Great card, although it should have hade the art work from the dragon's vault.
PaladinOfSunhome
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(5 votes)
I like it. Once you get it in it's very distructive and the pump up for just one R is good.
3.5
CrimsonVoid
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(6 votes)
I'm glad they went back to this art. IMO this is the best art for this card and arguably one of the best looking dragons in Magic. I liked the idea of the Jund dragons, but I didn't like how they looked.
woodsgirl
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(7 votes)
This oldest surviving big veteran from alpha still proves to be a solid card. That firebreath has won many victories for red.
Silverware
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Your opponent will do everything in their power to try stoping this guy from geting to them. Very effective for its cost. Perfect for a mono red deck.
Loozar402
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(4 votes)
Shivan Dragon may be pretty plain and not as fancy as more recent big creatures, but it's still a pretty solid creature.
God_of_Destruction
★★☆☆☆ (2.1/5.0)(7 votes)
This dragon has my friend since i became a fire planeswalker... perfect for mono-red burn deck for late-game drops, this and Flameblast Dragon has won me a couple of games...
OutlawD1
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(6 votes)
I grew up with its original art and loved it. This newer art I admit is better...from the vault version is ho-hum Not the best dragon anymore, but a classic...and decent in drafts and causal games
AlphaNumerical
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(5 votes)
Used to be my favorite. Back in Alpha, this dragon was sheer terror to behold - it would usually end the game the turn after being cast.
However, in today's meta, Shivan Dragon isn't one of the only good fatties out there anymore, and not quite as playable. Still, it deserves a special place in many of our hearts.
Esprel
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
As my friend pointed out, this card is a little slow for a red card. A good burn deck should kill within 5 turns.
Though this creature is rather good. I've won many a match having 2 of this out, and just pumping the one my opponent did not block.
jeff-heikkinen
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
One of the few big creatures from very early in the game's history that WotC didn't saddle with some ridiculous drawback, and therefore one of the few such creatures that are playable. While it is extremely rare that there would be any reason to run this in Constructed, this remains, as always, an enormous Limited bomb and a huge favourite at casual tables everywhere.
swordoath
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I think it's time to retire this art and go for a new look. This dragon has been around the block for longer than Serra Angel, and she got an art upgrade twice over. Ol' Shivvy is still sitting on his 7th art. Boo urns.
AbyssalManZero
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I love the Shivan :D This and Sengir are the two old powerful creatures from back in the day that I remember particularly, so to me it'll never be short of awesome!
Though I liked the origional the best, this artwork I've taken a serious liking to!! Awesome artwork for this origional dragon! :D
darkfury
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
they should make the artwork have the dragon quite clearly PO'ed on the ground, with its wings extended
seriously, can we get good dragon artwork outside of the one incarnation ofjud
Akromar
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
May not be the best card out there anymore, but darn if you didn't feel awesome if you pulled this from your first pack.
sarroth
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
I seem to keep running into the same issue with my group of friends. I was playing a two-headed giant game, and my partner played Shivan and Mystic Valed it to give it shroud. She attacked with Shivan and tapped some red mana to give it firebreathing so it would kill the blocking creature, and our friends told us she couldn't use firebreathing because Shivan now had shroud. I tried to say that firebreathing doesn't target the creature, thus shroud doesn't apply, but they didn't agree with me. Am I right in saying that Shivan would still be able to use the ability if it had been given shroud?
As for the card, Shivan is one of the oldest dragons and one of my favorites. It's just a classic.
Tobolococo
★☆☆☆☆ (1.2/5.0)(3 votes)
Awesome card but i agree with darkfury the art isn't good, its just the position of the dragon, its weird, just make a dragon in a cliff with its wings fully extended, is that asking for the moon ?
back to the card, its nice, i would be happy to pull this in a Booster but i wouldn't use it, i am really not into expensive creatures, lets put it this way, you can play 4 Vampire Lacerators and 2 Raging Goblins for the same CMC however a path to exile would just exile one of those 6 creatures leaving you with 5 more, if you played the shivan dragon then the path to exile means you just used 6 mana for NOTHING, with all the removal there is these days expensive creatures are pointless (in my opinion) i SO much prefer to fill the table with little guys, thats called creature advantage and its called "you need 6 removal spells instead of one to clear my table" (except for Wrath of god and day of judgement).
so yeah those are my thoughts.
thank you for reading
HairlessThoctar
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Still gotta lot of love for the OG Dragon, but honestly, I'm very much unconvinced that he's should still be a rare.
LeoKula
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
This art definitely seems like the dragon is being defeated... horrible!
I still love this as a finisher in a mono red deck. cast turn 6, swing for 12 the next turn. that should b game
AmericanVigor
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
A strong creature for the time of the game in which it would normally come into play.
