The Dragonstorm has arrived, and I can't be more excited! While I was at my local game store's prerelease, the air was buzzing with excitement, and that energy just continued throughout the whole night. As people opened packs of this new set, I was quick to point out which cards in the bulk piles were the ones to watch out for. I will admit, even some of the cards I overlooked turned out to over perform.
So today, I am here to highlight the best bulk from this awesome new set and hopefully inspire you to dig back through your "draft-chaff". My name is Tyler 'Savesya' Bucks, and here is part two of Bulk Up for Tarkir: Dragonstorm! (If you would like to check out part one, you can do that here.)
Disruptive Stormbrood
Starting off this week with a dragon/omen card, Disruptive Stormbrood. These spells are similar to adventures, however this time around, you shuffle the card back into your deck when you cast the omen side. Which makes them a little harder to run in commander, however this card works too well on either mode not to highlight here. Either you can pick off something a little smaller in the early game or blow up an artifact or enchantment in the late game, having more options is always valuable in any format!
Henzie "Toolbox" Torre loves creatures with mana value four or greater, and most decks built around this commander are packed full of them. Having a creature with the ability to destroy a smaller threat in the early game helps buy you more time for casting those big beaters in the late game! Blitzing this out and destroying an artifact or enchantment, then attacking in the air is a nice combo!
Shocking Sharpshooter
Our next card is Shocking Sharpshooter, which has a similar effect to Impact Tremors, but with the limitation that you can only point the damage at one opponent. I still think this card should find its way in a lot of decks, since having that effect attached to a creature lets it fit right in with a lot of red strategies. Giving you attack triggers, dealing burn damage, or just pinging the whole table after you cast a big token maker; it really does it all!
Dealing one damage is the name of the game for Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph decks. Turning a creature entering the battlefield under your control into a lightning bolt to someone's face is crazy. On top of that, the Sharpshooter having one power and reach, means that your opponents will have to think twice if they want to attack you with a valuable flyer!
Starry-Eyed Skyrider
Starry-Eyed Skyrider is another strong token support card, lifting up your board when it needs it most. One of my favorite details about this card is that it doesn't need to attack to give your tokens flying, which means you can attack in the air right away. Then, when the Skyrider isn't summoning sick anymore, it gives another creature flying when it attacks, which can lead to a big final strike to close out a game.
Another card that benefits your attacking tokens is Neyali, Suns' Vanguard, which adds double strike to the mix. Having these two on the board can quickly shift the game in your favor, giving your entire team evasion and even more hitting power would allow you to take your combat step to the next level!
Dragonstorm Globe
I know that three mana value rocks are out of style, but Dragonstorm Globe is just too interesting not to bring up. It helps cast your big dragons, plus makes them even bigger! The interesting detail with this card is that it gives those counters to all of your dragons that enter, not just the ones you cast using this rock. So, if you have a deck where you'll be casting a lot of dragons, or even changelings, the Globe will be a benefit to you!
There's a lot of dragon decks out there, so if you're looking to include some budget ramp, the Globe will be helpful. So, to get more specific, let's shine the spotlight on Thrakkus the Butcher. Doubling the power of each dragon you control during combat is the whole goal of the deck, so adding a counter to each of them when they hit the battlefield will just ensure they continue to impact the board in a major way!
Kishla Skimmer
Kishla Skimmer is a creature that fits perfectly with the graveyard effects and synergies that come with this new set. Even though this creature's draw trigger only happens once on your turn, if you have a deck that consistently removes cards from your bin, you'll be getting an additional card in your hand for free. The Skimmer also synergizes with classic mechanics like flashback, delve, escape, and any other cards that can be cast from your graveyard. All of that stapled to a 2/2 flyer is just amazing value!
Hailing from the marshes of Innistrad, we have Grolnok, the Omnivore. This commander allows you to exile any cards you put into your graveyard from your library, which means if you consistently surveil, or self-mill, you'll be drawing a card on your turn with the Skimmer. Grolnok removing those cards from your graveyard incidentally makes drawing that additional card just gravy on this froggy cake... Wait who puts gravy on a cake... I'm getting all mixed up, let's move on!
Rally the Monastery
Double spelling in commander happens all the time, and Rally the Monastery works perfectly with decks that reliably do that! The fact that you can cast the spell for less mana makes all the modes it offers even better. The tokens this spell creates are great since they have prowess, the removal is still strong (albeit a little specific), and even the pump effect can be game changing when you can catch your opponents out of nowhere.
Elsha, Threefold Master is one of the possible commanders from the Jeskai precon, and works perfectly with Rally the Monastery. In a recent video on my channel, which you can check out here, I discussed my reasoning why the new Elsha would most likely benefit from its own build. Chaining spells together, making monks, and attacking for value is going to be its main gameplan, so this is a pair for the ages!
