Archive Dragon
Creature — Dragon Wizard
Flying
Ward 
(Whenever this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter it unless that player pays .)
When this creature enters, scry 2.
- CMC
- 6
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Wilds of Eldraine
- Price
- $0.19
- EDHREC rank
- #14551
Archive Dragon enters, mills five cards from each opponent, and replaces itself by drawing a card — meaningful board impact stapled to a 5/5 flying body. The seven-mana cost is the honest downside, and outside dedicated dragon or reanimator shells, that ceiling is hard to justify.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Sivitri, Dragon Master
Sivitri, Dragon Master tutors Archive Dragon directly onto the battlefield, bypassing the seven-mana cost entirely and turning the mill-and-draw trigger into a free value engine the moment Sivitri attacks.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Archive Dragon earns its slot in dragon tribal decks where Sivitri, Dragon Master or other dragon-cheating effects make the mana cost irrelevant. Outside those shells, seven mana for a one-time mill-five is too slow when the table has three opponents and the game is already half over. In competitive 60-card formats — Modern, Pioneer, Legacy — Archive Dragon doesn't register; the rate is too fair for formats that demand speed or redundancy. Standard is the one place a 5/5 flier with a draw-and-mill stapled on can occasionally slot into midrange, but it's a fringe consideration at best.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.19 bulk tier
At $0.19, Archive Dragon is pure bulk — there's no financial barrier to picking up copies whenever the deck calls for it. Bulk dragon staples rarely spike without a pushed reprint or a new commander that breaks them, so don't expect movement.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.