Form of the Dragon
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, this enchantment deals 5 damage to any target.
At the beginning of each end step, your life total becomes 5.
Creatures without flying can't attack you.
- CMC
- 7
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- From the Vault: Dragons
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #16163
Form of the Dragon rewrites the board the turn it resolves — your life total resets to 5, you deal 5 damage to any target at each upkeep, and everything without flying can't attack you, all for seven mana. The cost is real: you're locked into dragon form, your life locks at 5, and dying to a Lightning Bolt becomes a genuine concern. Sandwurm Convergence plays a similar lockout role for ground creatures at a lower vulnerability ceiling, but Form of the Dragon's offensive output and commander synergies — particularly with Iroh, Tea Master — keep it relevant.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Iroh, Tea Master
Iroh, Tea Master triggers off enchantments entering, which makes Form of the Dragon a draw engine the turn it lands — you get the lockout, the upkeep damage, and cards out of the same seven mana.
Zedruu the Greathearted
Zedruu the Greathearted donates permanents to opponents, and Form of the Dragon is one of the nastiest gifts you can give — the recipient's life drops to 5 and stays there, a death sentence in multiplayer that Zedruu decks exploit deliberately.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Form of the Dragon is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but it only sees meaningful play in Commander. In Legacy and Vintage, seven mana is an eternity and the life-to-5 drawback is a liability in formats where fast kills are routine. Modern is technically legal but the card simply doesn't compete at that pace. Commander is where Form of the Dragon earns its keep — multiplayer's slower clock and the prevalence of enchantment synergy commanders give it room to breathe, and the ground-creature lockout is surprisingly punishing at tables full of token swarms.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Form of the DragonAxis of Mortality
Target player loses the game on each of your turns; Target opponent loses the game
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Archetype of ImaginationForm of the Dragon
You can't be attacked; Lock
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Form of the DragonSoul Conduit
Target player loses the game on each of your turns; Target opponent loses the game
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Pricing data isn't available for Form of the Dragon at the moment — check Scryfall or your preferred retailer for the current market rate. It's been printed multiple times, so copies are generally accessible; condition and printing vary the spread, but it's rarely a budget obstacle.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Sandwurm Convergence
- Iroh, Tea Master
- Zedruu the Greathearted
- Axis of Mortality
- Archetype of Imagination
- Soul Conduit
- Gravity Sphere
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.