While Magic: The Gathering's high-profile crossovers with franchises like Final Fantasy and Spider-Man have been grabbing headlines, the excitement for the next set, Tarkir: Dragonstorm, is building up fast. This set takes us back to the beloved plane of Tarkir, and we've secured an exclusive sneak peek at five cards that are poised to become staples at draft tables next month. Tarkir: Dragonstorm is now available for preorder on Amazon.
Flip through the gallery below to explore all five cards, and dive into our detailed discussion with Wizards of the Coast about the set's design and overarching theme.
Magic: The Gathering - 5 New Cards from Tarkir: Dragonstorm
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These five cards form what's known as a "cycle," sharing common design elements across Magic's five colors. Each card is a budget-friendly, common-rarity creature, featuring an ability linked to one of Tarkir's three-color clans, and another that converts mana into a color from that clan.
Wizards of the Coast Senior Game Designer Adam Prosak sheds light on the design philosophy, stating, "Three-color limited environments need quite a bit of mana fixing at all rarities. We wanted to ensure that many decks could access this mana fixing, so we developed numerous designs focused on solving mana issues. These creatures enable you to build your board while simultaneously developing your mana—a significant advantage over other designs like tapped lands, which can cause you to fall behind just to fix your mana."
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 emphasizes that while the mechanics took precedence in this cycle, common cards are often used to highlight the world of a set. She elaborates on the clans' evolution since their last appearance: "The passionate, action-oriented monks of the Jeskai, the Whispers employing Temur magic, Nagas in the Sultai serving as jungle protectors and avengers, the Mardu's military prowess extending to support roles (demonstrating that dragons can vary greatly in form and size), and the Abzan clerics working to regrow the lost kin trees."
One critique of recent Magic sets has been their reliance on thematic gimmicks, even when revisiting familiar planes. This makes *Tarkir: Dragonstorm* stand out with its straightforward return to Tarkir. Senior Worldbuilding Art Director Forrest Schehl acknowledges this feedback's importance to Wizards of the Coast but clarifies, "The top-level pitch for Tarkir was established well before the release of *Murders at Karlov Manor* and subsequent sets, and it remained unchanged. We aimed to blend Dragons and Clans in a novel way for Tarkir, with Dragonstorms—a defining feature of the plane—playing a central role in shaping our approach to this return. From the outset, Lauren and I felt the pressure to get it right, always striving to craft the next chapter of this cherished plane with authenticity and depth."Tarkir: Dragonstorm is now open for preorders, with the set slated for release in both paper and digital formats on April 11, and in-store prerelease events commencing on April 4. Continue reading for our comprehensive interview with Wizards of the Coast's Adam Prosak, Lauren Bond, and Forrest Schehl:
