Dragons of Tarkir promised a new future compared to Khans of Tarkir, and it certainly delivers. Dragons of Tarkir Limited looks nothing like Khans. Same
block? Don’t even apply the same principles to them. Bid fair well to the format of Avalanche Tusker getting Armament Corps counters while the three-color
opponent is missing a color, and say hello to a beatdown world.
Before we jump into the cards, just remember some key numbers: two and four. Most commons have two power, and four toughness stops almost anything that
isn’t green.
White:
Common Creatures By Curve:
One Mana
Two Mana
Three Mana
Four Mana
Five Mana
Removal:
Tricks:
Other:
White in Dragons of Tarkir is very low-drop heavy. Clearly an aggressive deck is being pushed. This is also evident by the Rebound commons (Center Soul and
Artful Maneuver) effectively being tricks, where the Rebound is plus damage the next turn, either via +2/+2 or Protection from a color forcing an attacker
through.
Also worth noting: +2/+2 from Artful Maneuver basically pushes any random dork into/over most things in the set as the creature sizing jumps are 2/2 and
4/4.
Very few white creatures are bigger than 2/X by default in this set. The ones that are larger are going to be the most important ones. Sandcrafter Mage is
likely the actual best white common creature, which is saying something as it is basically Nessian Courser. I also really like the positioning of Sandstorm
Charger. In general most creatures in this format are sized with a 4/4 cap set by the uncommon Dragons, and Sandstorm Charger flexes really well between
curving out, being an on-curve X/4 when you need to shut the ground down, and going over opposing 4/4s when Megamorphing to a 4/5.
Other than Sandstorm Charger, Student of Ojutai is one of the few commons here that looks like it can really turn a game around from behind. Four toughness
is big, and the lifegain starts putting you into a good position to make profitable combats instead of just having to make exposed blocks to keep up.
Pacifism is clearly the best common here. It kills a thing almost always at parity or ahead on mana.
When I first read Glaring Aegis, I assumed incorrectly that it was only +1/+2, making the average creature a 3/4 that is easily double blocked down for a
loss. The jump to +3 toughness means often three things have to get in the way, and while the trade math is the same, the inconvenience factor is much
higher. The card is going to be your 22nd to 25th card most of the time, but it goes from “very poor” to “not unplayable.”
Some cards I don’t like: Enduring Victory seems like it is expensive in a color that supports just going around Dragons and is much more of a Brainspoil
than a Reach of Shadows (mediocre versus costly but necessary). Champion of Arashin is an overcosted creature that trades down the curve. Aven Tactician is
likely a little costly for something that looks so bad against a Dragon that comes down in the same timeframe. Compared to the other five-drops, it looks
decidedly mediocre, and there really isn’t room for mediocre five-drops in the format.
Uncommons Creatures By Curve:
One Mana
Two Mana
Three Mana
Five Mana
Six Mana
Removal:
Tricks:
Others:
Dragon Hunter is great, and not just because it blocks Dragons. If this format is as tempo-oriented as the white cards suggest, getting out with a relevant
body a turn earlier or playing two things on turn 3 are both game-breaking.
Echoes of the Kin Tree looks insane on paper, but honestly with all of these other cards it likely has a lot of the issues of Thassa’s Ire where it is
often just a little too expensive to get going.
The top tier uncommons here are Great Teacher’s Decree (one Rush of Battle was good already, right?), Strongarm Monk (Overrun), and Dromoka Captain (2/2
first strike alone would be hard enough to beat, and this cascades out of control). Silkwrap is also solid but not dominant, and Shieldhide Dragon is
definitely the best of the six-drop Dragons. As usual, lifelink wins the fight of “what is the best evergreen ability in Limited” question.
Blue:
Commons Creatures By Curve:
One Mana
Two Mana
Three Mana
Four Mana
Five Mana
Removal:
Tricks:
Other:
Blue seems great. Good bodies, card advantage, and even a good removal spell at common.
