I was thinking about how so many mechanics over the years have finally been getting keywords lately, and I started wondering which cards have Oracle text that is the most different from their printed text.
The most obvious ones are, of course, the original dual lands.
Example:
Bayou
Land
{T}: Add either {B} or {G} to your mana pool.
Counts as both swamp and forest and is affected by spells that affect either. If a spell destroys one of these land types, this card is destroyed; if a spell alters one of these land types, the other land type is unaffected.
Has become:
Bayou
Land - Swamp Forest
I think I can safely say that the original duals have by far the most difference between printed text and Oracle text. But what I'm wondering is what cards out there have the second-largest differences?
Illusionary maskwas by and large the furthest away from it's original text until the last update, It's still up there IMO.
Other cards would be the flash auras from visions, Oboro Envoy received some significant power level errata, the 3 portal counters are far removed also.
Other cards would be the flash auras from visions, Oboro Envoy received some significant power level errata, the 3 portal counters are far removed also.
Oboro Envoy's change to the Oracle wasn't power level errata. It was a misprint, because it was supposed to have the "until end of turn" clause on it to begin with, but it obviously didn't.
False Dawn always struck me as a print/oracle divide. As printed it's:
"Colored mana symbols on all permanents you control and on all cards you own that aren't in play become W until end of turn. Draw a card"
Oracle:
"Until end of turn, spells and abilities you control that would add colored mana to your mana pool add that much white mana instead. Until end of turn, you may spend white mana as though it were mana of any color. Draw a card"
As printed, it's not immediately obvious lands will produce white mana. And the printed card interacts with chroma. But it is confusing, because you might think it'd make your permanents white, which it doesn't. But on the whole, the oracle and printed text aren't functionally very different, but read very differently.
For a very long time Time Vault didn't work like how it was printed due to "teh borken" however it has since been reverted to its original functionality resulting in Tezzeret decks everywhere in vintage.
Animate Dead is simply a stupidly complicated card in terms of what it technically does What it does in almost all "normal" situations is pretty intuitive; but when you throw Worldgorger Dragon into the mix...
Great Whale and its compadres were errata'd during their stint in temp/urza standard because they were obscenely broken with Recurring Nightmare/Survival of The Fittest but I think that they were mainly a problem due to the game rules at the time as their current oracle text seems to be what is printed on them.
Illusionary Mask is the most messed up oracle'd card of all time becuase the way that the card was intended to work simply doesn't work with magic's card memory rules, Firestorm Pheonix similiarly doesn't, as they both require hidden things (what is under the mask, pheonix in your hand) to be having a direct effect on the game from zones where your opponent cannot legally look at them to make sure that you are not attempting to cheat.
Lotus Vale is still stuck where time vault was for years.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"But then are we most in order when we are most out of order."-Jack Cade
"That is not dead which can eternal lie, And with strange aeons even death may die."
- H.P. Lovecraft
This isn't a huge difference in terms of functionality, but the third sentence in the text on Dread Wight sounds ridiculously anachronistic by today's standards.
Guy above me beat me to the Illusionary Mask text. That card is the most *changed*, I would say. The rule about a face down creature being 2/2 had to be added, as well as how to handle the rulings about how to treat face down creatures, and the wording for paying at least the full mana cost when using the mask.
Thanks for all the great answers, guys! My original intent of this question is captured best by Zaele's list, as I was going for "biggest textual change" rather than "biggest functional change," but I ended up editing that out by mistake on my final pass of the post.
I'm very curious about what errata changes were made for the Great Wale-like set of cards, and Time Vault. I wasn't playing the game competitively back then, so I wasn't aware of any errata on those cards.
The most obvious ones are, of course, the original dual lands.
Example:
Bayou
Land
{T}: Add either {B} or {G} to your mana pool.
Counts as both swamp and forest and is affected by spells that affect either. If a spell destroys one of these land types, this card is destroyed; if a spell alters one of these land types, the other land type is unaffected.
Has become:
Bayou
Land - Swamp Forest
I think I can safely say that the original duals have by far the most difference between printed text and Oracle text. But what I'm wondering is what cards out there have the second-largest differences?
Other cards would be the flash auras from visions, Oboro Envoy received some significant power level errata, the 3 portal counters are far removed also.
Now Lich...there are some serious wording changes going on there.
Oboro Envoy's change to the Oracle wasn't power level errata. It was a misprint, because it was supposed to have the "until end of turn" clause on it to begin with, but it obviously didn't.
"Colored mana symbols on all permanents you control and on all cards you own that aren't in play become W until end of turn. Draw a card"
Oracle:
"Until end of turn, spells and abilities you control that would add colored mana to your mana pool add that much white mana instead. Until end of turn, you may spend white mana as though it were mana of any color. Draw a card"
As printed, it's not immediately obvious lands will produce white mana. And the printed card interacts with chroma. But it is confusing, because you might think it'd make your permanents white, which it doesn't. But on the whole, the oracle and printed text aren't functionally very different, but read very differently.
Animate Dead is simply a stupidly complicated card in terms of what it technically does What it does in almost all "normal" situations is pretty intuitive; but when you throw Worldgorger Dragon into the mix...
Great Whale and its compadres were errata'd during their stint in temp/urza standard because they were obscenely broken with Recurring Nightmare/Survival of The Fittest but I think that they were mainly a problem due to the game rules at the time as their current oracle text seems to be what is printed on them.
Illusionary Mask is the most messed up oracle'd card of all time becuase the way that the card was intended to work simply doesn't work with magic's card memory rules, Firestorm Pheonix similiarly doesn't, as they both require hidden things (what is under the mask, pheonix in your hand) to be having a direct effect on the game from zones where your opponent cannot legally look at them to make sure that you are not attempting to cheat.
Lotus Vale is still stuck where time vault was for years.
"That is not dead which can eternal lie, And with strange aeons even death may die."
- H.P. Lovecraft
As far as most text dropped down to the least, here's some wordy ones cut down by a lot: Control Magic, Living Lands, Steal Artifact and Bazaar of Baghdad.
I'm very curious about what errata changes were made for the Great Wale-like set of cards, and Time Vault. I wasn't playing the game competitively back then, so I wasn't aware of any errata on those cards.