I honestly love this guy. Yes, it's not that good, but it certaintly is a good blue beatdown card (or at least, was, during it's time).
Plus, it great with "comes into play" and "leaves play" abilities.
darkfury
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(7 votes)
should get Champion a Creature Errata. at least that isnt as wordy
Dragoonmike
★★☆☆☆ (2.3/5.0)(3 votes)
I loved using this in my teferi's veil deck. First time it attacks you get your creature back. I usually removed Thalakos Seer to this to draw a card then Id get her back and draw a card everytime she attacks with the veil up.
Guest1843416130
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(4 votes)
Wow, to me this ability is almost completely positive, the reason? If you exile a really deadly creature, and your opponent(s) wants to kill this card, then they'll have to think twice about using wrath or something because then they'll have to deal with the other deadly creature...
nimzo
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(4 votes)
with Onslaught next block... very effective if you exile a BIG morph creature...
Ava_Adore
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(5 votes)
one of the best blue cards i have seen, 3/4 flier for 3
champion a creature, is great, but you do need another crreature, so many applications though
cip effects and whatnot, or just protecting a creature from spells
Definetly NOT strictly better than Serendib... Serendib efreet doesn't sacrifice itself on coming into play after the opponent responds to it by doomblading your only creature. That having been said this is a useful creature by all means.
blindthrall
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
@Dragoonmike: That doesn't work anymore, phasing doesn't trigger leaves play effects. Otherwise I'd be ordering a playset of these right now.
KikiJikiTiki
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Strangely, I find this guy better than his uncommon counterpart, Wormfang Crab, and I find them both better than the rare counterpart, Wormfang Manta.
Laguz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is actually amazing, and it's strictly better than Serendib Efreet. With the same cmc, keyword and p/t, the efreet's drawback will always be negative while the drake's ability will always be positive (if you're playing it right).
Who would ever play this into doom blade? Please stop with the 'dies to removal' crap.
OmegaSerris
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Ugh, I want to shoot whomever started the whole 'strictly' thing with MTG. No, this is not STRICTLY better than Serendib Efreet because they react differently if in the same situation. What if you have no creatures on the field? This would be a dead draw (as it just dies if you play it) while Serendib Efreet would be a welcome addition to your hand after a field wipe. What if you are barely hanging on by one life? Serendib Efreet would be the dead draw as next turn it would kill you.
Sure, this might be mechanically superior because of how combo-licious it is, but it is NOT better in all cases, hence it is not STRICTLY anything.
@Ava_Adore Champion wouldn't work here, due to a small technicality. Champion works like Prowl, they have to share a creature type. The only "Champion a creature" cards are changelings because, obviously, they share all types. It's sort of like why they don't errata all the old 'lifelink' cards because the old trigger abilities no longer work the same as the new static version of the ability.
HairlessThoctar
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Proto-champion :D
igniteice
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
With three of these out, you could have a whole load of fun. Play one, exile some irrelevant creature. Play another and exile the first drake. Play a third drake and exile the second drake. The first drake comes back, upon which you target the third drake. The third drake leaves, bringing back the second drake, which targets the first drake, which brings back the third drake... and so on and so forth. Now you just need one of those "Whenever a creature enters the battlefield, you gain 1 life" cards and you've got infinite life!
doitpow
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
combo with Mulldrifter
Lord_of_the_Real
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Combos well with Wrath of God and doesn't afraid of anything in Limited.
GlassJoetheChamp
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This is probably my favorite magic card.
For one, it's just awesome, a 3/4 for 3 in blue is hard to argue with, and Champion is a rediculously fun mechanic to mess with. I made a Red/Blue bounce shenanigans deck just because of this card.
For two, no one seems to know about this card, so I got two playsets easily for the cost of a snow cone.
For three, it's one of my first cards, and it's one of the ones I never liked as a kid. Seeing its uses today shows how much I've learned in Magic. :)
Salient
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Fun fact: You can 'go infinite' with three of these, triggering "whenever a creature enters the battlefield" abilities as many times as you please. This is something you could do, if you're bored. You could also go look at trees. There are some pretty trees this time of year.
Infinite Reflection makes the going-infinite thing a bit more feasible, if you're nuts enough (or bored enough) to actually try it...
MithosFall
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Its rules text should be updated to: Flying Champion a creature
adrian.malacoda
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Its not Champion for the same reason Mistform Ultimus isn't a changeling.
