This week, Wizards of the Coast unveiled detailed insights into their upcoming Magic: The Gathering expansion pack, Dragonstorm: Tarkir. With its rich Asian-themed backdrop, rival factions, and emphasis on captivating and deadly dragons, it’s no wonder this set has generated a significant buzz, despite other notable Magic collaborations such as Final Fantasy and Avatar: The Last Airbender, which are also slated for release this year. Even though venturing into “Universes Beyond” is always exciting, Tarkir underscores an undeniable reality: Dragons are incredibly awesome!
On March 18th during the Tarkir: Dragonstorm livestream, I got to witness some breathtaking beasts along with sneak peeks at the upcoming Commanders, spells, land cards, gameplay mechanics, and more. I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of two unannounced cards, Disruptive Stormbrood and Whirlwing Stormbrood, and had a great chat with lead art director Forrest Schehl and set design lead Adam Prosak about the exciting world of Tarkir. Here’s an exclusive first look at two out of the five neutral Stormbroods, followed by an interview I conducted with Schehl and Prosak.
Intrigued by the emphasis Tarkir places on its five clans, I wonder about the role of these Stormbroods within this structure.
Schehl: These two beasts don’t belong to any specific clan or group – they’re solitary dragons born from the recent, or increasingly fierce, Dragonstorms on Tarkir. During the initial conceptualization of the entire set, we granted our artists free rein when it came to designing these wild dragons.
Regarding the clans, you should consider a rich historical background along with their color affiliations, as well as their roles in the narrative and the specific timeframe of the story. However, wild dragons had no such limitations; they just needed to possess at least four limbs and two wings to fit our definition of a dragon.
In the stunning artwork by Fajarewan, Whirlwing Stormbrood appears to be a blend between a shark and a dragon in its design. It showcases sleek skin, fins, an abundance of teeth, yet retains the majestic essence of a dragon. On the other hand, the Disruptive Stormbrood challenges our established norms. It has two distinct back legs and two sets of wings, one of which functions like the limbs of a pterodactyl, folding over to walk on them. Essentially, it possesses dedicated wings for flight and ambulatory limb-like wings for movement.
Wild dragons show an incredible variety and originality in their design. The Whirlwind Stormbrood, beautifully crafted by Edgar Sanchez Hidalgo, was originally conceptualized by artist Alexander Ostrowski. Ostrowski, together with Victor Adame Minguez, created numerous dragon designs as part of the world guide we provided to our artists. It’s fantastic that we were able to include both of these unique dragons in our collection.
Had there been instances where creativity was challenged or discussions about whether it qualifies as a dragon? It seems intriguing; I bet there are amusing tales connected to those moments.
Schehl’s point was the charm of the untamed dragon idea. The principles he outlined were more than just the standard Golden Rule; they expanded on what it truly means to embody a dragon, regardless of its representation. This expansion was crucial.
In the initial structure of Tarkir, the dragon designs were remarkably innovative and imaginative. To make these designs even more striking and memorable, we needed to elevate the entire aesthetic and conceptual framework. This was undeniably a tough task. I discovered that the most effective approach in this scenario was to encourage unrestrained creativity.
Apart from encountering dragons resembling sharks that don’t fly much, just gliding instead, you can expect to see dragons inspired by a variety of unexpected sources, such as bulls and mudskippers. The storms here are so unpredictable and brimming with magic that they give birth to creatures that surpass anything we’ve seen in Tarkir thus far. This concept is crucial for emphasizing the sheer chaos and magical abundance these storms possess.
I believe it was the vast array of creative influences available to us and our open-minded approach that led to some extraordinarily innovative design ideas. We didn’t turn down many concepts, instead embracing most of them. Of course, not every idea could be implemented in the final product, but that wasn’t because they were too outlandish. Instead, we encouraged designs that pushed boundaries and were truly unique.
From a mechanical perspective, these cards are intriguing as well. They belong to the category of Omen cards, and they share some resemblance with Adventure cards, but there’s an evident distinction between the two. Can you explain what factors influenced the choice to separate them in this way?
In essence, dragons are often the grandest and awe-inspiring beings in this collection. They rule the battlefield when they appear, and we aimed to create a mechanism that would allow us to stack our deck with numerous dragons. However, any Magic player will confirm that merely packing your deck with large, high-cost creatures does not equate to a well-functioning deck. Thus, the need for a game mechanic to assist in this aspect arises from there.
In most Omen cards, there’s a large dragon accompanied by a minor event or magic spell. When you can’t summon the large dragon, you should instead use the smaller event or spell. However, it’s generally preferable to summon the large dragon when you have the option.
Among the insights gained from our initial testing, it turned out that the title “Adventure” wasn’t fitting. Dragons aren’t about an exciting journey; they primarily devour people. Additionally, the gameplay wasn’t particularly engaging. We discovered that if we included large dragons in a game titled Adventure, both players would anticipate the outcome – a final battle with these massive creatures. We aimed for more surprise and suspense instead. From a balance perspective, the term “Omens” allowed us to enlarge each half of the set, making them more awe-inspiring. We were contemplating the smallest dragon possible within this Adventure concept, but we didn’t find it appealing. Instead, we opted for bigger dragons. Surprisingly, these are among the smaller ones in the collection, yet they’re as large as we can make them. The name “Omens” significantly contributed to achieving that scale.
