(Craterhoof BehemothCraterhoof Behemoth | Magali Villeneuve)

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Green And Temur Are Large And In Charge!

With Tarkir: Dragonstorm we return to the land of Dragons and the five wedge clans. In Mark Rosewater's article on the design for the clans, the Temur value strength above all other attributes. They believe the clan that is strongest will win the fight. This means the Temur want bigger creatures for a midrange, go-tall strategy.

Mechanically, the Temur care about creature stats, especially power. Last time, the Temur mechanic was ferocious, which rewards you for having larger creatures. This time around the Temur mechanic is harmonize, a spin on the flashback mechanic where you can tap a creature and discount the harmonize cost by the tapped creature's power.

I'll go over each mythic and rare from the set, and then highlight the notable uncommons and commons that I think will make a splash in Commander.

Mythics

Craterhoof BehemothCraterhoof Behemoth

Speaking of large and in charge, the green mythic in Dragonstorm set is a wild reprint-- Craterhoof BehemothCraterhoof Behemoth is back in Standard?! In Commander the Hoof is often a game-ender since it doesn't take many creatures on your battlefield to make that bonus and trample lethally huge. As a creature it's relatively easy to find the Hoof and play the Hoof, either by accelerating your mana or cheating it out with something like Birthing PodBirthing Pod, Oviya, Automech ArtisanOviya, Automech Artisan, or Tooth and NailTooth and Nail.

If you are relatively new to Commander, Craterhoof's price tag has been rather eye-popping expensive, so this reprint is very welcome to help bring the price lower and make it easy for more people who want one to pick it up.

Dragonback AssaultDragonback Assault

The first Temur mythic is Dragonback AssaultDragonback Assault, a six mana enchantment with an enters trigger that sweeps the battlefield for three points of damage. But where things get crazy is the landfall trigger, which creates a 4/4 flying Dragon.

If you're playing Dragon synergies this is going to play well there -- especially alongside Encroaching DragonstormEncroaching Dragonstorm (which we'll touch on below), but even without Dragon synergies it's a heck of a nice payoff for landfall decks with access to Temur colors. I'm tempted to try it out in my Kynaios and Tiro of MeletisKynaios and Tiro of Meletis deck since I play a fair number of bounce lands like Gruul TurfGruul Turf and often deploy two lands a turn with my commander triggered ability.

Ureni, the Song UnendingUreni, the Song Unending

The last Temur mythic is a Dragon! At a whopping eight mana, Ureni, the Song UnendingUreni, the Song Unending is expensive, and due to its enters trigger you'll want to build your deck with a ton of land ramp, which the Temur colors provide in spades. After it takes down a large threat or two, you'll be left with a flying 10/10 that has protection from white and from black -- the two best removal colors in Magic.

If you really want to embody the brutal aspect of Temur you can pepper in some blink effects like Displacer KittenDisplacer Kitten and Thassa, Deep-DwellingThassa, Deep-Dwelling to reuse that enters trigger.

Rares

Bloomvine RegentBloomvine Regent

The Omen Dragons are really neat, giving you two options -- a spell you can cast and then shuffle the card back into your deck, or just run out the Dragon side and rule the skies. Bloomvine RegentBloomvine Regent is probably my favorite, with the Claim Territory side acting like a Cultivate for Forests only, and the Dragon side giving you life when it or another Dragon enters, so the more Dragons you can make, the better it is.

Herd HeirloomHerd Heirloom

It's a little strange to have a mana rock in green since green has a ton of land search options like Rampant GrowthRampant Growth that is less vulnerable to artifact removal and non-conditional, but Herd HeirloomHerd Heirloom second activated ability makes it well worth it. Notably, you can wait until blockers are declared before you decide which of your creatures with power four or greater to target to ensure you deal damage to a player and get to draw a card. Extra points if you're playing an artifact-heavy deck and have cards like Manifold KeyManifold Key or Sonic ScrewdriverSonic Screwdriver that let you untap artifacts.

