Why I’m Excited to Experience Tarkir for the First Time

Tarkir: Dragonstorm will soon be upon us, and I for one am incredibly excited to experience this release. There are a number of reasons that this one is shaping up to be such a strong set for me, so buckle in and let’s go over them.

TARKIR: DRAGONSTORM HAS… DRAGONS

Going back to Tarkir means going back to a place with lots of Dragons. I don’t care who you are, where you’re from, or what you’re into: Dragons are universally accepted to just be really cool. Whether it’s windmill slamming a Glorybringer in Amonkhet limited or curving out with Ojutai back in Standard, or slapping down a Terror of the Peaks as a finisher in Commander, Dragons are splashy, intimidating, and powerful. 

Of the top 10 Commanders on EDHRec, two of them are Dragons, and when you include Kaalia, three of them involve playing Dragons as part of their main strategy. The Ur-Dragon is also the top typal Commander in the format, ahead of Vampires, Goblins and Elves, which says a lot about the enduring popularity of these winged lizards. 

I’ve built and played Miirym, and it’s a force to be reckoned with. I’ve also played Sylvia and Khorvath partners, a deck I rebuilt to take advantage of low-cost Dragons and Changelings, which uses Sylvia as an anthem. It was brutal and fast, and I still think about it from time to time. 

As it stands, I’m very much invested in Dragons, so getting a set with plenty of them – including, presumably, at Common and Uncommon – is a real treat. Maybe I’ll give S&K another go, if we get a few more three and four mana Dragons!

TARKIR HAS A REPUTATION FOR GREAT DRAFTING

I started playing Magic in 2016, and one of my first experiences of Tarkir was a “flashback” draft with some friends from the LGS who had a box to crack. I was still very new to the game, and my burgeoning skill at playing was no match for a complex format beloved by those who got to experience it the first time around. 

For instance, I had no idea that one of the prevalent strategies was to draft the tri-lands heavily and play as many colors as possible. My draft deck ended up pretty bad, but I could tell everyone around me was having a great time.

Will Tarkir: Dragonstorm reach the same heights? Well, who can say. But I am ready to draft it and find out, and I think those in the Design department have big Tarkir shaped shoes to fill, and will do their utmost to hold up the legacy of that set.

TARKIR HAS INSPIRED WORLDBUILDING

We don’t get to visit Asian-inspired or Asia-adjacent planes in Magic too often, at least for Eastern and Central Asia, and so getting to experience a revisit to Tarkir has me excited. Tarkir spans a very large range of real-world inspirations, from the Persian Empire to Shaolin Monks, Cambodia to Mongols. It’s a real pick-and-mix of cultures, and wasn’t without its pitfalls in our first visit.

Ever since the careful consideration and consultancy that was put in place with Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (which you can watch Jimmy talk about with the worldbuilding team above), we’ve seen Wizards prioritize the cultural sensitivities and inspiration for their worldbuilding like never before. This has resulted in recent sets like NEO and more recently Aetherdrift showcasing a deeper appreciation for how the Western view of the “exoticized Orient” colors world building, and has mostly been successful in reigning in problematic or stereotypical references. 

I for one am excited to see more of the plane of Tarkir, as it’s a flavor of historical realism that’s distinct from Knights and Castles and provides a still-fresh well to draw from. 

TARKIR IS A NEXUS OF THE MAGIC STORY

Tarkir was the starting point and sowed the seeds for the Gatewatch saga, showing us what Sorin and Ugin were up to prior to the events of Battle for Zendikar and onwards. I started playing Magic with Shadows Over Innistrad, and so that story arc was really beginning to pick up steam as I started playing.

The return to Tarkir sees Elspeth seeking Narset’s help with a growing Dragon issue, and seems to, again, be a pivotal moment in introducing the next big arc. Will this arc involve Bolas and Ugin again? I’m ready to find out. 

UNIVERSES BEYOND FATIGUE

In an era with so much Universes Beyond, waiting for a good in-universe Magic set feels like it takes longer and longer between each one. This is exacerbated somewhat by the less attractive recent sets that felt like “Magic with Hats” or a “Beach Episode”. Sure, Murders at Karlov Manor, Outlaws of Thunder Junction, and Aetherdrift all featured Magic characters and Planes, but they didn’t feel like the same epic story we’d had in previous arcs. While the intention was to have a break from “world-ending grim dark threats”, the break feels even more extended given we have to deal with Universes Beyond sets in between in-Universe releases.

One of the reasons I’m excited about the Final Fantasy set even if I’ve never played it is because of the tight visual design consistency, aesthetics, and “vibe”. Sure, it’s more anime-style (particularly the Manga art treatments), but the art at least adheres to the magical-realism style enough that it fits well within Magic’s canon sets. Celes, Rune Knight looks straight out of the older Dominaria sets, and Sin, Spira’s Punishment could be a beasty from any number of panes. 

In addition, the overall feel of Summons as Sagas just feels mechanically great. Even as someone who never played a FF game, I can understand how the JRPG Summon mechanic is represented on a card here, and it feels just right. Mechanics do a lot to sell a set, and unfortunately, having everyone be a detective, or starting their engine? It didn’t do it for me. It felt forced, a little memey, and lacked the impact that certain iconic mechanics have. When even the in-Universe Magic sets suffer from a lack of identity and staying power (partly due to lack of block storytelling), the “real” Magic starts to feel elusive.

DRAGONSTORM LOOKS LIKE PEAK “MAGIC”

Enter Tarkir: Dragonstorm. This set looks like it’s gearing up to be an all-timer. It’s a key in-Universe set because it looks like it has had a lot of effort put into it. It has five Commander decks (more than two, or four!), and it also has clan-based prerelease kits. This feels like the Magic I know and love, the Magic you know and love. It’s exciting. And it feels so fresh, given we’ve had a number of arguably dud-level sets previous to this one. 

END STEP

Tarkir: Dragonstorm looks like it’s shaping up to be a real hit for me. It’s my first visit to Tarkir, and I’m hoping it captures some of the Magic of the original visit. I’m hyped to see where the story goes, and what mechanics we’ll get. I’m also really keen on playing Sealed and Draft. And don’t forget, you can preorder Tarkir: Dragonstorm product now on CardKingdom.com!