Introduction
You sit down at the Commander table. Someone cracks open a fresh box. The smell of new cards hits. Then you hear it: « I am playing a Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander deck. » Suddenly everyone leans in.
The Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks arrived with serious expectations. Tarkir is one of Magic: The Gathering’s most beloved planes. It is home to dragon clans, ancient warriors, and storm-fueled chaos. When Wizards of the Coast announced Commander precons tied to the Tarkir Dragonstorm set, the community exploded with excitement and, honestly, a fair amount of skepticism too.
In this article, you will get a complete breakdown of every Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander deck. You will learn what each deck does, which cards stand out, how well the decks play straight out of the box, and which one you should actually buy. Whether you are new to Commander or a seasoned veteran, this guide covers everything you need.
What Is Tarkir Dragonstorm and Why Does It Matter?
Tarkir Dragonstorm is a Magic: The Gathering set that returns players to the dragon-ruled plane of Tarkir. The set revisits the iconic dragon clans from the original Khans of Tarkir block. It brings back beloved mechanics and introduces new ones built around the power of dragons.
For Commander players, a new set with dedicated preconstructed decks is always a big event. The Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks give you a legal, ready-to-play 100-card Commander deck themed around the clans and dragons of Tarkir. You open the box and you are ready to play.
The five clans of Tarkir, the Abzan, Jeskai, Sultai, Mardu, and Temur, each have distinct identities. These identities map beautifully onto Commander strategies. That is exactly what makes the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks so compelling from a design standpoint.
All the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander Decks at a Glance
The Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks release as a cycle of preconstructed options. Each deck carries the flavor, mechanics, and color identity of one of the Tarkir clans. Here is a quick overview of what you can expect from each deck in the lineup.
- The Temur deck: Focuses on ramp, big creatures, and storm-fueled dragon payoffs.
- The Jeskai deck: Leans into spells, cantrips, and prowess-style triggers.
- The Sultai deck: Plays the graveyard game with recursion and value generation.
- The Abzan deck: Centers on resilience, counters, and overwhelming late-game board presence.
- The Mardu deck: Attacks aggressively with raid and warrior tribal synergies.
Each of the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks comes packed with new cards exclusive to the precon product, reprints with updated art, and a full 100-card list ready for your Friday night game.
Temur Dragonstorm Commander Deck: The Big Mana Beast
The Temur deck is the one that makes dragon lovers genuinely excited. It plays green, blue, and red. It ramps hard in the early game and then drops massive dragons in the midgame that snowball completely out of control. If you love playing big creatures and watching your opponents scramble, this is your deck.
The Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks do a great job of capturing clan identity, and Temur is the best example of that. The deck screams Temur energy. Everything is oversized, overwhelming, and explosive.
Key Cards in the Temur Dragonstorm Deck
Watch for these standout inclusions:
- The face commander: A legendary dragon that triggers every time you cast a spell with storm or dragon synergy.
- Mana dorks and ramp spells that get you to five or six mana by turn three.
- Dragon tribal payoffs that reward you for having multiple dragons in play.
- A Dragonstorm reprint that lets you search your library for dragons and put them into play.
Jeskai Dragonstorm Commander Deck: Spells and Speed
The Jeskai deck is for the player who wants to cast a lot of spells every turn and watch triggers stack up on the board. It runs white, blue, and red. The strategy rewards you for casting instants and sorceries by pumping your creatures, drawing cards, and generating value.
Among the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks, the Jeskai option has the most appeal for competitive Commander players. The color combination gives you access to powerful blue card draw, white removal, and red burn. The deck has real teeth.
I find the Jeskai deck the most fun to upgrade because the shell is already solid. You add a few key staples and suddenly you are operating at a significantly higher power level. The core strategy is focused and easy to build around.
Key Cards in the Jeskai Dragonstorm Deck
- A commander that triggers prowess on all your creatures when you cast noncreature spells.
- Cantrips that replace themselves and trigger the deck’s synergies for just one mana.
- Storm cards that copy your spells and snowball the damage output.
- A powerful dragon that enters play with a triggered ability tied to storm count.
Sultai Dragonstorm Commander Deck: Death and Value
The Sultai deck plays black, blue, and green. It uses the graveyard as a resource. Things die. Things come back. Things die again. It is the kind of deck that wears opponents down slowly while generating incremental advantage on every single turn.
Within the lineup of Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks, Sultai offers the highest ceiling for graveyard enthusiasts. It pairs Tarkir-flavored mechanics with classic reanimator strategy. The result is a deck that feels thematic and genuinely powerful.
