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Dragons of Tarkir

Started by GoblinPiledriver, 13-03-2015, 03:36:14 PM

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GoblinPiledriver

48% of all Dragons of Tarkir cards are spoiled yet so it's time to take the first resume. Here is my top ten:

Place 1:

Kolaghan's Command

1BR
Instant
Choose two -

* Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.

* Target player discards a card.

* Destroy target artifact.

* Kolaghan's Command deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
Icefall Regent
3UU
Creature - Dragon
Flying

// 4 relevant abilities: Raise Dead, Discard, Shatter, Shock. All 4 abilities create card advantage at a huge variety of possibilities. Since Electrolyze is hugely played with only two abilities: Forked Bolt and Draw, it wouldn't suprise me too see this card played very often.
I would say it's the best card of the set.


Place 2:

Dragonlord Ojutai

3WU
Legendary Creature - Elder Dragon
Flying

Dragonlord Ojutai has hexproof as long as it's untapped.

Whenever Dragonlord Ojutai deals combat damage to a player, look at the top three cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
5/4

// This creature solves the biggest problem of all fatties, that to being removed at the following turn of the opponent. And in the next turn when you can attack you have again countermana open. This creature sets the clock to 4 turns while generating every turn an Anticipate(its like a 1 card weaker Impulse).


Place 3:

Den Protector

1G
Creature - Human Warrior
Creatures with power less than Den Protector's power can't block it.

Megamorph 1G (You may cast this card face down as a 2/2 creature for 3. Turn it face up any time for its megamorph cost and put a +1/+1 counter on it.)

When Den Protector is turned face up, return target card from your graveyard to your hand.
2/1

// It's an Eternal Witness for 5 with 3/2 and a slight evasion (especially against planeswalker who built their own small tokens)which you can pay cummulative or playing it for 2 Mana for a 2/1. So this card has many options to choose from. Eternal Witness had seen huge play so this will probably see a little less play. It will depends of how much mana a Regrowth Effect with a decent body is worth for the players.


Place 4:

Zurgo Bellstriker

R
Legendary Creature - Orc Warrior
Zurgo Bellstriker can't block creatures with power 2 or greater.

Dash 1R (You may cast this spell for its dash cost. If you do, it gains haste, and it's returned from the battlefield to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.)
2/2

// One mana 2/2 so this will see play in every red deck what plays Goblin Guide, Firedrinker Satyr, Rakdos Cackler and so on. With Dash it has a special ability to suprise your opponent, that's especially good against Planeswalker which were led on an empty board.


Place 5:

Sarkhan Unbroken

2GUR
Planeswalker - Sarkhan
[+1]: Draw a card, then add one mana of any color to your mana pool.

[-2]: Put a 4/4 red Dragon creature token with flying onto the battlefield.

[-8]: Search your library for any number of Dragon creature cards and put them onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.
[4]

// The two primary abilitys make card advantage, and the second ability defends this Planeswalker with a 4/4 flying Dragon. So this Planeswalker is very good. The only problem is that UGR is not a often played combination, the two most played three colored blue decks play either UWR or UGB a little more seldom is Esper or Bant, UGR is really rare. This is the only obstacle for this card to see huge play.


Place 6:

Thunderbreak Regent

2RR
Creature - Dragon
Flying

Whenever a dragon you control becomes the target of a spell or ability your opponent controls, Thunderbreak Regent deals 3 damage to that player.
4/4

// Most creatures get removed earlier or later, so shoting 3 damage is a good ability. This ability is like haste, creature with haste are good because they allready attacked before they where taken out and so 3 damage could be compared to 4 if it would had haste.


Place 7:

Sidisi, Undead Vizier
3BB

Legendary Creature - Zombie Naga
Deathtouch

Exploit (When this creature enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice a creature.)

When Sidisi, Undead Vizier exploits a creature, you may search your library for a card, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
4/6

// Tutoring is a huge ability, this card combines a Diabolic Intent with a 4/6 Deathtouch body. Diabolic Intent cost 2 mana and so the 4/6 Deathtoucher would only cost 3 mana more, for me it's sounds like a good price package.


Place 8:

Icefall Regent

3UU
Creature - Dragon
Flying

When Icefall Regent enters the battlefield, tap target creature an opponent controls. That creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step for as long as you control Icefall Regent.

Spells your opponents cast that target Icefall Regent cost 2 more to cast.
4/3

// This card combines the abilitys form Frost Titan(one of Jonnys favorite cards) and Dungeon Geists with an intermediate cost of 5 with flying. So I wouldn't wonder to see this card being played.


