Brew For Your Buck - Teval Delving For Budget

Under the Radar - Silumgar, the Drifting Death

<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tayam, Luminous Enigma" href="#" target="_blank">Tayam, Luminous Enigma</a> | art by <a href="https://www.samburley.com/">Sam Burley</a>
Imagine this: You got incredibly hyped for <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tdm#cardlists">Tarkir: Dragonstorm</a>, so you went to prerelease and left with prize packs on top of the bulk from another very nice player! However, it didn't end there... You also host a draft at your house and end up with even more boosters than you expected by the end of it.
One question keeps coming to your mind as that pile of bulk rapidly amasses... "What am I supposed to do with all of these cards?!"
Well, if you're me, you don't have to imagine this, because this is my reality. I currently have way more new singles on my hands than I was prepared for, but I'm not complaining! Since this set is so stacked from the commons up to the mythics, it got me thinking.
Was there a commander from Magic's past that synergizes perfectly some of the core mechanics from this set? Well, the answer to the question turned out to be a resounding yes!
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Enter Tayam, Luminous Enigma</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tayam, Luminous Enigma"></div></div>
Both the Sultai and Abzan clans have strong counter and graveyard synergies throughout the set. So, with that in mind, there was a commander that stood out among the rest when I was looking for the best headliner for this bulk fest!
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tayam, Luminous Enigma" href="#" target="_blank">Tayam, Luminous Enigma</a> gives us access to three colors as well as a way to utilize both counters and the spells in your graveyard. This allowed me to find plenty of great cards in the main set to build towards a full 99, however we might need a little bit more glue to hold this thing together!
<h3 style="text-align: left;">The Decklist</h3>
As you will see in the list below, there are fourteen cards from other sets that will help the deck become much more well-rounded, plus there's also a list of budget lands that can help fix your mana.
The best part about all of those outside inclusions is the fact that you could pick them up for about $14. On top of that, there's a good chance that you already own a few of those cards, since most of them are staples, or from recent sets!
The main gameplan for this deck is to build counters on your creatures and then cash them in for value with Tayam. New cards with the endure mechanic, like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fortress Kin-Guard" href="#" target="_blank">Fortress Kin-Guard</a>, help you with building those counters or building up your ranks. Creatures with Renew, such as <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Champion of Dusan" href="#" target="_blank">Champion of Dusan</a>, allow you to exile them from your graveyard to put specific counters onto one of the key pieces on your board.
To assist those mechanics, the deck is filled with payoffs for having counters on your team, or helping you fill your graveyard so that you can recur something even more suited for whatever situation you're in.
So, take a look at the list down below, and then I'll highlight some of the best cards that can help this bulk deck put up a fight at most Commander tables!
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Tayam, Luminous Enigma - Build A Budget Deck With Dragonstorm Bulk" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Tayam, Luminous Enigma
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Abzan Devotee
*1 Ainok Wayfarer
*1 Alchemist&#039;s Assistant
*1 Anafenza, Unyielding Lineage
*1 Armament Dragon
*1 Champion of Dusan
*1 Descendant of Storms
*1 Felothar, Dawn of the Abzan
*1 Feral Deathgorger // Dusk Sight
*1 Formation Breaker
*1 Fortress Kin-Guard
*1 Host of the Hereafter
*1 Hundred-Battle Veteran
*1 Kin-Tree Nurturer
*1 Krumar Initiate
*1 Lasyd Prowler
*1 Attuned Hunter
*1 Poised Practitioner
*1 Qarsi Revenant
*1 Rainveil Rejuvenator
*1 Reputable Merchant
*1 Sage of the Fang
*1 Sandskitter Outrider
*1 Sinkhole Surveyor
*1 Stalwart Successor
*1 Unburied Earthcarver
*1 Undergrowth Leopard
*1 Warden of the Grove
*1 Yathan Tombguard
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Knockout Maneuver
*1 Nature&#039;s Rhythm
*1 Rite of Renewal
*1 Roamer&#039;s Routine
*1 Synchronized Charge
*1 Worthy Cost
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Cruel Truths
*1 Duty Beyond Death
*1 Heritage Reclamation
*1 Lightfoot Technique
*1 Snakeskin Veil
*1 Wail of War
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Abzan Monument
*1 Herd Heirloom
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Barrensteppe Siege
*1 Encroaching Dragonstorm
*1 Revival of the Ancestors
*1 Static Snare
*1 Stormplain Detainment
*1 Hollowmurk Siege
[/Enchantments]
[Lands From the Set]
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Blossoming Sands
*1 Jungle Hollow
*1 Sandsteppe Citadel
*1 Scoured Barrens
*8 Swamp
*8 Forest
*3 Plains
[/Lands From the Set]
[Adds From Outside Sets]
*1 Trash the Town
*1 Revitalizing Repast // Old-Growth Grove
*1 Return of the Wildspeaker
*1 Damn
*1 Diresight
*1 Cankerbloom
*1 Song of Freyalise
*1 High-Society Hunter
*1 Stargaze
*1 Winding Constrictor
*1 Managorger Hydra
*1 Armored Scrapgorger
*1 Rishkar, Peema Renegade
*1 Wall of Roots
[/Adds From Outside Sets]
[Budget Lands to Include]
*1 Shineshadow Snarl
*1 Sungrass Prairie
*1 Caves of Koilos
*1 Necroblossom Snarl
*1 Scattered Grove
*1 Fortified Village
*1 Isolated Chapel
*1 Canopy Vista
*1 Command Tower
*1 Deceptive Landscape
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Viridescent Bog
[/Budget Lands to Include]"></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Key Cards from Dragonstorm</h3>
