Tarkir: Dragonstorm Draft Guide
Five wedge clans and a dragon payoff. Three colors is the norm, not the gamble.
Draft Tarkir: Dragonstorm now — free, vs 7 AI bots →Tarkir: Dragonstorm format overview
Tarkir: Dragonstorm is a three-color wedge format. Each of the five clans pairs a color with its two allies and carries a distinct mechanic, and the format's mana fixing is generous enough that committing to a wedge is the expected line rather than a risk. Dragons are the marquee payoff — there are dragon-tribal incentives and high-impact dragon bombs at rare and mythic — so a midrange shell that ramps into bombs is consistently strong. Removal is deep but skews to sorcery-speed and conditional answers; prioritize unconditional or instant-speed removal when it appears. Because three colors is standard, your draft lives and dies on fixing: take dual lands, mana rocks, and ramp creatures higher than you would in a two-color format, and don't be afraid to first-pick fixing over a marginal spell. Colorless and blue are the deepest commons here, and black is shallow — let that inform which wedge you settle into when signals are unclear. The format is mid-to-slow, which rewards card quality and bombs over pure aggression. Use the simulator to practice committing to a wedge and assembling fixing across the three packs.
Splashing & fixing: Fixing is plentiful — three colors is the baseline. Take duals and ramp early; a light fourth-color splash for a bomb is reasonable with good fixing.
Archetypes
| Archetype | Colors | Game plan |
|---|---|---|
| Abzan | WBG | Midrange value and resilient threats; grind on creature quality. |
| Jeskai | URW | Tempo and spells; cheap threats backed by burn and counters. |
| Sultai | BGU | Card advantage and big-mana payoffs; out-value the table into bombs. |
| Mardu | RWB | Aggressive midrange; pressure plus removal and recursion. |
| Temur | GUR | Ramp into dragons; the biggest haymakers in the format. |
Top 10 bombs (highest pick rating)
| # | Card | Rarity | Color | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Fangkeeper's Familiar | rare | BGU | 5.0 |
| 2 |  Roar of Endless Song | rare | GRU | 5.0 |
| 3 |  Ugin, Eye of the Storms | mythic | C | 5.0 |
| 4 |  Elspeth, Storm Slayer | mythic | W | 5.0 |
| 5 |  Smile at Death | mythic | W | 5.0 |
| 6 |  Taigam, Master Opportunist | mythic | U | 5.0 |
| 7 |  Rot-Curse Rakshasa | mythic | B | 5.0 |
| 8 |  Dracogenesis | mythic | R | 5.0 |
| 9 |  Stormscale Scion | mythic | R | 5.0 |
| 10 |  Craterhoof Behemoth | mythic | G | 5.0 |
Best commons by color
White — best commons
- Mardu Devotee
- Fortress Kin-Guard
- Rebellious Strike
- Salt Road Packbeast
Blue — best commons
- Sibsig Appraiser
- Dispelling Exhale
- Unending Whisper
- Iceridge Serpent
Black — best commons
- Caustic Exhale
- Dragon's Prey
- Nightblade Brigade
- Kin-Tree Nurturer
Red — best commons
- Molten Exhale
- Shock Brigade
- Narset's Rebuke
- Underfoot Underdogs
Green — best commons
- Snakeskin Veil
- Ainok Wayfarer
- Piercing Exhale
- Sarkhan's Resolve
Color depth (avg common/uncommon pick rating)
| Rank | Color | Avg rating | Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue | 3.11 | 27 |
| 2 | Green | 3.10 | 27 |
| 3 | White | 3.00 | 27 |
| 4 | Red | 2.89 | 27 |
| 5 | Black | 2.49 | 27 |
Highest-rated removal
Derived from card text + pick rating, not hand-verified — use as a starting point.
| Card | Rarity | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Fangkeeper's Familiar | rare | 5.0 |
| Elspeth, Storm Slayer | mythic | 5.0 |
 Jeskai Revelation | mythic | 5.0 |
 Awaken the Honored Dead | rare | 4.9 |
 Dragonback Assault | mythic | 4.9 |
 Inevitable Defeat | rare | 4.7 |
Deep-dive strategy
For the full archetype-by-archetype breakdown and pick-order theory, read our Tarkir: Dragonstorm draft strategy guide.