Take MTG Reign Of Dragons To The Next Level With These Spicy Upgrades

Ever since the earliest Magic players set eyes on Shivan Dragon, Dragons have been an integral part of the game as a whole. This remains true even today, with the type being spotlighted in the new Reign of Dragons Foundations Commander deck. Right out of the box this is a solid list, featuring many of the best Dragons in the game and some strong synergies. With the following upgrades, however, Reign of Dragons can become an MTG deck capable of taking down bracket 3 pods with ease.

Going Deeper on Dragons

The first port of call when upgrading Reign of Dragons is to cut some of the less powerful Dragons in the list, and replace them with better alternatives. Cards like Tyrant’s FamiliarTyrant’s FamiliarFlying, haste
Lieutenant — As long as you control your commander, this creature gets +2/+2 and has "Whenever this creature attacks, it deals 7 damage to target creature defending player controls." and Terror of Mount VelusTerror of Mount VelusFlying
Double strike (This creature deals both first-strike and regular combat damage.)
When this creature enters, creatures you control gain double strike until end of turn. are too slow to have much impact on games, so they’re easy cuts. Some of the lower-cost Dragons here, like Taurean MaulerTaurean MaulerChangeling (This card is every creature type.)
Whenever an opponent casts a spell, you may put a +1/+1 counter on this creature. and Rapacious DragonRapacious DragonFlying
When this creature enters, create two Treasure tokens. (They're artifacts with "{T}, Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color."), are better in terms of speed but offer very little synergy for you to work with.

Take these cards out, and you’re free to add in some of the best Dragons Wizards has ever printed. Both Terror of the Peaks and Twinflame TyrantTwinflame TyrantFlying
If a source you control would deal damage to an opponent or a permanent an opponent controls, it deals double that damage instead. are fantastic adds here, piling a ton of pressure on your opponents for a reasonable cost. Terror is also notable for forming part of some combo lines, which we’ll discuss more later.

Goldspan Dragon is another great addition for its ramp potential, and Ran and Shaw, alongside Wrathful Red Dragon, helps push the deck’s damage numbers way up.

In addition to the Dragons themselves, you’ll want to add some extra Dragon support pieces, too. The Legend of RokuThe Legend of Roku(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter.)
I — Exile the top three cards of your library. Until the end of your next turn, you may play those cards.
II — Add one mana of any color.
III — Exile this Saga, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control. is a particularly tasty option here, providing card draw, mana, and an endless Dragon generator to boot. Add in Dragon-based removal like Invasion of Tarkir and Desolation of Smaug, and you have a stellar support suite for your main threat package.

To make room for these extra support pieces, you can get rid of some of the many, many board wipes that Reign of Dragons has by default. The Elder Dragon War, Chain Reaction and Magmaquake are all fine wipes, but with Blasphemous ActBlasphemous ActThis spell costs {1} less to cast for each creature on the battlefield.
Blasphemous Act deals 13 damage to each creature. and Breath Weapon in the list you really don’t need so many.

OUT:

• The Elder Dragon War
• Rapacious DragonRapacious DragonFlying
  When this creature enters, create two Treasure tokens. (They're artifacts with "{T}, Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.")
• Tyrant’s FamiliarTyrant’s FamiliarFlying, haste
  Lieutenant — As long as you control your commander, this creature gets +2/+2 and has "Whenever this creature attacks, it deals 7 damage to target creature defending player controls."
• Terror of Mount VelusTerror of Mount VelusFlying
  Double strike (This creature deals both first-strike and regular combat damage.)
  When this creature enters, creatures you control gain double strike until end of turn.
• Scourge of the Throne
• Taurean MaulerTaurean MaulerChangeling (This card is every creature type.)
  Whenever an opponent casts a spell, you may put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
• Chain Reaction
• Magmaquake

IN:

