Where Should I Start Playing Magic? Foundations or Tarkir: Dragonstorm?

Over the past few weeks, we've been showing off all the exciting new cards, Booster Fun treatments, and epic stories from Tarkir: Dragonstorm. But if you're new to Magic, you might be wondering where exactly you should start. Magic: The Gathering Foundations is the dedicated new-player product, but Tarkir: Dragonstorm is all about dragons, and nobody can resist a dragon. So, where should you start?

We've got good news: both products are great ways to start playing Magic. And even better news, these products are excellent when you combine them! You can combine your cards from Foundations and Tarkir: Dragonstorm to build new decks, try innovative strategies, and play Magic however you like.

We've got a quick guide to combining Foundations and Tarkir: Dragonstorm products right here. It'll help you prepare for the set's upcoming release on April 11, 2025. The set is available for preorder now from your local game store, online retailers like Amazon, and elsewhere Magic products are sold.

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Learn to Play with Foundations and Tarkir: Dragonstorm

One of the largest parts of Foundations is its suite of new-player products. These are designed to teach you how to play Magic through easy and approachable mechanics, gradually introducing you to all the exciting pieces of the game. But these aren't just tutorials, they're pieces of the broader Magic ecosystem that can be combined with your larger collection.

The Foundations Beginner Box includes a step-by-step, turn-by-turn tutorial. Then, you can combine the 10 themed Jumpstart decks from the Beginner Box, allowing for all sorts of wild strategies. One of these Jumpstart decks—Inferno—features cards that get stronger when you play more Dragons. That's one of the major lessons the Beginner Box will teach you: that creature types can synergize, something that's continued in Tarkir: Dragonstorm's bevy of Dragon typal cards.

Once you've learned how to play, it's time to learn how to build a deck of your own. The Foundations Starter Collection includes 387 cards from across Magic's history. This selection of cards was crafted to show you all the options that Magic provides, giving you all the tools needed to build a deck. It even continues the Beginner Box's Dragon typal theme, with cards like Lathliss, Dragon Queen .

By combining your favorite Tarkir: Dragonstorm cards with staples from the Foundations product suite, you'll be well on your way to building a deck of your own. And if you want to learn more about building a deck, then check out some of the upcoming events at your local game store!

Learn and Play in Stores with Tarkir: Dragonstorm

As part of the release of Tarkir: Dragonstorm, participating WPN stores will be holding multiple events that are perfect for new players. For a complete list of the places to play Tarkir: Dragonstorm, check out this dedicated article. But for now, here are the highlights.

Tarkir: Dragonstorm Prerelease Events (April 4–10)

Want to be among the first to play with all the new Dragon cards in Tarkir: Dragonstorm? Then head on down to your local game store's Prerelease events! Here, you'll build a deck from five Play Boosters and one clan-themed Prerelease Booster to face off against your fellow Magic players. If you're curious about how to participate in a Prerelease, then check out our Tarkir: Dragonstorm Prerelease Guide.

Magic Academy with Tarkir: Dragonstorm (April 11–June 5)

Magic Academy is the premier way to learn how to play the world's premier trading card game, and you can experience it for yourself at your local game store. You'll learn the ins and outs of gameplay at Learn to Play events, then craft your very own deck at Deck Building events. These events can be run with Foundations products, Tarkir: Dragonstorm products, or both!

Players who purchase any intro products at Magic Academy events will receive a traditional foil retro frame Dragon's Hoard promo card while supplies last. Contact your local game store for details about their Magic Academy events!

Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander Decks Are Better with Foundations

Tarkir: Dragonstorm features five ready-to-play Commander decks, giving you an easy way to start playing Magic's most popular format. Like all Magic products, you can add cards from your own collection to these Commander decks. Take command of your deck and try adding cards from Foundations.

Each Commander deck has its own strategy that embodies one of Tarkir's five clans. For example, Mardu Surge wants you to play aggressively and create lots of creature tokens. Goblin Surprise from Foundations (which depicts Tarkir's goblins, funnily enough) can make you Goblin tokens or buff your creatures for a turn, making it a versatile and thematic include.

But maybe you're more interested in the "Dragon" part of Tarkir: Dragonstorm. The Temur Roar deck's secondary commander, Ureni of the Unwritten , is designed to helm a Dragon typal Commander deck. Foundations has plenty of Dragons that can go in this deck, but if you're looking for the cream of the crop, it's hard to go wrong with Twinflame Tyrant . Put it onto the battlefield with Ureni and swing in for double damage. Is it overkill? Maybe. Is it awesome? Certainly.

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Take Flight and Start Playing Magic

Whether you're learning to play with Ajani, Caller of the Pride or Elspeth, Storm Slayer , there's never been a better time to start playing Magic. You can dive right in to play Magic at Tarkir: Dragonstorm Prerelease events, which run from April 4–10 at participating game stores.

Tarkir: Dragonstorm releases worldwide on April 11, 2025. The set's products, along with the Foundations products discussed here, are available at your local game store, online retailers like Amazon, and elsewhere Magic products are sold.