MTG Salvation

This is the fourth poll for voting on which card is the 'MVP' from each Magic Set with regards to the Commander format.

Link to Poll 1
Link to Poll 2
Link to Poll 3

The definition of MVP for the purposes of this thread is really up to each person voting, but in general it should be the card you feel is either the best card power-wise, or a card you feel has the most influence on the format, or the card you feel leads to the best games, or your favorite card from the set, or the one you see the most in your playgroup. Just like voting for sports MVP's, the definition of "MVP" is deliberately left open to interpretation to allow for each voter to bring their personal experiences and/or thoughts to the table. My hope is that each person voting will establish their own criteria taking Power, Influence, Ubiquity, Personal Experience, etc. all into consideration and weighing their vote based on several criteria.

This time it's Masques and Invasion Block. This is definitely a step down from Tempest and Urza's blocks, but there are still some pretty good MVP candidates out there. Happy voting!

Masques actually has some good stuff. Bribery is less popular than it has been, but it's still a commander favorite. Dust bowl and high market see a ton of play. Gush I believe also sees play. Food chain got my vote as the most powerful, though it's definitely niche.

nemesis is kor haven, skyshroud claim, tangle wire, and rising waters. I went Kor Haven because I think it's one of the most powerful utility lands in the format.

prophecy is joke. Rhystic study is the only card that sees significant play.

invasion has a decent amount of stuff, FoF, aura shards, obliterate, and rout are all strong cards. I probably use FoF and Rout the most, but I voted aura shards for raw power.

planeshift is a bit weaker. I went diabolic intent, but terminate is also solid. I don't like hull breach because it's a sorcery. The rest is pretty weak.

apocalypse has decent stuff, but I think it's down to arena vs deed. I voted arena but both are strong.

No Misdirection in MM? Clearly the best card in the set.

Quote from darrenhabib »

No Misdirection in MM? Clearly the best card in the set.

I don't think I've ever seen a Misdirection played in a game of EDH ever. For Vintage and Legacy, it is likely the best card in the set as a pseudo-Force of Will, but for Commander I didn't think it was relevant. I will add it to the poll nonetheless.

Hmmm.... That Mercadian Masques poll. I was really stuck between Bribery and High Market. Market goes in more decks, but Bribery can sometimes just win a game... Had to give it to Bribery.

Mercadian Masques - Bribery : Picked Bribery due to the power and how fun it is. High Market can go in alot of decks buts its alright in the power level. I really like Black Market aswell but it needs more setup while Bribery can be used whenever you feel like. Food Chain is the most powerfull but its incredibly niche so no way its MVP for me.

Nemesis - Skyshroud Claim : Now whole alot of cards so went for the generic good ramp spell

Prophecy - Rhystic Study : LOL theres no competition here. I like Spore Frog but that card is niche while study is stupid good aand powerfull. Easiest pick so far.

Invasion - Aura Shards : There are some goodies here like Rout as a solid wrath, Fact or Fictionfor been a great card draw effect, Phyrexian Altar for been one of the more powerfull sac outlets, Captain Sisay for been a powerfull commander, etc. But it was still an easy pick because Aura Shards is generic and extremelly powerfull. Can easilly go in any deck in those colors.

Planeshift - Diabolic Intent : ehhh went for the boring pick, its too close to Demonic Tutor and that card is one of the msot powerfull cards in the format. Boring choice i know.

Apocalypse - Phyrexian Arena : Might be an overrated card but it feels good to draw extra card every turn and its still a powerfull and defining card in the format. Pernicious Deed would be my second choice for been a very strong mass removal.

Quote from darrenhabib »

No Misdirection in MM? Clearly the best card in the set.

I'm severely disappointed by the lack of Thwart and Foil. Though I didn't vote for either of them.

Masques: Black Market Just, that much mana every turn. Obviously good in Aristocrats or just plain tokens, but also there are enough wraths in this format to make it good on its own.

Nemesis: Daze Still unexpected. And obviously has benefits in landfall and some Stax variants. (Ones with Winter Orb...) Thwart fits in this too, as does Gush.

Prophecy: Okay, there aren't many good ones, but more than I thought. There's a cycle of pitch spells, but I could only see myself generally playing two or three. There are the avatars, but how many are really playable? The cycle of land auras is pretty cool with Earthcraft. Spore Frog belongs in many a Sun Titan package. The legendary spellshapers are good, as are Keldon Arsonist and Keldon Firebombers. But who am I kidding? Rhystic Study is the best.

Invasion: Aura Shards /discussion It's not that there weren't a lot of options, just that Mycosynth Lattice exists, a lot of players rely heavily on artifacts and enchantments because they get Wrath'd less, and a lot of players rely heavily on artifacts to circumvent color identity rules (e.g., nongreen players relying heavily on mana rocks, white and red players relying heavily on Book of Rass).

Planeshift: Diabolic Intent. Funny how my second pick was Eladamri's Call, followed by Terminate.

