}, Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.")
ID: 249bf4b2-9239-4303-9c5d-81d06f6b7fb1
Oracle ID: 42d7ec93-0943-43e2-9b65-b7edc3349410
Multiverse IDs: 696370
TCGPlayer ID: 624932
Cardmarket ID: 819296
Colors: R
Color Identity: R
Keywords: Flying, Treasure
Rarity: Rare
Released: 2025-04-11
Artist: Daarken
Frame: 2015
Border: black
EDHRec Rank: 3632
Penny Rank: 5431
Set: Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander (tdc)
Collector #: 214
Legalities
- Standard — not_legal
- Future — not_legal
- Historic — legal
- Timeless — legal
- Gladiator — legal
- Pioneer — legal
- Modern — legal
- Legacy — legal
- Pauper — not_legal
- Vintage — legal
- Penny — legal
- Commander — legal
- Oathbreaker — legal
- Standardbrawl — not_legal
- Brawl — legal
- Alchemy — not_legal
- Paupercommander — not_legal
- Duel — legal
- Oldschool — not_legal
- Premodern — not_legal
- Predh — not_legal
Prices
- USD: 0.18
- EUR: 0.28
- TIX: 0.03
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