Magic: The Gathering - Tarkir: Dragonstorm Preview

Looks similar those pesky Khans and dragons are astatine it again successful the upcoming Magic: The Gathering set, Tarkir: Dragonstorm. Releasing connected April 11 and disposable for pre-order now, Dragonstorm brings players backmost to the level of Tarkir with a big of almighty caller creatures, acquainted faces, and caller mechanics to shingle up deck-building. Wizards has kicked disconnected the expansive uncover of the set’s contents, and arsenic idiosyncratic whose prized Magic possession is simply a Scion of the Ur-Dragon Commander deck, I tin already archer my friends are going to hatred what I adhd to it.

What to Expect From Tarkir: Dragonstorm

For those unfamiliar, Tarkir is location to 5 clans locked successful changeless conflict against past 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 Khan and defined by a unsocial playstyle. Wizards has begun unveiling the caller mechanics these clans volition wield, but much importantly, they’ve teased immoderate of the almighty dragons that are definite to marque an impact.

To marque each clan consciousness distinct, Wizards has designed exclusive mechanics that won’t look extracurricular their three-color identities. Jeskai’s Flurry rewards playing a 2nd spell successful a turn, nary substance whose crook it is. Sultai’s Renew lets players exile a circumstantial paper from their graveyard to assistance assorted counters to surviving creatures. Mardu’s Mobilize creates impermanent creatures that vanish astatine the extremity of the turn, reinforcing their assertive swarm tactics. Temur’s Harmonize, reminiscent of Flashback, allows cards to beryllium replayed from the graveyard for a reduced outgo by tapping creatures. Lastly, Abzan’s Endure triggers whenever a non-token carnal dies, placing +1/+1 counters and different benefits, arsenic seen with Anafenza, Undying Lineage, who spawns a 2/2 flying Spirit token oregon grants further counters.

Of course, this is Tarkir: Dragonstorm, truthful the dragons are getting caller toys too. Enter Omen and Behold, 2 caller mechanics that grow their arsenal. Omen functions likewise to Adventure cards, letting you formed the paper arsenic a carnal oregon arsenic an instant oregon sorcery. The twist? If you formed it arsenic a spell, it shuffles backmost into your deck, offering different accidental to gully it later. If you play it arsenic a creature, that enactment is gone. Behold, connected the different hand, triggers erstwhile you uncover a dragon from your manus oregon already power 1 connected the battlefield. An illustration is Sarkhan, Dragon Ascendant, who generates a Treasure token upon being played and Behold triggering. Since these mechanics aren’t tied to a circumstantial clan, they tin look crossed aggregate colors, making them peculiarly absorbing successful deck-building.

But let’s beryllium real—the main lawsuit present is the dragons. One standout truthful acold is Betor, Kin to All (2WBG), a powerhouse that triggers antithetic effects astatine the extremity of your crook based connected the full toughness of creatures you control. These scope from drafting a paper to untapping each your creatures oregon adjacent forcing opponents to suffer fractional their life. With a basal toughness of 7, Betor makes it casual to deed astatine slightest the other paper gully trigger, and with heavyweights similar Utvara Hellkite oregon Ancient Gold Dragon successful play, the beingness nonaccomplishment effect becomes a terrifying reality.

Ugin is besides back, erstwhile again arsenic a colorless planeswalker. Ugin, Eye of the Storms (7) is poised to beryllium a staple successful colorless decks, particularly Eldrazi builds, acknowledgment to his passive quality that exiles people permanents whenever you formed a colorless spell. His -11 quality is downright absurd: hunt your room for immoderate fig of colorless non-land cards, exile them, past formed them for escaped until extremity of turn. With 7 starting loyalty and a +2 ability, helium tin scope that threshold rapidly if decently defended.

Aside from the Final Fantasy crossover set, Tarkir: Dragonstorm is my astir anticipated Magic merchandise this year. With conscionable nether a period until launch, astir of the acceptable remains nether wraps, but my Scion platform is already owed for a superior upgrade. I’m holding retired anticipation for the instrumentality of legendary dragons similar Atarka and Ojutai, oregon possibly an breathtaking caller five-color dragon. Either way, Tarkir: Dragonstorm is shaping up to beryllium a blast erstwhile it lands connected April 11.

Robert Anderson is simply a deals adept and Commerce Editor for IGN. You tin travel him @robertliam21 connected Twitter.