Now that the dust has settled on rev head set Aetherdrift, Magic: The Gathering’s latest set is already flying over the horizon – literally. Tarkir: Dragonstorm sees the game returning to its roots in two of the best ways possible: Not only is MTG returning to a familiar plane, but that signature fantasy is back with dragons and clans at its heart. The set promises that players will take to the skies in one of the great five khans, harnessing the power of the dragon spirits for an all-out battle that will decide the fate of the plane. Already, Tarkir: Dragonstorm feels like a timely return to what many appreciate most about MTG – yet with the equal split of Universes Beyond and original sets, is it enough to keep Magic: The Gathering grounded for veteran and new players alike? Let’s go up against the Dragonstorms and find out!
Over the last year or so, there have been numerous grumblings around the MTG community. From hat sets to Universes Beyond, even I’ve found certain themes harder to engage with. As a returning player, there has at least been an ease of entry for sets that hold a concept upfront. Everyone’s a cowboy, a detective or a cute animal, or trapped in an ancient living haunted house. Even the licensed sets like Fallout or Assassin’s Creed feel more approachable in their familiarity. I think it’s fair to say that Magic: The Gathering has put significant effort into improving that accessibility, especially with Foundations really paving the on-ramp as a valuable starting point.
It does seem like some sets just aren’t for everyone. Whether it’s the way they play or the card aesthetics, I think it’s worth focusing on the elements of MTG that appeal to you most. Aetherdrift had some great stuff going on, but the emphasis on vehicles was really inescapable. While the high-speed thrills were fun while they lasted, I found it much harder to engage it – the whole death race grand prix storyline and some of the artistic treatments just didn’t keep my engine going. I’ve since made an effort to engage with Magic: The Gathering storyline more. Wizards of the Coast releases narrative episodes in the lead-up to set launches, which I’d never paid too much attention to. As a player, this is an extra element to the game that doesn’t quite see the attention it deserves. It’s fair to say these aren’t usually a focus but they are there for those curious. Since backtracking into the narrative, my issues around Aetherdrift have persisted, and I do feel like the set still misses that grounding. You can read our full review on Aetherdrift here.
Tarkir: Dragonstorm already feels the exact opposite my feelings about Aetherdrift. Here from the onset the grounding is evident – Tarkir is back! With it being the second original MTG set of the year, after Aetherdrift but also due to the history of the plane, it’s hard not to be excited. Dragons and by extension that certain fantasy element many appreciate from MTG, given the storied lore is alive and well here. Tarkir is a plane currently inhabited by 5 great clans controlling different territories, as seen in their card art. The clans: Temur, Jeskai, Abzan, Mardu and Sultai each embody a three-colour faction style gameplay that even gives each their own unique game mechanics. Not only does the set feature 5 preconstructed commander decks- one for each clan but it also has 5 individual prerelease packs including starter cards specific to each faction. The idea here is to allow players in in limited to build with a specific faction in mind.
While this definitely isn’t the first set to feature the Tarkir plane, it is the first set on the plane to double down and feature both dragons and clans. I think it’s far too easy not to appreciate how deep the set functions. The craft here is deeper than a typical set, with the focus moving from colours to clans and how those colours engage across various combinations. Tarkir: Dragonstorm really feels like one of the best sets I’ve played since returning to Magic: The Gathering. It grabs hold of that classic MTG magic experience, oozing that high fantasy that the game is known for. With dragons galore supported by a dynamic clan system, its impossible to deny that Wizards sets bar higher with this reimagining of the setting for a new era.
Before I go any further, I must spotlight the art in the set as being one of the biggest highlights for me. The grounding within the plane is evident across the set’s artwork right down the the special treatments. The Showcase Draconic frame cards are a favourite for me. Each features a distinct dragon border, giving that feel of older storybook-style pages with ferocious beasts lining the card arts more animated style. Make no mistake though – each holds a grandiose nature that really embodies the dragon vibes the plane sets out to achieve. Mono colour cards include themed borders while multi-colour cards have gold borders. On foil cards it pops even more, leading to this treatment being a stand-out for me. These remind me a lot of the Woodland showcase cards from Bloomburrow. That theming feels really in line with the set while also adding something extra with the border and art style.
As set treatments go, thankfully the First-Place gold foils of Aetherdrift are nowhere to be seen. Tarkir: Dragonstorm does feature it’s own chase foil types. Dragon scale foils see cards embellished with dragon-like patterns. There’s also the Ghostfire foils and halo foils however, which feel like a very worthy addition to the set. Reserved for the set’s most sought-after cards, the ghostfire treatment is a wink to Ugin, who wields the colourless flame as seen on the cards. While I wasn’t lucky enough to pull any Ghostfire cards in my time with the set, I did feel the pull of these special treatments. Both Ghostfire treatments are only available in Collector Boosters.
The set’s land series is also incredibly on the dragon sauce too. Normal lands feature epic vista views of Tarkir. Full art lands tease the dragons in these settings across of Tarkir. Showing the shadows this way really builds into the sets mythos around dragons for the clans. You can really get a sense of the size of the creatures in the set. Special full art Dragon eye lands also feature in the set with the mana symbol for the associated colour. These are limited to Collector Boosters.
