Your logic on a lot of these is good, but I still disagree with you on Raging Ravine. One of the benefit of manlands is that in attrition battles and topdeck wars, they are still there. In situations where the board has been wiped and players are topdecking, Raging Ravine is one of the best manlands available.
Putting yourself in a situation where your gameplan is to activate these creature lands is usually very weak. But one of the benefits of them is that they are generally mana fixing for you, and if you have nothing better to do, can do more. Raging Ravine does more better than most. Not as valuable as Tarpit's unblockability or Quagmire's rattlesnake, in most cases. But stronger than you are giving it credit for.
I'd break those 10 manlands up into 4 tiers:
Tier 1: Tarpit and Hissing Quagmire - Relevant abilities. You might actually want to animate these when you have other things to do.
Tier 2: U/W, R/W, R/G, R/B - Solid beatdown (order based on your preference, as they are all close). Ravine hits hardest consistently, Lavaclaw can fireball someone out, Colonnade has evasion, and Spires works best with pumps/equips. If there's nothing better to do, these are solid uses of your mana.
Tier 3: Wildwood and Vent - Might matter in rare cases. Specifically, blocking a flier or gaining life (albeit badly).
Tier 4 : Fumarole and Falls - I mean, they are bodies. Which is not nothing, but they are far from exciting.
And for what it's worth, I'd put Tier 1 significantly above the others, and Tiers 2 through 4 as pretty close.
It's not centralizing for the deck playing it though. It's not the best tutor target regardless of boardstate. Sure, if you have a large number of creatures, it can be the best target. But it's still a situational card. (And again, Tooth and Nail combos with it are issues with T&N, not the Hoof)
It's a strong card. But there is nothing wrong with expensive strong cards that end the game. It doesn't ignore everything that has come before, as it requires a boardstate to matter. Games don't warp and become all about Hoof. Deckbuilding decisions for the format are not really impacted by the legality of the card (If it was banned, it would be replaced, and no one is running Hoof specific answers that they wouldn't be packing if it weren't legal).
I know it seems counterproductive to add lands that only tap for a single color when you want better fixing, but it's true. Sunken Hollow and Smoldering Marsh are just going to come into play tapped. You'll still have difficulty turning on Drowned Catacomb, Dragonskull Summit, and Sulfur Falls. It's important that your lands that can come into play untapped actually do so.
You have some filtering with the Signets and Graven Cairns, but you probably want Cascade Bluffs and Sunken Ruins as well. Cards like Ash Barrens and Grixis Panorama can be untapped lands or can help you find a basic to allow your buddy lands to shine. You will have opportunities to play lands tapped, since your not doing anything on turn 1 (except playing Kederekt Parasite in a deck with only 2 red permanents - not ideal).
Also, check your colorless utility lands. I get some of them, but Halimar Depths, Reliquary Tower, Temple of the False God and Boseiju, who shelters all all strike me as unnecessary. Yeah, getting something countered sucks, but your playing a bunch of redundant spells. If they counter one wheel affect, the next one will work.
Other than that, you split your mana relatively evenly, despite the fact that the casting costs in your deck are not evenly split. You have very few red cards, and yet you run as many red sources as you do black sources, when you play lots more black cards with more intense casting costs (see Underworld Dreams).
And obviously, fetchlands would be huge. They grab you duals, they ensure your buddy lands can enter untapped, they are exactly what you want. I assume budget has kept you away from them.
Sadly I fear it will tank the stuff that's more rare and not played much, but won't have much effect on high priced staples.
The idea of this set making a significant dent in the high priced staples is a pipe dream. Not at the $14 a pack price point. Tarmogoyf has been consistently reprinted (all 3 modern masters sets) and is still a $60 card. And I suspect the reason he's down to $60 from his old average of around $100 has more to do with the dominance of Delve spells and Fatal Push than any increase in availability.
Even if there's still a ton of incredible cards that get reprinted in this set, the MSRP doesn't give significant room for the prices on those cards to drop. The EV on a box may be worth the exorbitant price, but unless the box toppers hold insane levels of value, the cards have to keep the prices up, or the EV drops to the point that no on opens any of the product, and then their isn't an influx of singles lowering their prices. Besides, the most likely cards to see their prices drop are the marginal ones. Things like Balefire Dragon, Platinum Emperion and other marginal (although currently above pack price) Mythics will get hit hardest, while sought after things like Karn Liberated may see slight dips that promptly disappear quickly.
Look at things like Leovald, Emissary of Trest. Reprints in Masters sets don't cause prices to drop, bannings (Banned in commander, Deathrite banned in Legacy) are what cut his value in half.
