Tarkir's Dragonstorm: Magic: The Gathering Preview

Get ready, Magic: The Gathering fans—the Khans and dragons are back in action with the highly anticipated Tarkir: Dragonstorm set, set to launch on April 11 and now available for pre-order. This set transports players back to the tumultuous plane of Tarkir, introducing a slew of powerful new creatures, returning favorites, and innovative mechanics that promise to revolutionize deck-building. As a proud owner of a Scion of the Ur-Dragon Commander deck, I'm already plotting how to integrate these new elements and surprise my fellow players.

What to Expect From Tarkir: Dragonstorm

Tarkir, a realm defined by the eternal clash between five clans and ancient dragons, is the setting for this thrilling new expansion. Each clan—Abzan Houses (White, Black, Green), Jeskai Way (Blue, Red, White), Mardu Horde (Red, White, Black), Sultai Brood (Black, Green, Blue), and Temur Frontier (Green, Blue, Red)—is led by a Khan and boasts a unique playstyle. Wizards of the Coast has started revealing the mechanics that will shape these clans' strategies, alongside tantalizing glimpses of the formidable dragons set to dominate the battlefield.

Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm - Play Booster Box

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Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm - Collector Booster Box

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Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm - Collector Booster

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Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm - Commander Deck Bundle - Includes All 5 Decks

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Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander Deck - Abzan Armor

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Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander Deck - Jeskai Striker

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Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander Deck - Sultai Arisen

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Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander Deck - Mardu Surge

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Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander Deck - Temur Roar

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Wizards has crafted exclusive mechanics for each clan to emphasize their distinct identities. Jeskai's Flurry mechanic rewards casting a second spell in a turn, whether it's your turn or your opponent's. Sultai's Renew allows players to exile a card from their graveyard to bestow various counters on surviving creatures. Mardu's Mobilize mechanic creates temporary creatures that vanish at the end of the turn, enhancing their aggressive swarm tactics. Temur's Harmonize, reminiscent of Flashback, lets players replay cards from the graveyard at a reduced cost by tapping creatures. Finally, Abzan's Endure triggers when a non-token creature dies, granting +1/+1 counters and other benefits, as exemplified by Anafenza, Undying Lineage, who creates a 2/2 flying Spirit token or adds more counters.

But let's not forget, this is Tarkir: Dragonstorm, and dragons are getting their own upgrades. Enter the new mechanics Omen and Behold, which expand the dragons' capabilities. Omen, similar to Adventure cards, lets you cast the card as either a creature or an instant/sorcery. If you choose the spell option, it shuffles back into your deck for another chance at drawing it. If you play it as a creature, that choice is final. Behold triggers when you reveal a dragon from your hand or already have one on the battlefield. A notable example is Sarkhan, Dragon Ascendant, who generates a Treasure token upon entering the battlefield and triggers Behold. These mechanics, not bound to specific clans, can appear across multiple colors, adding versatility to deck-building.

MTG - Tarkir: Dragonstorm Preview - Art

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The dragons are undoubtedly the stars of the show, and one dragon in particular is already making waves—Betor, Kin to All (2WBG). This powerhouse triggers different effects at the end of your turn, based on the total toughness of your creatures, from drawing cards to untapping all your creatures or even causing opponents to lose half their life. With a base toughness of 7, Betor makes it easy to trigger at least the card draw effect, and when paired with heavyweights like Utvara Hellkite or Ancient Gold Dragon, the life loss becomes a devastating threat.

Ugin also makes a return, this time as a colorless planeswalker. Ugin, Eye of the Storms (7) is set to become a staple in colorless decks, particularly Eldrazi builds, thanks to his passive ability that exiles target permanents whenever you cast a colorless spell. His -11 ability is nothing short of game-changing: search your library for any number of colorless non-land cards, exile them, then cast them for free until the end of the turn. With seven starting loyalty and a +2 ability, reaching that ultimate ability is achievable if he's protected well.

Magic: The Gathering - 5 New Cards from Tarkir: Dragonstorm

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Aside from the Final Fantasy crossover set, Tarkir: Dragonstorm is my most anticipated Magic release of the year. With less than a month until its launch, much of the set remains a mystery, but my Scion deck is eagerly awaiting its upgrades. I'm holding out hope for the return of legendary dragons like Atarka and Ojutai, or perhaps the introduction of an exciting new five-color dragon. Either way, Tarkir: Dragonstorm is shaping up to be an exhilarating addition to Magic: The Gathering when it hits the shelves on April 11.