Additionally, I find the card reshuffling feature quite intriguing as it prevents situations where you might think, “I should keep this card for my powerful dragon spell.” Omen provides a second opportunity in case you choose to use it, ensuring that losing your dragon isn’t permanent.
Omen’s design underwent numerous changes, but I’m thrilled with the results. As Forrest mentioned, these cards symbolize the untamed dragons not affiliated with any clans – we aimed to incorporate both clans and dragons, as well as some intersection. However, we also desired distinct dragons that were independent of the clans. I believe the Omen cards excel in this aspect. They are effortless to include in your deck and truly awe-inspiring when played – not to mention, there are many cards that reward you for having numerous dragons in your deck.
Wow, what a clever idea! I hadn’t considered this method for managing high mana costs before, but it can definitely be frustrating when you have to choose the less expensive option for one of your powerful creatures, and think to yourself, “That would be such an exciting play to revisit later.” It makes sense why you introduced these as exclusives because they truly encapsulate some of Tarkir’s fundamental concepts. Are there any other reasons that make these cards particularly significant to the team? I’m curious to know more!
In Tarkir’s Dragonstorm expansion, there are several Omen creatures, but I believe these two stand out as particularly interesting and adaptable, especially for Limited games. They are primarily designed with Limited formats in mind, though they can also be used in Commander games to some extent. The Whirlwing Stormbrood offers all of its dragon companions flash abilities, which is quite strong, while Disruptive Stormbrood has the ability to eliminate various elements, making it a valuable addition.
1) These cards belong to a group of five, two of which are versatile as they can be included in either an Abzan deck or a Sultai deck. If it were blue-black, however, it could only be used for the Sultai deck. This is because some color combinations provide access to only one clan, making these cards suitable for decks that allow play in two different clans. In many Draft and Sealed formats, the ability to utilize three colors while maintaining a variety of options is key. This set, unlike most others, encourages heavy three-colored play, which is a distinctive feature of Tarkir. It offers the best of both worlds: the clans, which specialize in three-color gameplay, and the dragons, which are large, powerful flyers. The set boasts an abundance of both types.
Schehl: Creatively speaking, these dragon cards hold a unique significance for us. If Lauren were here, she might say that each dragon is like our cherished child, making it impossible to choose favorites among them. Furthermore, while we’ve discussed the wild dragons extensively, we haven’t shown many of them yet. We’ve examined numerous spirit dragons and more, but it’s fascinating to explore not just their mechanics, but also the art that depicts the true wildness we’ve given them.
How does it feel to revisit the plane Tarkir after a decade and design these dragons, considering both their mechanics and aesthetics? Are there aspects from the past that you particularly appreciate and wish to incorporate more in the future, or areas where you felt less satisfied and believe we can improve with our current understanding?
Prosak: One personal tale I have is that Tarkir was the initial set I worked on at Wizards around 11 or 12 years ago. Overjoyed, I pleaded to take charge of designing this set because I am a massive fan of Tarkir and believe it’s an incredibly cool plane – both aesthetically and structurally.
When we embarked on designing this new game set, our initial thought was: ‘Should we reuse Tarkir’s elements or explore something fresh?’ We recognized that simply repeating the same approach wouldn’t suffice. If we incorporated the same five mechanics and Morph again, it wouldn’t create a distinct set. Instead, we aim to progress Magic as a whole.
When revisiting the concept of sets, it’s crucial to preserve the essence of the set while creating something fresh and unique. This task can be quite demanding, as seen in our debate over whether Morph, a popular mechanic from the initial Tarkir, should make a comeback. Although we had recently introduced Cloak, another similar mechanic, in Karlov Manor, we ultimately decided against it.
In Dragonstorm, clans and dragons became its defining feature, striking a balance between classic Tarkir and something fresh. I’m immensely pleased with the major choice we made early on, allowing us to delve deeply into the intricate details and subtle aspects that make this set truly stand out.
My aim when returning to Tarkir was to avoid any missteps, as the original Tarkir set was a fan favorite and one of my personal favorites to work on. I aimed to create something that would live up to Tarkir’s legacy, and I believe we achieved that goal. Both Forrest and Lauren did an exceptional job visually breathing life into Tarkir, and I did my best to do the same mechanically.
Many of us here have been avid Magic players for quite some time, myself included since the Ice Age expansion. There have been periods when I could afford to play and others not, but the passion never waned. Working on something as iconic and cherished as Tarkir is an extraordinary experience, filled with a blend of excitement and apprehension. On one side, we’re thrilled about the opportunity to shape the next chapter in such a storied plane that offers so many intriguing dimensions. On the other hand, there’s a sense of fear because, as Adam mentioned, our aim is to get it right, to deliver a Tarkir experience that lives up to its legacy.
On numerous occasions while collaborating, I’d often turn to Adam and ask, “What are your thoughts on this? Is this in line with what you envisioned for Tarkir’s development?” Given that Adam is not only a passionate fan of Tarkir but also played a significant role in its creation, his insights and expertise were incredibly valuable as we jointly shaped Tarkir.
Tarkir: Dragonstorm is set to launch on April 13, 2025, with pre-launch events starting as early as April 6 at certain local game stores. Preorders for booster boxes, pre-constructed Commander decks, and bundles can be made online right now. To learn about the expected cards and mechanics in the upcoming set, check out our detailed Tarkir: Dragonstorm explainer.
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2025-03-20 19:13