• The Legend of RokuThe Legend of Roku(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter.)
  I — Exile the top three cards of your library. Until the end of your next turn, you may play those cards.
  II — Add one mana of any color.
  III — Exile this Saga, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control.
• Ran and Shaw
• Terror of the Peaks
• Twinflame TyrantTwinflame TyrantFlying
  If a source you control would deal damage to an opponent or a permanent an opponent controls, it deals double that damage instead.
• Goldspan Dragon
• Wrathful Red Dragon
• Invasion of Tarkir
• Desolation of Smaug

Adding a Combo Package

With the core of Reign of Dragons powered up, the next step in pushing this deck further is to add some combo lines. Fortunately for us, the deck’s Commander, Lathliss, Dragon Queen, has a few combo lines itself. Add Cloudstone Curio and Dracogenesis, for example, and you can bounce any two Dragons back and forth to create infinite 5/5 tokens with Lathliss. This will even end the game on the spot if you have Terror of the Peaks or Firespitter Whelp in play.

A great way to up the deck’s combo count further is to build in a few payoffs for Hellkite Charger, which can grant you infinite combats if you have a way to make seven mana each combat. You can do this by attaching The Reaver Cleaver to a creature with six or more power, or by stacking up instances of Firebending 2 with Fire Nation Turret. The former takes a lot of mana to pull off, but with the deck’s ramp, and Leyline Tyrant to bank mana, it’s very much doable.

Finally, as it’s one of the hottest new combos around, you’ll want to add the Draconic VisitorDraconic VisitorFlying
If one or more artifact tokens would be created under your control, that many 5/5 red Dragon creature tokens with flying are created instead. and Ganax, Astral Hunter loop to Reign of Dragons. These two cards create an infinite chain of Dragon tokens, which will win on the spot alongside cards like Dragon Tempest and Scourge of ValkasScourge of ValkasFlying
Whenever this creature or another Dragon you control enters, it deals X damage to any target, where X is the number of Dragons you control.
{R}: This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn.. Notably, if you don’t have one of these payoffs, this will draw the game, so make sure you’re set up first.

To make room for all these combo pieces, you can clear out more of the less efficient Dragons and ramp in the base decklist. Cards like Drakuseth, Maw of Flames and Commander’s SphereCommander’s Sphere{T}: Add one mana of any color in your commander's color identity.
Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card. feel quite clunky in today’s game, so they’re better off cut. You can also come down on removal, like Lightning BoltLightning BoltLightning Bolt deals 3 damage to any target. and Chandra’s Ignition, since the deck has plenty of that as-is.

OUT:

• Drakuseth, Maw of Flames
• Goddric, Cloaked Reveler
• Commander’s SphereCommander’s Sphere{T}: Add one mana of any color in your commander's color identity.
  Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.
• Chandra’s Ignition
• Dragonstorm Globe
• Lightning BoltLightning BoltLightning Bolt deals 3 damage to any target.
• Breaching Dragonstorm
• Skyline Despot

IN:

• Ganax, Astral Hunter
• Draconic VisitorDraconic VisitorFlying
  If one or more artifact tokens would be created under your control, that many 5/5 red Dragon creature tokens with flying are created instead.
• Cloudstone Curio
• Dracogenesis
• The Reaver Cleaver
• Fire Nation Turret
• Sneak AttackSneak Attack{R}: You may put a creature card from your hand onto the battlefield. That creature gains haste. Sacrifice the creature at the beginning of the next end step.
• Sarkhan’s Triumph

Smoothing Things Out

Now that Reign of Dragons is primed to take down pods with ease, the last step is to upgrade the deck’s ramp and card draw suite, speeding up your kills overall. Mana base-wise, both Forgotten Cave and Temple of the False God stand out in the base list as slow, mediocre lands. Cut them both, and you can replace them with Maelstrom of the Spirit Dragon and Ancient Tomb for much better results. You can also remove a basic Mountain for Arena of Glory, which is basically a free add in such a Haste-hungry deck.

