Dragons of Tarkir

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Dragons of Tarkir
 
 
 
 
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[1]
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.[2] 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.[3] 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.[4] 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[5], 101 commons, 80 uncommons, 53 rares, 15 mythic rares) and includes randomly inserted premium versions [6] 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".[7] 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.[8][9][10]

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.[11] The icons have no effect on gameplay.[12] There are several "crossover cards" that present alternate versions of characters and situations from the previous timeline.

Magic Story

Main article: 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.[13] Mighty Dragons now rule the skies and the five clans that comprise most of Tarkir's populace.[14][15] 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 {W}{G} Endurance Bolster Scale of the dragon Dragonlord Dromoka
Ojutai The Jeskai Way {U}{W} Cunning Rebound Eye of the dragon Dragonlord Ojutai
Silumgar The Sultai Brood {B}{U} Ruthlessness Exploit Fang of the dragon Dragonlord Silumgar
Kolaghan The Mardu Horde {R}{B} Speed Dash Wing of the dragon Dragonlord Kolaghan
Atarka The Temur Frontier {G}{R} 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.[16]

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.[17] 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

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.[19] 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.[12]

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

Themes and mechanics

Obviously, Dragons mattered in this set.[20]

Bolster and Dash returned from Fate Reforged, as the mechanics for the green-white Dromoka and black-red Kolaghan clans, respectively.[12][21]

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:[22]

  • 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 {W}{W} {W}{U} {B}{B} {R} {G}{G}
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 {W} {U} {B} {R} {G}
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 {1}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 {5}M, have flying, a second keyword ability, and megamorph {5}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 {W}{U} {U}{B} {B}{R} {R}{G} {G}{W}
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 {3}, tap for mana of that clan and can turn into 4/4 flying Dragons for {4}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.[23][24]
Uncommon Gold Dragons Cunning Breezedancer Ruthless Deathfang Swift Warkite Savage Ventmaw Enduring Scalelord
Five uncommon 4/4 ally-colored dragons that cost {4}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
({W})
Silumgar Assassin
({B})
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:

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

Functional reprints

Card comparisons

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.[25]
  • 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:[26][27]

Intro pack name Colors Included Foil rare
{W} {U} {B} {R} {G}
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.[28]

Event
deck name
Colors Included
{W} {U} {B} {R} {G}
Landslide Charge U R G

References

  1. Information below the text box
  2. Wizards of the Coast (November 3, 2014). "Announcing Dragons of Tarkir". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  3. Mark Rosewater (July 26, 2014). "What do you mean by "small set is drafted with both large sets"?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  4. Mark Rosewater (March 2, 2015). "Imagine Dragons, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  5. Blake Rasmussen (March 12, 2015). "Dragons of Tarkir, Basically". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  6. Trick Jarrett (April 8, 2015). "Looking Closer at Dragons of Tarkir Premium Foil Cards". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  7. Mark Rosewater (March 9, 2015). "Imagine Dragons, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  8. Mark Gottlieb (March 2, 2015). "It's About Time". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  9. Dave Humpherys (March 9, 2015). "Developing Dragons of Tarkir". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  10. Blake Rasmussen (March 17, 2015). "Dragons of Tarkir by the Numbers". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  11. Blake Rasmussen (March 5, 2015). "Dragon Clan Symbols vs. Khans Clan Symbols". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  12. a b c Matt Tabak (March 2, 2015). "Mechanics of Dragons of Tarkir". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  13. Wizards of the Coast (November 7, 2014). "PAX Australia Magic Panel". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  14. The Magic Creative Team (March 11, 2015). "Planeswalker's Guide to Dragons of Tarkir, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  15. The Magic Creative Team (March 18, 2015). "Planeswalker's Guide to Dragons of Tarkir, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  16. Blake Rasmussen (March 2, 2015). "Dragons of Tarkir Packaging". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  17. Gavin Verhey (February 24, 2015). "Tarkir Dragonfury Explanation". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  18. Blake Rasmussen (March 4, 2015). "Dragons of Tarkir Promos". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  19. Blake Rasmussen (March 10, 2015). "Tokens Dragons of Tarkir". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  20. Sam Stoddard (April 10, 2015). "Developing Dragons". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  21. Sam Stoddard (January 30, 2015). "Time Travel Ain't Easy". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  22. March 18, 2015. "Dragons of Tarkir Release Notes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  23. Mark Rosewater (April 13, 2015). "Maro's Command". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  24. Sam Stoddard (April 17, 2015). "Creating Commands". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  25. Mark Rosewater (October 22, 2018). "How Trivial". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  26. Blake Rasmussen (March 3, 2015). "Dragons of Tarkir Intro Packs". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  27. Blake Rasmussen (date). "Dragons of Tarkir Intro Pack Decklists". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  28. Blake Rasmussen (March 18, 2015). "Dragons of Tarkir Event Deck". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.

External links