Magic: The Gathering - Tarkir: Dragonstorm Preview

Get ready for a clash of Khans and dragons in the upcoming Magic: The Gathering set, Tarkir: Dragonstorm! Launching April 11th and available for pre-order now, this set returns players to the thrilling plane of Tarkir, introducing powerful new creatures, familiar faces, and exciting new mechanics to revolutionize your deck-building strategies. Wizards of the Coast has begun revealing the set's contents, and as a proud owner of a Scion of the Ur-Dragon Commander deck, I can already foresee my friends' displeasure with my upcoming upgrades!

What to Expect From Tarkir: Dragonstorm

For the uninitiated, Tarkir is a plane dominated by five clans locked in a perpetual struggle against ancient dragons. 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 powerful Khan and boasts a unique playstyle. Wizards has started unveiling the new mechanics these clans wield, but even more exciting are the powerful dragons poised to make their mark.

To differentiate each clan, Wizards has crafted unique mechanics exclusive to their three-color identities. Jeskai’s Flurry rewards playing a second spell each turn, regardless of whose turn it is. Sultai’s Renew allows players to exile a card from their graveyard to grant counters to surviving creatures. Mardu’s Mobilize creates temporary creatures that vanish at the end of the turn, bolstering their aggressive swarm tactics. Temur’s Harmonize, similar to 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, bestowing +1/+1 counters and other benefits, as exemplified by Anafenza, Undying Lineage, who spawns a 2/2 flying Spirit token or grants additional counters.

But this is Tarkir: Dragonstorm, so the dragons are getting upgrades too! Introducing Omen and Behold, two new mechanics expanding their arsenal. Omen functions like Adventure cards, letting you cast the card as a creature or an instant/sorcery. The catch? Casting it as a spell shuffles it back into your deck, while playing it as a creature removes that option. Behold, conversely, triggers when you reveal or control a dragon. Sarkhan, Dragon Ascendant, for example, generates a Treasure token upon being played and triggers Behold. Since these mechanics aren't clan-specific, they appear across multiple colors, adding exciting possibilities to deck construction.

MTG - Tarkir: Dragonstorm Preview - Art

The main attraction, however, remains the dragons. Betor, Kin to All (2WBG), is a standout, triggering effects at the end of your turn based on your creatures’ total toughness—from drawing cards to untapping creatures or even forcing opponents to lose life. With a base toughness of 7, Betor easily triggers extra card draw, and with powerful creatures like Utvara Hellkite or Ancient Gold Dragon, the life loss effect becomes a serious threat.

Ugin returns as a colorless planeswalker. Ugin, Eye of the Storms (7) is set to be a staple in colorless decks, particularly Eldrazi builds, due to his ability to exile permanents when you cast a colorless spell. His -11 ability is incredibly powerful: search your library for any number of colorless non-land cards, exile them, then cast them for free until the end of your turn. With seven starting loyalty and a +2 ability, he can quickly reach that devastating threshold with proper defense.

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

Beyond the Final Fantasy crossover, Tarkir: Dragonstorm is my most anticipated Magic release this year. With its April 11th launch date fast approaching, much of the set remains a mystery, but my Scion deck is already preparing for a significant upgrade. I eagerly await the potential return of legendary dragons like Atarka and Ojutai, or perhaps a thrilling new five-color dragon. Regardless, Tarkir: Dragonstorm promises to be an exhilarating experience.