Category Archives: Dragons of Tarkir

How to Win a PTQ with Dragonlord Dromoka

Dragonlord Dromoka
If you are expecting Esper or the mirror, you need to lay the foundation with Dragonlord Dromoka

“If you’re the guy with the best technology, you’re rewarded by the Magic gods.”
-Top Level Podcast

And last week at least… Mike was the one with the best technology!

For anyone who missed it, Mike won the Salt Lake City RPTQ with a “crazy” Mono-Blue Five-color Dragons list that was born on this here podcast just a couple of weeks ago.

1st Place Utah

In this episode of Top Level Podcast Utah RPTQ winner Mike Flores joins Pro Tour Champion Patrick Chapin to talk about their Five-color Dragons deck. Which is the best dragon? What are the proper play sequences? Why are there so many one- and three-ofs?

Anyway, Mike ended up with “the blue envelope”.

The sad thing is… The blue envelope was just a stack of white papers!

“That’s how they do it nowadays. It’s your choice: You can either have a blue envelope or an invite to the Pro Tour.”
-Patrick

And in now-typical Top Level Podcast fashion, Michael and Patrick put together an all-new all-different build of Mono-Blue Five-color Dragons… Hopefully preserving the good matchups (Esper and Mono-Red) while getting better and more aware of Abzan Aggro and Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver.

Here Be Dragons:

3 Perilous Vault

3 Dig Through Time
1 Disdainful Stroke
4 Dissolve
1 Dragonlord’s Prerogative
2 Encase in Ice
2 Icefall Regent
2 Nullify
4 Silumgar’s Scorn

2 Dragonlord Atarka
3 Dragonlord Dromoka
3 Dragonlord Ojutai
2 Dragonlord Silumgar

4 Crucible of the Spirit Dragon
1 Flooded Strand
4 Haven of the Spirit Dragon
5 Island
4 Polluted Delta
1 Temple of Deceit
4 Temple of Enlightenment
1 Temple of Epiphany
4 Temple of Mystery

Sideboard
1 Disdainful Stroke
1 Dragonlord’s Prerogative
2 Encase in Ice
2 Icefall Regent
4 Master of Waves
1 Negate
3 Omenspeaker
1 Dragonlord Kolaghan

Find out why Dragonlord Kolaghan made it [back] into the list, how the boys got there, plus some live tweeting from Kenji Tsumura (!!!) in “How to Win a PTQ with Dragonlord Dromoka”.

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Anticipate a Control Revolution

Anticipate
Anticipate from Dragons of Tarkir might only be three-fourths of an Impulse… But man is it hot anyway.

Because there is currently a shortage of great two mana plays for control, Anticipate is poised to be great. You can leave your mana open for a Bile Blight, Disdainful Stroke, Negate, or what have you… But if the opponent doesn’t force you to pull the trigger, Anticipate gives you something meaningful to do with your two open mana.

Patrick Chapin and Michael J Flores go over Anticipate and a host of other “control” cards from the upcoming Magic: The Gathering set, Dragons of Tarkir!

Encase in Ice
Encase in Ice

Surge of Righteousness
Surge of Righteousness

Encase in Ice and Surge of Righteousness are new two mana plays that can help change the pace of threat-and-answer fights in Standard. Three mana will no longer be a fundamental underpinning of Standard.

Ditto on even more flexible removal like Radiant Purge or the returning Ultimate Price.

… And of course, if you aren’t forced to spend your mana, you can always Anticipate!

Self-Inflicted Wound
Self-Inflicted Wound

The two points of life loss tacked onto Self-Inflicted Wound can be surprisingly helpful for control decks set up too deal 18 (rather than 20) damage.

Michael thinks Ojutai’s Command might be a four-of! (Patrick warms up to Ojutai’s Command, at least a little bit.)

… Though Narset Transcendent gives Ojutai’s Command at the four.

Dragonlord Ojutai
Dragonlord Ojutai

Patrick conducts a master class in how to play with Dragonlord Ojutai, and why you might want to play more instants than sorceries… Even if Dragonlord Ojutai seems like it wants you to play tap-out control.

The key to Dragonlord Ojutai is the second time it hits you. Remember: the first turn you play Dragonlord Ojutai, it is very hard to hit. Every time Dragonlord Ojutai hits you… It’s like you get to Anticipate.

Narset Transcendent
Narset Transcendent

Patrick would guess that the emblem is an important part of value on Narset Transcendent.

Mike thinks it is all about that super high starting loyalty. “Sometimes it’s a Jayemdae Tome.”

Will Narset prove a factor in Modern?

In case you missed it… Narset Transcendent gets really consistent when paired with Courser of Kruphix. Does this card open the door for Bant Control in Standard?

Belive it or not, Patrick and Michael talk about more More and MORE Dragons of Tarkir.

Dragonlord Dromoka!

Silumgar’s Scorn!

Haven of the Spirit Dragon!

… All in “Anticipate a Control Revolution”

Direct Download

Don’t forget to check out Patrick’s book Next Level Deckbuilding, now in paperback!

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