DacenOctavio
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
If you're opponent's out of removal and has no flying or reach, you just need to get him down to 12 life, drop this turn 6, and you win turn 7 assuming you can make {R}{R}{R}{R}{R}{R}{R}. Nice card. Beautiful dragon.
That being said, Wizards printed Deadly Recluse in the M10 Core Set.
Exactly how does a majestic scaled ravager of the skies fall prey to a teensy arachnid? One would think the fiery corona given off by this beater would fry that little arthropod to a crisp before it even got to scratch its fangs on Shivi's scales.
In that regard, I'm glad we got Ancient Hellkite; sure, he's not the classic modular pain we're accustomed to, but at least he's got a better shot at toasting critters like nighthawk, coatl, and recluse before he has to go toe to toe with them.
VampireCat
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Classic card and a great finisher if you're willing to exploit the end of turn loophole (and make your entire casual group hate you).
thorjy
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I appreciate the simplicity of cards like this. Sure, it can't hold a candle up to the titans, and Baneslayer Angel doesn't give this thing a second look, but think about this.
In mono-red, once you got six mana sources, you could cast this guy. On your next turn, if you still had the dragon, you could conceivably attack for 11 damage, 12 if you made the land drop.
Black has a parallel in Pestilence Demon. Once you get to eight mana sources, you cast your 7/6 flyer. Next turn, you can deal 5 damage to everything, then attack for 7, potentially dealing 12 damage that turn.
penguinmage25
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
good art
Joseph_Leito
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Sarroth: You were right. Shivan's firebreathing ability is not a targeted ability, despite the appearance. For something to be a targeted ability it MUST SAY "target creature/whatever." Since Shroud only effects its protection on targeted abilities, it doesn't affect firebreathing abilities.
NeoKoda
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
As an uncommon, this would be completely insane in limited.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
He is still good to this day, but there has been better dragons in red in the past few years.
Continue
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Remember when this guy was good? Oh wait. He still is. Maybe it's my inner Timmy speaking, but I love dragons, especially powerful ones like these. Maybe he's not a competitive card, but when he hits the kitchen table, he goes THUD. 5/5
Madarakita
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
He just got spoiled for M14.
It's unlikely, but I think it'd be fantastic if they'd use Melissa Benson's art for it, especially since this is Magic's 20th anniversary.
car2n
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Still beautiful and fun after all these years, like a good wife.
Comments (35)
3.5
Not the best dragon anymore, but a classic...and decent in drafts and causal games
However, in today's meta, Shivan Dragon isn't one of the only good fatties out there anymore, and not quite as playable. Still, it deserves a special place in many of our hearts.
Though this creature is rather good. I've won many a match having 2 of this out, and just pumping the one my opponent did not block.
Though I liked the origional the best, this artwork I've taken a serious liking to!! Awesome artwork for this origional dragon! :D
seriously, can we get good dragon artwork outside of the one incarnation ofjud
As for the card, Shivan is one of the oldest dragons and one of my favorites. It's just a classic.
back to the card, its nice, i would be happy to pull this in a Booster but i wouldn't use it, i am really not into expensive creatures, lets put it this way, you can play 4 Vampire Lacerators and 2 Raging Goblins for the same CMC however a path to exile would just exile one of those 6 creatures leaving you with 5 more, if you played the shivan dragon then the path to exile means you just used 6 mana for NOTHING, with all the removal there is these days expensive creatures are pointless (in my opinion) i SO much prefer to fill the table with little guys, thats called creature advantage and its called "you need 6 removal spells instead of one to clear my table" (except for Wrath of god and day of judgement).
so yeah those are my thoughts.
thank you for reading
That being said, Wizards printed Deadly Recluse in the M10 Core Set.
Exactly how does a majestic scaled ravager of the skies fall prey to a teensy arachnid? One would think the fiery corona given off by this beater would fry that little arthropod to a crisp before it even got to scratch its fangs on Shivi's scales.
In that regard, I'm glad we got Ancient Hellkite; sure, he's not the classic modular pain we're accustomed to, but at least he's got a better shot at toasting critters like nighthawk, coatl, and recluse before he has to go toe to toe with them.
In mono-red, once you got six mana sources, you could cast this guy. On your next turn, if you still had the dragon, you could conceivably attack for 11 damage, 12 if you made the land drop.
Black has a parallel in Pestilence Demon. Once you get to eight mana sources, you cast your 7/6 flyer. Next turn, you can deal 5 damage to everything, then attack for 7, potentially dealing 12 damage that turn.
It's unlikely, but I think it'd be fantastic if they'd use Melissa Benson's art for it, especially since this is Magic's 20th anniversary.