Dragons of Tarkir

Dragons of Tarkir

 

Card comparisons

 

Event deck

 

Intro packs

 

Dragons of Tarkir
[[File:{{#setmainimage:Logo Dragons of Tarkir.png}}|250px]]
Set Information
Set symbol
Symbol description	A dragon's head that's similar to the Khans of Tarkir symbol
Design	Mark L. Gottlieb (lead) Dan Emmons Graeme Hopkins Colin Kawakami Mark Rosewater Sam Stoddard
Development	Tom LaPille and David Humpherys (leads) Tim Aten Colin Kawakami Erik Lauer Ken Nagle Sam Stoddard Gerry Thompson contributions from Matt Tabak
Art direction	Jeremy Jarvis
Release date	March 27, 2015
Plane	Tarkir
Themes and mechanics	Dragons, Two-Color Dragon Broods
Keywords/​ability words	Bolster, Rebound, Exploit, Dash, Formidable, Megamorph
Set size	264 cards 101 Commons, 80 Uncommons, 53 Rares, 15 Mythic Rares, 15 Basic Lands
Expansion code	DTK
Development codename	Louie
Khans of Tarkir block
Khans of Tarkir Fate Reforged Dragons of Tarkir
Magic: The Gathering Chronology
Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Kiora Dragons of Tarkir Tempest Remastered

Dragons of Tarkir is the 67th Magic expansion, and the third and last in the Khans of Tarkir block. It was released March 27, 2015. Dragons of Tarkir is a large expansion.

Set details

“

Your Dragon, Their Doom

”

Dragons of Tarkir is designed to be drafted with Fate Reforged but not with Khans of Tarkir. Also, Dragons of Tarkir did not rotate out of Standard with Khans of Tarkir and Fate Reforged, but instead rotated out with Magic Origins due to Standard's regulation changes. To differentiate the drafting experience from Khans of Tarkir / Fate Reforged, Dragons of Tarkir was designed around 5 sets of allied color pairs. Khans of Tarkir was a slow, three-color wedge format where enemy colors are the typical starting point, whereas Dragons draft leans slightly to allied colors, but players can find some enemy color payoffs in Fate Reforged.

Dragons of Tarkir contains 264 cards (15 basic lands - 5 less than Khans of Tarkir, 101 commons, 80 uncommons, 53 rares, 15 mythic rares) and includes randomly inserted premium versions of all cards. Like the one from Scourge before, the expansion symbol of Dragons of Tarkir represents a dragon's head. This set is supposed to be the ultimate "dragon set". There are more than twice as many dragons in it than in any other set and they appear in all colors. It also contains many cards that reference Dragons and care about Dragons.

Each of the five clans known from the previous sets is now integrated with one of the Dragon broods. Only the icons of the broods, first seen in Fate Reforged, appear as watermarks in the text boxes of the cards. The clan symbols have disappeared. The icons have no effect on gameplay. There are several "crossover cards" that present alternate versions of characters and situations from the previous timeline.

Magic Story

Title	Author	Release Date	Setting (plane)	Featuring
A Tarkir of Dragons	Kimberly J. Kreines	2015-02-25	Tarkir	Sarkhan Vol, Zurgo, Kolaghan, Vial Smasher, Narset, Ojutai, Taigam
The Great Teacher's Student	Kimberly J. Kreines	2015-03-04	Tarkir	Narset, Ojutai, Ishai, Taigam
Sorin's Restoration	Doug Beyer	2015-03-27	Tarkir	Sorin Markov, Ugin
The Guardian	Ari Levitch	2015-04-02	Tarkir	Oret, Faiso, Yeffa, Khurz, Ajuf, Taram, Anafenza, Gvar Barzeel
The Poisoned Heart	Sam Stoddard	2015-04-08	Tarkir	Sidisi, Silumgar, Jhinu
The Call	Nik Davidson	2015-04-15	Tarkir	Surrak, Atarka
Unbroken and Unbowed	Kelly Digges	2015-04-22	Tarkir	Sarkhan Vol, Ugin, Narset

Storyline

After Sarkhan Vol has done his duty in the past, the story now returns to the present of Tarkir. But it seems that changing the past has produced some unexpected results. Mighty Dragons now rule the skies and the five clans that comprise most of Tarkir's populace. Known characters have an altered fate; Zurgo is just a puny orc and Narset has not died at all, but became a planeswalker instead.

