As time marches mercilessly onward, we’ve arrived at Prerelease weekend yet again. This time it’s Tarkir: Dragonstorm players will be getting their first look at. As recent sets go, the hype on this one is through the roof. Not only is it a return to a beloved setting from over a decade ago, but it’s looking like a powerful set in its own right. As a result, Prerelease will likely be packed out this weekend, which means the following guide to the best Limited cards in Tarkir: Dragonstorm will be indispensable.
Before we begin, a quick caveat. Though Tarkir: Dragonstorm is a multicolor-focused set, we’ve only covered the best mono-colored options below. This is because the usual Limited logic applies here despite the higher quantity of multicolor options. If you’re in the colors that support them, multicolor commons and uncommons are pretty much always worth running. The seeded Prerelease packs for each Clan should make it easier to splash some of these cards, but for the most part, they’re not reliable enough to factor into your larger Limited strategy.
White
White, as per usual, gets some of the best Limited cards in Tarkir: Dragonstorm. This is largely down to its easy access to removal, but it also has some excellent low-rarity creatures too.
Take Fortress Kin-Guard, for example. For two mana, you’re getting your choice of a 2/3 or a 1/2 and a 1/1 here. That’s a fantastic rate, even in 2025. It’s highly flexible, too. If your opponent has a 2/2, the 2/3 will wall it. If they have a board of 1/1s, option two is the way to go. This is subtly one of the best commons in the set, and an easy early pick for white.
Removal-wise, white does nicely at common, too. Our pick goes to Stormplain Detainment as a solid, exile-based answer to any problem. It’s not exciting, but it can always get the job done. Coordinated Maneuver and Osseous Exhale are both great options, too, if a little more conditional. All three should be picked highly in Draft, and should probably make the cut in Sealed.
There are a lot of great white cards at uncommon in this set, but our pick for the best of them is Rally the Monastery. This is essentially a white Charm, giving you the choice of two bodies, a decent combat trick, or a removal spell all in one. All three modes honestly feel fine at four mana in Limited, so the fact you can easily get them for two is wild. No matter what kind of deck you’re running, this card can likely make it better.
Blue
Thanks to its Temur affiliation, blue is in the unusual position of having some of the best creature cards in Tarkir: Dragonstorm Limited. Usually it gets the scraps while excelling in spells, but here not so much.
At common, Snowmelt Stag is an absolute powerhouse. It attacks as a 5/2 on your turn, then blocks as a 2/5 on your opponent’s thanks to Vigilance. It even has a built-in unblockable ability to close out games. It’s rare to see great finishers at common, but this is certainly one of them. It’s also just a solid resilient creature in the mid game, so it plays double duty.
Dirgur Island Dragon fills a similar role in a very different way. Most of the Omen Dragons look pretty solid for Limited, and this one is no exception. The spell mode here is fine thanks to the card draw, and a 4/4 flier with Ward 2 is a nice creature in its own right. Between this and Snowmelt Stag, blue should have no trouble closing out games of Limited.
Blue’s uncommon suite is somehow less impressive, but it does include Bewildering Blizzard, which is a banger. Draw three at instant speed for six mana would probably be playable by itself. Throw in a surprisingly potent combat trick and you have a card that can win games on its own. The potential for blowouts here is massive, and the floor is drawing three cards, which is fantastic in Limited. Other than Constrictor Sage, no other blue uncommons really come close.
Black
Black, like white, tends to be a Limited classic thanks to its top-tier removal. In Tarkir: Dragonstorm Limited, this trend continues, with black getting some of the best low-rarity cards in the set.
In terms of common removal, both Caustic Exhale and Dragon’s Prey are solid options. Exhale is obviously better against early threats, while Prey plays better late. Prey is in a weird spot where it deals with big creatures efficiently but not Dragons, which is awkward given how Dragon-heavy this set is. For this reason Exhale is probably the better card overall, though both are excellent picks. If you’re going wide with Mobilize etc., Worthy Cost can also do work for you, but it’s not a card for every deck since the sacrifice is non-optional.
Creature-wise, black also has some great stuff going on. Adorned Crocodile gives you two solid bodies and a counter all on one card, making it the best black creature at common as far as we’re concerned. Nightblade Brigade is a close second, providing constant pressure and card selection at a reasonable price.
Moving up to uncommon Gurmag Rakshasa looks like the clear pick, offering removal and a buff on an evasive body. It is undoubtedly a great card, but for our money Venerated Stormsinger just edges it out. Ongoing life drain effects like this are surprisingly good in Limited, and this one generates fodder to fuel itself. If you’re leaning even a little bit aggressive, this is a slam-dunk pick that will subtly win you games.
Red
Red is a core color in Tarkir: Dragonstorm Limited, offering some of the best Dragons and Dragon support cards in the set. It also does a lot at low rarities, making it a fine addition to your Sealed deck in many cases.
Of course there’s plenty of burn available, including Molten Exhale and Narset’s Rebuke at common. For our money, however, Twin Bolt edges out both of these thanks to its flexibility. There are a lot of 1/1s running about in Dragonstorm, and this can take out two at once. It can also bring down a two-toughness creature or even go face if need be.
Elsewhere at common, Seize Opportunity really caught our eye as a nice multi-tool. Giving two creatures +2/+1 for three mana is a good way to end a game, or totally flip a combat step in your favor. The more exciting mode here is clearly the Impulse draw, mind you, which is surprisingly well-costed. Typically you’d expect effects like this to last until end of turn, but you get until the end of your next turn on this one. For three mana at instant speed, that’s very nice indeed.
Red has some excellent uncommons, including Sunset Strikemaster as a mana dork, and Overwhelming Surge as flexible two-for-one removal. Sometimes, however, the best option is the simplest. Shocking Sharpshooter is an easy way to apply constant pressure to your opponent throughout a game, especially with Mobilize in the mix. It’s also a three-toughness Reach creature, which is subtly powerful in a format full of fliers.
Green
Green was a bit of an overwhelming force in Aetherdrift Limited, but it looks to be more reasonable in Tarkir: Dragonstorm. That’s not to say there aren’t some great picks to be made here, of course.
At common, Piercing Exhale continues the tradition of excellent green fight spells we’ve seen in several sets in a row now. It’s one-sided, instant-speed, and even has extra upside if you can Behold a Dragon. This is probably green’s best removal spell in the set period, with only Knockout Maneuver at uncommon really coming close.
Creature-wise, Champion of Dusan punches well above its weight as a three-mana common. A 4/2 with Trample is an excellent rate, applying a ton of pressure early and pretty much always trading up. Its Renew effect is also one of the best out there, granting permanent +1/+1 and Trample for just two mana. It also plays very nicely with Harmonize due to its high power. Whatever kind of green deck you’re running, Champion will make it better.
Green is actually a bit underwhelming in Tarkir: Dragonstorm when it comes to uncommons. Knockout Maneuver is solid, but everything else feels a bit too dependent on other pieces. Everything except Dragon Sniper, that is. We spotlighted this card when it was first revealed, and it still looks fantastic now. 1/1 Deathtouch creatures always overperform in Limited, and this one also gets to attack in for free and block fliers. It doesn’t look like much, but this card will be a nightmare for your opponent to deal with every time.