Place 9:

Ire Shaman

1R
Creature - Orc Shaman
Ire Shaman can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.

Megamorph R

When Ire Shaman is turned face up, exile the top card of your library. Until end of turn, you may play that card.
2/1

// With 4 combined 4 mana you have a Stormblood Berserker(which has a really good evasion) and a Chandra, Pyromaster ability for card advantage. In red decks(RDW, Boros, RG-Beats), card advantage is rare so this card will see its play here, I guess.


Place 10:

Narset Transcendent

2WU
Planeswalker - Narset
[+1]: Look at the top card of your library. If it's a noncreature, nonland card, you may reveal it and put it into your hand.

[-2]: When you cast your next instant or sorcery spell from your hand this turn, it gains rebound.

[-9]: You get an emblem with "Your opponents can't cast noncreature spells."
[6]

// This card is hard to evaluate, with 4 Mana you have 6 but more likely 7 loyality points so your opponent has to sacrifice much damage to this planewalker. The first ability can be compared to Domri Rade's first ability, maybe it's a little better cause Enchantments, Artifacts and Planeswalker can be hit too. The second ability clones spells with a 1 turn suspend, that's very good for big spells and againts counters. The third ability looks not so spectacular like other planeswalker ultimates, but sure it can hinder many spells from being played.
Throw enough goblins at any problem and it should go away. At the very least, there'll be fewer goblins.

Georg B

I think you forgot Dromoka's Command whitch I would put into every GW-Creature-deck... and since 4c-Blood is Tier 1 I would place the command on top of your list.

tonytahiti

Best 10 cards of the set (no order):

thunderbreak regent
sarkhan unbroken
zurgo
kolaghans command
atarkas command
dromokas command
ojutais command
ojutai exemplars
sidisi
ojutai


honorable mention:

myth realized - it might be very good, it might be not very good, not sure yet

Winner - Pro HL Cup, Prague 2002
Winner - Highlander Regional Masters, Phuket 2006
Winner - Sunrise Trophy Run, Hawaii 2006
Winner - North Dakota HL Championships 2007
Winner - Tahiti "One And Only"-Cup #3, 2009
Winner - Gio di Gio Seria, Florenz, 2016
Winner - Jail or be Jailed, Berlin, 2017

Maqi

#3
I feel kind of lost and disoriented without goblinpiledrivers exact rating scores... Where are the 5.61/10's and the 7.34/10's I grew so accustomed to? ;D

My personal top 10 in rough order:

Tier 1:
Dromoka's Command
Ojutai Exemplars
Thunderbreak Regent
Sarkhan Unbroken

Tier 2:
Collected Company
Kolaghan's Command
Atarka's Command
Zurgo Bellstriker

Tier 3:
Sidisi, Undead Vizier
Ojutai's Command

Kenshin

#4
Okay, here we are. I will just go over each card that I think is probably good enough to get played.

Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit

In a white weenie deck she will be great. But those already are filled to the brim with awesome twodrops. She interacts with the gameplan of the deck, makes small dorks bigger but also tempts you to overextend. If your deck is happy with a slightly conditional 3/3 for WW that might get better over time, you will be glad this girl got printed.

Myth Realized

Much better than Hoofprints of the Stag. The ability to sink unused mana at your opponents end of turn to get a large beater that interacts well with wrath effects probably is the wet dream of many a control deck. And it is not completely useless off of the top because you can put counters on with mana. It still dies to everythingTM but for such a low cost your opponent will be trading down on mana but up on time. This card probably promises more than it keeps but I am excited to test it out.

Ojutai Exemplars

Seems like a perfect fit for offensive URW Tempo Builds. For a control Deck the large body to cost ratio, the ability to control the battlefield to some extent, the lifelink AND first strike and the ability to dodge removal sound appealing but since you probably play a certain amount of counters you are not entirely free to chose the timing of your spells. I guess in tempo decks this will be a brutal card.

Secure the Wastes

If there is a token deck, this will be in it. It becomes very cost efficient if you can spend 3W upwards.

Icefall Regent

The card in and on itself is great but probably only fits in Tempo or UG strategies. And for the Tempo Decks it probably is too costly.

Profaner of the Dead

If there was a UG Tempo Deck this card would be sweet. There are many value creatures that would allow you to bounce several blockers and swing. But this probably does not cut it due to power level reasons.

Stratus Dancer

Great card. Fits into UW Skies, Tempo builds and maybe bant lists. But the latter probably would prefer a better body and do not value the early aggression this offers with the added bonus of being a good drop later.

Damnable Pact

I do not know enough about mono black to know wether or not they want this "Draingeyser" but being able to draw some cards or finish off the enemy seems rather strong.