The clans

Clan name	Parallel	Colors	Dragon Aspect	Mechanic	Symbol	Dragonlord
Dromoka	The Abzan Houses		Endurance	Bolster	Scale of the dragon	Dragonlord Dromoka
Ojutai	The Jeskai Way		Cunning	Rebound	Eye of the dragon	Dragonlord Ojutai
Silumgar	The Sultai Brood		Ruthlessness	Exploit	Fang of the dragon	Dragonlord Silumgar
Kolaghan	The Mardu Horde		Speed	Dash	Wing of the dragon	Dragonlord Kolaghan
Atarka	The Temur Frontier		Savagery	Formidable	Claw of the dragon	Dragonlord Atarka

Marketing

Tarkir Dragonfury

Tarkir Dragonfury spindown life counters

Dragons of Tarkir is sold in 16-card boosters (the 16th card being a marketing card), five intro packs, an event deck and a fat pack. The boosters feature art from Dragonlord Atarka, Dragonlord Kolaghan, Icefall Regent, Sarkhan, Unbroken and Narset Transcendent.

Prerelease

The Dragons of Tarkir prerelease took place on March 21–22, 2015. As a special gimmick, each participating store received a Tarkir Dragonfury playing board with character pieces that stand upright on them. The board is a Tarkir landscape, and the pieces can be knocked down by a throw with a special spindown life counter, themed to the breath weapon of one of the five Tarkir dragonlords. Each piece has a point value on it, and the player gets points equal to the total number they knock down. If the die ends up in the central circle, the score is doubled. Every player gets two rolls (resetting the board between each roll). Depending on the highest score, up to four alternate art promotional cards can be won: a land, a common, an uncommon, and a rare.

Players choose a clan. Each player received a Seeded Prerelease pack that had everything they needed to build their sealed deck.

Promotional cards

• Tarkir Dragonfury: Evolving Wilds, Dragon Fodder, Dragonlord's Servant and Foe-Razer Regent
• Launch promo: Deathbringer Regent
• Game Day Participation Prize: Scaleguard Sentinels
• Game Day Top 8 Prize: Thunderbreak Regent
• Buy-a-Box: Ojutai's Command
• Prerelease, one of forty according to the chosen clan:

Dromoka

Dragonlord Dromoka Dromoka's Command Arashin Sovereign Sunscorch Regent Hidden Dragonslayer Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit Avatar of the Resolute Arashin Foremost

Ojutai

Dragonlord Ojutai Ojutai's Command Pristine Skywise Icefall Regent Stratus Dancer Living Lore Blessed Reincarnation Myth Realized

Silumgar

Dragonlord Silumgar Silumgar's Command Necromaster Dragon Deathbringer Regent Silumgar Assassin Sidisi, Undead Vizier Profaner of the Dead Damnable Pact

Kolaghan

Dragonlord Kolaghan Kolaghan's Command Boltwing Marauder Thunderbreak Regent Ire Shaman Zurgo Bellstriker Pitiless Horde Blood-Chin Fanatic

Atarka

Dragonlord Atarka Atarka's Command Harbinger of the Hunt Foe-Razer Regent Den Protector Surrak, the Hunt Caller Crater Elemental Volcanic Vision

Tokens, emblems and overlay cards

Morph / Megamorph overlay card.

The sixteenth card in the boosters can be a token, emblem, or overlay card, with an advertisement on the backside. The overlay card can be used on face-down Megamorph cards to remind players of their power and toughness and that it can be turned face-up for its Megamorph cost.

1. 1/1 Warrior for Secure the Wastes
2. 2/2 Djinn with flying for Ojutai's Summons and Skywise Teachings
3. 2/2 Zombie for Necromaster Dragon and Rakshasa Gravecaller
4. */* Zombie Horror for Corpseweft
5. 4/4 Dragon with flying for Descent of the Dragons, Dragon Whisperer and Sarkhan Unbroken
6. 1/1 Goblin for Dragon Fodder
7. Morph overlay card
8. Emblem for Narset Transcendent

Themes and mechanics

Obviously, Dragons mattered in this set.

