Legacy - Tarkir: Dragonstorm Review

Greetings, Legacy community! We're back in Tarkir, with its Dragons, clans, and unusual three-color combinations. The first time we traveled to this plane, we had a great time, so we were all anxious to return.

Usually, Standard-focused sets don't impact Legacy that much, but Tarkir: Dragonstorm has a lot in store for us, as well as some incredibly interesting cards. Let's take a look at them!

Tarkir will bring us many new mechanics. This includes Behold, Omen, and hybrid (Colorless/Gold) cards you can find in all clans, as well as clan-exclusive mechanics like Endure for Abzan, Flurry for Jeskai, Renew for Sultai, Mobilize for Mardu, and Harmonize for Temur.

As usual, you can find a full guide on these mechanics and how they work here, in this article by our great in-house judge, Antônio Carlos.

White

Clarion Conqueror

We already covered this Dragon back when it was first spoiled. This is one of the best hatebears (creatures that disable certain aspects of the game) around, and should become very popular in many sideboards. As the meta evolves post-bans, this card could even see play in a few main decks.

Sage of the Skies

With a Chrome Mox, Lotus Petal, or even a Mishra's Bauble, this card will give you a board presence other aggressive decks won't be able to ignore. However, it is not that relevant against Combo or Control lists, which is a bummer.

United Battlefront

What immediately comes to mind when I see this card is Collected Company.

With Brainstorm, Ponder, and Enlightened Tutor in this format, you'll have no trouble thinking of a way to create value with this card. Exactly which deck you want to build for this card is a mystery, but you'll have your pick from control decks with 3-mana Planeswalkers and Up the Beanstalk to combos like Solitary Confinement and Enchantress's Presence.

Voice of Victory

This card is another great hatebear in this set. It is basically a Teferi, Time Raveler with a body, as it protects your turn from enemy interference. Because of its Mobilize 2, you can also use it to put a lot of pressure on the board for a 2-mana creature. Its creature type is also quite relevant.

Blue

Taigam, Master Opportunist

Taigan is an opportunity to create value, particularly for tempo decks that need to go to wars of attrition. You can activate it as soon as turn 2 with a Mishra's Bauble or on turn 3 with a cantrip. In any case, you'll have to wait a bit until you can use its effect, but it can be a good option for mirrors when both you and your opponent exhaust your resources.

Winternight Stories

Usually, cards like these would never be an option for Legacy, but, after the success of Stock Up, we have to consider a card like this, as it can create a lot of card advantage. Its Harmonize cost might seem a lot, but you'll have no trouble discounting it.

Black

Avenger of the Fallen

In Legacy, I can already imagine this creature attacking all your opponent's life points straight away, maybe on the following turn, considering you can throw all or nearly your entire deck in your graveyard all at once. Avenger doesn't force you to mill your entire deck - you'll just have to mill enough to create enough tokens to win the game.

The Sibsig Ceremony

This card smells of combo. One possibility is with Relic of Legends and Acererak the Archlich. With Relic in play, you play Acererak for 1 mana, untap Relic with the abilities on the stack, and return it to your hand before you resolve Ceremony's ability. Then, you just need to venture into the Lost Mine of Phandelver as many times as you want.

Red

Cori-Steel Cutter

This equipment is quite interesting for decks that want to use the Prowess of the token you create with it. It is a way to keep putting pressure, particularly in decks like Burn and some Izzet Tempo versions. Please remember that the token you'll create with it already gets haste when you equip it.

Dracogenesis

It is not Omniscience, so it's nothing, really.

Tersa Lightshatter

This card will easily fight for one of Red Stompy's flexible slots. The easiest comparison is with Laelia, the Blade Reforged: Laelia can grow more, but Tersa creates value even if your opponent removes it before it attacks. It can also access a resource this deck usually doesn't - the graveyard. It's worth a try.

Green

Surrak, Elusive Hunter

Besides not even coming close to Nadu, Winged Wisdom, this card will instantly cost you the game if your opponent plays an Orcish Bowmasters. The Orcs will target you, you'll draw a card, the Orcs' ability triggers again (the original still hasn't resolved yet), you'll draw a card, trigger the Orcs… and you die without a deck. Legacy isn't the best place for this card.

Gold

Rakshasa’s Bargain

Once again, this card is similar to Stock Up. The fact it is an instant is already a big upgrade, even though it lets you look at one card less than this Aetherdrift sorcery that took many Legacy decks by assault. Its mana cost also forces you to play only Sultai colors. Do you know what also plays in Sultai colors and should be this card's best friend? Up the Beanstalk. Without Sowing Mycospawn attacking your mana base, this card should be a great encouragement for Sultai Beans to return to the metagame.

Songcrafter Mage

Snapcaster Mage's cousin is less efficient than the original in terms of letting you play low-cost spells extra times, but, by itself, it already discounts the cost of a target spell by 3 mana. This instantly makes me think of using it to bring back the most expensive spell in the graveyard, such as, for instance, the colorless hybrid cards in this set.

Teval, Arbiter of Virtue

Delve is broken. I'm sure someone will find a way to abuse an effect that grants Delve to everything.

Artifact

Mox Jasper

Cards named "Mox" will always stand out, but this one is a bit difficult to activate. There is, however, a deck that can use it - Ninjas! Wait, but doesn't it need Dragons? Yes, but Mothdust Changeling and Changeling Outcast are Dragons!

Colorless

Ugin, Eye of the Storms

Before Sowing Mycospawn was banned, the new Ugin (which we discussed in an article before) was by far the most relevant card in this set for Legacy. It should still be quite relevant, as it is a big threat on the board. Furthermore, one of the decks immune to it, Eldrazi, should struggle a lot with this recent ban, so, it should free some space for this Planeswalker to dominate more tables.

I still believe this will be the main topic of debate in the upcoming months.

Lands

Cori Mountain Monastery

Though slow, this land gives you gas in drawn-out games. It is an interesting option in the right colors.

Kishla Village

Similar to the land above, this land, in wars of attrition, should make sure you always draw something relevant in later turns.

Mistrise Village

Boseiju, Who Shelters All is a powerful effect, but for a great cost. In the right colors, Mistrise Village does basically the same, and much more efficiently. And, look at that, it does that in the right colors and in a deck that benefits a lot from making sure a spell isn't countered: Sneak and Show.

With a simple Volcanic Island in play, this land enters play untapped, and please note that it states "spell", so it protects not only Show and Tell, but also Sneak Attack. You can even use it, though not very efficiently, to force your Brainstorm and Ponder over a Chalice of the Void.

Aetherdrift didn't impact Legacy much. The only exception was Stock Up, which showed up in many decks, particularly Sneak and Show.

Tarkir, on the other side, should make a lot of noise. Ugin, Eye of the Storms should be the most impactful card, whereas Mistrise Village seems an easy addition to Sneak and Show. Clarion Conqueror is a great hatebear, and should become quite popular. Finally, two more cards that, I believe, should see play are Rakshasa's Bargain and Voice of Victory.

What did you think of this set? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!