Hey guys thanks for checking out part two of the Dragons of Tarkir Prerelease primer. Today I have the red, green and multi-colored cards from the set. Let's dive right in!!!
Red Uncommon
1: Roast
Even at sorcery speed this card is pretty house in limited. Being able to kill pretty much every creature in this format is a very good card. Giving this to the red players who got a slew of good cards in this set is a little frightening to me as those decks are getting something they have been missing in efficient removal.
2: Dragonic Roar
Another excellent removal spell for red. It won't be often that you get to hit your opponent for three but that doesn't matter because as a two cost removal spell at instant speed it is good enough on its own.
3: Qal Sisma Behemoth
I'm a big fan of the aggressive red deck that seems to exist in the new limited format. This guy lets you go really big, really fast. I think that this is going to be a huge player in this environment. If you have a deck with some solid two drops your turn four plays are going to be outright disgusting.
4: Atarka Pummeler
The Formidable ability tacked onto this guy is really strong. Being able to make bad blocks happen is something that will come up often as this guy comes stock with half of the ability on his own. if you have something like a Summit Prowler in play this guy is just insane.
5: Warbringer
This guy is just okay in my book. It's not often you'll have a complete dash deck. When you do he'll be really good. But even with only 3-4 other good dash creatures he is a powerful addition to the crew. Even when you aren't using him to pump other dash creatures into play you can still dash him for 3 damage on turn three and have a 3/3 when you need one.
Red is a pretty strong color but I personally feel its uncommons are somewhere in the middle of the pack in comparison to the rest of the set. When paired with black or white it can be a nightmare but I think it is RG that has me most interested in this color combination.
Red Commons
1: Tail Slash
I am wrestling with this decision even as I'm writing this and I've had my lists made for like three and a half days now. There are a ton of commons that are really close. This card along with Twin Bolt, Summit Prowler and Hardened Berserker are all really strong cards. I'm 99% sure as I am writing this that this is more like the fourth or fifth best common but hey, no turning back now.
2: Summit Prowler
"Wha?!?!?!?! Is this guy crazy?" Yeah. I am. Big whoop wanna fight about it? In all seriousness though, this card is way better now than it was in Khans. This formidable mechanic has a change to be the real deal and this guy helps promote that. I mention in the uncommons I really like GR and it is because of formidable that this is true. Games go long and being able to keep the board at parity while you are gaining some form of advantage is going to be really good. Plus a 4/3 for four mana really isn't a terrible rate in limited.
3: Hardened Berserker
Speaking of the formidable deck, this guy is quite formidable himself. He has the ability to ramp you into a pretty big threat on turn four which is pretty good time to get a huge threat on board. I think this guy is going to make some pretty gross things this weekend and I am hopeful they are on my side of the table.
4: Twin Bolt
This card seems underwhelming but it kills a morph for two at instant speed. Did I morph?? I meant super, mighty, megamorph. That's just about as real as it gets.
5: Volcanic Rush
Giving your team trample while on the offensive at instant speed is really good. You have the ability to completely steal a game as your opponent will usually be oblivious to this trick, at least the first time.
6: Sarkhan's Rage
It does cost five but it's fairly efficient removal that serves a dual purpose of going to your opponents dome. I'm kind of reminded of Arrow Storm but this card is much better as it is less prohibitive in cost, is an instant and it doesn't require raid to hit for five damage.
7: Kolaghan Aspirant
This guy isn't great but I am a fan of two drops and red is definitely an aggressive color in Dragons of Tarkir so the fact he can trade up to any of the 2/3's running around makes me happy to play him.
8: Screamreach Brawler
I am a fan of a guy who beats megamorph and this guy does just that. You can generally hit for a sizable amount of damage throughout a game and this can contribute to that or close out a game in the right board state, I like a card with that kind of versatility.
Red seems like a pretty strong color. I don't think it is the strongest color in the set but it certainly has the ability to contribute to some of the more powerful decks that will exist in the format in R/X aggressive decks and RG formidable.
Off to the last of the colors and what I will finally say is my favorite both in terms of the rares and the commons and uncommons that fill out your deck: Green. We'll start with the uncommon cards which are pretty exciting in my opinion.