Again, we see there are no 4/X common creatures, except the best possible one: the Megamorph flier Ojutai Interceptor. As a common that fights heads up
against Dragons after Megamorph, it plays a really powerful and unique role.
Reduce in Stature is not quite Pacifism, but it does a lot of the same work. Big creature? Neutralized. Little creature that just needs to get out of the
way? Not absurdly costed to do the job.
Zephyr Scribe jumped out at first as a top common, but then I remembered Reckless Scholar in Zendikar Draft. It’s not bad, and the format isn’t that
aggressive, but if people are attacking and matching a two-drop is huge, having a three-drop Looter that costs mana to activate isn’t going to take over a
game.
Dirgur Nemesis is really just a Gray Ogre with an activated ability to one shot trick someone. You are not playing a defender for that cost, especially
without flying. Similarly, Monastery Loremaster as a 3/2 for four looks real bad, but as a three-drop with a one shot activation to rebuy a spell it is
great. They are both listed as three-drops as a result.
Taigam’s Strike is worth approximately eight damage minimum over two turns. There’s a reason it costs four.
Mystic Meditation is so bad compared to other cards of the type. Having to pitch action to end up on cards is real bad. Ojutai’s Summons is actually the
card advantage engine here, as two 2/2s is basically two cards. It even kills them like drawing into more threats would! Note that while Gurmag Drowner
reads like it draws cards, it’s really just a great blocker with lategame utility of cycling a bad creature into action.
In terms of blockers, I like Gurmag Drowner and Elusive Spellfist, as the former is a hard to beat 2/4, and the latter clocks. I don’t like Ancient Carp,
as it appears to be a turn too late, and I think Sidisi’s Faithful is more of a spell. I’m undecided on Updraft Elemental, though I’m excited to cast it as
“Updog Elemental” and get people when they respond with “What’s that?”
More realistically, the big hole I see in blue is having a good blocker on three. The ones it has all trade or don’t attack back reasonably. Blind
Phantasm, please? One time?
Uncommon Creatures By Curve:
Two Mana
Three Mana
Four Mana
Six Mana
Removal:
Tricks:
Other:
There’s a lot of tension in Silumgar Spelleater. My guess is you just want to cast it as a 2/3 most of the time, as per my above note.
Silumgar Sorcerer is a pretty awesome split card. If they play a Dragon, you counter it; if they don’t, you spend your mana and flash in a creature. Likely
the best blue uncommon. The other best uncommon contender is Skywise Teachings, but I’ll have to actually play with the card before determining if it is
fast enough.
Gudul Lurker is not a one-drop. It’s a four-drop Phantom Warrior you can split the cost on.
The rest of the uncommons here are solid at best, unexciting at worst. Lots of slow card draw, tricks that are just average for the format, and so on.
Black
Common Creatures By Curve:
One Mana
Two Mana
Three Mana
Four Mana
Five Mana
Six Mana
Removal:
Tricks:
Other:
Black has a lot of trash. Duress is conditional, Gravepurge has never been a playable effect, Foul-Tongue Shriek is not a card, and the big one: It’s short
on creatures with a mechanic that really pushes for it to play a ton of bodies. The ones it has are fine, but there just aren’t enough to really support a
deck.
Butcher’s Glee is a really good trick. It does about everything at once: win a race with a huge drain and win any combat. Coat with Venom is worse, but
costing one is a big deal around turn 3 or 4 as you can pull ahead on board. You just need a non-black aggressive base to support them, as again they
aren’t creatures.
Flatten is definitely the best black common since it kills about anything. Defeat is okay, but it mostly trades for twos and threes.
As for the creatures, it’s a mixed bunch.
Silumgar Butcher is mostly a five-mana kill spell that slightly pumps a creature, and as we saw with white’s Enduring Victory, that is probably a bit slow
and probably just unplayable when -3/-3 doesn’t even kill a 4/4 Dragon. The really good Exploit card is Vulturous Aven, which is both card advantage and a
2/3 on time to block 2/2s. Most likely, the four-drop is the second best black common and one of the best non-removal commons in the set.