This deck's biggest strength is found in its counter synergies, so prioritizing engine pieces that stack those onto your team will be your main priority. The fact that your commander ensures you get at least one vigilance counter on any creature that enters under your control makes it very pivotal in your gameplan.
A few other cards in the deck that build up your board with counters is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warden of the Grove" href="#" target="_blank">Warden of the Grove</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Barrensteppe Siege" href="#" target="_blank">Barrensteppe Siege</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stalwart Successor" href="#" target="_blank">Stalwart Successor</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Felothar, Dawn of the Abzan" href="#" target="_blank">Felothar, Dawn of the Abzan</a>. After playtesting the deck, I can tell you not to be too precious about your counters as the game goes on.
Since <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tayam, Luminous Enigma" href="#" target="_blank">Tayam, Luminous Enigma</a> can trade three of them in for a permanent in your graveyard, if you find yourself stalling out in the match, pull the trigger and recur a new value piece!
Some more cards from the main set that just hum in this deck are <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hollowmurk Siege" href="#" target="_blank">Hollowmurk Siege</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yathan Tombguard" href="#" target="_blank">Yathan Tombguard</a>, becoming powerful draw engines when paired with your counter stacked creatures.
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Duty Beyond Death" href="#" target="_blank">Duty Beyond Death</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightfoot Technique" href="#" target="_blank">Lightfoot Technique</a> act as both protection and fit in with all the other counter makers in your deck.
You even have strong game ending spells like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Synchronized Charge" href="#" target="_blank">Synchronized Charge</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Revival of the Ancestors" href="#" target="_blank">Revival of the Ancestors</a> to assist with buffing your board for a big alpha strike!
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Great Includes from Outside the Set</h3>
Since most of the cards in the list are from a standard set, it needed a little help with the normal fruits and veggies that every deck needs: ramp, card draw, removal and a few more counter-centric pieces.
While you could still try to make this deck with only cards from <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tdm">Dragonstorm</a>, spending just a little bit more to pick up these fourteen cards will help you have a fighting chance against other bracket 2 Core, and even bracket 3 Upgraded matchups.
To assist with card draw we have <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Diresight" href="#" target="_blank">Diresight</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stargaze" href="#" target="_blank">Stargaze</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="High-Society Hunter" href="#" target="_blank">High-Society Hunter</a> which will also help fill your graveyard with more reanimation targets for your commander. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Return of the Wildspeaker" href="#" target="_blank">Return of the Wildspeaker</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trash the Town" href="#" target="_blank">Trash the Town</a> can put cards in your hand and/or add some additional punching power to the deck!
Synergistic ramp can be found with cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rishkar, Peema Renegade" href="#" target="_blank">Rishkar, Peema Renegade</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Song of Freyalise" href="#" target="_blank">Song of Freyalise</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wall of Roots" href="#" target="_blank">Wall of Roots</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armored Scrapgorger" href="#" target="_blank">Armored Scrapgorger</a>. In the case of those last two, they will generate mana, as well as counters; which your commander can then remove to bring something back from your graveyard.
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Winding Constrictor" href="#" target="_blank">Winding Constrictor</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Managorger Hydra" href="#" target="_blank">Managorger Hydra</a> are both huge counter-generating engines, which will allow your gameplan to snowball even faster. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Revitalizing Repast" href="#" target="_blank">Revitalizing Repast</a> acts as more protection for the deck, as well as an additional land drop when you need it.
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cankerbloom" href="#" target="_blank">Cankerbloom</a> doesn't just give you the option to remove an opponent's pesky artifact or enchantment, but it can also proliferate all the counters on your board. Finally, we have <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Damn" href="#" target="_blank">Damn</a> acting as either targeted removal or a boardwipe when it's needed!
On top of those fourteen cards, you'll see I added a list of budget lands to assist you with your fixing, without breaking the bank. Even if you don't want to grab those exact singles, picking up a few solid dual lands will ensure you can cast all the spells you need to in this three-color deck.
<h2>The Wrap Up!</h2>
Well, I hope you enjoyed this trip through your bulk piles as much as I have. <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tdm">Dragonstorm</a>, is an amazing set, and the fact that a huge percentage of this deck comes from the main set is just a testament to that! If you would like to test out the deck for yourself, as well as see the 'maybe' board for more possible includes, you can do that right <a href="https://archidekt.com/decks/12578899/tayam_luminous_enigma_build_a_budget_deck_with_dragonstorm_bulk">here on my Archidekt</a>.

