Decoding Tarkir Clan Colors: A Comprehensive Guide to Magic: The Gathering’s Five Factions

The plane of Tarkir in Magic: The Gathering is a world defined by its clans – five powerful factions each embodying a distinct set of values and strategies, reflected in their unique color identities. Understanding these Tarkir clan colors is crucial for anyone looking to delve into the lore, build effective decks, or simply appreciate the rich tapestry of this iconic setting. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of each clan, exploring their philosophies, signature mechanics, and the Tarkir clan colors that define them.

The History and Lore of Tarkir

Before diving into the individual clans, it’s important to understand the history of Tarkir. Once a world teeming with dragons, the dragons were hunted to near extinction by the khans of the five clans. This act fundamentally altered the plane’s timeline, leading to a dragonless present and a significant shift in the clans’ identities.

The Five Clans and Their Colors

Each of the five clans in Tarkir is associated with a wedge of three colors, representing a central color and its two allied colors. These Tarkir clan colors dictate the strategies and playstyles favored by each faction.

The Abzan Houses (White, Black, Green)

The Abzan Houses, known for their endurance and pragmatism, value family, tradition, and resilience. Their Tarkir clan colors – White, Black, and Green – reflect their focus on outlasting their opponents through attrition and strategic resource management. They utilize the Outlast mechanic, slowly building up strength over time.

Their strategy revolves around efficient creatures, removal spells, and incremental advantage. White provides access to strong creatures and lifegain; Black offers powerful removal and reanimation; and Green grants access to efficient creatures and ramp effects. The combination allows the Abzan to grind out victories in the long game. They are known for their strong defenses and focus on long-term planning. Their emphasis on family and tradition translates into a playstyle that is methodical and deliberate. A deck built around the Abzan Houses often includes cards that provide incremental advantages over time, such as creatures with the Outlast ability or spells that generate value over multiple turns. The Tarkir clan colors of the Abzan allow them to control the board and eventually overwhelm their opponents with their superior resources.

The Jeskai Way (Blue, White, Red)

The Jeskai Way, masters of martial arts and spiritual enlightenment, value cunning, discipline, and knowledge. Their Tarkir clan colors – Blue, White, and Red – emphasize non-creature spells, tempo control, and sudden bursts of damage. The Prowess mechanic, rewarding the casting of non-creature spells, is a hallmark of their strategy.

They excel at controlling the flow of the game with counterspells, card draw, and burn spells. Blue provides access to control and card advantage; White offers protection and efficient creatures; and Red grants access to burn spells and aggressive creatures. The Jeskai are all about outsmarting and outpacing their opponents with clever plays and surprising maneuvers. The Tarkir clan colors represent their philosophy of fluidity and adaptability. They are always seeking to improve their skills and knowledge, and this translates into a playstyle that is both reactive and proactive. A Jeskai deck often includes a mix of spells and creatures, with an emphasis on spells that trigger the Prowess ability. This allows them to generate value from their spells while also developing a board presence. The Jeskai are masters of tempo, using their spells to disrupt their opponents’ plans and create opportunities to attack. Their goal is to overwhelm their opponents with a flurry of spells and attacks, leaving them no time to recover.

The Sultai Brood (Black, Green, Blue)

The Sultai Brood, ruthless necromancers and opulent rulers, value power, wealth, and ruthless efficiency. Their Tarkir clan colors – Black, Green, and Blue – focus on graveyard manipulation, card advantage, and overwhelming their opponents with powerful creatures. The Delve mechanic, allowing you to exile cards from your graveyard to pay for spells, is their signature.

They utilize self-milling strategies to fill their graveyard, then reanimate powerful creatures or cast spells with Delve for reduced cost. Black provides access to discard and reanimation; Green offers creature ramp and powerful threats; and Blue grants access to card draw and control. The Sultai are masters of exploiting their own resources, turning death and decay into power. The Tarkir clan colors reflect their philosophy of ruthlessness and ambition. They are willing to sacrifice anything to achieve their goals, and this translates into a playstyle that is both aggressive and controlling. A Sultai deck often includes cards that fill the graveyard, such as self-mill spells or creatures that discard cards. They then use these cards to fuel their Delve spells or reanimate powerful creatures. The Sultai are masters of resource management, using their graveyard as a second hand to generate value and overwhelm their opponents. Their ultimate goal is to amass wealth and power, and they will stop at nothing to achieve it.