Wail of War
Wail of War is a spell that I looked right past initially. Most of the time, whenever a card only gives creatures -1/-1, it tends to be too specific for commander. However, having that effect stapled to an instant speed way to get two creatures from your graveyard to your hand, makes this card great. Every deck needs ways to get things out of the bin, so this giving you two creatures is amazing value. Plus, you could just blow out a token players game once in a blue moon.
Getting two creatures back to your hand is just flat out good, but let's look at that -1/-1 ability and how it synergizes with Massacre Girl, Known Killer. In this deck, if a creature an opponent controls would die, and its toughness is less than one, you'll draw a card. As I mentioned before: casting Wail of War against a token deck is just brutal, and it might draw you a huge chunk of cards. So, if you have a Massacre Girl deck, keep an eye out for this card in your Dragonstorm packs!
Sunpearl Kirin
As the years go on, ETB triggers get more and more powerful, and Sunpearl Kirin is here to help trigger those again! It comes down with flash and can bring any nonland permanent back to your hand, which makes it perfect for recasting strong spells, as well as saving something important from removal. It also has an additional effect, that if you target a token you control with the Kirin, you'll draw a card, which is nice to have as an option in a pickle.
Let's go back in time and take a look at Roon of the Hidden Realm. A classic blink commander that loves looping ETB effects, Roon can make great use out of Sunpearl Kirin. Not only does it help bounce something back to you hand for you to recast, but if it's already on the battlefield, you can activate Roon's tapping ability to blink the Kirin again and get more of your non-creature value pieces to hand.
Synchronized Charge
Synchronized Charge is a game ender in +1/+1 counter decks, and I for one am very excited for that! Somehow, I have three different personal decks built around counters, so I can tell you from experience that it's an all-in sort of strategy. Synchronized Charge costing only two mana to cast on its own allows you to leave up extra mana for protecting your big attack. Plus, that harmonize effect allows you to cast it again just in case the first attack didn't close things out.
One of the decks in my arsenal is Zaxara, the Exemplary, and you better believe Synchronized Charge is going in there! Zaxara makes you a lot of big hydras with counters on them, however those tokens don't have any evasion on their own. So, having a card that can grow a few of them even more, and then attack all out with your vigilant trampling board will be the game changer that deck needs.
Kheru Goldkeeper
In my article last week, I covered a creature that would make an amazing PDH commander, and Kheru Goldkeeper also fits that bill. Making a treasure anytime one or more cards leave your graveyard can assist you in a deck that's constantly casting things from its graveyard, which is a great engine piece. It can also add some power and flying to a creature with its 'Renew' ability, if you need something to break through your opponent's defenses!
We can't talk about these new Sultai cards without mentioning Muldrotha, the Gravetide at some point. Any of the new cards that mention things leaving your graveyard work perfectly with Muldrotha, and the Goldkeeper is no different. When paired together, you will be getting a treasure anytime something leaves your bin, which makes this dragon basically the Storm-Kiln Artist of recursion decks!
Venerated Stormsinger
Our next card is a classic Zulaport Cutthroat-esq effect, and it even adds a body to the board when it attacks. Venerated Stormsinger drains the table whenever a creature you control dies, which is handy since the token that you make with 'Mobilize' will be sacrificed at the end of turn. In decks that want to put bodies on the board, and either attack with them or slap a Skull Clamp on them, creatures like the Stormsinger are a must have!
A commander I've always considered building around was Orah, Skyclave Hierophant. The ability to bring back so many of your clerics from the graveyard to the battlefield is such an interesting mechanic to build around. Plus, you'll consistently be surprised at how many creatures turn out to have the cleric creature type. Venerated Stormsinger fits that bill, and the playstyle of this deck perfectly. Draining the table while you loop your creatures sounds pretty nice to me!
Rakshasa's Bargain
Closing out today's list with the Sultai powerhouse, Rakshasa's Bargain. When I did my Bulk Up articles for Aetherdrift, I'll admit that I missed a great card... Stock Up is also an efficient three mana draw spell, that lets you dig deep into your library at instant speed, and I somehow talk about it! So, I am making up for that oversight by highlighting Rakshasa's Bargain. Of course, this card is a bit more limited because of its colors, but the fact that you can get the best two cards out of the top four of your library, all while filling your graveyard, makes this an auto-include in most decks that can run it.
Rakshasa's Bargain isn't only good in Sultai decks, and to prove it I'm going to suggest it for a five-color commander! Omnath, Locus of All gives you benefits for revealing cards from the top of your library with three mana symbols in its cost. When you do that, you'll get three mana of any combination of colors, which is the perfect way to cast the spell you just showed the table; now that's a bargain if you ask me!
The Wrap Up!
Thank you for joining me again for another edition of Bulk Up! This set has been blowing me away, and I'm so happy I get to share my passion for it with all of you. So, let me know in the comments, or on my socials what your favorite commons & uncommons from this set are. This time around, I feel like there were just too many to choose from, and I can't want to discover more of them as time goes on. If you're playing in any drafts or prereleases, good luck, and be sure to have fun in the Dragonstorm!
