With the newest set of cards around the corner, Wizards of the Coast have begun teasing details. Here’s what we know so far, and what’s coming up.
Tarkir: Dragonstorm is the upcoming expansion for Magic: The Gathering, releasing 11 April 2025. Spoilers officially begin now, but there’s a lot more to come, with new cards being spoile from now until March 27th.
In case you didn’t know, Tarkir is a plane swirling with elemental energy that spawns dragons. Living with the dragons (and usually being terrorised by them) are the five clans, the Abzan, Jeskai, Mardu, Sultai, and Temur. The balance of power has changed lately however, now that the five clans have grouped together to perform a ritual that has summoned five powerful spirit dragons, each embodying one of the five tribes.
As a side effect, the storms grew stronger, and began spawning a new breed of dangerous, wild dragons. Amid all this chaos stands Sarkhan, a planeswalker with unwavering love for dragons. While the clans seek to end the storms, he seeks the opposite, believing that the dragons should be ruling Tarkir. This sets up an inevitable clash with other Planeswalkers, as they fight over the fate of the plane.
The Five Clans
The five clans of Tarkir each have a distinct identity, with their own logo and spirit dragon.
- Abzan: Guardians of tradition with strong familial ties who summon ancestral spirits. They’ve regrown their kin trees, and some of the designs have been changed and reworked to reflect this. Their spirit dragon is Betor, who needs white/black/green mana. The Anzur embody resilience, and this is shown in their mechanic – Endures.
- Jeskai: Monks that seek unity through a shared understanding of reality. Their spirit dragon is Shiko, and she embodies their desire to go into the plane and bring unity. Noticable on her artwork is the Jeskai colours, and her scroll-like wings. She requires blue/red/white mana.
- Mardu: Nomadic warriors centered around tactics and technology. Visually, they’ve been updated along some key pillars, namely community, mobility, and their skills as blacksmiths. Their spirit dragon is Neriv, who leads their charge into battle. He requires white/black/red mana. With their new Mobilize mechanic, they’re the most formidable and organised of the clans.
- Sultai: Found in the jungle, they transform challenge into opportunity by cultivating the land around them. You don’t stop serving the Sultai when you die, and this is embodied in their new mechanic – Renew.
- Temur: They live in harmony with the environment, and are protective of nature, resources, and the natural world. They have animal inspired spells made from blue flame, and their connection to the natural world is everything. Their spirit dragon, Ulreni, embodies this.
New Mechanics
Some of the mechanics are new, others are reworded from existing mechanics. Here’s the full list:
- Endures: Choose to add a +1/+1 counter or create a Spirit creature token with power and toughness based on the number endured.
- Flurry: Gain a bonus when casting your second spell in a turn, adding versatility and synergy to your plays.
- Mobilize: Create tapped and attacking 1/1 red Warrior tokens that vanish after combat.
- Renew: Exile a card from your graveyard to trigger an effect, reinforcing Sultai’s mastery over death.
- Harmonize: A flashback-style mechanic that lets you cast cards from your graveyard at a reduced cost by tapping creatures.
- Omen: Instants that shuffle into your deck, allowing you to retrieve dragons later without disrupting gameplay.
- Behold: Reveal a dragon from your hand or battlefield to gain rewards.
- Hybrid Mana: Pay 2 colorless mana instead of a specific color, smoothing gameplay for multicolor decks.
In addition, Sagas make a return, with there seeming to be one for each clan. Seiges also make a return, but they’ve been updated to let you choose which clan to support during gameplay.
Special Card Treatments
It wouldn’t be a new MTG set without special card treatments, and you can expect Draconic Frames, Borderless Clan Cards, Ghostfire Cards, Ultimatums, and a Serialised Mox card.
Commander Decks
There are five preconstructured commander decks coming, each with two commanders, one dragon, and one “not-dragon”. Spoilers for each are expected over the next week.
Tarkir: Dragonstorm is available 11 April 2025, and can be preordered from wherever you usually get your cards.