Tarkir

Overview

Tarkir exists in two distinct timelines that players have experienced through Magic sets. In the original timeline, featured in [Khans of Tarkir] and [Fate Reforged], dragons were extinct and the plane was ruled by five three-color clans, each honoring the memory of their vanished dragon lords through different aspects of their former masters. The clans were locked in constant warfare, with the Abzan Houses focusing on endurance and family, the Jeskai Way pursuing enlightenment through cunning, the Sultai Brood embracing ruthless necromancy, the Mardu Horde living for battle and speed, and the Temur Frontier surviving through savage strength.

The plane’s history changed dramatically due to the planeswalker Sarkhan Vol’s intervention in the past. In [Fate Reforged], Sarkhan traveled back 1,280 years to the pivotal moment when Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, died in battle against Nicol Bolas. By saving Ugin’s life, Sarkhan created an alternate timeline where dragons never went extinct. This new reality, shown in [Dragons of Tarkir], features a world where the five Elder Dragon broods rule absolutely, having conquered and reshaped the former clans into two-color combinations that serve their draconic overlords. The Dromoka brood emphasizes order and community, Ojutai values knowledge and control, Silumgar indulges in luxury and death, Kolaghan prizes speed and chaos, and Atarka focuses on savagery and hunger.

Key Cards

Several iconic cards represent Tarkir’s mechanical innovations and flavor:

• Monastery Swiftspear – A one-mana creature that exemplifies the prowess mechanic, growing stronger with each noncreature spell cast and becoming a cornerstone of aggressive red decks.

• Siege Rhino – The most famous Abzan card, this 4/5 creature for four mana drains opponents for 3 life while providing an excellent threat that defined Standard for years.

• Polluted Delta – One of five enemy-colored fetch lands reprinted in Khans of Tarkir, providing crucial mana fixing for competitive formats and significantly impacting card values.

• Ugin, the Spirit Dragon – The plane’s most important planeswalker, whose survival changed Tarkir’s entire history and whose powerful abilities make him a threat in multiple formats.

• Den Protector – A versatile morph creature that can return cards from the graveyard, showcasing the value of face-down creatures and instant-speed flexibility.

• Dragonlord Ojutai – A control finisher that demonstrates the power level of the Elder Dragons, combining hexproof, card draw, and efficient stats.

• Monastery Mentor – A prowess creature that creates an army of token creatures, enabling explosive turns in both competitive and casual play.

• Tasigur, the Golden Fang – A delve creature that can cost as little as one mana while providing political elements and card advantage, popular in multiple formats.

History

The story of Tarkir begins over a millennium ago when the plane was ruled by five Elder Dragons and their broods. These ancient beings commanded respect and worship from the humanoid inhabitants, but their reign ended in catastrophe when Nicol Bolas arrived on the plane. The Elder Dragon War that followed devastated Tarkir, culminating in a battle between Ugin and Bolas that appeared to claim Ugin’s life. With their spiritual leader gone, the remaining dragons gradually died out over the following centuries, leaving the plane dragon-free by the time of Khans of Tarkir.

In the dragonless timeline, humanoid clans arose from the ashes of dragon civilization. Each clan adopted aspects of their former draconic rulers: the Abzan honored the dragons’ endurance, the Jeskai their cunning, the Sultai their ruthlessness, the Mardu their speed, and the Temur their savagery. These clans fought constantly for control of the plane’s resources, with no single faction able to achieve lasting dominance. The three-color nature of each clan reflected their complexity and the multiple aspects of dragon nature they tried to embody.

The timeline’s alteration began when Sarkhan Vol, driven by visions and his connection to dragons, used time magic to travel back to the moment of Ugin’s apparent death. By creating a protective hedron cocoon around the dying Spirit Dragon, Sarkhan ensured Ugin’s survival and recovery. This single act rippled forward through time, preventing the extinction of dragons and completely reshaping the plane’s development. In the new timeline, dragons never disappeared, instead growing stronger and eventually subjugating the humanoid populations that had once ruled as independent clans.

In Commander

Tarkir’s impact on Commander has been substantial, introducing numerous legendary creatures perfect for the format’s singleton nature. The plane’s emphasis on three-color combinations naturally aligns with Commander’s multicolor-friendly environment, and many Tarkir legends have become popular commanders. Alesha, Who Smiles at Death enables aggressive graveyard strategies, while Anafenza, the Foremost provides powerful graveyard hate alongside efficient stats.

The wedge color combinations pioneered in Khans of Tarkir expanded Commander deck building options significantly. Players gained access to new three-color identities that hadn’t been properly supported before, leading to diverse deck archetypes. Sidisi, Brood Tyrant enables self-mill strategies with zombie tribal elements, while Narset, Enlightened Master created an entirely new archetype focused on casting multiple spells per turn. The fetch lands from Khans block also improved mana bases across the format, making three and four-color decks more consistent.

Dragons from the Dragons of Tarkir timeline offer different Commander experiences, often focusing on tribal synergies or unique mechanical interactions. Dragonlord Silumgar provides repeatable theft effects, while Dragonlord Dromoka shuts down instant-speed interaction from opponents. The morph creatures from the block add layers of complexity to games, as opponents must constantly evaluate face-down threats and play around potential surprises.

Legacy

Tarkir’s mechanical innovations continue to influence Magic design years after the block’s release. The prowess mechanic, introduced in Khans of Tarkir, has become a regular fixture in red and white creatures, providing an elegant way to reward spell-heavy strategies. The mechanic’s scalability makes it useful at various power levels, from aggressive one-drops like Monastery Swiftspear to expensive threats that can quickly dominate games. Prowess has appeared in numerous sets since Tarkir, becoming part of Magic’s evergreen vocabulary.

The wedge color combinations established in Khans of Tarkir broke new ground in multicolor design, providing names and mechanical identities for three-color combinations that had previously lacked support. Abzan’s +1/+1 counter themes, Jeskai’s spells-matter approach, Sultai’s graveyard value, Mardu’s aggressive curve, and Temur’s creatures-with-abilities philosophy all became templates that later sets have referenced and expanded upon. These color combinations now feel as natural as the traditional ally and enemy pairs, demonstrating the block’s lasting impact on color pie philosophy.

The narrative impact of Tarkir’s time travel story established important precedents for Magic storytelling. The idea that planeswalkers could fundamentally alter a plane’s history opened new narrative possibilities while showcasing the consequences of meddling with time. Sarkhan Vol’s character development from villain to hero provided a redemption arc that resonated with players, while Ugin’s survival has had far-reaching implications for Magic’s ongoing storylines. The block demonstrated how mechanical themes could support narrative elements, with morph representing hidden potential and megamorph showing dragons revealing their true power.

The economic impact of Tarkir block, particularly the fetch land reprints, showed how strategic reprints could make competitive play more accessible while maintaining card value over time. The block’s Draft environment is still considered one of Magic’s best, with meaningful choices at every pick and multiple viable strategies. This success influenced later set designs, emphasizing the importance of balanced Limited environments and meaningful mechanical synergies that reward different play styles within the same format.