Tarkir's Dragonstorm Unveiled in Magic: The Gathering Preview

Get ready to dive back into the tumultuous world of Tarkir with the eagerly anticipated Magic: The Gathering set, Tarkir: Dragonstorm, set to launch on April 11. Available for pre-order now, this set promises to reignite the fierce battles between the clans and the majestic dragons that dominate the plane. As a proud owner of a Scion of the Ur-Dragon Commander deck, I can hardly wait to see what new additions I can incorporate to surprise my gaming circle.

What to Expect From Tarkir: Dragonstorm

For those new to the saga, Tarkir is a battleground where five clans—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)—are perpetually at war with ancient dragons. Each clan boasts a Khan and a unique strategy. Wizards of the Coast is rolling out new mechanics for these clans, but it's the dragons that are stealing the spotlight with their newly introduced abilities.

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To enhance the individuality of each clan, Wizards has crafted exclusive mechanics tied to their three-color identities. Jeskai's Flurry rewards you for playing a second spell in a turn, regardless of whose turn it is. Sultai's Renew allows players to exile a card from their graveyard to bestow various counters to surviving creatures. Mardu's Mobilize creates temporary creatures that vanish at the end of the turn, amplifying their aggressive swarm tactics. Temur's Harmonize, akin to Flashback, lets you replay cards from the graveyard for a reduced cost by tapping creatures. Finally, Abzan's Endure activates when a non-token creature dies, granting +1/+1 counters and other advantages, exemplified by Anafenza, Undying Lineage, who can spawn a 2/2 flying Spirit token or add more counters.

But let's not forget, this is Tarkir: Dragonstorm, and dragons are taking center stage with new mechanics like Omen and Behold. Omen works similarly to Adventure cards, offering the choice to cast the card as a creature or as an instant or sorcery. If you opt for the spell, it shuffles back into your deck, giving you another shot at drawing it. Choose the creature, and you lose the spell option. Behold triggers when you reveal a dragon from your hand or have one on the battlefield. A prime example is Sarkhan, Dragon Ascendant, who creates a Treasure token upon being played and benefits from Behold. These mechanics, not bound to specific clans, promise versatile deck-building possibilities across multiple colors.

MTG - Tarkir: Dragonstorm Preview - Art

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The dragons are undoubtedly the stars of the show. A notable mention is Betor, Kin to All (2WBG), a formidable force that activates 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, Betor's base toughness of 7 easily triggers the card draw effect, and with powerhouses like Utvara Hellkite or Ancient Gold Dragon in play, the life loss becomes a daunting threat.

Ugin returns as a colorless planeswalker, Ugin, Eye of the Storms (7), destined to be a staple in colorless decks, especially Eldrazi builds, thanks to his passive ability that exiles target permanents whenever you cast a colorless spell. His -11 ability is 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, he can reach that ultimate ability quickly if well-protected.

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

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Apart from the Final Fantasy crossover set, Tarkir: Dragonstorm is shaping up to be one of the most exciting Magic releases this year. With less than a month until its launch, much of the set remains a mystery, but my Scion deck is poised for a major upgrade. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the return of legendary dragons like Atarka and Ojutai, or perhaps the introduction of a thrilling new five-color dragon. Either way, Tarkir: Dragonstorm is set to be a thrilling adventure when it hits shelves on April 11.