Arcades, the Strategist

Arcades, the Strategist

Legendary Creature — Elder Dragon

Mana cost: {1}{G}{W}{U}

How we read this card

Flying, vigilance
Whenever a creature you control with defender enters, draw a card.

triggered — draws you 1 card

Each creature you control with defender assigns combat damage equal to its toughness rather than its power and can attack as though it didn't have defender.

static — makes your creatures bigger

static — grants a keyword

static — makes creatures assign combat damage by toughness

What a deck led by this card wants

Causes: draw a card.

Cares about: a creature enters the battlefield, a creature it boosts, a creature whose damage it changes.

Works well with

a Dragon attacks — 474 cards in the game can cause this (Arcades is one).

When Arcades, the Strategist attacks:

  1. Silumgar, the Drifting Death — shrinks a creature by -1/-1
  2. Utvara Hellkite — makes a token
  3. The Ur-Dragon — draws you that many cards
  4. Atarka, World Render — grants double strike
  5. Kolaghan, the Storm's Fury — gives +1/+0
  6. Invasion of Tarkir // Defiant Thundermaw — deals 2 damage
  7. Ojutai, Soul of Winter — taps a creature, artifact, enchantment, planeswalker or battle an opponent controls
  8. Dromoka, the Eternal — puts a counter on a permanent

a Dragon deals combat damage — 474 cards in the game can cause this (Arcades is one).

When Arcades, the Strategist deals combat damage:

  1. Parapet Thrasher — triggers
  2. Broodcaller Scourge — puts a permanent onto the battlefield
  3. Zurgo and Ojutai — triggers

a nontoken Dragon enters the battlefield — 484 cards in the game can cause this (Arcades is one).

When Arcades, the Strategist enters:

  1. Lathliss, Dragon Queen — makes a token
  2. Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm — makes a token

a Dragon it grants abilities to — 488 cards in the game can cause this.

  1. Dragonologist — Dragonologist gives Arcades, the Strategist hexproof

487 other cards cause it too. These are the ones with the most connections.

a Dragon it applies enters with counters to — 488 cards in the game can cause this.

  1. Dragonstorm Globe — Dragonstorm Globe gives Arcades, the Strategist counters as it enters

487 other cards cause it too. These are the ones with the most connections.

a Dragon enters the battlefield — 524 cards in the game can cause this (Arcades is one).

When Arcades, the Strategist enters:

  1. Dragon Tempest — deals damage
  2. Bloomvine Regent // Claim Territory — gains you 3 life
  3. Sarkhan, Dragon Ascendant — puts a +1/+1 counter on itself
  4. Ganax, Astral Hunter — makes a token
  5. Scourge of Valkas — deals damage
  6. Bladewing's Thrall — returns itself from the graveyard
  7. Sarkhan, Soul Aflame — copies a permanent
  8. Teeming Dragonstorm — triggers
  9. Corroding Dragonstorm — triggers
  10. Roiling Dragonstorm — triggers

4 other cards care about it too. These are the ones with the most connections.

a card is drawn — 3,815 cards in the game can cause this (Arcades is one).

When Arcades, the Strategist makes a player draw a card:

  1. Temmet, Naktamun's Will — gives +1/+1
  2. Niv-Mizzet, Parun — deals 1 damage
  3. Aether Syphon — mills a card
  4. The Locust God — makes a token
  5. Starving Revenant — makes each opponent lose 1 life
  6. Diviner's Wand — gets +1/+1
  7. Ominous Seas — puts a foreshadow counter on itself
  8. Dream Trawler — gets +1/+0
  9. Iron Man, Armored Avenger — puts a counter on a creature
  10. The Astonishing Ant-Man — puts a +1/+1 counter on itself

57 other cards care about it too. These are the ones with the most connections.

anything attacks — 17,934 cards in the game can cause this (Arcades is one).