The challenge with Sultai is that graveyard hate from opponents can slow you down significantly. You need to keep interaction in hand and not overcommit your graveyard resources on any single turn.
Abzan Dragonstorm Commander Deck: Endurance Wins Games
The Abzan deck plays white, black, and green. It is the most resilient deck in the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks cycle. It wins through counters, persistent threats, and a late game that simply outlasts everything else at the table.
Abzan puts counters on everything. Your creatures grow each turn. Your commander comes back from the graveyard. Your threats are hard to permanently remove. It is a deck that says: go ahead and deal with my stuff, I will just make more.
For newer Commander players, the Abzan deck is probably the most forgiving option. It does not require intricate sequencing. It rewards you just for playing your cards and keeping your threats on the board.
Key Cards in the Abzan Dragonstorm Deck
- A commander with outlast that adds counters to your board every turn cycle.
- Doubling Season effects that accelerate your counter strategy dramatically.
- Recursion pieces that keep your best threats returning from the graveyard.
- Finishers that turn your accumulated counters into a massive board attack.
Mardu Dragonstorm Commander Deck: Attack, Raid, Repeat
The Mardu deck plays white, black, and red. It attacks. It attacks early, it attacks often, and it attacks with enough force to knock someone out of the game before they ever feel comfortable. Of all the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks, Mardu is the most aggressive.
The raid mechanic rewards you for attacking each turn. Your warriors get bonuses. You draw extra cards. You get damage triggers. Everything in the deck pushes you toward turning your creatures sideways as often as possible.
The downside of the Mardu deck is that aggressive strategies can paint a target on your back. In a pod of four players, you may take early heat from players who see you as the biggest threat at the table.
What Value Do the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander Decks Offer?
Every Commander precon product lives or dies on its reprint value. The Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks include a mix of new cards and reprints. The reprints are what determine whether the deck is worth buying even for players who already own a Commander collection.
Here is how to think about value when you evaluate these decks:
- Check the retail price versus the single card value of the reprints.
- Identify which new cards from the deck are unique to the precon product.
- Look at the mana base. Commander precons often have underpowered lands.
- Consider the upgrade path. Which of the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks gets the most value from a small number of additions?
Historically, Wizards of the Coast prices Commander precons to give players solid value on the included reprints alone. The Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks follow that pattern. You get more than what you pay for if you shop smart.
Which Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander Deck Should You Buy?
This is the question every player asks. You only want to spend money on one deck. Which one gives you the best experience right out of the box?
The honest answer is that it depends on your play style. But if you want a clear recommendation, here is how to think about it:
- Buy Temur if you love dragons, big mana, and overwhelming board states.
- Buy Jeskai if you want the most upgradeable deck with the highest competitive ceiling.
- Buy Sultai if graveyard strategies are your favorite way to play.
- Buy Abzan if you are newer to Commander or want a forgiving, resilient strategy.
- Buy Mardu if you want to attack and end games fast.
If you can only pick one and you want the most fun out of the box, I lean toward the Temur deck. Dragon tribal is universally appealing. The strategy is intuitive. And nothing feels better than slamming a dragon into play and watching everyone at the table react.
How to Upgrade Your Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander Deck
The Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks are great starting points. But every precon has room to grow. With a budget of around 30 to 50 dollars in additions, you can take any of these decks to a noticeably higher power level.
Here are the universal upgrade priorities that apply to all the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks:
- Fix the mana base. Replace basic lands with dual lands and fetch lands where possible.
- Add a Sol Ring if it is not already included. It almost always is, but confirm first.
- Cut the weakest creatures that do not support your game plan directly.
- Add at least two boardwipes if the deck does not already have enough.
- Include card draw engines that keep your hand full in the late game.
Specific Upgrade Tips for Each Deck
Here are targeted upgrade suggestions for each of the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks:
- Temur: Add Utvara Hellkite, Dragon Tempest, and Savage Ventmaw for max dragon synergy.
- Jeskai: Add Expressive Iteration, Seize the Day, and Narset, Parter of Veils for spell value.
- Sultai: Add Reanimate, Living Death, and Muldrotha, the Gravetide for maximum recursion.
- Abzan: Add Hardened Scales, Conclave Mentor, and Archangel of Thune to supercharge your counters.
- Mardu: Add Reconnaissance, Fervor, and Sword of the Animist to keep the attack pressure constant.
Are the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander Decks Competitive?
This question comes up every time a new precon cycle drops. The short answer is: the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks are designed for casual Commander tables. They are not built for cEDH, which is the highly optimized, fully competitive format.