Arachnos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Proto-Champion.
syrazemyla
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@OmegaSerris:
702.70. Champion * 702.70a Champion represents two triggered abilities. "When this permanent enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you exile another you control" and "When this permanent leaves the battlefield, return the exiled card to the battlefield under its owner’s control." * 702.70b The two abilities represented by champion are linked. See rule 607, "Linked Abilities." * 702.70c A permanent is "championed" by another permanent if the latter exiles the former as the direct result of a champion ability.
The rules text for Champion has nothing to do with creature types. A creature could have "Champion a land" for all the rules care. It was just done that way in Lorwyn because it was a tribal block. The reason it doesn't have Champion is because it would have to be written consistently for all Nightmares from Judgment, and there is no such thing as "Champion all but 1 life", "Champion your next turn", or "Champion everything".
SkyknightXi
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Have the Drake replace a creature with a good, potent EtB effect. If I'm right, the enemy will be sweating over whether killing the Drake will outweigh the repeat of the EtB effect...(Or you can just use something like Words of Wind or Familiar's Ruse to do it yourself.)
iceiceiceMTG
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Yes, I would exile my Sharuum the Hegemon beneath this drake. What's that? You play wrath of god? ok let me just play Otherworldly JOurney and raid my graveyard for beefy artifacts
Morendo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is my jam. It's intensity in ten cities. It does all kinds of work in cube. It combos well with both Thragtusk and Elvish Pioneer. It's a spikey blue card, which is not incredibly common. It creates an immediate threat. It beats wrath strategies. It's just awesome.
BlakeHN
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Lacks the versatility of Faceless Butcher, yet is much better if you're going to use it on yourself. I use both in my Dromar, the Banisher flicker-bounce EDH and they seem to work well...
And the ability basically IS 'Champion a creature' (as seen on Changeling Hero for example), obviously it doesn't SAY that, but that's how it works...
blurrymadness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The original Champion champion mechanic!
I want to say, this guy is brutal with cards like Augur of Bolas; as when they remove this guy you get another shot at drawing. Stacking these kinds of effects on top of eachother with Ghostly Flicker can really start adding value into your deck.
Continue
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Often used in its Standard and Extended days to save Psychatog from an Upheaval.
Comments (29)
Plus, it great with "comes into play" and "leaves play" abilities.
champion a creature, is great, but you do need another crreature, so many applications though
cip effects and whatnot, or just protecting a creature from spells
5/5
That having been said this is a useful creature by all means.
Who would ever play this into doom blade? Please stop with the 'dies to removal' crap.
Sure, this might be mechanically superior because of how combo-licious it is, but it is NOT better in all cases, hence it is not STRICTLY anything.
@Ava_Adore
Champion wouldn't work here, due to a small technicality. Champion works like Prowl, they have to share a creature type. The only "Champion a creature" cards are changelings because, obviously, they share all types. It's sort of like why they don't errata all the old 'lifelink' cards because the old trigger abilities no longer work the same as the new static version of the ability.
For one, it's just awesome, a 3/4 for 3 in blue is hard to argue with, and Champion is a rediculously fun mechanic to mess with. I made a Red/Blue bounce shenanigans deck just because of this card.
For two, no one seems to know about this card, so I got two playsets easily for the cost of a snow cone.
For three, it's one of my first cards, and it's one of the ones I never liked as a kid. Seeing its uses today shows how much I've learned in Magic. :)
Infinite Reflection makes the going-infinite thing a bit more feasible, if you're nuts enough (or bored enough) to actually try it...
Flying
Champion a creature
702.70. Champion
* 702.70a Champion represents two triggered abilities. "When this permanent enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you exile another you control" and "When this permanent leaves the battlefield, return the exiled card to the battlefield under its owner’s control."
* 702.70b The two abilities represented by champion are linked. See rule 607, "Linked Abilities."
* 702.70c A permanent is "championed" by another permanent if the latter exiles the former as the direct result of a champion ability.
The rules text for Champion has nothing to do with creature types. A creature could have "Champion a land" for all the rules care. It was just done that way in Lorwyn because it was a tribal block. The reason it doesn't have Champion is because it would have to be written consistently for all Nightmares from Judgment, and there is no such thing as "Champion all but 1 life", "Champion your next turn", or "Champion everything".
And the ability basically IS 'Champion a creature' (as seen on Changeling Hero for example), obviously it doesn't SAY that, but that's how it works...
I want to say, this guy is brutal with cards like Augur of Bolas; as when they remove this guy you get another shot at drawing. Stacking these kinds of effects on top of eachother with Ghostly Flicker can really start adding value into your deck.