Whenever a new set comes out in Magic: The Gathering, there always seems to be a specific thing that each color really wants to do. When it came to Tarkir: Dragonstorm Blue is really leaning into the harmonize mechanic alongside card advantage. Because of this, some cards really stood out in the set, here's the top 5 cards in Blue for Tarkir: Dragonstorm.

Marang River Regent

Omen cards are one of the most interesting new features in Tarkir: Dragonstorm. These dragon cards have a built-in instant spell that you can cast that causes the card to get shuffled back into your deck. Regarding Marang River Regent, there is a ton of value on one card. You get a flying 6/7 dragon that returns two nonland permanents to their owner's hands on the creature side. For the omen cost, you can draw three cards and then discard a card.

Commander: Marang River Regent can do a lot in Commander. With the rise in popularity of dragons in Commander, being able to choose between getting some extra cards or putting a large dragon on the field while bouncing two other permanents is a very good prospect. It also runs a combo with Dracogenesis and Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm.

Constructed: Looking at Standard, Marang River Regent has become pretty popular in four major deck types. Azorius Omniscience, Jeskai Control, Azorius Control, and Dimir all use the card with measured success.

Sealed: When it comes to the Sealed formats, Marang River Regent is a fantastic finisher. Not only can you remove any threats or issues from the board, but you can also decide to get rid of a card you don't need after you put three into your hand. With the 6/7 power and toughness, Marang, River Regent can topple most threats.

Roiling Dragonstorm

Do you know how I pointed out that in Tarkir: Dragonstorm, Blue was really leaning into card drawing? Roiling Dragonstorm is essentially a better version of Catalog that ends up recycling if you have dragons to cast. For two mana, this enchantment will let you draw two cards and discard one. Once you cast any dragon spell, you return the card to your hand and can do it all over again.

Commander: Roiling Dragonstorm is one of those cards that is an auto-include if you are running Blue and will be casting dragons. If you play your cards right and end up with a Dragogenesis or Omniscience, you can really filter out your deck for the cards you really want.

Constructed: When talking specifically about Standard, Roiling Dragonstorm and Marang River Regent are two peas in a pod. Both cards synergize well and you can find both in Azorius Omniscience and Jeskai Control, which are both winning tournaments currently.

Sealed: Roiling Dragonstorm is a card specifically built around providing value over time. When playing in a Sealed environment, you'll likely get to pick from a lot of different dragons. If you do, this will keep your hand full and the inevitable fluff in the graveyard.

Mistrise Village

Tarkir: Dragonstorm has a full set of utility lands that are all mostly solid. Of all the utility lands in the set Mistrise Village is one that stands on its own. This land enters tapped unless you control a mountain or forest and can be tapped for a Blue. Where this bad boy really shines is when you tap it. The utility ability says that the next spell you cast this turn can't be countered.

Commander: In many ways Mistrise Village is a poor man's Cavern of Souls. While you need to effectively spend two mana to make sure your spell is not able to be countered (one for the ability and then tapping the land itself), it's still an incredibly powerful ability to have on demand. This is a huge net positive overall.

Constructed: For the same reason I stated above, Mistrise Village is seeing play in Constructed formats like Modern and Standard. Whenever you have that big spell that essentially dictates if you win or lose the game, a Counterspell is devastating. This gives you that much-needed insurance.

Sealed: While Tarkir: Dragonstorm doesn't have a ton of counterspells in the set itself, there are still a few tucked away. Mistrise Village not only prevents a surprise counter from the options within the set but also others that could come up if you are drafting across multiple sets.

Spectral Denial

Speaking of the limited options for counterspells in Tarkir: Dragonstorm, Spectral Denial is absolutely the main standout. You can counter a target spell unless the spell caster pays that (X) cost.. There aren't stipulations, like instants or sorceries, so this a good one to keep on hand. For every creature you have with four toughness or higher, you get a one mana discount on the (X) cost as well.

Commander: When it comes to Commander, you can get the lion's share of counterspells. Spectral Denial is a good one to consider, as you can effectively outplay your opponents if you know how much mana they have access to.

Constructed: Spectral Denial is in an interesting position when it comes to traditional Constructed formats. While it seems to be currently not very popular in Standard, many players currently seem to be experimenting with it. Modern, however, has seen some success with the card. It's seeing play a lot of play in the Domain Aggro decks. Having a few creatures with four power or more will let you keep a one mana counterspell on tap.

Sealed: If you can get a Spectral Denial or two in a Sealed environment. You can rely on them as aces in your back pocket. Knowing what your opponent is working with in mana, you can try to always make sure you have just enough to stop them from setting on an advantage and making them lose key cards.

Winternight Stories

Most color combos that use Blue will want to do at least two things, create card advantage and put things in your graveyard. Winternight Stories can actually do both of those things to whatever extent you prefer. You get to draw three cards and discard two, unless you discard a creature. This will allow you to get up to two extra cards in your hand. With the harmonize cost of four and a Blue you can recast the spell from the graveyard too.

Commander: I play a lot of Commander, and I've seen Winternight Stories show up in various Dimir decks, and it also seems very popular in Teval, the Balanced Scale decks. As you have control over what stays in your hand, you can cherry-pick the specific cards getting discarded.

Constructed: Usually, a card's popularity can usually be reflected by its value. Imagine my shock when I realized that Winternight Stories was extremely popular in Jeskai Oculus. That deck is one of the most popular in Standard, winning in a lot of organized play.

Sealed: The great thing about Sealed formats is that you can curate what you are building based on the cards at your disposal. This means you can rely on renew abilities to juice up creatures and then use them to activate harmonize costs. Long story short, Winternight Stories is a very good tool in Tarkir: Dragonstorm.

When going over how Blue has been doing in Tarkir: Dragonstorm it's really worth noting that overall, not many of the Blue cards are considered expensive. This is fantastic because, at least with the five we showcased, they have the potential to remain relevant for a bit. This means you can pick them up and add them to your decks without breaking the bank.

Of course, if you do need to pick some cards up, swing over to our Magic: The Gathering section on the site. There you will find all the cards we have talked about and any of the other cards you want to supplement your decks with!