That is fine. That is the right design decision. Commander precons are meant to be a starting point. They should work at a regular Friday night game with your friends without creating an unfun power imbalance.
If you want to push the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks toward higher power, the Jeskai and Sultai decks have the strongest bones for that journey. Their color combinations give you access to the most efficient Commander staples.
What the Commander Community Says About These Decks
The Commander community had strong opinions the moment the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks were revealed. Reddit threads exploded. YouTube content creators published first look videos within hours. Discord servers filled up with decklists and debate.
The general consensus is positive. Players love the Tarkir theme and the dragon-forward design. The main criticisms focus on the mana bases, which many players feel could be stronger, and a handful of filler cards that do not do enough for their mana cost.
Those criticisms are standard for any Commander precon. Wizards of the Coast has to price these products accessibly, and that means compromises somewhere. The Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks make those compromises in places you can fix cheaply.
Final Verdict on the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander Decks
The Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks deliver exactly what they promise. You get a thematic, fun, ready-to-play Commander experience built around one of Magic’s most iconic planes. Each deck captures the identity of its clan. Each deck has a clear game plan. Each deck gives you room to grow.
Are they perfect? No. The mana bases need work. A few filler cards could be replaced. But those are issues with nearly every Commander precon ever printed. For the price point, the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks represent solid value and a genuinely enjoyable play experience.
If you are a Tarkir fan, you should absolutely pick up at least one of these decks. If you are a Commander player looking for a new archetype to explore, the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks give you five compelling entry points.
Which clan calls to you the most? Are you riding into battle with Mardu, unleashing storm spells with Jeskai, or summoning dragons with Temur? Let us know in the comments, and share this guide with your Commander playgroup before your next game night.
FAQs: Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander Decks
1. How many Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks are there?
There are five Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks in total. Each one corresponds to one of the five Tarkir clans: Temur, Jeskai, Sultai, Abzan, and Mardu. Each deck runs 100 cards and is ready to play right out of the box.
2. Are the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks good for beginners?
Yes. The Abzan and Temur decks in particular are beginner friendly. Their strategies are intuitive and forgiving. Any of the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks make a solid first Commander experience because they explain the core mechanics of the format through their design.
3. What is the retail price of the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks?
Commander precon decks from Wizards of the Coast are typically priced in the range of 45 to 65 US dollars at retail. Check your local game store or major online retailers for current pricing on the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks.
4. Which Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander deck is the most powerful?
Out of the box, the Temur and Jeskai decks tend to be the most powerful in terms of raw game impact. The Jeskai deck has the highest ceiling for upgrades. For a casual table, any of the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks can compete effectively.
5. Do the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks include new cards?
Yes. Each of the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks contains exclusive new cards that are only available in the precon product. These new cards are designed specifically for the Commander format and fit the theme of their respective clan.
6. Can you upgrade the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks on a budget?
Absolutely. With a budget of around 30 to 50 dollars in additions, you can meaningfully improve any of the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks. Focus first on improving the mana base, adding efficient card draw, and replacing the weakest filler cards.
7. Which Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander deck is best for dragon lovers?
The Temur deck is the top choice for dragon lovers. It features the most dragon tribal synergy of all the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks. It ramps fast and puts massive dragons into play better than any other deck in the cycle.
8. Do the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks work in cEDH?
Not out of the box. The Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks are designed for casual to midpower Commander tables. They are not optimized for competitive EDH. You would need significant investment and rebuilding to make any of them viable at a cEDH table.
9. Where can I buy the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks?
You can purchase the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks at your local game store, large hobby retailers, and major online platforms like Amazon, TCGplayer, and Card Kingdom. Check availability at release as popular decks often sell out fast.
10. Are the Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks worth buying if I already own Commander decks?
Yes, if you are a Tarkir fan or want to explore a new archetype. The Tarkir Dragonstorm Commander decks offer exclusive new cards, strong reprints, and a fully built strategy. Even experienced players find value in the new card designs and the thematic experience.
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Email: johanharwen314@gmail.com
Author Name: Johan harwen
About the Author: Johan Harwen is a Magic: The Gathering writer and Commander enthusiast with over twelve years of experience playing and analyzing the game. He has covered set releases, deck strategy, and competitive play for multiple gaming publications.Johan specializes in Commander content because he believes it is the most creative and community-driven format in all of tabletop gaming. He is particularly passionate about preconstructed decks as an entry point for new players and a design challenge for Wizards of the Coast.
