Wizards of the Coast has revealed a handful of cards arriving in the miniature MTG Jurassic World crossover that comes out alongside Lost Caverns of Ixalan. We think they must have taken card-creation tips from Reddit, as one of them can turn any creature into a Colossal Dreadmaw, Magic: The Gathering’s most-memed dinosaur card.
To be more specific, Dino DNA is an artifact card with the Imprint ability. It can exile creature cards from any graveyard, and then you can spend six mana to create a copy of them that also has a 6/6 statline, the MTG creature type Dinosaur, and the Trample keyword. MTG fans who’ve spent any time on the internet (and who read the previous paragraph) will realize that’s a pretty on the nose reference to the 6/6, six-mana dinosaur card Colossal Dreadmaw.
Colossal Dreadmaw has become one of the best-known MTG memes since it was first released in original Ixalan in September 2017. Its rise seems partly down to its prominence (It was reprinted several times in nearly consecutive MTG sets.) partly due to its simplicity and low strength (It’s a fine card in Limited but a straight upgrade, Carnage Tyrant, came out in the very set it made its debut.) and partly due to its big, grinning dinosaur head.
Online communities like r/magicthecirclejerking love referencing this card, making custom MTG cards that refer to it, or acting like it’s a more powerful or more important card than it is. Wizards of the Coast themselves recently got in on the joke (which means it must nearly be time for it to die) printing a blue Phantasmal Dreadmaw in Modern Horizons 2.
One of designer Gavin Verhey’s playtest cards at a recent Magic convention also let you cast all your creature cards as Colossal Dreadmaws – a precursor for Dino DNA’s release?
Dino DNA is one of 26 Jurassic World cards releasing with MTG Lost Caverns of Ixalan on November 17. Like the Transformers which made their way into the last set of 2023, The Brothers’ War, they’ll be found in every Collector Booster, and occasionally in Set Boosters too.
Dino DNA isn’t the only Jurassic Park spoiler shown off in October 24’s spoiler video. We also got to see Ravenous Tyrannosaurus, which enters the battlefield with three +1/+1 counters for each creature you sacrifice for it and can blast something in the face; and Alan and Ellie, Paleontologists, who have the new MTG Lost Caverns of Ixalan mechanic Discover, which works a lot like MTG Cascade.
The last Magic set of the year draws closer. Check out our MTG release schedule guide to see what next year is bringing. And don’t miss these MTG Arena codes for some freebies.