Apocalypse: Mystic Snake, though Pernicious Deed, Phyrexian Arena and Vindicate were all up there, but the Snake won.

Mercadian Masques
MVP: Bribery - I get the love for High Market, and it's a solid enough card. It's just in this format being able to pull the best creature out of someone deck and then beat their face in with it is both incredible and delightful.
That's really worth playing?: Spidersilk Armor in almost 1700 decks? I understand some of that is for Doran and Arcades, but even there, this seems just so marginal.
Some men just want to watch the world burn: Thieves' Auction
I too like to live dangerously: Hunted Wumpus - In this format? 400+ people are clearly flying high without a safety net
Surprised it doesn't see more love: Cowardice - So disruptive, even when you don't build around it.

Nemesis
MVP: Skyshroud Claim - Pretty straightforward. Being able to fetch dual lands seems like a strong thing for cards.
Overplayed: Terrain Generator - It's not bad, and certainly has niche uses. But 7000 decks?
Wait, why?: Moggcatcher and Seahunter are Mercenaries, but Skyshroud Poacher is a Rebel? I am confused.

Prophecy
MVP: Rhystic Study - I don't love it, but when the pickings are this slim
Only likeable card from this set: Spore Frog - He's just so cute. And recur-able
Epitomizes this set: Celestial Convergence - If you work hard and spend a really long time, you might accomplish something, but probably not.

Invasion
MVP: Aura Shards - so important. Fact or Fiction may be both more fun and more powerful, but the shards are far less replaceable. Side note: FoF just isn't the same in a multiplayer game. It's one of the cards where the social dynamics disrupt the mind games, rather than enhance them (at least in my opinion).
Prices are funny: Phyrexian Altar - I'm not complaining about card prices, because I get the economics of it. But wow.
Least Favorite Card: Planar Portal - Either the card sucks, or you do, for playing it in the manner that makes it good.
I see your army, I just don't care: Dueling Grounds - Sometimes, it's easier to just invalidate your opponents swarm then deal with them

Planeshift
MVP: Eladamri's Call - edges out Diabolic Intent, but just barely
What was wizards thinking?: Goblin Game - This card escaped from an UN-set, right?
Asking for trouble: Meteor Crater - A land that produces nothing unless you have a colored permanent in play? Hard pass.
Surprised I don't see more: Warped Devotion - Not that this card should be everywhere, I'd just expect to see it see some play

Apocalypse:
MVP: Pernicious Deed - So good. And while Phyrexian Arena is strong and everywhere, it's also totally overplayed.
Look at all the reprints: Not linking, but all the key cards in this set have been heavily reprinted. There are a bunch of good cards, but the most expensive one is only $12 and that one has been reprinted 6ish times. You can probably stop reprinting Prophetic Bolt for a while though.
Bad cards are bad: Index - It's not good folks. And there are a lot of ways to play with the top of your deck that don't make me cringe.
You do know it's good: Wild Research - Happy to see this played. It doesn't belong everywhere, but it's fantastic where it belongs.
I just love it: Mystic Snake. It's close to the MVP level, but not quite. That said, I love it and want to mention it, even though it's heavily played because you all love it too.
Relic of a bygone era: Spiritmonger - You were once so fearsome. But that time is long gone. Just like JNCO jeans, while you were once desired, now if you are spotted it's as a curiosity.

MVP is such a subjective term, but usually in sports it’s how important a player is to an individual team, not how many teams they’ve played for.

Aura shards is played in more decks than Captain Sisay, but Captain Sisay is much more valuable in a deck where she’s a Commander than aura shards is in any deck.

I want to make a case for the enemy painlands. Arena is overrated, it's a decent card and highly played but often overplayed even as a budget option. Deed is the best card in terms of power, and is my runner up. I voted for the painlands because of what they do for the format. They are a reasonable budget option for many players and enable people to more effectively run 3+ color decks. The are legitimately strong cards that only pale next to some very expensive pieces of cardboard, and due to the nature of Mana bases simply not having ABUR duals is enough to make these make the cut. These are widely played, powerful cards that contribute greatly to the format and would be missed more than arena, or even deed among less enfranchised players.

The Prophesy results are funny, if a bit predictable. Rhystic Study has such a massive lead over everything else (with good reason). I just went through all four polls, and the next highest was like 78%, and it went to an entire category of cards (Mirage tutors), and it still was almost 10% lower than Rhystic Study. The set really wasn't all that good, which makes the powerhouse Study stand out even more.

And yet, when printing Masters 25 and including at least one iconic card from each set, what card did they choose from Prophesy? Not Rhystic Study, which badly needs a reprint. Not Spore Frog, which would not be unwelcomed as a reprint. Not even Avatar of Woe, a card that has had enough reprints. But Plague Wind, a card I haven't even seen anyone play in years.

