Sphere of Influence: March 21, 2025

Welcome to Sphere of Influence, a pre-FNM look at some potential movers and shakers that are worth picking up before their prices increase.

Tarkir: Dragonstorm is just around the corner, and previews are in full swing at the moment, revealing all sorts of goodies - from Craterhoof Behemoth to a redux of Siege Rhino and plenty of Dragons to help the set live up to its name. There's about to be an onslaught of new Dragon-based Commander decks hitting LGSs all over the country, meaning now's the time to pick up your favorite flying fire-breathers before prices begin their inevitable ascent.

Here are a few that punch well above their financial weight.

Dragon Tempest - $7

While not a Dragon itself, this card easily stands as the best inclusion in any red Commander deck with even a storm-ette's worth of Dragons.

As a haste enabler, the card comes down early and remains tough to remove. As a direct damage source, it really adds up even with a small handful of Dragons on the board. The fact that this can deal damage directly to players means any Dragon deck gains a means of pushing damage through a clogged board without turning something sideways.

Its price is higher than the others on this list, but it's well worth the $7 for an auto-include you'll pray to draw every game.

Scourge of Valkas - $2.50

Two Dragon Tempests will always be better than one, especially if one is only one-third the price of the other. Scourge of Valkas provides some nice redundancy while reducing opponents' life totals the old-fashioned way, too. Not for nothing, it triggers its own ETB for an extra ping.

Be sure you're really committed to red, though, as the three red pips can be hard to come by in Dragon-friendly color combos like Temur or five-color Tiamat.

Stormbreath Dragon - $1

This Theros Mythic was a major player in Standard, but suffered from power creep after the fact and never quite regained even a fraction of its price. I can absolutely see this changing when players renew their focus on Dragons because Stormbreath is highly underrated.

It has haste, protection from the most relevant spot-removal color in Commander, maintains a mana value below many of its counterparts, and can deal direct damage to every opponent in a pinch. The card's versatility more than makes up for the fact that it's not quite as flashy as many others.

Take this one out for a test flight and see for yourself.

Incinerator of the Guilty - $0.25

Any Dragon deck pilot is going to face plenty of removal; the reputation of Dragons certainly precedes them. And with only one or two Dragons in your graveyard, Incinerator provides payback by effectively wiping an opponent's board with very little effort.

The card reads a lot like Balefire Dragon, which was quite pricy before its reprint in Innistrad Remastered, but represents a bit of an upgrade due to the fact that it can trample its way to a trigger if needed and provide more reliable removal.

Wrathful Red Dragon - $2.50

Somehow, this card plays even better than it reads - and it reads quite well. Not only does its ability apply to all of your Dragons, but it triggers off all types of damage - not just the combat variety - and can hit players directly, turning every one of your creatures into a ticking time bomb.

Its $2.50 price is very low considering it's a powerful inclusion in any Dragon deck and has only been printed once, in Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate. Price spike incoming…

Dragon Heels

Which new Dragons are you excited to build around? And, perhaps more importantly, how can these Dragon storms be stopped? Let us know!