Lasyd ProwlerLasyd Prowler

Lasyd ProwlerLasyd Prowler as a 5/5 for four mana is a decent size, and if you've got a Snake deck you might want to find a spot for this. But the Sultai watermark and its self-milling ability lets you know this shines in a deck that uses its graveyard as a resource. It's renew ability scales (heh) nicely as the game goes long, and if your deck happens to care about +1/+1 counters or modified creatures to some degree you're going to love this!

Nature's RhythmNature's Rhythm

Our first harmonize card shows up with Nature's RhythmNature's Rhythm, a card that can tutor up any creature in your deck if you have enough mana, and then you can play it again from the graveyard for its harmonize cost, discounting the mana by tapping a creature and subtracting that creature's power from the cost. Tap your Ghalta, Primal HungerGhalta, Primal Hunger and go search up that Craterhoof BehemothCraterhoof Behemoth you've been waiting for to close out the game!

Keep in mind that these harmonize cards are excellent too for self-milling strategies since you can play it from the graveyard when the time is right.

Surrak, Elusive HunterSurrak, Elusive Hunter

Three of my favorite words in Magic are "can't be countered" so you know that Surrak, Elusive HunterSurrak, Elusive Hunter instantly catapults to one of my favorites from the set. I'm not sure he's powerful or synergistic enough to build a Commander deck around but I do like him in the 99 of green decks, especially if your actual commander is a lightning rod for removal spells.

I often try to jam Battle MammothBattle Mammoth in my first pass for various green decks, and it tends to get cut for more impactful five mana cards, so I'm hoping Surrak will fit better lower down the mana curve.

Warden of the GroveWarden of the Grove

First, let me say I love the art of Warden of the GroveWarden of the Grove by Alexander Ostrowski, it's very snake-like and creepy as all get out-- if I was strolling through a grove and ran across this Hydra I would quickly hustle back out of it! Now, regarding the mechanics of the card -- if you just can't get enough of +1/+1 counter strategies well then you're going to love this.

Though the endure mechanic is a different spin, letting you create Spirit tokens instead of adding +1/+1 counters to a nontoken creature when it enters. When going on that spin, your navigator has got to start with Whitemane Lion, and if you can load up Warden with enough counters each time you play the Lion you can spit out a bunch of larger and larger Spirits all and instant speed. I look forward to seeing what people come up with!

Eshki DragonclawEshki Dragonclaw

I'm not the biggest fan of commanders that let you draw cards for playing Magic, but I do think there's enough hoops to jump through that makes Eshki DragonclawEshki Dragonclaw one of the fairer versions of this effect. And at least its ward is only one and not three or four! The payoff for jumping through the hoops is solid too, in addition to the card draw you get to grow Eshki by two +1/+1 counters, and in conjunction with the vigilance and trample ability it can quickly come to dominate the battlefield.

Roar of Endless SongRoar of Endless Song

Roar of Endless SongRoar of Endless Song represents a minimum of twenty power all by itself for five mana if you're patient enough to wait for the three lore counters to fire off. If your Temur deck is running Doubling SeasonDoubling Season, you might want to find room for this enchantment! Access to white is usually where you look for a token-heavy deck but I expect enterprising players will find a way rock this card. Or you can just jam it into your Tom BombadilTom Bombadil deck!

Songcrafter MageSongcrafter Mage

Snapcaster MageSnapcaster Mage got a Temur make-over with Songcrafter MageSongcrafter Mage, nicely providing three power towards the harmonize cost -- though obviously if you've got a larger power creature you could tap that instead. Harmonize back Beast WithinBeast Within, Chaos WarpChaos Warp, CultivateCultivate, or Treasure CruiseTreasure Cruise!

Temur BattlecrierTemur Battlecrier

I really like Temur BattlecrierTemur Battlecrier, which rewards you for having multiple creatures with power four or greater on your turn, making it easier to cast spells -- including your commander if it's accumulated some commander tax. More importantly, it helps you cast those big splashy spells that are hallmarks of Commander games -- one card that sprung to mind was Ezuri's PredationEzuri's Predation, which also happens to create some number of 4/4 Phyrexian Beast tokens that could further lower your mana costs. Or how about discounting DoppelgangDoppelgang... and then harmonize it with Snapcaster MageSnapcaster Mage? Now we're cooking fam!