The small creatures aren’t super exciting. Hand of Silumgar is not Typhoid Rats in Khans Limited, as instead of Glacial Stalkers, the big creatures are
Dragons you can’t block. Kolaghan Skirmisher is a 2/2 for two mana. Qarsi Sadist has all the classic 1/3 problems (gets bad fast and doesn’t do anything
when it isn’t blocking) without offering a big gain. Dutiful Attendant and Shambling Goblin are going to look great whenever they kill an X/1 and look
really dumb the other 65% of the time. Reckless Imp is nice but easy to get run under.
Honestly, the best of the lot is probably Sibsig Icebreakers. The mutual discard is definitely not symmetric if you are either A) trying to force the game
under Dragons or B) have more card advantage to recover. Plus, the 2/3 body is very nice.
Wandering Tombshell is Fortress Crab. Just like that card, I expect this to overperform, especially when you realize it blocks all but two commons:
Megamorph’ed Atarka Efreet and Segmented Krotiq.
Marsh Hulk is very similar to a Khans morph. Need an early drop? Play it. Don’t need an early drop? 4/6 is big. The fact that Megamorph pushes this to a
5/7 seems mostly irrelevant.
If you are black, your biggest issue is going to be good early creatures. Don’t pass them if you can avoid it.
Uncommons Creatures By Curve:
Two Mana
Three Mana
Four Mana
Five Mana
Six Mana
Removal:
Other:
Oh, here are the good ones. Black is the traditional role that used to be played by red of “first pick an uncommon or best common, rather splash it than
actually play the color.”
Deadly Wanderings seems borderline unbeatable. See: Homicidal Seclusion being also almost unbeatable.
Death Wind and Ultimate Price are both top-notch removal. The latter is better than the former by miles.
Rakshasa Gravecaller is basically a 3/6 and 2/2 for five, which is a huge swing in a 2/2 format.
The rest of the uncommon creatures are solid. 2/5 for four that randomly eats green monsters, Dragon, another 2/3 for three (Minister of Pain). The sign
black is open will likely be seeing these a bit too late.
Red:
Common Creatures By Color:
Two Mana:
Three Mana:
Four Mana:
Five Mana:
Removal:
Tricks:
Other:
Unlike the other 3/2s in the format, I’m refuse to give Hardened Berserker a hard time. Costing three is a big change from costing four, and the ability is quite
real.
Screamreach Brawler is a 2/3 with a real upside for three. This card is very unassuming and very good.
I actually like Atarka Efreet. The drawback of a clunky, low toughness creature is negated by the morph discount, and if it ever kills something, it is
absolutely insane.
Summit Prowler got a huge upgrade. 4/3 is well sized against 2/2, 2/3, 2/4, and 4/4 in the format, especially when the 4/4s all cost six. Not the best red
creature, but only because anything that doesn’t cost two or three has to do a lot to be truly great.
Sabertooth Outrider seems a little too situational. Aggressive games are either races where the first strike doesn’t matter, trade-offs where the
Formidable won’t happen, or the 2/4 stall case where it does matter. Good against blue, bad everywhere else.
Sprinting Warbrute suffers from costing a ton of mana, but it is good for what it does. You just can’t take high drops that highly.
Red’s real winners are the spells. Lava Axe or kill a thing split card in Sarkhan’s Rage? Two mana removal with blowout potential in Twin Bolt? The best
red common of last block for one more mana in Tail Swipe? Yes to any of the above, or even Kindled Fury as the best cheap trick, or Lose Calm as Threaten
in a format where decks are likely to have a Threaten-worthy top threat.
I’ve stated this multiple times above, but the issue in red is going to be not tricking yourself into clunking out your deck. Take twos, not fours.
Uncommon Creatures By Curve:
One Mana
Two Mana
Three Mana
Four Mana
Five Mana
Removal:
Other:
There are a lot of average uncommons here, and a lot of high drops that add to the issue red has at common with being too far up the curve.