I will note that the borderless clan cards didn’t really impress me. I’m fussy when it comes to art treatments but even so these didn’t feel as good as they could’ve been. While the card art looks great, I feel like the lack of background over the brushstroke background felt a little bare even with the clan symbol styling. The cards also feature black portions that leave the text just floating. Even as foils, the black space just drains the card. This isn’t my least favourite treatment by a stretch, and I do see what they were going for with the clan styling, but it just doesn’t carry the same weight for me. Removing the background of a full art feels strange. Having so much of the card black just really highlights how much of the art is missing. What art we do get looks superb though, which of course just ends up teasing the treatment’s potential more.
Playing Tarkir: Dragonstorm, it’s hard not to truly appreciate the workings of a MTG set past all the card art. As a three-colour faction set even if we see each of the clans as their own force, there’s always some colour overlap between them. While colours are typically isolating, forcing players to go mono or even two-colour, playing three-colour cards, especially in limited can be extremely daunting. This is where hybrid mana comes in, allowing players to pay two mana for one coloured mana on certain cards. Where a three colour mana card would cost 3, with hybrid mana players can pay 2 mana for each colour they can’t pay, allowing for a bit more freedom. This does improve building scenarios for the factions in limited though it’s worth noting it’s not present on too many cards in the set.
Each of the clan also features their own game mechanic that appears across cards from that faction. These game mechanics aren’t just isolated to one colour, but the three colours of the designated clan. I really like this form of diluting mechanics across colours and feel like it definitely adds to the sets value.
- Endure sees the white, black, and green Abzan clan allowing players the ability to either add +1/+1 counters onto their cards or create a white spirit token.
- Flurry allows cards of the blue, red, and white Jeskai to activate an ability once they cast a second spell each turn. It’s also important to note that it doesn’t matter if the first spell was countered. Flurry abilities can only be triggered once per turn.
- Renew gives black, green, and blue Sultai clan cards an ability to pay mana to exile the card from the graveyard and in return puts counters on creatures or even some additional effect counters, creature copies or abilities such as lifelink, flying or deathtouch.
- Harmonize lets the green, blue, and red Temur clan allows players to cast cards from their graveyard. Players can also tap a creature and reduce the cost with that creature’s power level. After being cast the spell is exiled.
- Mobilize gives the red, white, and black Mardu clan cards the ability to create x 1/1 red warrior creature tokens that are tapped to attack whenever that creature is attacking. The tokens are then sacrificed at the beginning of the next end step.
Other new game mechanics do appear across the set on top of these. Many of the set’s dragon creature cards feature Omen. This lets players cast an instant or sorcery instead of casting the creature. Players then follow its instructions, before shuffling it back into your library unless the Omen is countered or fails which then means it’s sent to the graveyard. Once there, it’s solely a creature card and doesn’t count as a castable spell. Behold is also a new mechanic in the set. This acts as an additional cost when casting, where players either select a dragon they’ve already played or reveal a dragon card from your hand. Given the grandiose nature of the Tarkir plane, having a mechanic that literally involves just appreciating a dragon is such a fun concept. Both Omen and Behold add to that aura of the dragon’s dragon-themed set perfectly and encourage that performative element in gameplay.
I’m personally a big fan of a set that invests heavily in commander and with a whopping five decks, Tarkir: Dragonstorm isn’t messing around. The Mardu Surge Commander precon is a perfect fit for me. I love a deck that lets me pull off some token shenanigans. Both Zurgo, Stormrender and Neriv, Crackling Vanguard are powerful choices as commanders for the Mardu Surge precon. Zurgo has an excellent baked-in ability, allowing him to attack, create a token, which is then sacrificed at the next end step, becoming a clever card draw tech. I also really like his interaction with other tokens. Neriv is a great backup commander in the deck as well. His ability to attack and exile cards that you can later play when you attack with your commander really opens up the deck when you get a few different tokens out on the field. As an out-of-the-box experience, the deck holds its own incredibly well, even nabbing me a win thanks to Zurgo’s life loss ability.
Tarkir: Dragonstorm proves that MTG is still very good at the craft, thanks to dragon-laden theme and clan dynamics that dilute the usual mono colour building into factions – I can’t get enough of everything this set has got going for it. For the most part, the art is exactly what I come to MTG for, and while the borderless clan cards are a bit of a let down, the showcase draconic frames are perfectly ornate for the dragon set dream. The mechanics feel really fine-tuned for the factions while also adding value to the cards for ranged play outside of limited. Behold is the standout for me and I shall be beholding a deck full of dragons in due time I’m sure. Whether it’s a cowboys stealing stuff or an Assassin’s Creed set on the horizon, it’s nice to know Magic: The Gathering isn’t afraid to explore the past.
Magic: The Gathering – Tarkir: Dragonstorm is out now at your local game store or TCG stockist.