Prophecy is an odd set. While I think they dropped the ball with regards to Prophecy in Masters 25, aside from the obvious reprint of Rhystic Study, there weren't a lot of good options. Part of the problem is that the defining mechanics of the set are horrible. Rhystic spells, things that want you to tap out, things that blow up your own lands - The sets mechanics are just unpleasant. When you add in a low powerlevel, it's almost like you want to pretend the set doesn't exist. Now, the Winds and the Avatars give it an identity, which allows them to reprint a card thats not completely awful and makes you think Prophecy, as opposed to a card like Reveille Squad, which might play fine in limited and isn't terrible, but does make you say "Oh, that's from Prophecy?"

But yeah, they should have just reprinted Rhystic Study.

Don't sell them short Onering, the painlands aren't just budget options. The are excellent and powerful cards, more important now because of OGW's decision to make colorless mana matter, and they are solid fixing. Too many people are far too willing to deal with lands that enter the battlefield tapped, and there is huge value to the efficient mana fixing lands that don't. They didn't make a most valueable player list for me, but they are absolutely solid contributors to the format.

And as for interpretation of the MVP term, as suggested by NZB2323: I don't think you can just look at a single deck. There's no right answer, and disagreement is great, but you have to look at the format as a whole.
Is it the most played card?
Is it the most powerful card?
Is it the most important card to the decks that it's played in?
I tend to think of it as which card would have the biggest impact if it disappeared? If that card ceased to exist, which card would create the biggest ripple effect and changes in decklists and playstyles, both for pople who play the card and people who would otherwise play against it.
But even when you define what determines your MVP, the criteria to make that determination is often not precisely quantifiable. Which means just have fun and go with what feels like the best answer to you.

This was a bit harder as there are very few cards across all the choices I actually play and 2 sets I don't play any cards. Here is what I went with:

Mercadian Masques
High Market - This is one of my go to lands in a bunch of decks. It prevents my stuff from getting exiled, lets me get "dies" triggers, and lets me reanimate stuff when I need to. It is second (in sac lands) only to Diamond Valley since it requires no other mana to activate, unlike Miren, the Moaning Well (which would be my top choice from SOK).

Nemesis
Kor Haven - I don't really use much from this set, but I have had success with Kor Haven and it has saved me a few times.

Prophecy
Rhystic Study - I don't use any cards from this set (I have tried to make Avatar of Woe work a number of times and I always cut it) so I just went with the card that is clearly above the rest in ubiquity and usefulness.

Invasion
Aura Shards - I could have gone with Fact or Fiction but Aura Shards is often a much better card due blowing up early artifact ramp and getting rid of troublesome enchantments as needed.

Planeshift
Diabolic Intent - I do use Terminate from Planeshift, but I think Diabolic Intent, overall, is the more impactful card. I generally don't run tutors but this one is pretty decent. And sometimes sacrificing a creature can be a benefit especially in the color that cares about reanimating.

Apocalypse
Pernicious Deed - This is a great card. It clears away everything but Planeswalkers and allows for a scale so you can destroy what you need from the opponents while still potentially keeping your stuff around. It telegraphs your plays a little but something this slows down opponents as they are trying to play around it so it isn't the worst thing either.

Quote from Sharpened »

Prophecy is an odd set. While I think they dropped the ball with regards to Prophecy in Masters 25, aside from the obvious reprint of Rhystic Study, there weren't a lot of good options. Part of the problem is that the defining mechanics of the set are horrible. Rhystic spells, things that want you to tap out, things that blow up your own lands - The sets mechanics are just unpleasant. When you add in a low powerlevel, it's almost like you want to pretend the set doesn't exist. Now, the Winds and the Avatars give it an identity, which allows them to reprint a card thats not completely awful and makes you think Prophecy, as opposed to a card like Reveille Squad, which might play fine in limited and isn't terrible, but does make you say "Oh, that's from Prophecy?"

But yeah, they should have just reprinted Rhystic Study.

Prophecy is weird. It's like Zendikar's evil twin. There's a huge lands matter theme, but it's all the not-fun parts of lands. There are more gems than Rhystic Study and Avatar of Woe. Cards I could see use for include the legendary spellshapers, the land auras, the spiketails, Calming Verse, Aura Fracture, Latulla's Orders, Foil, Keldon Arsonist, Gulf Squid, Keldon Firebombers, Overburden, Squirrel Wrangler, Rhystic Deluge, Mana Vapors, and Well of Discovery. Citadel of Pain is handy when you're in full **** U mode; just make sure to kill everything that untaps the blue player's lands. Reveille Squad is nice, I guess. I mean, if you don't have Seedborn Muse or are in the eight "W AND NOT G" color identities (monowhite, Azorius, Orzhov, Boros, Esper, Jeskai, and greenless, just for the record); there is literally no reason to play it if you have access to Seedborn Muse.

An aside: I remember rich kids not knowing how to pronounce reveille. (To be fair, you would think the e, if not the whole lle, was silent because French.) Being from a military family helps.

Yeah, if I had realized Terrain Generator was from Nemesis, I definitely would have voted other. Never build a mono-colored deck without it..