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: Draconic Roar and Roast are great. Seismic Rupture probably just beats a number of decks straight up.
But Warbringer and Atarka Pummeler, while good, still cost four or more. It’s really odd that Dash, a mana-intensive mechanic, is trying to fit into a
color that has the issue of being too mana-intensive.
The Megamorph uncommons will likely play an important role but more as threes than the six-drops I have them listed as here. The flip up is mostly a bonus.
Kolaghan Forerunners is another great three-drop, as it is likely a 2/3 that scales up as the game continues.
There’s also a lot of stinkers. Lightning Berserker seems like it will just trade poorly, Dragonlord’s Servant is a perfect of example of looking like it
provides a lot but really not doing a lot of work anywhere. Qal Sisma Behemoth again is clunky in a clunky color.
Green:
Common Creatures By Curve:
One Mana
Two Mana
Three Mana
Four Mana
Five Mana
Six Mana
Removal:
Tricks:
Other:
Green does this low-drop thing right. Three two-drops that are good or great on two, and all three scale well as the game continues. No garbage Lumengrid
Wardens here!
The threes are a definite step down from the twos. 4/1? Nah, even with conditional reach. Dragon-Scarred Bear isn’t bad, but the ability isn’t useful in
most relevant timeframes. Colossodon Yearling is definitely the best one here, as if I’m hyped about a 2/3, a 2/4 has to be just as good.
Most of the high-drop common creatures are on the “real nice” side of things. Aerie Bowmasters is an on-curve three-drop that turns into a Dragon trump or
an on-time X/4 that holds off the low end of the format when played face up. Stampeding Elk Herd is just the biggest boom boom for the cost. Sandsteppe
Scavenger feels like it should be really good, but some of that may just be the Elite Scaleguards talking. And finally we have the real winner in Woolly
Loxodon 2.0: Segmented Krotiq. The math here is easy on that one. It’s just big when you want big, and does things when you don’t. The Alpha Tyrannax Bug
is likely the best green common.
The spells aren’t quite on the same level as the creatures, however. Epic Confrontation is an okay removal spell that doesn’t really trade up or let you
attack well with the pumped creature a lot of the time. Tread Upon is a fine trick, but the rest are blah. Shape the Sands doesn’t push you up in a fight,
unlike Kindled Fury or Coat with Venom. Revealing Wind is just an expensive Fog, and Pinion Feast is very narrow, but powerful when it hits. And don’t ever
play Sheltered Aerie. Banners were bad in the slow Morph format. In the Grizzly Bear format, a pseudo-Banner looks real dumb.
Uncommon Creatures By Curve:
Two Mana
Three Mana
Four Mana
Five Mana
Six Mana
Tricks:
Other:
As usual, green is a bit light on good uncommons. If the draw at common is awesome creatures and the color doesn’t have much removal, there is only so much
better the uncommon options can be than the common ones. As most of these cards are pretty interchangeable, I’m just going to cover the really good ones.
Scaleguard Sentinel with a counter on turn 2 is probably unbeatable. Just as Nissa’s Chosen, it isn’t bad either.
Salt Road Quartermasters is A) above the curve at 3/3 for three and B) represents a really, really hard to beat onboard trick. Definitely the best green
uncommon.
Salt Road Ambushers is an okay card. It’s at its best in R/G since Kolaghan Stormsinger goes very well with it and is something you can likely see later.
It is really just a Gray Ogre with one shot give a thing haste without the boost from this card.
Press the Advantage is a pretty clear beating. Remember: Dauntless Onslaught from the last block had one of the highest cast in games 1 ratios of non-rares
in the format. This one will especially excel in R/G just like the exact half a card version of it at common does (Tread Upon).
Dromoka’s Gift costs a little too much for me to be really excited about it. It seems like it falls into the Incremental Growth world of “this costs a ton
of mana and is conditional, but puts you very far ahead and only sometimes is picked.” Note the sick combo with Lightwalker though. 6/5 flier is a lot
scarier than a single bestow there.