Bolster and Dash returned from Fate Reforged, as the mechanics for the green-white Dromoka and black-red Kolaghan clans, respectively.

Rebound was repeated from the Rise of the Eldrazi set, and became the mechanic of the white-blue Ojutai clan.

In addition three new mechanics were featured:

• Exploit — When a creature with exploit enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice a creature you control. Each creature with exploit has another ability that gives you a benefit when it "exploits a creature." Exploit is the signature ability of the blue-black Silumgar clan.
• Formidable — Creatures with this ability word care in some way about controlling creatures with total power 8 or greater. Formidable is the signature mechanic of the red-green Atarka clan.
• Megamorph — This is basically morph with an extra bonus. Turning creatures face up by paying their megamorph cost puts a +1/+1 counter on the creature.

Card types

The set sees the return of the elder type, which is used for the Dragonlords.

Cycles

Dragons of Tarkir has eleven cycles:

Cycle name
Former Khans	Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit	Narset Transcendent	Sidisi, Undead Vizier	Zurgo Bellstriker	Surrak, the Hunt Caller
	Four rare legendary creatures and one mythic planeswalker that detail the fates of the Khans from Khans of Tarkir in the new timeline.
Cycle name
Regents	Sunscorch Regent	Icefall Regent	Deathbringer Regent	Thunderbreak Regent	Foe-Razer Regent
	Five rare mono-colored dragons with double-colored mana in their mana cost.
Rare Megamorphers	Hidden Dragonslayer	Stratus Dancer	Silumgar Assassin	Ire Shaman	Den Protector
	Five 2/1 rare creatures that cost M, have Megamorph, an in-color spell-like ability when turned face up, and an additional in-color combat ability.
Uncommon Mono-Colored Dragons	Shieldhide Dragon	Belltoll Dragon	Acid-spewer Dragon	Stormwing Dragon	Herdchaser Dragon
	Five uncommon 3/3 mono-colored dragons that cost M, have flying, a second keyword ability, and megamorph MM, with a triggered ability to put a +1/+1 counter on all your other dragons when turned face-up.
Color-hate Spells	Surge of Righteousness	Encase in Ice	Self-Inflicted Wound	Rending Volley	Display of Dominance
	Five uncommon spells that possess a color-appropriate form of removal for enemy-colored targets.
Dragons Matter Cards	Orator of Ojutai	Silumgar's Scorn	Foul-Tongue Invocation	Draconic Roar	Scaleguard Sentinels
	Five uncommon monocolored cards that have an effect and an additional effect if you control or reveal a dragon card as the spell is cast. Each is of the secondary clan color.
Cycle name
Dragonlords	Dragonlord Ojutai	Dragonlord Silumgar	Dragonlord Kolaghan	Dragonlord Atarka	Dragonlord Dromoka
	Five mythic legendary allied-colored elder dragons that are the aged-up versions of their Fate Reforged counterpart.
Dragonlord Monuments	Ojutai Monument	Silumgar Monument	Kolaghan Monument	Atarka Monument	Dromoka Monument
	Five uncommon artifacts that cost , tap for mana of that clan and can turn into 4/4 flying Dragons for MN.
Commands	Ojutai's Command	Silumgar's Command	Kolaghan's Command	Atarka's Command	Dromoka's Command
	Five rare allied-colored modal spells in increasing converted mana cost with four options, allowing you to choose two. This cycle is similar to the mono-colored Command cycle from Lorwyn.
Uncommon Gold Dragons	Cunning Breezedancer	Ruthless Deathfang	Swift Warkite	Savage Ventmaw	Enduring Scalelord
	Five uncommon 4/4 ally-colored dragons that cost MN, have flying, and an additional in-color ability.
Rare Gold Dragons	Pristine Skywise	Necromaster Dragon	Boltwing Marauder	Harbinger of the Hunt	Arashin Sovereign
	Five rare allied-colored dragons that appear as the face of the intro packs.

Pairs

Dragons of Tarkir has one mirrored pair.

Mirrored Pairs		Description
Hidden Dragonslayer ()	Silumgar Assassin ()	Rare creatures with Megamorph that destroy a creature depending on its power when unmorphed.

