Spellbound Dragon
Creature — Dragon
Flying
Whenever this creature attacks, draw a card, then discard a card. This creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is the discarded card's mana value.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- RU
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- The List
- Price
- $0.44
- EDHREC rank
- #19845
Spellbound Dragon attacks for a potentially massive hit — power equal to the mana value of the card you discard — then replaces itself when it deals combat damage to a player. The cost is real: you need a high-CMC card in hand and you need the Dragon to connect, which means it earns its slot in decks that specifically exploit the discard or want a looting engine stapled to a threat, not as a generic inclusion.
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 |
Commander is the natural home for Spellbound Dragon — high-CMC spells are everywhere, life totals are padded, and the Dragon tribal or reanimator shells that want it are plentiful. In Legacy and Vintage, it's outclassed immediately: five mana for a creature that has to attack and connect before drawing a card is nowhere near competitive in formats where games end faster and raw card quality is ruthless. Modern has the same problem — the format's threats cost less and demand less setup, and a 3/5 without evasion won't reliably connect. Oathbreaker is a workable home if the planeswalker and signature spell are expensive enough to fuel big attacks, though the 60-card constraint makes it a niche pick.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.44 bulk tier
At $0.44, Spellbound Dragon is firmly bulk — easy to pick up as a throw-in or trade throw-away without any budget concern. It's unlikely to move significantly given its narrow synergy requirements and lack of tournament demand, so buy it when you need it and don't bother speculating.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.