Return to Tarkir?

Lore forum

Posted on April 20, 2017, 9:28 a.m. by vbfabled

So I started playing around the time Khans of Tarkir was coming out, and I always thought the lore of the set was really cool. I liked the contrast in culture between all of the clans pre-dragon takeover. But after Fate Reforged and Dragons of Tarkir, I was a bit disappointed to see the dragons suppressing major parts of each clan's culture(Abzan ancestor worship, Sultai hedonism, Temur shamanism, and I think and I think Jeskai passion and Mardu honor).

However, towards the end of the Dragons story, there was a lot not resolved and a lot of unease among the non-dragon races. After being killed for her ancestor worship, Anafenza became a spirit with even more of a following that before. Silumgar killed Sidisi for scheming her way to power, but resurrected her as a zombie, keeping her cunning intact. Surrak killed one of Atarka's brood and got away with it, and there are Temur shamans hiding in the mountains.

So with all that, do you think there will be a return to Tarkir, and if there is, what will happen? Will the Khans come out on top? Will they be crushed by the forces of the dragons like they were in the Fate Reforged era? Will they learn to live in harmony with their cultures restored?

clayperce says... #2

One thing we do know: We will definitely be going back.

April 20, 2017 9:38 a.m.

Homura_Akemi says... #3

I would enjoy seeing a restoration of the khans colors at least

April 20, 2017 9:41 a.m.

vbfabled says... #4

clayperce

Oh, nice!

Personally, it's still my favorite set, and I hope that somehow or another the original cultures of the clans come back.

Also I hope the freakin gatewatch stays the heck out of it. I've honestly had enough of the Whiny Teen Justice League (and Liliana) being the center of the story for so long. Go back the the cool planeswalkers like Sarkhan and Narset and Ugin. Maybe even bring Sorin back into it.

Although I bet Jace will at least end up being there so that Ugin can beat him up for deciding to kill the Eldrazi titans.

April 20, 2017 9:42 a.m. Edited.

Snap157 says... #5

Oh god please no I really hated those sets lol

April 20, 2017 11:02 a.m.

vbfabled says... #6

Snap157

What? Why?

April 20, 2017 11:04 a.m.

Snap157 says... #7

Well there are several reasons that are based only on my opinion.

  • The whole time travel lore thing was harder to follow

  • A large part was based only around Dragons which I felt shut the other tibes out.

  • Also, playing with more than two colors may be good with the shards, but with the enemy colors, I didn't think the flavor was very good and mana bases are expensive and exhausting.

  • With Sorin being my first and favorite plainswalker, I didn't like him being white as well

  • I just cant bring myself to enjoy Ugin.

All in all, the set was expensive, complicated, and lacking flavor for me. But that's just me.

April 20, 2017 11:16 a.m.

vbfabled says... #8

Personally I really liked how the enemy colors worked lore-wise. Each clan has its 2 ally colors that make up most of its identity, but the enemy color was what really gave the clans character. The Mardu are fast and ruthless killers, but still bind themselves by a code of honor. The Jeskai are disciplined and wise, but also passionate. The Temur are fierce and primal, but also very spiritual and shamanistic.

April 20, 2017 11:27 a.m.

clayperce says... #9

vbfabled,
Yeah, I will always be grateful to DTK .... that's the set that got me back into Magic after WAY too long a break.

My wish-list:

  • One Enemy-colored set and one Wedge-colored.
  • Enemy-colored Elder Dragons!!!!
  • Elder Dragons that don't suck in EDH (unlike WTF Kolaghan)
  • Less Gatewatch
  • Another Ugin vs. Bolas Smackdown (but with Ugin coming out on top this time)

Story-wise, maybe Ugin's dragon tempests start spitting out Enemy-colored Dragons for some reason, starting a Dragon civil war. And then the Khans come back into their own, as the Dragons fight among themselves.

April 20, 2017 11:45 a.m.

clayperce says... #10

Snap157,
I'm with you on the time-travel piece. I really hated that.

I should have added "No time travel this time" to my wish-list. Though it's probably as unrealistic as "Less Gatewatch" :-)

April 20, 2017 11:49 a.m.

vbfabled says... #11

clayperce

I really doubt if they'll go back in time this time. I thought it was fine the first time they did it, it kind of gave a similar feel to the Lorwyn/Shadowmoor block where we got new versions of all the characters, but they really don't need to again.

April 20, 2017 12:26 p.m.

Argy says... #12

Well I have a completely different reaction to most people in this topic.

