MTG Salvation

First, some background.

The people at WoTC want to support Eternal formats at all levels of competitive play. Unfortunately, the format is simply too expensive for something like a Pro Tour and associated qualifier season to be economically viable. The price of key staples would be even higher they are now if they did this, due to increased demand. And because of the reserve list, they can't simply print more.

So, a new format is coming. It will be released later this year, with high-level events next year and probably a Pro Tour in 2012, assuming the format catches on. Here's how it will work.

1. Normal constructed Magic rules apply. This isn't a special-rules format like EDH or Planechase.
2. All cards printed during Masques block and later blocks, plus associated core sets, are legal (except banned cards, of course).
3. Nothing ever rotates out.

One point of uncertainty. My source says they haven't definitely decided on Masques block as the cutoff yet, but it will be around that time.

With the ability ro reprint staples if necessary, the people at WoTC hope they can make a non-rotating format which is accessible enough to use in a PT and qualifier season.

With Extended and Standard, I don't see this going very far, but you never know.

thats great, there haven't been ANY expensive cards printed since masques block!

So it's "Really Extended." I guess that could be cool. Though I feel like it would be a lot like Extended is now. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

I hope none the people that were crying endlessly about hte price of duals blocking off legacy go out and buy tarmogoyf, jitte, and the other super expensive cards printed since masques block to compete in this format

Jitte is cheap compared even to T2 cards like Jace and BSA.

I don't believe it for now, and I wouldn't like if it happened.
Dividing the player pool and Legacy isn't going to be good. I don't think MtG needs more formats.

I really like this idea. This basically makes the currently seperate legacy and vintage formats the new vintage and this format will become the new legacy. It solves the issue of $200 a card (in some cases) for an eternal format that will actually be relevent. You lose some broken stuff with the masques cut off but you still get rav block duals (which some budget legacy players are using already), all 10 fetches, and alot of solid cards that are major staples in legacy and vintage. I think given wizard's decision on the reserve list and people's growing interest in older formats this is the best way wizards could have handled something like making legacy a regular tournament format.

So it goes MM to RoE? I am not sure I read it right

Sounds interesting. I wonder if they will do something totally off the wall though? One idea that I seen floating around is making a format that you use decks in Planechase "Pre-Con" form. (6~8 rares, no duplicants. 13~5 Uncommons, allowed up to 2 on three cards. Rest are Commons, up to three copies on any.) Oh right. "Normal Constructed Rules" apply.

Edit: Some hot editing:

Quote from EldraziSpy

2. All cards printed during Masques block and later blocks, plus associated core sets, are legal (except banned cards, of course).

One point of uncertainty. My source says they haven't definitely decided on Masques block as the cutoff yet, but it will be around that time.

I say keep it as it is. People will have access to Counterspell, Dark Ritual, Brainstorm, Daze and other goods for those two colors. Green, White, and Red already have some good fuel in the later sets and blocks. Besides, it may be just called "Extended+".

i like this idea

as a huge fan of the invasion/odyssey blocks, i always thought the cards were unplayable in legacy due to the older more powerful cards, and that there should be a new format.

masques does seem like when mtg became modernized and less broken.

though i enjoy legacy now, this format sounds good.

Makes a lot of sense, considering that the Reprint Policy ends right at Masques block, meaning that they can load up DDs and FtVs with whatever staples are popular from that point on.

People saying standard is so expensive compared to Legacy really don't get it. There's nothing they can do about Legacy being expensive, what with the reprint policy of staples. Standard's pricing issues is solvable by people opening more packs of M10/Wwk. It's a HUGE difference. Legacy, like vintage is dying cause of the policy, whereas this new format might not be, if it can attract enough players.

Why not just fix the price of Legacy staples instead of making another format? This is what I didn't want to see, of all things.

Quote from bakofried

Why not just fix the price of Legacy staples instead of making another format? This is what I didn't want to see, of all things.

that is the main point though .. the price of legacy staples is unfixable with the reserve list in place

and with the recent announcement that the reserve list is here to stay, there is no way to decrease legacy prices for the duals, fows etc etc

the reserve list does what it does best, and that is to strangle a format .. it did it to vintage and its is doing it to legacy

as long as there are those that want it in place, there needs to be an eternal format that allows reprints or it to will suffer the same price hike as vintage and legacy

Sounds attractive.
I mean invasion is re-released?

Fires is back?

(not really but still)

I'm not sure how I feel about this, it seems like it will draw a lot of people away from Extended and Legacy. I would play this format over extended(which I like most now) and I don't really see much reason for new players to even enter legacy if this is true.

but it might be worth it if I can play pernicious deed again w/o having to buy duals...

Quote from entity

This will Legacy much less popular and Extended sub-par. Way to go.
Also have to agree with one of the previous posters - Standard cards are already in most cases pricier than Legacy and the new format won`t be cheaper than Legacy anyway. It`s just Wizards being to lazy to think about how to support Legacy...
Some now-living-in-a-crap-pile cards might see play again, though. That`s nice.

IMHO, that's what Legacy gets for being so inaccessible. In all sincerity, I hope beyond hope that this new format steals enough attention from Legacy and Vintage to drop demand for the eternal staples on the reserved list. It would just be so beautifully ironic if they lost their value because they didn't get reprinted!

Even if this "really really extended" isn't actually that much cheaper, the perceived difference will be more than enough. And anyway, I'd be much more willing to spring for a playset of goyfs if I didn't ALSO have to spend even more money on dual lands. Yeah, it'll still be expensive, but that kinda comes with playing magic. Hell, standard is pretty damn expensive. No matter the format, there will be staples, and they will be hard to obtain. But this way, if demand becomes way too high for the supply to meet, they can actually print some promos to get more copies in circulation.

Sadly though, I'm not sure why I should believe this rumor any more than I believed Golden Lotus. I hope beyond hope that it's for real, but I'm gonna hope for the best and expect the worst, cause I DO NOT want to get disappointed with this one.

I hope they push it further back to incorporate Mirage block, personally, if this pans out to be true.

☺☺☺☺ the reserved list. just reprint legacy stuff instead of making extra-extended!

Any idea what banned list they are going to use. Legacy or extended? Is top going to be banned? What about Disciple of the Vault?

Quote from vroman

☺☺☺☺ the reserved list. just reprint legacy stuff instead of making extra-extended!

The problem with that sentiment is that there are too many players that care too much about the list for it to be an economically sound idea for WotC. I think what they're trying to do is to draw the playerbase away from Legacy and Vintage so the price of such cards drops due to decreased demand instead of increased supply. Maybe then the people trying to "protect the value" won't care as much. *crosses fingers*

Quote from stall_19

Any idea what banned list they are going to use. Legacy or extended? Is top going to be banned? What about Disciple of the Vault?

Hard to say, but I'm hoping whatever ban list they come up with, it keeps Minds Desire legal.

Better than the current situation, but this is disappointing. Choose your own Standard variant please, as super-extended format too will be power creeped to hell, with a diminishing amount of newly printed cards playable.