Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
Infinite blue skies: Peregrine Drake’s power for blue mana engines
When a card looks simple on the surface but opens up a world of explosive possibilities, you know you’ve got a gem. Peregrine Drake is a humble blue creature from Dominaria Remastered with a classic dream baked into its stats: a 2/3 flyer that costs {4}{U} and, upon entering the battlefield, untaps up to five lands. That untap, though modest in print, scales into something spectacular once you thread in the right enablers. In blue decks, where control and tempo reign, this Drake becomes a wheeling engine—a way to blink and untap in a loop, creating infinite mana with the right partners. It’s a reminder that blue isn’t just about counterspells; it’s about clever continuous motion, turning tiny advantages into game-winning storms 🧙🔥💎⚔️🎨🎲.
Combo lines that sing with Peregrine Drake
Here are three well-loved routes that have circulated the Commander and EDH circles for years, each showcasing a different flavor of infinite mana. They’re not all equally flashy at first glance, but every one of them demonstrates how Peregrine Drake can anchor a blue engine that can win the game with a single, well-timed payoff.
1) Deadeye Navigator + Peregrine Drake
Two cards, one goal: infinite untaps and infinite mana. When Peregrine Drake enters the battlefield, it untaps up to five lands. If Deadeye Navigator is paired with the Drake, you can blink the Drake itself with the Navigator’s activated ability, triggering Peregrine Drake’s ETB untap effect again. Repeat this loop as long as you’ve got a mana source to fuel the blink, and you’ll generate unlimited untaps of lands—which translates to unlimited blue mana. In practice, you untap your five lands, blink Drake, untap those five lands again, and so on, until you’re ready to cast game-winners or lock the board with a few well-chosen spells. It’s a quintessential “blue magician’s trick”—quiet, precise, and devastating when unleashed 🧙🔥💎. For many players, this is the archetype of a clean, elegant infinite combo that fits neatly into a control-heavy shell.
2) Isochron Scepter + Dramatic Reversal
Here’s a two-card engine that’s become a staple in many blue leaning lists. Isochron Scepter, a sturdy artifact, can imprint Dramatic Reversal so that you can pay two mana to activate Reversal and untap all nonland permanents you control. If Peregrine Drake is already on the battlefield, that untap effect repeatedly replays, letting you untap lands again and again. The result isn’t just mana; it’s a perpetual engine that, combined with enough draw and control elements, can generate infinite mana tokens and fuel a win condition. It’s the sort of line that rewards careful timing and keeps the table guessing as you weave through the stack, leaving opponents to wonder if they should counter your counterspells or just concede to the inevitability of a blue storm ⚡🎲.
3) Pemmin’s Aura + Aphetto Alchemist (two-card synergy with Drake on the field)
For players who enjoy a two-card power move, Pemmin’s Aura on Peregrine Drake paired with Aphetto Alchemist can spark a fast loop that yields enduring advantage. Pemmin’s Aura reads so that untapping triggers extra untaps under the enchanted creature, and Aphetto Alchemist adds a different kind of untap potential that blue players know well. When Drake comes down and untaps lands on ETB, the aura and Alchemist synergy can nudge you into a position where every untap becomes one more mana, and the math starts to sing in your favor. This line captures a more casual, two-card rhythm that’s friendly to many table dynamics while still achieving the coveted infinite mana outcome. It’s a reminder that sometimes the simplest pairing can deliver the loudest crescendo 🧙🔥.
“Always a welcome sight breaking through the clouds.” — Talrand, sky summoner
The flavor text fits Peregrine Drake perfectly. A common creature in Dominaria Remastered, Peregrine Drake’s blue spark sits at the edge of a stormy ceiling, breaking through with a silver wake of untapped potential. The card’s rhythm—flight, sudden untapping, and the promise of bigger blue dreams—resonates with every player who has tried to bend mana to their will.
How to build around Peregrine Drake in a modern blue shell
Even though these combos are iconic, the most satisfying Peregrine Drake builds balance control, draw, and the backbone of instant-speed interaction with a lean mana engine. Here are practical tips to weave Peregrine Drake into a strong, color-saturated blue deck, whether you’re piloting a classic Commander list or a modern casual build 🧙🔥💎.
- Mana acceleration meets permission: Pair Drake with efficient counterspells and card draw to protect the engine while you assemble the loop. Think of the Drake as your midnight sun—hidden power that rises when you need it.
- Combo enablers and protection: Include robust protection for Deadeye Navigator, Isochron Scepter, or Pemmin’s Aura if you pursue the two-card lines. You want to avoid disruption at the moment you lock in the infinite loop.
- Win conditions beyond endless mana: Once you have infinite mana, you can fuel a mass-mrawing spell like Blue Sun’s Zenith, or chain spells to draw and win with a big spell like Tendrils of Agony or a storm-based finish if your playgroup tolerates it.
- Board presence and tutors: Cards that find Peregrine Drake, Deadeye Navigator, or Dramatic Reversal (like Predictable tutors or Fate Reforged-era blue staples) help you fetch the pieces when you need them.
- Format implications: Dominaria Remastered reprint keeps Drake accessible, and its common rarity makes it a player-friendly engine that can slip into many blue decks without breaking the bank. It’s a teaching tool as much as a power move—perfect for introducing newer players to the elegance of infinite combos in a colorful and flavorful multiverse 🌊.
Flashy details you might care about
The card itself sits in the blue tradition of tempo and trickery. It’s a common in Dominaria Remastered, illustrated by Mike Bierek, with a classic frame from 2015. Its mana cost is {4}{U} for a 2/3 flyer, giving you an efficient but not overbearing ground to plant your engine. The exact text—“Flying. When this creature enters, untap up to five lands.”—is a simple seed that can sprout into a garden of infinite mana with the right pieces. If you’re chasing nostalgia, you’ll love how this card slides into both legacy-style lines and modern casual groups with equal grace.
For collectors and builders who savor the synergy of art, lore, and function, Peregrine Drake remains a vivid centerpiece in blue mana theorycraft. It’s also a neat reminder that a single card can unlock a world of tactical possibilities—especially when you pair it with a well-timed blink or a clever untap engine. If you’re curious about picking up the card or exploring its different printings, you’ll find it in both foil and nonfoil variants, with EDH community chatter often circling back to the Drake as a fan favorite in budget-friendly shells 💎⚔️.
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