Get ready, Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts! The highly anticipated set, Tarkir: Dragonstorm, is set to launch on April 11, and it's now available for pre-order. This set brings us back to the war-torn plane of Tarkir, where the five clans are once again battling ancient dragons. As a proud owner of a Scion of the Ur-Dragon Commander deck, I'm eagerly anticipating the new additions that will undoubtedly make my friends green with envy.

What to Expect From Tarkir: Dragonstorm

Tarkir is a land divided among five clans, each with its own distinct playstyle and led by a Khan. These clans are the 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). Wizards of the Coast has started unveiling the new mechanics and powerful dragons that will shake up the meta.

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Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander Deck - Abzan Armor

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Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander Deck - Jeskai Striker

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Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander Deck - Sultai Arisen

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Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander Deck - Mardu Surge

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Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander Deck - Temur Roar

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Each clan in Tarkir: Dragonstorm features unique mechanics tailored to their three-color identity. The Jeskai Way benefits from Flurry, which rewards players for casting a second spell in a turn. Sultai Brood's Renew mechanic allows players to exile cards from their graveyard to bestow various counters on their creatures. Mardu Horde's Mobilize creates temporary creatures to bolster their aggressive strategies. Temur Frontier's Harmonize, reminiscent of Flashback, enables cards to be replayed from the graveyard at a reduced cost by tapping creatures. Finally, Abzan Houses' Endure triggers upon a non-token creature's death, offering +1/+1 counters and other advantages, as seen with Anafenza, Undying Lineage, who can either spawn a 2/2 flying Spirit token or grant additional counters.

But the real stars of Tarkir: Dragonstorm are the dragons, equipped with new mechanics like Omen and Behold. Omen functions similarly to Adventure cards, allowing you to cast the card as a creature or as an instant/sorcery. If cast as a spell, it shuffles back into your deck for another draw opportunity later; if played as a creature, that option vanishes. Behold activates when you reveal a dragon from your hand or have one on the battlefield, as demonstrated by Sarkhan, Dragon Ascendant, who generates a Treasure token upon being played and triggers Behold. These mechanics are not clan-specific, adding versatility to deck-building across multiple colors.

MTG - Tarkir: Dragonstorm Preview - Art

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Among the dragons, Betor, Kin to All (2WBG), stands out with its ability to trigger various effects at the end of your turn based on the total toughness of creatures you control. These effects range from drawing a card to untapping all your creatures, or even causing opponents to lose half their life. With a base toughness of 7, Betor easily meets the card draw threshold, and with heavy hitters like Utvara Hellkite or Ancient Gold Dragon in play, the life loss effect becomes a formidable threat.

Ugin also returns in Tarkir: Dragonstorm as a colorless planeswalker, Ugin, Eye of the Storms (7). He's poised to be a staple in colorless decks, especially Eldrazi builds, thanks to his passive ability that exiles target permanents whenever you cast a colorless spell. His -11 ability is game-changing: you can search your library for any number of colorless non-land cards, exile them, then cast them for free until end of turn. With seven starting loyalty and a +2 ability, Ugin can reach this ultimate ability swiftly if adequately protected.

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

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Aside from the Final Fantasy crossover set, Tarkir: Dragonstorm is my most eagerly awaited Magic release this year. With less than a month until launch, much of the set remains shrouded in mystery, but my Scion deck is already set for an upgrade. I'm holding out hope for the return of legendary dragons like Atarka and Ojutai, or perhaps an exciting new five-color dragon. Either way, Tarkir: Dragonstorm is shaping up to be an exhilarating addition to the Magic: The Gathering universe when it lands on April 11.