Sidisi, Undead Vizier

The fact that tutoring is extremely strong in our format and the 3/6 Deathtouch body that blocks almost every non-flying threat in this format to death looks very strong. But on the other hand it costs five and only is really good in Decks that at least play some value creatures or mana dorks.

Dragon Whisperer

Looks solid for the mono red decks. The formidable is pretty much a non factor for any constructed format but being firebreathing and able to jump over blockers is maybe sufficient to at least warrant some testing.

Ire Shaman

Solid red evasion, solid stats and not being completely dead as a topdeck. I think this is pretty darn good for mono red.

Lightning Berserker

Seems good enough to try to sneak a hasty win or post wrath finish. Mono red plays worse one drops.

Thunderbreak Regent

Good stats to mana ratio, evasion and punishing your opponent for trying to remove it. A very pushed dragon creature. Good card.

Twin Bolt

One colorless probably is not worth having an instant forked bolt. But since I dislike Sudden Shock I would probably play this over it in mono r. Any card advantage is welcome in this color.

Zurgo Bellstriker

Good against wrath effects because you can add 2 power to your attacks without actually comitting a creature to the board. Not the worst topdeck for a one mana creature. All thanks to dash. The drawback is very flavorfull and if you have to block extensively with red, you probably already are losing.

Collected Company

Seems crazy good in most green based decks that are not trying to ramp. Maybe I am in magical christmas land here but there are so many possible hits. Even if you hit something good like a finks and an elf you still generated card advantage. Would not make the cut if it wasn't instant, which makes this a really potent card in almost any matchup.

Den Protector

Five mana 3/2 Witness at best, pretty useless two drop at worst. Does not seem to be good enough to me.

Atarka's Command

Great card. Every mode is relevant. Probably the second and fourth are the best with the first put in for good measure.

Dragonlord Ojutai

I have high hopes for this card. It has a relevant body, presents a good clock and you do not feel like an idiot, when you tap out for it, since it is very hard to get rid of it until you untap with counter mana open. Handles most Planeswalkers, generates card advantage and becomes somewhat nuts if you can fit and find a Minamo, School at Water's Edge. I hope this Thieving Magpie on steroids does not let me down. It may be just another five drop that is worse than a planeswalker in a control deck with wrath effects.

Dromoka's Command

GW removal with relevant additional modes. Sweet card.

Narset Transcendent

Please be good, please be good, please be good. (It is incredibly hard to tell how good this babe is. Sick loyalty, almost 50+% to draw a card in control decks and rebounding a big spell is going to be sick. Live the dream, rebound a Treasure Cruise or Dig Through Time)

Kolaghan's Command

Obviously good, I think.

Ojutai's Command

It does look okay but it does not do the really good things. Four mana is incredibly clunky and it is not doing anything against creatures. It seems to be rather weak in control, where you have maybe three targets for the rebirth (Wall of Omens, Snapcaster Mage, Baleful Strix), where you have problems with noncreature spells. But gaining four life and drawing a card seems fine. But do you really want to use a slot and a four mana Card for that? I mean you could just play Kitchen Finks for the life. It is worse than Absorb unless you need to play it without another spell on the stack. Remove Soul does never make the cut in a deck but Negate would maybe. Pretty underwhelming card to me.

Sarkhan Unbroken

I want to play this card so bad. Insane apart from the ultimate ability that is hardly useful in the good decks. Steep color requirements and there is not a deck for it yet (maybe Temur Scapeshift or Temur TwinShift). The decks in the current meta play either red or blue but never both.



My top five:
1. Sarkhan Unbroken
2. Dragonlord Ojutai
3. Narset Transcendent
4. Zurgo Bellstriker
5. Ojutai Exemplars

Tiggupiru


dsck

Silumgar's Command deserves a mention?


Is it possible to have card hyperlink feature on these forums? Like you hover your mouse over card name that has been linked and then you can view the card. Would make discussing new cards way easier.
dsck90 on cockatrice

tonytahiti

random credit/shoutouts to goblin piledriver:

he named kolaghans command, ojutai and den protector as top3 cards in dragons of tarkir and i believe thats scaringly accurate.

very impressive! (i wont make fun of your .1 ratings anymore, thats for sure :) )
Winner - Pro HL Cup, Prague 2002
Winner - Highlander Regional Masters, Phuket 2006
Winner - Sunrise Trophy Run, Hawaii 2006
Winner - North Dakota HL Championships 2007
Winner - Tahiti "One And Only"-Cup #3, 2009
Winner - Gio di Gio Seria, Florenz, 2016
Winner - Jail or be Jailed, Berlin, 2017