Build a Tayam, Luminous Enigma Deck with Your Dragonstorm Bulk

Tarkir: Dragonstorm Mechanics Primer

The Sultai Shuffle | $150 Teval, the Balanced Scale Deck Tech

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Magic Head Designer Mark Rosewater | Image Credit: Wizards of the Coast</h6>
It's not surprising to many that Tarkir Dragonstorm is selling quite well right now. The sales data that Wizards of the Coast has access to seems to give credence to that idea. However, a few questions happen to spring from this well-received set, one of which we will cover here. In short, Magic Head Designer Mark Rosewater is busy on social media answering questions about Magic's design process and its reception. Very specifically, on <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater">Blogatog</a>, Rosewater's work-oriented Tumblr blog, he has been addressing inquiries about exactly why Tarkir Dragonstorm has sold so well.
<div class="tumblr-post" data-href="https://embed.tumblr.com/embed/post/t:DfYWVw3OWM7GYSz0pPuL-Q/781025267501137920/v2" data-did="da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709" ><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater/781025267501137920/re-ub-has-made-players-want-in-universe-sets-to">https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater/781025267501137920/re-ub-has-made-players-want-in-universe-sets-to</a></div>
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In his most in-depth reply, posted on Thursday, April 17th, Rosewater addressed a slight inaccuracy within his previous answers. In earlier replies, he mentioned the need for Magic sets to push boundaries. However, upon users such as the one in the embedded Tumblr post above calling Rosewater out on this, Rosewater admitted he misspoke. The crux of his point was that players want Magic to feel like Magic. Pushing bounds is still a valid design choice when designing for the game, and that holds true for "in-Multiverse" Magic sets.
<div class="tumblr-post" data-href="https://embed.tumblr.com/embed/post/t:DfYWVw3OWM7GYSz0pPuL-Q/781082769582358534/v2" data-did="da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709" ><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater/781082769582358534/just-wanted-to-chime-in-that-im-incredibly">https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater/781082769582358534/just-wanted-to-chime-in-that-im-incredibly</a></div>
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But this brings us to why this all came together the way it did, from all this discussion of bounds and nostalgia to the roaring success of Tarkir Dragonstorm. During this whole discussion thread, Rosewater mainly tried to say that in-Multiverse Magic: The Gathering sets should, appropriately, feel like Magic.
This is something that Tarkir Dragonstorm has done exceptionally well in many players' eyes. It is entirely plausible that, to use a bit of redundant speech, Magic players want Magic cards. Many of those players are not particularly enthused by the Universes Beyond initiative or its many tie-ins. And to reuse a slight cliche, they often just want Magic the way its creator Richard Garfield originally intended.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Breaching Dragonstorm"></div></div>
<h2>Mark Rosewater's Response Is A Good Sign</h2>
Rosewater, addressing these accolades and questions, feels like a good step towards this goal. It at the very least means that the good people at Wizards of the Coast are listening to players' concerns. Does this mean that in the next 2.5 years, we will start getting in-Multiverse sets that definitively feel more like Magic of old? This may be true. At the same time, it could be a shorter span, or even a longer one, until we get that again. Furthermore, some in-Multiverse Magic sets may end up missing the mark on that concept. Such is the way of design-based experimentation. But suffice it to say, we should focus on the here and now and continue to celebrate the critical and commercial successes of Tarkir Dragonstorm.
Let's open the floor to you. How do you feel about the new set? Do you think it "feels" like Magic: The Gathering? Additionally, what is your opinion of Universes Beyond? Sound off below!

tarkir

Brew For Your Buck - Teval Delving For Budget

Under the Radar - Silumgar, the Drifting Death

Build a Tayam, Luminous Enigma Deck with Your Dragonstorm Bulk

Tarkir: Dragonstorm Mechanics Primer

The Sultai Shuffle | $150 Teval, the Balanced Scale Deck Tech

Mark Rosewater: In-Multiverse Sets Should Feel Like Magic

Tarkir: Dragonstorm - Jank Rank Part 1

The Over/Under - Predicting the Popularity of Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commanders

Tarkir: Dragonstorm Set Review - Budget

Tarkir: Dragonstorm Set Review - Colorless