Scaly Bois are About to Dominate the Meta!
Dragons: The OG Magic Powerhouses
Let’s be real – dragons have been the coolest part of Magic since Shivan Dragon first roasted someone’s face off in 1993. Tarkir: Dragonstorm is taking that legacy and cranking it to eleven.
Invasion of Tarkir (The Battle Card That Finally Matters)
- This March of the Machine sleeper hit is suddenly spiking in price (thanks, MTG Goldfish!), and for good reason.
- Flipping into a dragon that gives ALL your dragons +1/+1 and haste? That’s not just value – that’s “I win the game” energy.
- Pro Tip: Pair with Thunderbreak Regent for maximum salt generation.
Marang River Regent (Because Bounce Effects Shouldn’t Come on 6/7 Flyers)
The look on your opponent’s face when you reset their board while slamming an aerial nuke? Priceless
6/7 flying for 5 mana? Good.
Bouncing two nonland permanents on ETB? Even Better.
Mana Ramp: Red’s New Toy
Since when does red get unconditional mana dorks? Since Tarkir: Dragonstorm said “screw the rules,” apparently.
Sunset Strikemaster (Red’s Answer to Llanowar Elves)
- Taps for red the turn it comes down. No “attack with a dragon” clause. No “if you control a mountain” restriction. Just pure, beautiful acceleration.
- This little 1/1 is going to enable some absolutely degenerate turns where you’re dropping Glorybringer on turn 3 like it’s 2017 again.
- Potential to break Pioneer and Modern too? You bet your burn spells it does.
Craterhoof Behemoth (Because Green Needed More Win Conditions)
When this resolves, the only appropriate response is to flip the table and walk away.
Yes, it’s 8 mana. No, that won’t stop green decks from turboing it out by turn 5.
Combos disgustingly well with the new dragon tokens from Omen spells.
New Standard Decks to Try (Before They Get Banned)
1. Dragon Midrange (Jund ‘Em Out)
- Core: 4x Marang River Regent, 4x Invasion of Tarkir, 3x Thrakkus the Butcher
- Why it works: Bounce their threats, slam yours, then beat face with overstatted flyers. Simple, brutal, effective.
2. Red Deck Wins (Now With Extra Gas)
- Core: 4x Sunset Strikemaster, 4x Kumano Faces Kakkazan, 4x Bloodthirsty Adversary
- New tech: Turn 1 Strikemaster into turn 2 Feldon into turn 3 Goldspan Dragon. Opponents will concede out of principle.
3. Mono-Green Stompy (Hoof There It Is)
- Core: 4x Craterhoof, 4x Storm the Festival, 4x Topiary Stomper
- Because sometimes you just want to make 15 power appear out of nowhere.
Tarkir: Dragonstorm isn’t just pushing dragons – it’s shoving them down the format’s throat with a fire-breathing cannon. Between the insane mana acceleration, absurd dragon stats, and game-ending bombs, this might be the most pushed tribal set since… well, the original Tarkir block.
P.S. If you’re not playing at least 8 dragons in your deck after this set, are you even trying?