commander · Atarka, World Render
Draconic Destruction (SCB).
A Gruul dragon deck from the Starter Commander Decks, led by Atarka, World Render, give your entire dragon army double strike whenever you attack, and ramp into the biggest creatures in the format.
The Commander
Draconic Destruction is the dragon precon from the Starter Commander Decks, built around one of the scariest attackers in the format. Atarka has flying, trample, and a nasty triggered ability: whenever you attack, each dragon you control gains double strike until end of turn. Get three dragons swinging with double strike in one attack step and that's usually enough to end the game. The deck ramps hard to land Atarka on curve and backs her up with a tight dragon package.
Atarka, World Render herself is a 6/4 with flying and trample, and with double strike that's 12 damage in one swing. A player at 40 sees that 12 and knows Atarka gets there in under four attacks with no help at all. The plan is simple: ramp, cast Atarka, attack, win.
Key Cards
Lathliss, Dragon Queen
Whenever another nontoken dragon enters the battlefield under your control, create a 5/5 red Dragon token with flying. Pay one red mana to give all your dragons +1/+0 until end of turn. In Atarka's deck every nontoken dragon you cast comes with a free 5/5. Atarka hands the whole team double strike on attack, so Lathliss adds more double strikers and can pump the board for +1/+0 at instant speed on top. One swing with three dragons plus a Lathliss activation deals at least 38 damage across the board.
Dragon Tempest
Each dragon that enters the battlefield gains haste. Whenever a dragon enters, it deals damage equal to the number of dragons you control to any target. In a deck that casts Atarka on turn six and wants to swing right away, Dragon Tempest fixes the haste problem. It also burns: each new dragon deals damage based on how many dragons you already have. The second dragon deals two, the third deals three, and once Lathliss is churning out free tokens that chain climbs to lethal fast.
Drakuseth, Maw of Flames
Whenever Drakuseth attacks, it deals 4 damage to any target and 3 damage to each of up to two other targets. That's ten damage across three things the moment it swings. Add Atarka's double strike and the attack trigger alone is twenty damage split three ways. Drakuseth outright kills whatever blocks it and hits two other targets before combat damage is even dealt.
Savage Ventmaw
Whenever Savage Ventmaw attacks, add three red and three green mana that doesn't empty from your mana pool at the end of combat. That's six free mana every attack. In a dragon deck that wants to cast threats and fire off effects during combat, Ventmaw pays for spells at instant speed with that mid-combat mana. Cast a dragon in combat with it, trigger Dragon Tempest, and give that fresh attacker Atarka's double strike.
Crucible of Fire
All dragons you control get +3/+3. Atarka goes from a 6/4 to a 9/7. A 5/5 Dragon token from Lathliss becomes an 8/8. Every dragon here is already a real threat, and Crucible of Fire makes the whole board huge. Atarka grants double strike, so that 8/8 token swings for 16, enough to kill any player in two hits. The enchantment is what pushes the dragons from threatening to lethal.
How to Play
Ramp through turns two and three on the deck's green acceleration, then start dropping dragons on turn four. Dragon Tempest fixes Atarka's haste problem and deals damage off every entry. Land Atarka by turn six and swing right away. The double strike grant hits every dragon you control, so even the small ones swing for double. The kill is simple: attack with three or four dragons, fire Atarka's double strike trigger, and deal enough to end things in one or two combats. Savage Ventmaw's mana lets you build the board mid-combat, and Lathliss makes sure every nontoken dragon that enters leaves you a backup attacker.
