Dryad Militant

Dryad Militant was originally printed in the 2012 Magic: The Gathering set Return to Ravnica. Designed by the development team at Wizards of the Coast, the card was intended to provide an efficient, low-cost creature for white and green decks while introducing a disruptive anti-graveyard effect to the Selesnya guild's mechanical identity. The artwork, illustrated by Karl Kopinski, captures the stark, armored aesthetic of the Ravnican dryads, emphasizing their role as disciplined soldiers rather than typical forest spirits.

The version included in 'The List' is a reprint curation series that inserts cards from throughout Magic's history into current booster packs. This particular iteration maintains the original mechanical design while serving as a nod to the enduring popularity of the card in formats like Modern and Legacy, where its static ability to exile instant and sorcery cards provides significant utility against spell-heavy strategies. It remains a notable example of an 'hatebear'—a creature designed to hinder an opponent's game plan for a minimal mana investment.