While Magic: The Gathering's recent crossovers with iconic franchises like Final Fantasy and Spider-Man have captured the community's attention, the upcoming set, Tarkir: Dragonstorm, is poised to make a significant impact by returning to the beloved plane of Tarkir. We're thrilled to offer an exclusive sneak peek at five cards that are likely to be game-changers at the draft table next month. The expansion is currently available for preorder on Amazon.
Explore the gallery below to see all five cards, and continue reading for insights from Wizards of the Coast on their design and the overarching theme of the set.
Magic: The Gathering - 5 New Cards from Tarkir: Dragonstorm
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These five cards form a "cycle," sharing a common design theme across each of Magic's colors. Each card is a low-cost, common-rarity creature that features an ability linked to one of Tarkir's three-color clans, alongside another that allows you to convert mana into a color from that clan.
Wizards of the Coast Senior Game Designer Adam Prosak explains, "Three-color limited environments need quite a bit of mana fixing at all rarities. We wanted to ensure that many decks could access mana fixing, so we designed several cards to address this need. These creatures allow you to develop your board while simultaneously fixing your mana - a significant advantage over other designs like tapped lands, which only produce mana and can cause you to fall behind."
Preorder MTG Tarkir: Dragonstorm Cards
### Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm - Play Booster Box
0$164.70 at Amazon### Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm - Collector Booster Box
0$299.88 at Amazon### Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm - Collector Booster
0$24.99 at Amazon### Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm - Commander Deck Bundle - Includes All 5 Decks
0$224.95 at Amazon### Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander Deck - Abzan Armor
0$44.99 at Amazon### Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander Deck - Jeskai Striker
0$44.99 at Amazon### Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander Deck - Sultai Arisen
0$44.99 at Amazon### Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander Deck - Mardu Surge
0$44.99 at Amazon### Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander Deck - Temur Roar
0$44.99 at AmazonSenior Worldbuilding Designer Lauren Bond notes that while the mechanical aspect of this cycle was prioritized, common cards often serve to showcase the world of a set. "We've highlighted the unique traits of each clan since their last appearance. From the action-oriented Jeskai monks to the Temur using Whispers magic, the Sultai Nagas protecting and avenging the jungle, the varied military roles within the Mardu, including dragons of different forms, and the Abzan clerics working to regrow lost kin trees."
Some recent Magic sets have faced criticism for relying too heavily on thematic gimmicks, especially when revisiting old planes. However, *Tarkir: Dragonstorm* stands out with its straightforward approach to Tarkir's return. Senior Worldbuilding Art Director Forrest Schehl acknowledges this feedback, noting that "the top-level pitch for Tarkir was established well before the release of *Murders at Karlov Manor* and subsequent sets, and it remained unchanged."Schehl further explains, "We aimed to blend Dragons and Clans in a novel way for Tarkir, with Dragonstorms playing a pivotal role in our approach to this 'return-to'. The pressure to do justice to this beloved plane was something Lauren and I felt from the beginning. We were committed to crafting the next chapter with authenticity and substance."
Tarkir: Dragonstorm is now available for preorder, with the set scheduled to launch in both physical and digital formats on April 11. In-store prerelease events will begin on April 4. Continue reading for the complete interview with Wizards of the Coast's Adam Prosak, Lauren Bond, and Forrest Schehl.