Those familiar rivalries between Khans and dragons reignite in the upcoming Magic: The Gathering set, Tarkir: Dragonstorm. Releasing April 11 with pre-orders now available, this expansion returns players to the war-torn plane of Tarkir packed with formidable creatures, returning characters, and innovative mechanics that revitalize deck-building strategies. Wizards of the Coast has begun unveiling the set's contents, and as an avid Scion of the Ur-Dragon Commander player, I'm already anticipating the groans from my playgroup when I upgrade my deck.
What to Expect From Tarkir: Dragonstorm
Tarkir's five warring 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) - each led by their formidable Khans, feature distinct playstyles. The development team is revealing new mechanics unique to each three-color faction, while teasing earth-shaking dragons that will 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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Wizards has crafted unique mechanics exclusive to each three-color combination. Jeskai's Flurry rewards casting subsequent spells in a turn, while Sultai's Renew leverages the graveyard by exiling specific cards to empower surviving creatures. Mardu's Mobilize epitomizes their aggressive philosophy with temporary warrior tokens, and Temur's Harmonize brings flashback-esque recursion by tapping creatures. Abzan's Endure turns creature deaths into advantages through +1/+1 counters, exemplified by Anafenza, Undying Lineage that creates 2/2 Spirit tokens or grants additional counters.
True to the set's name, dragons receive potent new tools through the Omen and Behold mechanics. Omen functions similarly to Adventure cards, offering either a creature or spell option - cast as a spell and it retreats to your deck; played as a creature and the alternative disappears. Behold activates when revealing or controlling dragons, like Sarkhan, Dragon Ascendant generating Treasure tokens when triggered.
MTG - Tarkir: Dragonstorm Preview - Art
The true stars emerge in dragon previews like Betor, Kin to All (2WBG), whose end-of-turn effects scale with your creatures' combined toughness - from card draw to life-halving devastation with its formidable 7 toughness base. The return of Ugin as a colorless planeswalker brings Ugin, Eye of the Storms (7), whose passive exiles permanents when casting colorless spells and boasts an ultimate ability that unleashes your entire colorless arsenal for free.
Magic: The Gathering - 5 New Cards from Tarkir: Dragonstorm
After the Final Fantasy crossover, Tarkir: Dragonstorm stands as my most anticipated Magic release this year. With launch approaching April 11 and much still unrevealed, my Scion deck awaits its transformation. The potential return of iconic dragons like Atarka or Ojutai, or perhaps a formidable new five-color dragon, promises to make this set essential for dragon enthusiasts everywhere.
