TechMagic The Gathering's Tarkir Dragonstorm is the set I've waited years forIf you're looking to lay waste to your opponents with big, flying reptiles (and who isn't), Tarkir Dragonstorm could be Magic The Gathering's most exciting Universes Within set since BloomborrowdailystarBookmarkShareTechByLloyd CoombesGaming Editor17:30, 18 MAR 2025BookmarkThe new art is predictably mesmerising After the powersliding fun of Aetherdrift, were getting another Universes Within set for Magic: The Gathering with Tarkir: Dragonstorm. As the name suggests, the set is all about returning to Tarkir, a Plane that debuted more than a decade ago, and spending time with a series of clans that are battling dragons. I got a sneak peek at whats coming, and for a dragon-loving fantasy nerd like me, I couldnt be happier. In fact, I feel like Ive been waiting for this set since I got into Magic: The Gathering a couple of years ago let me explain. Its Dragons, dummy This set features storms that are literally spitting out dragons Whether youre a fan of Charizard, Smaug, the Blue Eyes White Dragon or just about anything else, dragons are as much of a fantasy trope as elves and goblins. Theyre been around since the very beginning, and when I started learning to play Magic, they offered the deck I gravitated toward with Draconic Destruction a starter deck that, despite costing 20 when I bought it, now costs much, much more. The point is that dragons have an enduring quality, and while weve seen plenty of them in sets since Tarkir, they are front and centre here so much so that every clan has their own dragon leader, and every Commander deck (there are five this time) has a dragon to lead it. If youve been looking for a big, winged lizard to decimate your foes, this might be the best bet yet, and the selling point for many I suspect (myself included) will be its dragons, dummy. Big ol' Dragon Deck Expect new and familiar faces Thats not to say these cards only look cool, though. Each of the clans, signified in a trio of colours, has their own mechanic that leans into their in-game lore. With each clan named after its own color wedge, like the Mardu Horde and Jeskai Way, longtime Magic players can instantly spot a type to build around while newcomers will know at a glance what cards can fit where. Ive always been keen to attend a prerelease event, but the idea of building a deck and leaving so much out has put me off more than once. Tarkir: Dragonstorm fixes that in three nifty ways. For one, there are the mechanics of each, which help facilitate certain playstyles. Mardu can mobilize, creating temporary attacking tokens, while Sultai and draw power from the graveyard. Temur can channel mana from creatures to play from the graveyard, and there are more besides. Hybrid mana is another smart addition, preventing that feeling of being unable to summon because you have two of the colour mana you need by letting you replace it with double the colourless mana instead. Finally, a prerelease-specific tweak is that five boxes will be available to choose from but while they each have a series of random boosters (as is usually the case), they also have a seeded 14 card pack which helps set the tone for your deck. That means before you even crack open the randomised packs, youll have some idea of what youre trying to build. Final Thoughts I could write for another few hundred words and still not cover everything Im excited about, like the new Ultimatum reprints that look like world-ending Final Fantasy summons and the Behold mechanic that should help my old Dragon deck gain new power, but suffice it to say, I cant wait until Tarkov: Dragonstorm lands. With prerelease on April 4, Arena launch on April 8 and the full launch on April 11, were so close now that Im already struggling to pick my Commander precon of choice let alone which prerelease box to buy. You can preorder here Preview access provided by Wizards of the Coast. Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.More On