1: Salt Road Ambushers
This guy is the king of the manisfests and megamorphs. He gives you a huge advantage whenever you flip a creature in that you will rule the battlefield. Your megamorphs will end up getting three +1/+1 counters while whatever you might manifest ends up being a giant beat stick as well.
2: Salt Road Quartermasters
The Salt Road Squad is pretty good it seems. I've been a fan of these types of cards ever since I first cast Spike Feeder in Living End. The fact he enters with the counters turns on the few gets x effect if it has a +1/+1 counter which is pretty cool.
3: Circle of the Elders
I really like the formidable mechanic. In some cases this guy can just be a win more in that you will probably be ahead on board if you have 8 power out. When the board is stalled though, this guy enables you to easily play two spells a turn which is pretty good thing to be doing in limited I hear.
4: Press the Advantage
This card is going to win someone a game, maybe even a few games at the prerelease this weekend. You can just demolish your opponent by adding four power of trample damage. This is a very easy way to win a game in that if you don't kill your opponent with the attack, there is a good chance you solidified your win by wiping out their defenses to punch the last few points of damage
5: Dromoka's Gift
This gift is quite a gift in combat or as a way to stay mana efficient. I just want to cast this with a Typhoid Rats on board. Better yet, any of the efficient blue or white flying creatures in the format.
Green has some pretty overwhelming uncommons and I'll say in advance the commons aren't lacking in power either.
1: Epic Confrontation
This is a pretty powerful spell. In comparison to Hunt the Weak, a very powerful green card, this is just a mile better. You don't get the counter but you are pretty much guaranteed to beat the creature in the fight and still get through. Savage Punch required that you already have a large creature in play to get the best value making it better in the mid to late game whereas this will be good in those stages as well as an early way to clear a creature that is generally problematic when played early.
2: Servant of the Scale
I really like the fact that this guy provides some help on his way out of the battlefield. What I like even more though is that bolster exists. This guy can easily pick up a few counters and become a terrible conundrum for your opponent as if they kill him they have to kill your whole board first or risk having another problem creature, or he becomes a 2/2 or 3/3 that can halt or lead an offense.
3: Aerie Bowmasters
This guy is good for the same reasons as Summit Prowler in that he is a good sized body at a reasonable rate. This guy definitely next levels the Prowler in that he has reach and can megamorph to shoot down a flier in combat.
4: Collosodon Yearling
That is one sexy beast. A 2/4 is a great body for three mana that while it won't be winning you the game by itself generally, it will be making sure you get to cast your spells that will and that is just gravy.
5: Stampeding Elk Herd
A 5/5 for five is a really good rate on a creature and the fact that it takes almost nothing to give him trample makes this herd of elk a great addition to any deck that is using green.
6: Glade Watcher
If you really want a card that will over-perform for its mana cost look no further. You can get some pretty gross starts with this guy involved. You certainly won't be dying in the early game either as this guy blocks profitably all the way up to the four spot which is a good thing to have in your two drop.
7: Guardian Shield-Bearer
This guy is a pretty good way to curve out without investing a ton of creatures. He is a little awkward in that you'll be drafting him in the three spot but he isn't as good as the larger morphs when it comes to that aspect. The way Shield-Bearer gets good is having some other form of a two drop to get the 2-3-4 trifecta.
8: Atarka Beastbreaker
This is a pretty good two drop to go with the Shield-Bearer. when the game goes late he isn't a bad top deck either. I really like cards with late game potential and this guy has a ton of it.
Green is in my opinion the strongest color with black coming in a close second. The two colors do play well together as well even though the set doesn't push you into those colors.
The multicolored cards are actually pretty few and far between. There are five uncommon dragons, one for each of the allied colors. Of these I feel as thought the strongest of the dragons is either Enduring Scalelord or Cunning Breezedancer. With the exception of Swift Warkite all of these dragons rely on not being killed to get effect and your opponent is well aware of the fact that this set is called Dragons of Tarkir. So there is a good chance they will have some form of answer for any of the dragons in this cycle. Be weary when casting these as though they are certainly powerful they are not invincible and can easily turn into a huge tempo play if your opponent can kill it the same turn it was cast.
Thanks for the read and I hope this information sends you to the skies at your prerelease this weekend. I am really excited to play with this set as it appears to be more powerful than Khans of Tarkir and I hope that you are too!!
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