Uncommons & Commons

Dragon SniperDragon Sniper

Dragon SniperDragon Sniper has a wild collection of abilities for Commander -- vigilance and reach and deathtouch, attached to a 1/1 for one mana that nobody is going to want to trade a valuable creature for or waste a removal spell on. So meanwhile this will ping in for damage, maybe getting combat damage triggers or stealing the monarch, and then ready and able to block and take down the most fearsome attacker that might come your way. It's not going to be as annoying to play against as Spore FrogSpore Frog in Meren of Clan Nel TothMeren of Clan Nel Toth decks, but it'll be close!

Rite of RenewalRite of Renewal

I'm not entirely sure the juice of Rite of RenewalRite of Renewal is worth the four mana squeeze, but it's doing enough to make me wonder. We've seen cards like this before, "drawing" the two best cards from your graveyard for the cost of one card (and in this case, specifically two permanent cards), and it exiles itself to prevent annoying loops that bog down games. But this also targets a player and has them shuffle up to four target cards from their graveyard into their library, which is a cool and flexible added bonus.

Synchronized ChargeSynchronized Charge

Synchronized ChargeSynchronized Charge is another nifty harmonize card, and even outside of +1/+1 counter or modified synergies I think it's worth considering as a way to push trample damage through, and the vigilance means you're not as vulnerable to a counterattack.

Traveling BotanistTraveling Botanist

Traveling BotanistTraveling Botanist basically has the explore ability attached to it whenever it becomes tapped, without adding +1/+1 counters if you don't reveal a land. If you're running Vehicles or Mounts, or other tap/untap shenanigans, this good doggo is an solid value piece.

Heritage ReclamationHeritage Reclamation

Heritage ReclamationHeritage Reclamation is the latest evolution in WotC's quest to build the very best NaturalizeNaturalize it can. You thought Return to NatureReturn to Nature was the end? Nope! What's awesome here is that you can even just "cycle" this to draw a card even if nobody has a card you want to exile in the graveyard.

Undergrowth LeopardUndergrowth Leopard

I love Voracious VarmintVoracious Varmint -- it's a Varmint! -- and now we've got functionally the same with Undergrowth LeopardUndergrowth Leopard, only it's a Cat you can put in your Cat deck! These are great creatures to pick wear a SkullclampSkullclamp until you're ready to destroy a problematic artifact or enchantment.

Karakyk GuardianKarakyk Guardian

In earlier eras of Magic Karakyk GuardianKarakyk Guardian would definitely be a rare, but even though it's an uncommon today it's got a solid collection of abilities -- two great forms of evasion with flying and trample, and its vigilance ability means it can both attack and defend in Commander. And it's temporary hexproof ability makes it a solid candidate for Equipment or Auras before you attack.

Mammoth BellowMammoth Bellow

If you've got a Temur token deck Mammoth BellowMammoth Bellow gives you another way to generate large Elephant tokens. I think it's nifty design that the first Elephant can be tapped to pay the colorless part of the harmonize ability.

Encroaching DragonstormEncroaching Dragonstorm

Last but certainly not least is Encroaching DragonstormEncroaching Dragonstorm, an incredible way to ramp and color fix your deck so you can cast the big Dragons that will let you play this again, and again. Even if you're not playing Dragons specifically, if you're playing creatures with the changeling ability you'll want this card. I can see putting it in enchantment decks too!

Green Rares

Arbor AdherentArbor Adherent

Now for the green rares from Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander, and first up a Dog Druid Arbor AdherentArbor Adherent. This obviously slots well into decks that care about toughness, and given how easy it is to have high toughness creatures this good doggo is sure to provide a huge amount of mana. Just imagine a Tree of RedemptionTree of Redemption on your battlefield, the Adherent could tap for a whopping thirteen mana!

Become the AvalancheBecome the Avalanche

Become the AvalancheBecome the Avalanche is playing with the Temur theme, letting you draw a card for each creature you control with power four or greater, and then boosting your team for each card in hand. I feel like this is a bit too much of a "win more" card-- if you've got enough creatures with size enough to draw a bunch of cards, you're likely already in a good spot. And what if you draw this and you've only got one or two creatures of large enough size?

