Magic: The Gathering - Prepare for the arrival of Tarkir: Dragonstorm on April 11th

The next Magic: The Gathering set returns to the beloved plane of Tarkir. Tarkir is a land of dragons and those who flourish with and despite them. The original Khans of Tarkir block was pivotal in defining what the enemy-colored wedges would become for Magic. Now we return to Tarkir to see how the clans have fared after its timeline was altered to return the dragons. If you love dragons, Tarkir: Dragonstorm looks like the set for you. There’s so much packed in the set with just these announcements.

What are the Dragonstorms?

Well, since it’s right in the name, what’s up with the Dragonstorms? Seeking a way to overthrow the current dragonlords, rebels summoned five new spirit dragons to aid them but also empowered the dragonstorms creating all new wild dragons.

We can’t return to Tarkir without Ugin in the set and there’s even a new double-faced card that offers some humorous versions of the Tarkir dragons.

Art and Art Treatments

Tarkir: Dragonstorm has two sets of full art basics, one called the Dragon’s Presence lands and the other called the Dragon’s Eye lands:

The normal frame cards look fantastic, but in addition there are several other art treatments to discover. First, there is the ghostfire treatment that also has a halo foil version as well:

Each of the clans also has their own borderless art treatment:

Unique Clan Mechanics

As with Khans of Tarkir, each of the clans will have their own unique mechanic reflecting their strengths as well as new and old allies alike:

Abzan

Jeskai

Mardu

Sultai

Temur

Other Mechanics

A brand new mechanic similar to Eldraine’s adventure cards are the new omen cards. You can cast the omen side of the card, but instead of going into exile, the card is shuffled back into your library. This is so the cards can be cast for their lower mana costs while the dragon still lurks within your deck.

While not entirely a new mechanic, there’s a new keyword for getting extra abilities out of your cards. In Dragonstorm, the new Behold keyword, allows you to choose a dragon you control or reveal one in your hand:

Designing for a three-color set

As Tarkir: Dragonstorm is a three-color set, the designers at Wizards of the Coast have some new tricks up their sleeve to help ensure that players will be able to cast their spells. Here are a few of those design choices and I’m looking forward to learning what else the set has in store for its three-color design.

Commander Decks

Befitting the five clans, Tarkir: Dragonstorm will have five commander decks, one for each of the clans. The original Khans of Tarkir had some of the most iconic three-color commanders and now that Wizards designs specifically for Commander these new decks are sure to follow.

Special Guests

The Special Guest list for Tarkir: Dragonstorm has some spicy inclusions as well. The matching cycle of ultimatums makes a return:

Also found on the Special Guest list are the enemy color fetchlands.

Found inside collector boosters are new versions of these fetchlands with new artwork and a new foil treatment called dragonscale foiling. The picture here doesn’t do the treatment justice as it even has a texture to the card.

Headliner: Serialized Mox Jasper Card

The serialized headliner card for Tarkir: Dragonstorm is the new Mox Jasper card. The serialized retro frame double-rainbow foil can be found in Collector Boosters while normal versions can be found in Play Boosters.