Especially because snapcaster mage has a monocle on his eye and whoever on the box art doesn't.
I mean, to be fair, the snapcaster featured on the art in Innistrad is a Snapcaster Mage, not the Snapcaster Mage, considering he isn't a legend.
I certainly like that it looks like they did away with the horrible MM15 packs style. While they were a nice idea on paper, the fact that they were so easy to repack was kind of an embarrassment.
To be honest, seeing Grizzy on the packs makes me kind of hopeful that Through the Breach made it in there somewhere as a fun, red rare.
They can't put Through the Breach in because they didn't want to include a whole Arcane theme and it wouldn't make sense in the draft environment without a bunch of other Arcane cards and of course the most important thing about a short printed $10 per pack MSRP product that is heavily speculated on is the goddamn draft environment
Wizards can arbitrarily justify whatever they want. After all, they excluded Serum Visions because there were no other cards with Scry X in the set, just to make Scry X evergreen in the following set. Then they also extensively supported their themes like exalted consisting exclusively of Noble Hierarch, Battlegrace Angel and Ethercaste Knight. And lets not forget their "aura voltron" theme in Daybreak Coronet, with the only other beneficial auras in the set being Splinter Twin and Goblin War Paint. With that in mind, assuming they bother to think about Arcane, I could absolutely see them just chucking Lava Spike and Evermind in the set, along with Through the Breach and call that a drafting theme.
My only issue with Frontier is I’m not sure its starting point is correct. I wouldn’t have included Khans block because I don’t think you want fetches in the format.
If Fetchlands is a "sooner or later they'll put them in Standard"-thing, then surely the starting point for Frontier is irrelevant, since the fetches will get in there sooner rather than later too? Perhaps, R&D took a dislike for fetches in standard after last run (very good mana, too much shuffling).
There was also this, although he Maybe's a lot of things, but he also likes to tease things on his blog. :
On the other hand, the fact that one of the two Black mythics is already from the Innistrad block could mean that they had the balls to not reprint Liliana at all. It's still possible of course, but from all the sets they can choose from are both Black Mythics really going to be from the same block? It would explain the secrecy they had with the product.
If MM15 was a reliable indicator, most of the mythics in this set will be from Innistrad and RTR blocks. 9 of the 15 mythics there were from Zendikar and Scars blocks, and of the 6 that weren't, 4 were reprints from the original MM and another had just been unbanned.
Folks, get ready for some chaff, especially if both LotV makes the cut and Tarmogoyf gets another go-around. For one, I expect all three mythic miracles to be in this set.
As for a LOTV reprint, if she doesn't show up here she will probably be in Amonkhet. Unlike most modern staples where they can't print them in a standard legal set, LOTV isn't a standard warping card. With no strong discard effects and graveyard and discard mechanics leaving standard she could easily be introduced in standard.
Don't bet on that one. LotV was originally slotted to be the black PW in M15, but R&D decided it would be a mistake to put her in standard again.
They didn't print LotV in M15 because they didn't want a "no fun allowed" standard with LotV and Thoughtsieze at the same time, but said that she was still a candidate for Standard in "the right place".
They can't put Through the Breach in because they didn't want to include a whole Arcane theme and it wouldn't make sense in the draft environment without a bunch of other Arcane cards and of course the most important thing about a short printed $10 per pack MSRP product that is heavily speculated on is the goddamn draft environment
I'm sure there doesn't need to be a ton of Arcane in this set to make it usable on its own. I mean they could just put in things like Kodama's Reach or other normal value Arcane spells without needing an Arcane archtype.
It was a mistake to reprint her alongside Thoughtseize my man. I hope you can understand them not doing it in M15. They did say here power level in certain environments was problematic but that she wasn't too powerful to do in standard. Also she wasn't a dominant card in standard. All that to say they could absolutely reprint her in a standard legal set!
I actually think that is snapcaster mage on the box art(atleast a mage from innistrad). Based on the armor around the neck because even Jace had leathers around his neck when he went to innistrad to investigate. Definitely meant to keep vampires off him.
pucatrade
big receipts
alpha mox emerald
beta time walk
4 goyfs received
3 liliana of the veil
4 karn liberated
3 force of will
4 grove of the burnwillows
snapcaster mage
3 horizon canopy
2 full art damnation
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It was a mistake to reprint her alongside Thoughtseize my man. I hope you can understand them not doing it in M15. They did say here power level in certain environments was problematic but that she wasn't too powerful to do in standard. Also she wasn't a dominant card in standard. All that to say they could absolutely reprint her in a standard legal set!
That would certainly be a change to their planeswalker reprint policy, in which planeswalkers only reappear in core sets, precons, reprint-heavy sets, and other supplementary products (FtV, etc). Printings in block-based expansions represent planeswalkers at certain points in the story, so Wizards likes new versions to represent character development. Back when people tried to claim that LoTV would be reprinted in Eldritch Moon, the usual counterpoint was that her ultimate specifically referred to her role in Innistrad's story in which she forced Thalia to choose between her saving soliders or protecting the Helvault. While the retiring of core sets could have opened up more opportunities for planeswalker reprints in other sets, the same argument against the reprint of Liliana of the Veil in EMN very much still applies to Amonkhet.
