As we approach the launch of Magic: The Gathering‘s newest set, Tarkir: Dragonstorm, the complete list of cards for the Commander decks has been revealed. Each deck in this collection showcases one of Tarkir’s five clans, featuring a key character from that clan and a dragon as possible commanders. Interestingly, the Jeskai deck includes two significant characters—Shiko and Narset—on a single card, adding unique versatility.
Tarkir: Dragonstorm brings a lot to the table, from powerful new Planeswalker cards to a refreshing emphasis on immersive world-building in the Magic universe. Personally, I can’t wait to dive into the new Temur Roar Commander deck and enhance it with some of my favorite cards. While the pre-constructed Commander deck is solid as is, there are certainly ways to elevate its gameplay experience even further.
Strategy for the Temur Roar Deck
Temur Roar Aims to Establish a Strong Board Presence with Dragons
In terms of color identity, Temur is focused on establishing powerful threats while hindering opponents’ efforts to do the same. The Temur Roar Commander deck in Tarkir: Dragonstorm embodies this strategy well, as its main commander, Eshki, Temur’s Roar, rewards you with bonuses for playing large creatures, becoming a threat herself. Although I might not choose to run this deck’s alternate commander, Ureni of the Unwritten, it still poses a significant threat in later stages of the game.
The foundation of your strategy should be to bring out your large dragons and deal damage directly using their flying ability. You can also utilize spells like Reality Shift and Spit Flame to eliminate opposing threats and maximize your creature dominance. The deck includes additional features that give you advantages for casting big spells, similar to Eshki—like Elemental Bond.
Recommended Additions for the Temur Roar Deck
Enhancing Temur Roar with Smart Additions
While updating the Temur Roar deck, I made sure to exclude any cards from Magic: The Gathering‘s new Game Changers list and avoided using tutor cards. Therefore, while these upgrades will enhance Temur Roar’s performance, they won’t alter the tier of the deck significantly. Too many changes could make it less appealing to purchase the Temur Roar deck if most of the original cards are replaced. For a comprehensive list of the changes I’ve implemented, refer to the table below:
|
New Card |
Effect |
Card It Replaces |
|
Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm |
Flying, ward 2. Whenever another non-token dragon enters the battlefield under your control, create a token that’s a copy of it, except the token isn’t legendary if that dragon is legendary. |
Dragonlord Atarka |
|
Terror of the Peaks |
Flying. Spells your opponents cast that target this creature cost an additional 3 life to cast. Whenever another creature you control enters, this creature deals damage equal to that creature’s power to any target. |
Stormbreath Dragon |
|
Earthquake |
Earthquake deals X damage to each creature without flying and each player. |
Storm’s Wrath |
|
Warstorm Surge |
Whenever a creature you control enters, it deals damage equal to its power to any target. |
Breaching Dragonstorm |
|
Carnelian Orb of Dragonkind |
Tap to add red mana. If that mana is used on a dragon creature spell, it gains haste until the end of the turn. |
Fellwar Stone |
|
Animar, Soul of the Elements |
Protection from white and black. Whenever you cast a creature spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Animar. Creature spells you cast cost 1 less for each +1/+1 counter on Animar. |
Opportunistic Dragon |
|
Dragonspeaker Shaman |
Dragon spells you cast cost 2 less to cast. |
Nogi, Draco-Zealot |
|
Maelstrom of the Spirit Dragon |
Tap to add colorless mana. Tap to add one mana of any color, but only to cast a dragon or Omen spell. Pay 4, tap, sacrifice this land: Search your library for a dragon card, reveal it, put it in your hand, then shuffle. |
Exotic Orchard |
|
Skyshroud Claim |
Search your library for up to two Forest cards, put them onto the battlefield, then shuffle. |
Migration Path |
|
Kindred Discovery |
As this enchantment enters, choose a creature type. Whenever a creature you control of the chosen type enters or attacks, draw a card. |
Draconic Lore |
The moment I saw this deck, I knew I had to include Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm. Miirym’s ability to copy dragons perfectly complements a dragon-centric strategy, delivering a ton of value from your creatures. While not a dragon himself, Animar, Soul of the Elements aligns well with the overall strategy of the deck. His ability to reduce costs makes it easier to cast the larger creatures.
Cards such as Warstorm Surge and Terror of the Peaks are fantastic inclusions for decks focusing on big creatures. They can serve to pressure your opponents or act as targeted removal. Plus, they synergize beautifully with Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm and Reflections of Littjara (which is already part of the deck), enabling you to trigger abilities for both the original creature and its clone.
If you’re looking to enhance the main deck of other Commander decks, Tarkir: Dragonstorm introduces some exciting new cards like Deceptive Frostkite, which can duplicate a large threat and give it flying for a relatively low mana cost. Thundermane Dragon seems like a solid choice that could fit into any Magic: The Gathering deck focused on big creatures.