The Mardu Horde (Red, White, Black)

The Mardu Horde, relentless warriors and nomadic raiders, value speed, aggression, and honor in combat. Their Tarkir clan colors – Red, White, and Black – emphasize aggressive creatures, direct damage, and overwhelming their opponents with swift attacks. The Raid mechanic, rewarding you for attacking with a creature, is central to their strategy.

They aim to win quickly with efficient creatures and burn spells, punishing any hesitation from their opponents. Red provides access to aggressive creatures and burn spells; White offers efficient creatures and combat tricks; and Black grants access to removal and disruption. The Mardu are all about relentless aggression, overwhelming their opponents with speed and power. The Tarkir clan colors represent their philosophy of honor in combat and their desire for glory. They believe in striking first and striking hard, and this translates into a playstyle that is both aggressive and unforgiving. A Mardu deck often includes a low curve of efficient creatures, supported by burn spells and combat tricks. They aim to overwhelm their opponents with a constant stream of attacks, punishing any mistakes or hesitations. The Mardu are masters of the battlefield, using their speed and aggression to control the flow of combat and secure victory.

The Temur Frontier (Green, Blue, Red)

The Temur Frontier, fierce survivalists and shamanistic mystics, value savagery, independence, and adapting to the harsh wilderness. Their Tarkir clan colors – Green, Blue, and Red – emphasize big creatures, card advantage, and overwhelming their opponents with raw power. The Ferocious mechanic, rewarding you for controlling a creature with power 4 or greater, is key to their strategy.

They focus on ramping into powerful creatures and using card draw to maintain momentum. Green provides access to creature ramp and big threats; Blue offers card draw and control; and Red grants access to burn spells and aggressive creatures. The Temur are all about unleashing the untamed power of the wilderness. The Tarkir clan colors represent their philosophy of self-reliance and their connection to the natural world. They believe in strength and cunning, and this translates into a playstyle that is both aggressive and strategic. A Temur deck often includes cards that ramp into powerful creatures, supported by card draw and control spells. They aim to overwhelm their opponents with their superior size and strength, while also maintaining a steady stream of resources. The Temur are masters of adaptation, using their knowledge of the wilderness to outmaneuver their opponents and secure victory. Understanding the Tarkir clan colors helps you to build decks with the most effective combinations of cards.

The Dragon Timeline and the Shift in Clans

The Dragons of Tarkir block introduced an alternate timeline where the dragons were not hunted to extinction. This resulted in significant changes to the clans, with each adopting a new identity and shifting their focus. While the core Tarkir clan colors remained the same, their strategies and mechanics evolved.

The original clans became the Dragonlords, each leading a brood of dragons with its own unique abilities and characteristics. This shift highlighted the importance of dragons as a central theme in Tarkir’s history and lore. Understanding both timelines provides a deeper appreciation for the complexities of the plane and the impact of the dragon extinction on its inhabitants.

Building Decks with Tarkir Clan Colors

When building decks based on the Tarkir clan colors, it’s important to consider the strengths and weaknesses of each faction. The Abzan excel at attrition warfare, the Jeskai at tempo control, the Sultai at graveyard manipulation, the Mardu at aggressive assaults, and the Temur at overwhelming power. Choosing the right combination of cards and strategies is crucial for success.

Experiment with different deck archetypes and find the playstyle that best suits your preferences. The Tarkir clan colors offer a wide range of possibilities, from control decks to aggro decks to midrange decks. The key is to understand the strengths of each color combination and build a deck that maximizes its potential.

Conclusion

The Tarkir clan colors offer a fascinating glimpse into the rich lore and strategic depth of Magic: The Gathering. By understanding the philosophies, mechanics, and playstyles of each clan, you can enhance your deckbuilding skills, deepen your appreciation for the game, and explore the diverse world of Tarkir. Whether you prefer the endurance of the Abzan, the cunning of the Jeskai, the ruthlessness of the Sultai, the aggression of the Mardu, or the savagery of the Temur, there’s a clan for every player to embrace. So, delve into the world of Tarkir clan colors and discover the power and potential that awaits you.

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