Dáin, Lord of the Iron Hills
AI draftAI-generated draft analysis — not yet human-reviewed. Treat with healthy skepticism.Limited summary
A solid vigilant two-drop that becomes a powerful defensive tax once Storied is active, making races and wide attacks extremely difficult for the opponent. It is a premium uncommon in RW Storied but only an efficient 2/2 outside a deck with enough artifacts, legendaries, and Sagas.
Roles
Archetypes
Gameplay notes
Prioritize playing Dáin early because his legendary status helps reach three qualifying permanents. Once you gain an enduring story it cannot be lost, so temporary artifacts and qualifying permanents that are about to die still permanently unlock the attack tax.
Key synergies
Seek the Heart can tutor Dáin, and The Arkenstone supplies a legendary artifact toward enabling his Storied attack tax while providing cards and an anthem that help establish the defensive board the tax rewards.
Both are cheap legendary Storied creatures, so casting them provides two qualifying permanents early. Once the third arrives, Thorin gives Dáin ward while Dáin taxes attacks, making the defensive lock harder to dismantle.
Dáin entering triggers Kíli's once-per-turn draw ability because Dáin is a Dwarf, and the two cheap legendary permanents supply two of the three permanents needed to activate both Storied abilities.
The two legendary Dáin permanents plus the Axe artifact created by Dáin Ironfoot immediately provide three qualifying permanents, establishing the enduring story and turning on Dáin, Lord of the Iron Hills's attack tax.
Giant's Boulder cheaply supplies one of the three qualifying permanents needed for an enduring story, helping Dáin turn on his attack-taxing ability early.
The Treasure supplies one of the three artifact, legendary, or Saga permanents needed to establish Dáin's enduring story; after that threshold is reached, it can be sacrificed without losing Dáin's attack tax.
The Blacksmith creates an Equipment artifact, which combines with legendary Dáin to put two qualifying permanents on the battlefield while still developing two cheap Dwarf bodies.
The Key advances Dáin's Storied threshold for only one mana, helping turn on his attack-taxing ability early.
If you already control two qualifying permanents, Stone by Sunlight can temporarily turn another creature into an artifact and immediately establish an enduring story; the status remains for the rest of the game after the artifact effect ends.
Dáin taxes each attacker, so an opponent who commits several creatures often spends most of their mana before Settle the Wreckage exiles them, leaving less mana available for protection or follow-up plays.
The Saga counts toward Dáin's enduring story, which permanently enables his attack tax, while chapter I removes a major threat that could pressure Dáin before that defense is online.
Dáin is a cheap legendary Dwarf that helps establish the enduring story early, and its attack tax protects the board and buys time to cast Bifur and repeatedly attack for doubled Dwarf triggers.
Thrór's Map is both an artifact and a legendary permanent, making it an efficient contribution toward Dáin's Storied threshold and his enduring attack tax.
This cheap Saga counts toward Dáin's enduring story while remaining on the battlefield for four chapters, helping activate his attack tax early; once activated, the story remains enduring even after the Saga is sacrificed.
The Saga, its first Treasure, and legendary Dáin are three qualifying permanents, immediately establishing an enduring story and turning on Dáin's attack tax while the Saga continues toward its Dragon.
The Saga counts toward Dáin's Storied threshold while on the battlefield, helping establish the enduring story that unlocks his attack tax.