Magic: The Gathering - Tarkir: Dragonstorm Preview

Looks like those pesky Khans and dragons are at it again in the upcoming Magic: The Gathering set, Tarkir: Dragonstorm. Releasing on April 11 and available for pre-order now, Dragonstorm brings players back to the plane of Tarkir with a host of powerful new creatures, familiar faces, and fresh mechanics to shake up deck-building. Wizards has kicked off the grand reveal of the set’s contents, and as someone whose prized Magic possession is a Scion of the Ur-Dragon Commander deck, I can already tell my friends are going to hate what I add to it.

What to Expect From Tarkir: Dragonstorm

For those unfamiliar, Tarkir is home to five clans locked in constant struggle against ancient dragons. Each clan—Abzan Houses (White, Black, Green), Jeskai Way (Blue, Red, White), Mardu Horde (Red, White, Black), Sultai Brood (Black, Green, Blue), and Temur Frontier (Green, Blue, Red)—is led by a Khan and defined by a unique playstyle. Wizards has begun unveiling the new mechanics these clans will wield, but more importantly, they’ve teased some of the powerful dragons that are sure to make an impact.

To make each clan feel distinct, Wizards has designed exclusive mechanics that won’t appear outside their three-color identities. Jeskai’s Flurry rewards playing a second spell in a turn, no matter whose turn it is. Sultai’s Renew lets players exile a specific card from their graveyard to grant various counters to surviving creatures. Mardu’s Mobilize creates temporary creatures that disappear at the end of the turn, reinforcing their aggressive swarm tactics. Temur’s Harmonize, reminiscent of Flashback, allows cards to be replayed from the graveyard for a reduced cost by tapping creatures. Lastly, Abzan’s Endure triggers whenever a non-token creature dies, placing +1/+1 counters and other benefits, as seen with Anafenza, Undying Lineage, who spawns a 2/2 flying Spirit token or grants additional counters.

Of course, this is Tarkir: Dragonstorm, so the dragons are getting new toys too. Enter Omen and Behold, two fresh mechanics that expand their arsenal. Omen functions similarly to Adventure cards, letting you cast the card as a creature or as an instant or sorcery. The twist? If you cast it as a spell, it shuffles back into your deck, offering another chance to draw it later. If you play it as a creature, that option is gone. Behold, on the other hand, triggers when you reveal a dragon from your hand or already control one on the battlefield. An example is Sarkhan, Dragon Ascendant, who generates a Treasure token upon being played and Behold triggering. Since these mechanics aren’t tied to a specific clan, they can appear across multiple colors, making them particularly interesting in deck-building.

But let’s be real—the main event here is the dragons. One standout so far is Betor, Kin to All (2WBG), a powerhouse that triggers different effects at the end of your turn based on the total toughness of creatures you control. These range from drawing a card to untapping all your creatures or even forcing opponents to lose half their life. With a base toughness of 7, Betor makes it easy to hit at least the extra card draw trigger, and with heavyweights like Utvara Hellkite or Ancient Gold Dragon in play, the life loss effect becomes a terrifying reality.

Ugin is also back, once again as a colorless planeswalker. Ugin, Eye of the Storms (7) is poised to be a staple in colorless decks, especially Eldrazi builds, thanks to his passive ability that exiles target permanents whenever you cast a colorless spell. His -11 ability is downright absurd: search your library for any number of colorless non-land cards, exile them, then cast them for free until end of turn. With seven starting loyalty and a +2 ability, he can reach that threshold quickly if properly defended.

Aside from the Final Fantasy crossover set, Tarkir: Dragonstorm is my most anticipated Magic release this year. With just under a month until launch, most of the set remains under wraps, but my Scion deck is already due for a serious upgrade. I’m holding out hope for the return of legendary dragons like Atarka and Ojutai, or perhaps an exciting new five-color dragon. Either way, Tarkir: Dragonstorm is shaping up to be a blast when it lands on April 11.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.