Other premium ramp pieces, like Mox Jasper and Ruby MedallionRuby MedallionRed spells you cast cost {1} less to cast. will slot in nicely here too. The Fire Crystal is particularly handy, granting Haste copying your big Dragons in a pinch.

With so much ramp, you’ll need extra draw to balance it out, which is where The One Ring and Jeska’s Will come in. Rounding out our Game Changer suite, this duo gives you unbeatable advantage later on in games, helping to push through board wipes or assemble your combo wins.

To make room for these bangers, you can remove some of the deck’s weak existing ramp and card draw. Cards like Hazoret’s Monument and Count on Luck are deeply unexciting, and can easily sub out for your new Game Changers. You can also cut cards that don’t really mesh with the deck’s overall gameplan, like Minion of the Mighty and Shivan Devastator, which are decent but lack meaningful synergy in this upgraded list.

With these upgrades in tow, Reign of Dragons becomes an MTG Commander deck that can hold its own in any bracket 3 pod. If you’ve just picked up the precon and are keen to try it out for yourself, you can find the full change log for this upgrade below.

OUT:

• The Elder Dragon War
• Rapacious DragonRapacious DragonFlying
  When this creature enters, create two Treasure tokens. (They're artifacts with "{T}, Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.")
• Tyrant’s FamiliarTyrant’s FamiliarFlying, haste
  Lieutenant — As long as you control your commander, this creature gets +2/+2 and has "Whenever this creature attacks, it deals 7 damage to target creature defending player controls."
• Terror of Mount VelusTerror of Mount VelusFlying
  Double strike (This creature deals both first-strike and regular combat damage.)
  When this creature enters, creatures you control gain double strike until end of turn.
• Scourge of the Throne
• Taurean MaulerTaurean MaulerChangeling (This card is every creature type.)
  Whenever an opponent casts a spell, you may put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
• Chain Reaction
• Magmaquake
• Drakuseth, Maw of Flames
• Goddric, Cloaked Reveler
• Commander’s SphereCommander’s Sphere{T}: Add one mana of any color in your commander's color identity.
  Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.
• Chandra’s Ignition
• Dragonstorm Globe
• Lightning BoltLightning BoltLightning Bolt deals 3 damage to any target.
• Breaching Dragonstorm
• Skyline Despot
• Basilisk Collar
• Forgotten Cave
• Mountain
• Hazoret’s Monument
• Shivan Devastator
• Temple of the False God
• Count on Luck
• Minion of the Mighty
• Outpost Siege

IN:

• The Legend of RokuThe Legend of Roku(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter.)
  I — Exile the top three cards of your library. Until the end of your next turn, you may play those cards.
  II — Add one mana of any color.
  III — Exile this Saga, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control.
• Ran and Shaw
• Terror of the Peaks
• Twinflame TyrantTwinflame TyrantFlying
  If a source you control would deal damage to an opponent or a permanent an opponent controls, it deals double that damage instead.
• Goldspan Dragon
• Wrathful Red Dragon
• Invasion of Tarkir
• Desolation of Smaug
• Ganax, Astral Hunter
• Draconic VisitorDraconic VisitorFlying
  If one or more artifact tokens would be created under your control, that many 5/5 red Dragon creature tokens with flying are created instead.
• Cloudstone Curio
• Dracogenesis
• The Reaver Cleaver
• Fire Nation Turret
• Sneak AttackSneak Attack{R}: You may put a creature card from your hand onto the battlefield. That creature gains haste. Sacrifice the creature at the beginning of the next end step.
• Sarkhan’s Triumph
• Mox Jasper
• Maelstrom of the Spirit Dragon
• Arena of Glory
• Ruby MedallionRuby MedallionRed spells you cast cost {1} less to cast.
• Pyretic Ritual
• The Fire Crystal
• Ancient Tomb
• The One Ring
• Jeska’s Will

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