Dragonlord Atarka: A Powerful and Iconic Eldrazi Threat

Summary

Dragonlord Atarka is a legendary creature that has been a staple in Magic: The Gathering for years. Her ability to divide damage between creatures and planeswalkers makes her a versatile and formidable force in the right deck. However, her high mana cost and limited card draw capabilities make her challenging to include in many builds.

Card Mechanics and Interactions

Dragonlord Atarka is a flying, trample creature with a powerful ability that deals 5 damage divided among target creatures and/or planeswalkers controlled by opponents. Her ability can be particularly devastating when combined with other effects that deal damage to planeswalkers or create multiple threats.

One of the key interactions to consider is Atarka's ability triggering when she enters the battlefield. This means that if an opponent has a creature or planeswalker in their graveyard, Atarka's ability will still trigger as long as that creature/planeswalker was previously on the battlefield. For example, if an opponent has Swords to Plowshares in hand and a creature they controlled is sent to their graveyard, it won't prevent Atarka's ability from triggering.

Atarka's ability also interacts with other effects that deal damage to planeswalkers or creatures, such as Vines of Vastwood or Grindclock. If an opponent has these cards in hand and a creature/planeswalker is controlled by them, Atarka's ability can still trigger and deal significant damage.

Strategic Uses, Combos, and Synergies

Dragonlord Atarka is often included in decks that focus on dealing massive amounts of damage to opponents' life totals. Her ability makes her a particularly effective target for cards like Sword to Plowshares or Path to Exile, which can remove problematic creatures/planeswalkers from the battlefield.

Atarka also synergizes well with other Eldrazi creatures, such as Elder Dragon Brickwork or Kozilek's Return. These cards create multiple threats on the battlefield, making it difficult for opponents to defend against Atarka and her ability.

In addition to its combat potential, Atarka can also serve as a threat to be removed by opponent's removal spells. Her ability makes her particularly effective in decks that focus on removing problematic creatures/planeswalkers from the board.

Deckbuilding Roles and Archetypes

Dragonlord Atarka is typically included in aggressive or control-oriented decks that focus on dealing massive amounts of damage to opponents' life totals. She can serve as a central threat or removal spell, depending on the specific build.

Some common deck archetypes that include Dragonlord Atarka include:

• Aggro Eldrazi: These decks focus on quickly dealing damage to opponents' life totals and then removing any threats with cards like Sword to Plowshares.
• Control Eldrazi: These decks focus on removing problematic creatures/planeswalkers from the board and then using Atarka to finish off opponents.
• Combo Eldrazi: These decks focus on creating multiple threats on the battlefield, such as with Elder Dragon Brickwork or Kozilek's Return, and then using Atarka to deal massive amounts of damage.

Format Viability and Competitive Context

Dragonlord Atarka was banned from competitive play in the Modern format due to her high power level and potential for abuse. However, she is still allowed in other formats, such as Standard and Commander.

In Standard, Atarka's ability makes her a formidable threat in aggressive or control-oriented decks. Her mana cost of {5}{R}{G} means that she can be difficult to include in many builds, but her potential for dealing massive amounts of damage makes her worth considering.

In Commander, Atarka is often included in Eldrazi Tribal decks or other aggressive/control-oriented archetypes. Her ability makes her a particularly effective threat in these formats.

Rules Interactions and Technical Notes

As mentioned earlier, Atarka's ability triggers when she enters the battlefield, even if that creature/planeswalker was previously sent to an opponent's graveyard. This means that cards like Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile will not prevent Atarka's ability from triggering.

Atarka also interacts with other effects that deal damage to planeswalkers or creatures, such as Vines of Vastwood or Grindclock. If an opponent has these cards in hand and a creature/planeswalker is controlled by them, Atarka's ability can still trigger and deal significant damage.

Art, Flavor, and Historical Context

Dragonlord Atarka was first introduced in the 2008 set of Magic: The Gathering, Shards of Alara. She was designed to be a powerful and iconic creature, representing the Eldrazi and their destructive potential. Her ability reflects her role as a threat to be removed from the board.

Atarka's art depicts her as a massive, flying creature with razor-sharp claws and teeth. Her design is meant to evoke a sense of menace and power, reflecting her ability to deal massive amounts of damage to opponents' life totals.

Conclusion

Dragonlord Atarka is a powerful and iconic Eldrazi creature that can deal significant damage to opponents' life totals upon entering the battlefield. Her ability makes her a versatile and formidable force in the right deck, but also comes with its limitations due to her high mana cost and limited card draw. When included in aggressive or control-oriented decks, Atarka can serve as a central threat or removal spell, depending on the specific build.