Reprinted cards

The following cards have been reprinted from previous sets:

• Battle Mastery, first printed in Lorwyn and last seen in Magic 2015.
• Death Wind, first printed in Avacyn Restored.
• Dragon Fodder, first printed in Shards of Alara and last seen in Duel Decks: Knights vs. Dragons.
• Duress, first printed in Urza's Saga and last seen in Magic 2014.
• Evolving Wilds, first printed in Rise of the Eldrazi and last seen in Commander 2014.
• Explosive Vegetation, first printed in Onslaught and last seen in Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Kiora.
• Gravepurge, first printed in Dark Ascension.
• Kindled Fury, first printed in Morningtide and last seen in Magic 2015.
• Mind Rot, first printed in Portal and last seen in Magic 2015.
• Naturalize, first printed in Onslaught and last seen in Khans of Tarkir.
• Negate, first printed in Morningtide and last seen in Magic 2015.
• Pacifism, first printed in Mirage and last seen in Magic 2014.
• Spidersilk Net, first printed in Zendikar.
• Summit Prowler, first printed in Khans of Tarkir.
• Tormenting Voice, first printed in Khans of Tarkir.
• Ultimate Price, first printed in Return to Ravnica.

Naturalize, Summit Prowler, Tormenting Voice are the first non-basic land cards that are reprinted within the same block in Magic history.

Functional reprints

• Ancient Carp is a functional reprint of Armored Cancrix save for creature types.
• Dromoka Warrior is a functional reprint of Blade of the Sixth Pride and Oreskos Swiftclaw save for creature types.
• Magmatic Chasm is a functional reprint of Seismic Stomp.
• Shambling Goblin is a near-functional reprint of Festering Goblin.
• Territorial Roc is a functional reprint of Concordia Pegasus save for creature types.
• Twin Bolt is a functional reprint of the Fire half of Fire // Ice

Notable cards

• Collected Company gives instant-speed gameplay and reasonable selection for creature-heavy decks, specifically ones that look for combos.
• Kolaghan's Command is a very versatile Command with four modes that create card parity, putting it above the other Commands printed. It occasionally appears in Modern and Legacy as the destroy-artifact mode is often relevant.
• Summit Prowler represents the one creature for which the timeline change just didn't matter — things were still basically the same. The only change in the art is some added Dragons.
• The cycle of color hosers has a deeper meaning in the set: as all of them can target all five wedge-color combinations from the geometry of the color wheel, it shows the hostility of the world against the Khans.
• Powerful dragons like Dragonlord Ojutai and Dragonlord Silumgar formed the basis of decks in Standard using some of the dragon payoffs like Haven of the Spirit Dragon.
• Dragonlord Dromoka has seen play in numerous formats, primarily in sideboards, as a way to prevent opposing control decks from disrupting a deck's plans.
• Dragonlord Atarka is used in decks abusing Fires of Invention in Pioneer as a powerful removal spell and threat.
• Secure the Wastes is a powerful card for White Weenie decks across both Standard and Pioneer, allowing them to flood the board from any point in the game efficiently.
• Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit is a strong card for white aggro strategies in Standard, Pioneer, and especially Modern, where she is combined with numerous cards like Walking Ballista and Spike Feeder that can take extra advantage of her bolster ability.
• The two megamorph creatures Deathmist Raptor and Den Protector saw heavy play in Standard, as both provided powerful abilities and even worked especially well in conjunction with one another.
• Ojutai's Command was heavily played in Standard decks built around Collected Company as another way to interact at instant speed.
• Zurgo Bellstriker is a strong one-drop aggro creature for red decks in multiple formats, although it has been outclassed in recent years in Modern.
• Rending Volley is one of the most common sideboard cards in Pioneer.

Preconstructed decks

Intro packs

Dragons of Tarkir has five bicolored intro packs:

Intro pack name	Colors Included					Foil rare
Massed Ranks	W				G	Arashin Sovereign
Enlightened Mastery	W	U				Pristine Skywise
Cruel Plots		U	B			Necromaster Dragon
Relentless Rush			B	R		Boltwing Marauder
Furious Forces				R	G	Harbinger of the Hunt

Event deck

Dragons of Tarkir has one event deck.

Event deck name	Colors Included
Landslide Charge		U		R	G

External links

• Dragons of Tarkir official productpage