When Arcades, the Strategist attacks:

  1. Far Fortune, End Boss — deals 1 damage
  2. Grim Javelineer — gives +1/+0
  3. Invisible Woman — triggers
  4. Caesar, Legion's Emperor — sacrifices a creature
  5. Guide of Souls — triggers
  6. Campsite Cuisine — sacrifices a Food
  7. Gossip's Talent — triggers
  8. Banon, the Returners' Leader — draws and discards
  9. Toph, Earthbending Master — puts a counter on a permanent
  10. Three Dog, Galaxy News DJ — sacrifices an Aura

489 other cards care about it too. These are the ones with the most connections.

a creature attacks — 17,934 cards in the game can cause this (Arcades is one).

When Arcades, the Strategist attacks:

  1. Adaptive Omnitool — searches a library
  2. Anthem of Rakdos — gives +2/+0
  3. Kindred Discovery — draws you 1 card
  4. Invasion of New Capenna // Holy Frazzle-Cannon — puts counters on a permanent
  5. Chorale of the Void — brings a card back
  6. Saw — sacrifices a creature
  7. Gisa's Favorite Shovel — makes an opponent sacrifice a creature

846 other cards care about it too. These are the ones with the most connections.

a creature blocks — 17,934 cards in the game can cause this (Arcades is one).

  1. Tide of War — When Arcades, the Strategist blocks, Tide of War sacrifices a creature

140 other cards care about it too. These are the ones with the most connections.

a creature it boosts — 19,392 cards in the game can cause this.

  1. Fecund Greenshell — Fecund Greenshell gives Arcades, the Strategist bigger stats
  2. Leyline of Vitality — Leyline of Vitality gives Arcades, the Strategist bigger stats
  3. Sylvan Anthem — Sylvan Anthem gives Arcades, the Strategist bigger stats
  4. Vanquisher's Banner — Vanquisher's Banner gives Arcades, the Strategist bigger stats
  5. Amazing Alliance — Amazing Alliance gives Arcades, the Strategist bigger stats
  6. Path of Bravery — Path of Bravery gives Arcades, the Strategist bigger stats
  7. Beastmaster Ascension — Beastmaster Ascension gives Arcades, the Strategist bigger stats
  8. Paladin Class — Paladin Class gives Arcades, the Strategist bigger stats
  9. Divine Sacrament — Divine Sacrament gives Arcades, the Strategist bigger stats
  10. Boon of the Spirit Realm — Boon of the Spirit Realm gives Arcades, the Strategist bigger stats

19,382 other cards cause it too. These are the ones with the most connections.

a creature it makes cheaper to cast — 19,392 cards in the game can cause this.

  1. Watcher of the Spheres — Watcher of the Spheres reduces what Arcades, the Strategist costs
  2. Kefnet's Monument — Kefnet's Monument reduces what Arcades, the Strategist costs
  3. Rhonas's Monument — Rhonas's Monument reduces what Arcades, the Strategist costs
  4. Warden of Evos Isle — Warden of Evos Isle reduces what Arcades, the Strategist costs
  5. Centaur Omenreader — Centaur Omenreader reduces what Arcades, the Strategist costs
  6. Herald's Horn — Herald's Horn reduces what Arcades, the Strategist costs
  7. Planar Gate — Planar Gate reduces what Arcades, the Strategist costs
  8. Urza's Incubator — Urza's Incubator reduces what Arcades, the Strategist costs

19,384 other cards cause it too. These are the ones with the most connections.

a creature it grants abilities to — 19,392 cards in the game can cause this.

