Decadent Dragon // Expensive Taste — ruling 1

Only you get to look at the cards exiled with Expensive Taste. Their owner doesn't get to know what they are while they're in exile until you play them.

Decadent Dragon // Expensive Taste — ruling 2

You may play the cards exiled with Expensive Taste even if they are land cards.

Decadent Dragon // Expensive Taste — ruling 3

You must still follow all normal timing rules to play cards exiled with Expensive Taste.

Decadent Dragon // Expensive Taste — ruling 4

An adventurer card is a permanent card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it’s in your graveyard, Questing Druid is a green creature card whose mana value is 2. It can’t be the target of Tenacious Tomeseeker’s triggered ability (“return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand”).

Decadent Dragon // Expensive Taste — ruling 5

When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card’s normal characteristics. The spell’s color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics.

Decadent Dragon // Expensive Taste — ruling 6

If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it’s legal to cast that spell. For example, if you control Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer (“Once each turn, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from the top of your library.”) and Questing Druid is on top of your library, you can cast Seek the Beast, but not Questing Druid.

Decadent Dragon // Expensive Taste — ruling 7

If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner’s graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a permanent spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won’t be exiled and the spell’s controller won’t be able to cast it as a permanent later.

Decadent Dragon // Expensive Taste — ruling 8

If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won’t give you permission to cast it as a permanent spell.

Decadent Dragon // Expensive Taste : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Decadent Dragon // Expensive Taste is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.

Official card text

Flying, trample Whenever this creature attacks, create a Treasure token. Exile the top two cards of target opponent's library face down. You may look at and play those cards for as long as they remain exiled.

Complete guide

Decadent Dragon brings high-flying luxury to your deck, combining an aggressive offensive threat with a powerful card-advantage engine. Whether you are casting its Adventure, Expensive Taste, to borrow tools from your opponent or swinging with the Dragon to generate wealth, this card is a powerhouse of versatility.

Dual Roles: Dragon and Adventure

Decadent Dragon is an adventurer card, meaning it exists primarily as a creature but offers an alternative Instant spell called Expensive Taste. While it is in your hand, you can choose to cast the Dragon for its mana cost of two red and two generic mana, or cast the Adventure for one black and two generic mana. If you cast the Adventure, the card is exiled as it resolves, allowing you to cast the Dragon from exile later. If you cast the creature directly, you lose the chance to use the Adventure unless the card returns to your hand.

Resolving Expensive Taste

When you cast Expensive Taste, you exile the top two cards of an opponent's library face down. Only you are allowed to look at these cards; your opponent does not know what you have taken. You may play these cards for as long as they remain in exile, following all normal timing rules and paying their costs. This includes playing lands during your main phase if you have land drops available. The ability to play these cards persists even if the Dragon is later removed from the battlefield or never cast at all.

Generating Wealth and Common Pitfalls

Once the Dragon is on the battlefield, its Flying and Trample keywords make it difficult to block. Every time it attacks, you create a Treasure token, which can be sacrificed for one mana of any color. A common mistake is forgetting that you must follow timing restrictions for cards exiled with Expensive Taste—you cannot play a sorcery or creature during your opponent's turn just because it was exiled by an Instant. Additionally, if the Adventure spell is countered, the card goes to the graveyard and you cannot cast the Dragon from exile.

When to Play Decadent Dragon

You should lead with Expensive Taste if you need to find land drops or if you want to maximize value by casting the Dragon from exile on a later turn. If you are under heavy pressure and need a blocker, casting the Dragon directly provides a 4/4 body immediately. Because the Dragon generates Treasure, it actually helps pay for the very cards you stole with its Adventure side!

Interaction examples

Stealing Utility

Decadent Dragon // Expensive Taste

Solemn Simulacrum

You cast Expensive Taste targeting your opponent. One of the face-down cards is their Solemn Simulacrum. On your main phase, you pay four mana to cast the Simulacrum. When it enters the battlefield, you search your library for a basic land, effectively using your opponent's creature to ramp your own mana base.

Doubling the Riches

Decadent Dragon // Expensive Taste

Roaming Throne

Treasure

With Roaming Throne on the battlefield (naming 'Dragon'), you attack with Decadent Dragon. The Dragon's triggered ability triggers once, and Roaming Throne causes it to trigger an additional time. You resolve both triggers to create two Treasure tokens instead of one.

The Adventure Path

Decadent Dragon // Expensive Taste

On an Adventure

You cast Expensive Taste. As it resolves, the two cards are exiled, and the Decadent Dragon card itself is placed into the exile zone 'on an adventure.' You can now see the 'On an Adventure' helper card as a reminder that you may cast the 4/4 Dragon creature from exile whenever you have priority during your main phase.

Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.

How it works : Decadent Dragon // Expensive Taste

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
Only you get to look at the cards exiled with Expensive Taste. Their owner doesn't get to know what they are while they're in exile until you play them.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
You may play the cards exiled with Expensive Taste even if they are land cards.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
You must still follow all normal timing rules to play cards exiled with Expensive Taste.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
An adventurer card is a permanent card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it’s in your graveyard, Questing Druid is a green creature card whose mana value is 2. It can’t be the target of Tenacious Tomeseeker’s triggered ability (“return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand”).
No other card is named in this ruling.
#5September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card’s normal characteristics. The spell’s color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#6September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it’s legal to cast that spell. For example, if you control Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer (“Once each turn, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from the top of your library.”) and Questing Druid is on top of your library, you can cast Seek the Beast, but not Questing Druid.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#7September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner’s graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a permanent spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won’t be exiled and the spell’s controller won’t be able to cast it as a permanent later.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#8September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won’t give you permission to cast it as a permanent spell.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#9September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions for the permanent spell you cast from exile. Normally, you’ll be able to cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#10September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect copies an Adventure spell, that copy is exiled as it resolves. It ceases to exist as a state-based action; it’s not possible to cast the copy as a permanent.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#11September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
An effect may refer to a card, spell, or permanent that “has an Adventure.” This refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an adventurer card’s set of alternative characteristics, even if they’re not being used and even if that card was never cast as an Adventure.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#12September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an Adventure, it won’t find an instant or sorcery spell on the stack that’s been cast as an Adventure.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#13September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If an object becomes a copy of an object that has an Adventure, the copy also has an Adventure. If it changes zones, it will either cease to exist (if it’s a token) or cease to be a copy (if it’s a nontoken permanent), and so you won’t be able to cast it as an Adventure.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#14September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative Adventure name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#15September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
Casting a card as an Adventure isn’t casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to the Adventure.
No other card is named in this ruling.