Broodcaller ScourgeBroodcaller Scourge

Broodcaller ScourgeBroodcaller Scourge belongs in a Dragon deck, and gets better the more players you deal Dragon damage to in a turn. Deploying permanents for no mana means you get to keep your mana up for reactive spells that can protect your growing Dragon horde from disaster, just make sure you've got a source of card drawing or else you may rapidly run out of things to put onto the battlefield if your opponents are still alive and kicking!

Canopy GargantuanCanopy Gargantuan

Wow, another seven mana Dragon eh? Canopy GargantuanCanopy Gargantuan has to stick around to your upkeep for the payoff, so it's got ward 2 to help with that, and if you do get to your upkeep all your other creatures are going to get a serious buff. If I have access to Simic colors I'd be tempted to pair this with Sphinx of the Second SunSphinx of the Second Sun and Shadow of the Second SunShadow of the Second Sun to get the benefit right away!

Floral EvokerFloral Evoker

Don't be fooled by the landfall trigger, because Floral EvokerFloral Evoker is mostly going to be at home in a graveyard deck where you want to be filling up your graveyard so it's activated ability can bring back a land while you put a creature there for nefarious purposes. Either a huge reanimation target like Lord of ExtinctionLord of Extinction, or just value grind by discarding creatures that come back like Reassembling SkeletonReassembling Skeleton or Bloodsoaked ChampionBloodsoaked Champion.

Rampart ArchitectRampart Architect

A sub-set of toughness matters decks are defender decks since creatures with defender often have a large toughness. Rampart ArchitectRampart Architect is neat in that it makes 1/3 Wall tokens with defender, and each time a creature with defender dies you get to ramp your lands. If your deck is jamming cards like Overgrown BattlementOvergrown Battlement, Wall of RootsWall of Roots, and Wingmantle ChaplainWingmantle Chaplain, you'll want to pick this up!

Steward of the HarvestSteward of the Harvest

Steward of the HarvestSteward of the Harvest is a really cool design, and I wish it was a legendary creature you could really build around because the types of shenanigans you could pull off are wild to think about! But as one of the 99, it'll do solid work in a deck that runs lands that will end up in the graveyard. Cards that come to mind are Tyrite SanctumTyrite Sanctum, Urza's CaveUrza's Cave, and Horizon CanopyHorizon Canopy. Even if you exile something like Evolving WildsEvolving Wilds, being able to sacrifice any of your creatures to ramp your lands is awesome! Or how about exiling one of my all-time favorite lands, MirrorpoolMirrorpool?

Will of the SultaiWill of the Sultai

Each of the modes for Will of the SultaiWill of the Sultai can be quite powerful, especially as the game goes long and if you get to do both, just wow! That second mode in a lands matter deck can easily push your commander into being a surprisingly lethal attacker, especially if its also equipped with Blackblade ReforgedBlackblade Reforged!

Temur Mythics

Eshki, Temur's RoarEshki, Temur's Roar

We've got a couple Temur mythics from Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander. Eshki, Temur's RoarEshki, Temur's Roar doesn't ask for much, she just wants you to play creatures spells, and the more power they have, the better! Dragons will often fit the bill, but you can just jam in all your favorite big creatures in the Temur colors and Eshki will do good work leading the charge. Keep an eye out for ways to give Eshki lifelink -- ShadowspearShadowspear is nice! -- so when that last trigger condition is met you can gain a nice chunk of life!

Ureni of the UnwrittenUreni of the Unwritten

I recently shone a spotlight on Ureni of the UnwrittenUreni of the Unwritten, so if you're interested in building a Temur Dragon deck around a huge 7/7 Spirit Dragon be sure to check it out!

With all the gold cards in this set, each of the monocolors is a bit more shallow than normal, but even so I think green has a good amount of cards to be excited to jam in Commander decks. And many of the Temur cards are really, really cool -- with Temur BattlecrierTemur Battlecrier as a contender for "wow, this card is even better than I thought!"

Which cards are you most excited to put in your decks or play against?