I hated KTK. Too much Abzan dominance.

I was a new player at the time and all the colours and mechanics were tricky to negotiate.

I enjoyed FRF. Ugin, the Spirit Dragon was the first Planeswalker that inspired me to build a deck featuring him. I loved the sudden time shift and moving away from the Clans and then ...

BOOM!

My favourite set thus far.

DTK

I love it so much that I built a Cube using only those cards.

I loved the different Dragon Tribes.

All those Dragons. In every colour. Delicious.

Don't knock Dragonlord Kolaghan too much. She can still give your Creatures Haste and shut down Relentless Rats.

In fact, she was my favourite Dragon in the set.

I loved Sarkhan Unbroken, too.

Also the way that each tribe had its own mechanic.

We own all the Intro packs and often play them at home, just me and StuBi. They have a lot of variety.

I could go on and on.

DTK was the first time I started to understand how to build a Standard deck.

I will always have a soft spot in my heart for it.

April 20, 2017 5:16 p.m.

clayperce says... #13

Argeaux,
Oh don't get me wrong, I loved Dragonlord Kolaghan in Limited (she was my Pre-release foil!) and later in Standard. She's only WTF Kolaghan in EDH, where her first ability is outclassed by at least five cards that do the same thing for less mana and her second ability is utterly useless (except, as you point out, in a meta heavy with Relentless Rats or Shadowborn Apostles). Wizards had an opportunity to make amazing Elder Dragons for Elder Dragon Highlander, and they chose not to. I'm just praying they do it right next time!

April 20, 2017 6:22 p.m. Edited.

Argy says... #14

Dragonlord Ojutai is pretty good.

As is Silumgar, the Drifting Death.

I also liked Kolaghan, the Storm's Fury.

My first control deck that I ever built was based around Ojutai, Soul of Winter.

I remembered all the others but had to look that last one up!

April 20, 2017 6:40 p.m.

vbfabled says... #15

Argeaux

I only played casual when KTK was Standard, but I did sometimes play it in limited. In my opinion, Khans was one of the best draft sets in recent history, and in Limited it's a lot more balanced cuz you can't guarantee Siege Rhino.

April 20, 2017 7:12 p.m.

Argy says... #16

Yeah, but if you GET Siege Rhino you will always pick it, and usually win, because it is a broken card in both Constructed and Limited.

April 20, 2017 7:58 p.m.

vbfabled says... #17

Argeaux

I disagree. Siege Rhino is hardly and automatic win in a set with so many counters and removal spells. Besides, cards like Mantis Rider are just as powerful, if not stronger in limited.

April 21, 2017 12:05 a.m.

LeBeerCat says... #18

Would Really love a return to Tarkir, I am also secretly waiting for the Shamans hiding from Atarka to revolt in a way. I really really love the Temur clans culture and flavor.

April 21, 2017 10:11 a.m.

Dredge4life says... #19

Snap157 Sorin has been W/B for awhile now.

I agree though, he's much better suited to mono Black.

I liked the Tarkir block, but I hate that Blue didn't get a legendary creature in DTK. Also, Sarkan's a little lame IMO.

April 21, 2017 9:58 p.m.

Snap157 says... #20

Yes I know, yet I was hoping he would come out of it lol

April 21, 2017 10:04 p.m.

DemonDragonJ says... #21

I am very certain that WotC shall return to Tarkir, eventually, because there are numerous plot lines that could be continued, such as Sarkhan and Narset's further adventures, Ugin's continuing role in the story, and, most notably, a return of the wedge-colored, khan-controlled clans.

Also, why did the user ask Mark Rosewater that question in such a short and grammatically-incorrect way, and why did Rosewater respond with only a single-word answer? Do they not have sufficient intelligence and/or patience to type full sentences?

April 30, 2017 9:35 p.m.

Dryxyx says... #22

I honestly hope we don't see the Khans return, I don't want more three-color decks that can do anything. It's not healthy for a standard environment. Plus, I don't want to have to spend $80< on a mana base.

July 23, 2017 8:20 a.m.

Argy says... #23

Something a lot of people in this thread aren't taking into consideration is that there will need to be another time shift, or some other change, to return to the Tarkir wedge clans as they are now ruled by dual coloured Dragons

Also Dryxyx, the expensive mana bases came more with the event of Battle for Zendikar, when you had both the fetch and "Swamp Mountain" etc. land cards both in the mix.

July 23, 2017 9:14 a.m.

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