It was a mistake to reprint her alongside Thoughtseize my man. I hope you can understand them not doing it in M15. They did say here power level in certain environments was problematic but that she wasn't too powerful to do in standard. Also she wasn't a dominant card in standard. All that to say they could absolutely reprint her in a standard legal set!
That would certainly be a change to their planeswalker reprint policy, in which planeswalkers only reappear in core sets, precons, reprint-heavy sets, and other supplementary products (FtV, etc). Printings in block-based expansions represent planeswalkers at certain points in the story, so Wizards likes new versions to represent character development. Back when people tried to claim that LoTV would be reprinted in Eldritch Moon, the usual counterpoint was that her ultimate specifically referred to her role in Innistrad's story in which she forced Thalia to choose between her saving soliders or protecting the Helvault. While the retiring of core sets could have opened up more opportunities for planeswalker reprints in other sets, the same argument against the reprint of Liliana of the Veil in EMN very much still applies to Amonkhet.
Stoic Angel is shown as the card of the day on the mothership:
- card # 190 of 249
- it is a rare (not mythic)
Tried to see if this could give a hint on the number of gold cards. MM2015 had gold cards from 170-200, and Stoic Angel would have been #188 in that set. So nothing too out of the ordinary.
I expect at least 10% more golds in this set than other MM sets, because Return to Ravnica block is specifically mentioned as one of the two blocks the set will aim for (the other being Innistrad).
Fetchlands should not be reprinted in the $10 MSRP, limited print run sets. They need to be reprinted in Standard.
UR Blue-Red Control
Modern:
UBR Grixis Control
UWR Jeskai Control
I'm somewhat worried about this comment from Mark Rosewater about fetches and Frontier:
If Fetchlands is a "sooner or later they'll put them in Standard"-thing, then surely the starting point for Frontier is irrelevant, since the fetches will get in there sooner rather than later too? Perhaps, R&D took a dislike for fetches in standard after last run (very good mana, too much shuffling).
There was also this, although he Maybe's a lot of things, but he also likes to tease things on his blog. :
Cubetutor Peasant'ish-Funbox
Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
They didn't print LotV in M15 because they didn't want a "no fun allowed" standard with LotV and Thoughtsieze at the same time, but said that she was still a candidate for Standard in "the right place".
I'm sure there doesn't need to be a ton of Arcane in this set to make it usable on its own. I mean they could just put in things like Kodama's Reach or other normal value Arcane spells without needing an Arcane archtype.
As for mechanics, etc...., there were a whopping 3 cards with 'exalted' in MM15.
only 13 'arcane' in mm13, 5 cards with 'evoke' in mm13.
They can just make one theme reanimation/cheat fatties footsteps of the goryo, unburial rites, quicksilver amulet
pucatrade
big receipts
alpha mox emerald
beta time walk
4 goyfs received
3 liliana of the veil
4 karn liberated
3 force of will
4 grove of the burnwillows
snapcaster mage
3 horizon canopy
2 full art damnation
No source, but each Masters set has only had 2 Planeswalkers.
MM2013: Elspeth, Knight-Errant and Sarkhan Vol
MM2015: Tezzeret the Seeker and Karn Liberated
EMA: Jace, the Mind Sculptor and Dack Fayden
It feels like a safe bet that there are only 2 walkers in MM2017
Spirits
On the box, buddy, not the packs....
STANDARD:
RRRMono RedRRR
MODERN:
BGBeatdown ElvesBG
GWDevoted Druid ComboGW
EDH:
URGMaelstrom WandererURG
BBBSheoldred, Whispering OneBBB
BGNath of the Gilt-LeafBG
Looking for Knowledge Pools! All languages, conditions, foil/non-foil, etc. PM me with your Pools and we can work something out
btw, I saw a spoiled playmat which art looks like goblin guide
That would certainly be a change to their planeswalker reprint policy, in which planeswalkers only reappear in core sets, precons, reprint-heavy sets, and other supplementary products (FtV, etc). Printings in block-based expansions represent planeswalkers at certain points in the story, so Wizards likes new versions to represent character development. Back when people tried to claim that LoTV would be reprinted in Eldritch Moon, the usual counterpoint was that her ultimate specifically referred to her role in Innistrad's story in which she forced Thalia to choose between her saving soliders or protecting the Helvault. While the retiring of core sets could have opened up more opportunities for planeswalker reprints in other sets, the same argument against the reprint of Liliana of the Veil in EMN very much still applies to Amonkhet.
But you're right that the creative is a challenge.
Cubetutor Peasant'ish-Funbox
Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
Tried to see if this could give a hint on the number of gold cards. MM2015 had gold cards from 170-200, and Stoic Angel would have been #188 in that set. So nothing too out of the ordinary.
Cubetutor Peasant'ish-Funbox
Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
Restoration angel
Good sign of cavern of souls since this card is in the same set as this card.