  1. Garruk's Uprising — Garruk's Uprising gives Arcades, the Strategist trample
  2. Tam, Mindful First-Year — Tam, Mindful First-Year gives Arcades, the Strategist hexproof
  3. Kira, Great Glass-Spinner — Kira, Great Glass-Spinner gives Arcades, the Strategist an extra ability
  4. Skyhunter Strike Force — Skyhunter Strike Force gives Arcades, the Strategist melee
  5. Spike-Tailed Ceratops — Spike-Tailed Ceratops gives Arcades, the Strategist an extra ability
  6. Sublime Archangel — Sublime Archangel gives Arcades, the Strategist exalted
  7. Bellowing Tanglewurm — Bellowing Tanglewurm gives Arcades, the Strategist intimidate
  8. Brawn — Brawn gives Arcades, the Strategist trample
  9. Valor — Valor gives Arcades, the Strategist first strike
  10. The Seriema — The Seriema gives Arcades, the Strategist indestructible

19,382 other cards cause it too. These are the ones with the most connections.

a creature it applies animate to — 19,392 cards in the game can cause this.

  1. Ixidron — Ixidron gives Arcades, the Strategist life as a creature
  2. Spark Rupture — Spark Rupture gives Arcades, the Strategist life as a creature

19,390 other cards cause it too. These are the ones with the most connections.

a creature it grants types to — 19,392 cards in the game can cause this.

  1. Mistform Ultimus — Mistform Ultimus gives Arcades, the Strategist an extra creature type
  2. Amorphous Axe — Amorphous Axe gives Arcades, the Strategist an extra creature type
  3. Runed Stalactite — Runed Stalactite gives Arcades, the Strategist an extra creature type
  4. Xenograft — Xenograft gives Arcades, the Strategist an extra creature type

19,388 other cards cause it too. These are the ones with the most connections.

a creature it applies untap to — 19,392 cards in the game can cause this.

  1. Quest for Renewal — Quest for Renewal gives Arcades, the Strategist an extra untap
  2. Dazzling Theater // Prop Room — Dazzling Theater // Prop Room gives Arcades, the Strategist an extra untap

19,390 other cards cause it too. These are the ones with the most connections.

a creature it applies speed increase to — 19,392 cards in the game can cause this.

  1. Thousand-Year Elixir — Thousand-Year Elixir gives Arcades, the Strategist haste
  2. Akroma's Memorial — Akroma's Memorial gives Arcades, the Strategist haste
  3. Vivien, Champion of the Wilds — Vivien, Champion of the Wilds gives Arcades, the Strategist haste
  4. True Conviction — True Conviction gives Arcades, the Strategist haste

19,388 other cards cause it too. These are the ones with the most connections.

a creature it applies extra combat to — 19,392 cards in the game can cause this.

  1. Swinging Ship — Swinging Ship gives Arcades, the Strategist its extra combat

19,391 other cards cause it too. These are the ones with the most connections.

a creature whose damage it changes — 19,392 cards in the game can cause this.

  1. Huatli, the Sun's Heart — Huatli, the Sun's Heart makes Arcades, the Strategist deal combat damage equal to its toughness
  2. High Alert — High Alert makes Arcades, the Strategist deal combat damage equal to its toughness
  3. Assault Formation — Assault Formation makes Arcades, the Strategist deal combat damage equal to its toughness

19,389 other cards cause it too. These are the ones with the most connections.

a creature enters the battlefield — 19,800 cards in the game can cause this (Arcades is one).

When Arcades, the Strategist enters:

  1. Slash, Reptile Rampager — deals 2 damage
  2. Gimli of the Glittering Caves — puts counters on a permanent
  3. Ray Fillet, Wave Warrior — puts a counter on itself
  4. Legolas Greenleaf — puts a counter on a permanent
  5. The Neutrinos — gets +1/+0
  6. Wingnut, Bat on the Belfry — grants flying, haste and menace
  7. Aetherstorm Roc — puts a counter on a permanent you control
  8. Raphael, Most Attitude — exiles a card from your library

3,027 other cards care about it too. These are the ones with the most connections.

anything enters the battlefield — 26,499 cards in the game can cause this (Arcades is one).

  1. Prowl, Stoic Strategist // Prowl, Pursuit Vehicle — When Arcades, the Strategist enters, Prowl, Stoic Strategist // Prowl, Pursuit Vehicle puts a +1/+1 counter on itself

633 other cards care about it too. These are the ones with the most connections.