Sight of the Scalelords is probably insane. I’m sure I’ll find out very quickly how great it is or isn’t as I try to win with it and fail or am promptly
destroyed by it. Worth noting: It seems best in U/G with Gurmag Drowner and even Sidisi’s Faithful.
Artifacts:
Ancestral Statue looks like it is going to be better than it looks. While minus tempo isn’t ideal, there are a lot of things you want to rebuy between
Exploit and just random effects like Megamorph triggers or a used Salt Road Quartermasters. The 3/4 body isn’t messing around, and I can easily see an
archetype that involves finding 1-2 of these later in the pack.
Monuments seem bad and slow, as do the equipment. Stormrider Rig is especially a trap, as missing a tick to cast it is more important than having a small
boost.
Dragonloft Idol seems fine, though unexciting.
I expect to play more Custodian of the Trove than Pilgrim of the Fires and Witness of the Ages combined. 2/5 is still 2/5 here that you can sacrifice to
Exploit.
Evolving Wilds seems great. The removal is all splashable, and picking up an extra Pacifism or Sarkhan’s Rage off a basic and an Evolving Wilds is going to
be a big deal.
Color Pairs and the Gold Dragons:
So, a lot of this has been me talking about Dragons and the 4/4 flier threshold. Let me just clarify this:
Beating a 4/4 flier will have to happen more often in this format than most. It is very doable. That all said, the uncommon Dragons aren’t insane. They are
good, but they’re all hampered by being inflexible six-drops that have conditional upsides.
You are not locked into Broods. If you don’t get an insane on-Brood rare, enemy pairs are just as fine as long as you are willing to wait on some of the
incentives until pack three. There are even enemy color combinations that look better on paper than either allied pair of a color, namely W/B over R/B or
U/B.
That said, let’s look at all the color pairs.
Most of the roles of the allied colors are very traditional. U/W is tempo. U/B is grindy. R/B is aggressive haste stuff–but not really good at it since
both colors have really bad creatures and the removal isn’t the best at tempo. G/R is high power creatures jamming away. G/W is early creature quality.
The enemies look to be a bit more specific. W/R is the usual force through attacks with white tricks and using red’s high power effects to hit hard going
late. U/R is… umm…bad. Not a lot of real synergy here. U/G is fat things and tempo to connect with them, and unlike red the fat things hold the fort. G/B
is basically the same, only you opened good black cards. W/B is aggressive white creatures backed by actual removal and dash. It is likely the real home
for the good black combat tricks.
Archetype specific notes on cards
Don’t go for Taigam’s Strike in U/B. Leave it for the other three pairs.
Dragon Fodder has to be the most important card in R/B. Value on Exploit and an early drop.
Ojutai’s Summons is good in U/B as Exploit fodder to chain cards off Gurmag Drowner and Vulturous Aven.
Tread Upon is basically custom fit for the red cards. Trample + high power = dead them.
Glade Watcher loses a lot of value in G/W since you want your two-drop to turn sideways immediately. The other three color pairs with green have much better
lategame to play for.
The best multicolored uncommon Dragon by miles is Cunning Breezedancer. White has the least issues with high curve, and the giant creature effect is really
unique, while green and red already have fatties.
The Rares:
The rares in Dragons of Tarkir mostly seem self-regulating. Most of the Dragons are either a cheaper version of effects the format can handle (Thunderbreak
Regent), or expensive and rewarding for paying into them (Foe-Razer Regent). The non-Dragons are mostly unique effects that might be insane (Volcanic
Vision) or just good value but not unbeatable (Hidden Dragonslayer).
Good luck beating any of the Dragonlords though. Sometimes mythics deserve to win games.
Overall
I expect to do very well in this format. The cards play to a lot of my strength of sequencing, racing, and tempo, or playing a true control role that turns
the corner quickly. It’s funny this set occurs on the eve of the return to Zendikar, and hopefully it turns out to be a bit more moderated way to
experience some of the great things about a non-bulky attacking format.