Tarkir: Dragonstorm has arrived and dragons once more show that they are still the biggest and baddest creature type in all of Magic! For the first time in years, I've drifted away from Standard for a bit, firing off Dragonstorm drafts as often as I can. Now, I'm not one to push limited advice, since I know I shouldn't first pick a 3-color card and try to force my deck around it, but I always find myself doing it anyway, so, I've dived back into the Standard ladders to see what's catching on. Here are the cards that look to be making the biggest splash.

Ugin, Eye of the Storms

We all knew Ugin was super powerful, but there were doubts that he'd have the support structure in place to really excel. While I'm still skeptical that there are enough relevant artifacts to get Ugin to tier 1, I've played against it enough times now to grown whenever I see it hit the stack. Ugin may not be an all-star yet, but he's the blue chip prospect just waiting to put it all together.

Elspeth, Storm Slayer

Elspeth, Storm Slayer is another blue chipper waiting for the right configuration to present itself. When she hits the board, the game changes and begins to revolve around her in the way we haven't seen from Planeswalkers in a while.

Tersa Lightshatter

This one was nowhere near my radar and I can't figure out why, since I was in love with Kiora, the Rising Tide in Foundations. This gives a better, more accessible discard option, haste, a bigger booty, and it can sometimes have a relevant ability into the late game. I've seen this popping up in Standard and Pioneer lists, and can see it sticking around.

Shiko, Paragon of the Way

My opinion on Shiko changed the first time I cast it and flashed back a Stock Up. Then, the next time I cast Shiko, I nabbed a Lightning Helix to stabilize against a Red deck. Jeskai control-ish lists are starting to pop up, but I think we're just starting to scratch the surface with Shiko. It's not Sun Titan, but it's good enough to revitalize Jeskai decks.

Cori Mountain Monastery

I'll admit, I didn't pay much attention to these lands when they were spoiled. All of the abilities (yes, even the Blue one) feel like they are overcosted. I should have instead focused on the low opportunity cost of adding one of these to your mana base. If you're pushing 2-3 colors, yes this can be a difficult add if you're focusing on fastlands and painlands to fuel your spells. But, in decks that are primarily one color, adding these lands is low risk, possibly high reward. While Cori Mountain Monastery is the first to show up, I wouldn't doubt some of the others will be popping up soon.

Scavenger Regent

If Standard ever slows down, even just a bit, this card is going to be a problem for a bunch of decks. Being able to find your "board wipe" with cards like Dredger's Insight or returning it with Overlord of the Balemurk ensures that the deck is able to find it when needed. Maelstrom of the Spirit Dragon can even be used to tutor for Regent late game. It's not out of the ordinary for the Golgari Dragons deck to cast the Exude Toxin portion of this card 6-7 times in a game and slowly grind you to dust. Then, when you're out of options, it drops in as a 4/4 flier to end the game in a hurry.

Sunpearl Kirin

This one isn't surprising, as it slots right into an existing deck that was performing well. But, having it provide extra bounce to the Orzhov decks solidifies them as a 3rd option for people looking to play the self-bounce style decks (along with Esper Pixie and Dimir Bounce). Sunpearl Kirin does a good job providing an instant speed interaction for the deck without dipping into Blue for This Town Ain't Big Enough, while also providing some pressure through an evasive creature.

Cori-Steel Cutter

I didn't see it. I know tons of others did, but I just did not have any faith that this card was going to be anywhere near as good as it is. I think it's the Prowess ability on the tokens that does it, as the first one isn't that bad, but when you're making your second token, and the first one is attacking as a 3/3, you start to fall behind very fast. This card isn't just good enough for Standard, people are building decks based around it as far back as Legacy. I own up, I missed the boat on this one. Cori-Steel Cutter is strong enough to build a deck around it, in multiple formats. As if Gruul and Mice weren't enough, we now have a 3rd tier 1 level Red deck for Standard.

Tarkir: Dragonstorm has been a burst of energy for Standard and for Magic in general. Take the time to enjoy it before Final Fantasy arrives as the first Standard-legal Universes Beyond set and changes the format forever!

You can find more of my Magic musings on Twitter/X @travishall456 and on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/anakinsdad.bsky.social