The way wizards is pricing (as well as printing levels), these reprints aren't the difference in taking $40 cards down to $20. They are the difference between $40 cards being out of stock vs available for purchase. It's better than nothing, but hard to get excited about.
This product doesn't make sense. It doesn't fill a need. It doesn't have a real market it serves.
In many ways the game has evolved away from it. And there's no tangible benefit for going back to it. Nostalgia isn't enough.
So where is this better?
Sealed events?
Nope. Boosters accomplish the same thing. The box is not relevant to too many players as sleeves are so prevalent. The lands provided aren't sufficient and needs to be supplemented, so the benefits there are gone too (if your providing excess land for the event anyway, it doesn't need to come in the sealed product).
Established players?
Not really. They don't need the lands, especially with a land in every booster. Again, sleeves and a thriving market of supplemental products for better storage boxes mean the cheap cardboard boxes aren't relevant. The only argument I am seeing in this thread is basically an inefficiency in conversion rate due to the extra uncommon, but that's not inherent in the product. A tournament pack doesn't have to have 10 uncommons for 3 packs worth of cards by default. By the same token, WotC could make booster packs with 4 uncommons each.
New players?
Nope. Cutting a sealed deck down to a playable product takes skill, which new players don't have, or creates a relatively poor play experience. Sure, I learned to play off of sealed product, but even 24 years ago stores were creating better starter products. Now, instead of makeshift ones like I got in the mid '90s, there are quality starter products like deckbuilders toolkits or theme decks with packs to create a workable base with the supplemental randomness. And those new products are better at providing needed lands than the tournament packs would be.
I see the nostalgia desire for them, but that won't last and doesn't mean they are a good product.
I remember asking my LGS about it when they discontinued them. I was told then that they were terrible sellers. Since they sold poorly, and they don't serve a need, why would they be a good idea to bring back?
Mirrodin
MVP: Lightning Greaves - There are a lot of fine options. I'm partial to Jens (Solemn Simulacrum) but the boots feels more important. In a format structured with a single (usually, I see you Partner) creature, protecting and giving haste to that creature seems and is off the charts important.
EDHREC is broken: Solemn Simulacrum is in 3.8 million decks, per the Mirrodin page. Per the Top 100 cards page, there are probably only around 275,000 decks. Numbers on Fabricate and Chrome Mox seem similarly borked.
Overlooked Gem: Damping Matrix - So good. So disruptive. And since it doesn't disrupt mana abilities, it doesn't accidentally create bad will like so many other disruptive spells.
Synergy Fail: Fiery Gambit - Only 53% of the decks running this card are running Krark's Thumb. For shame.
Darksteel
MVP: Skullclamp - It's obviously this and not close, but it is surprising to me how a card this insane doesn't actually have a warping effect on this format.
Properly named: Savage Beating - Good card, get's some play, but most importantly, fantastically named.
"I saw that. Brick killed a guy": Surestrike Trident - Probably unnecessary. If you get him big enough for this to matter, you likely can use combat with ease.
You're the worst: Trinisphere - But you know that. If you play this card in this format, I would insult you, but you'd take pride in that.
Fifth Dawn
MVP: Eternal Witness - So good. Not much needs to be said.
Yeah, but how many? Relentless Rats - Sure, 804 decks, but in this case, that's not enough info. I want to know how many get played. What do you think is the average number of these guys in a deck? 30ish?
Overplayed: Vedalken Orrery - I'm not saying it's not good. It can be absolutely excellent. But it's played far too often in far too many places without being properly utilized. It's not an every deck card, people.
Champions of Kamigawa
MVP: Sensei's Divining Top - This set is really hard to pick. So many options that feel really close to each other. Sakura-Tribe Elder might be it, and Ghostly Prisonfeels in the ballpark as well.
Looks like an MVP, but isn't: Time Stop - Flashy card. Cool card. Powerful effect. Never feels worth it.
I remember when you mattered: Hinder - another casualty of the tuck rule.
Betrayers of Kamigawa
MVP: Umezawa's Jitte - There's very little that needs to be said.
Worth the Cost: Final Judgment - i get that this is an expensive wrath. But preventing recursion and not caring about indestructibility makes this bad boy worth the extra mana..
Not as cute: Kami of False Hope - Spore Frog gets more love because it's cuter. It's not fair, but appearance matters.
Saviors of Kamigawa
MVP: One with Nothing - This is the equivalent of me writing 'They all suck' on the ballot.
Yes, it is decent: Miren, the Moaning Well - The card is fine, but I'm supposed to get excited about this as the best card in the set?
Underutilized Gem: Manriki-Gusari - All those equipment decks should both love and hate this card. I remember being at a legacy GP back when Stoneblade was the dominant deck and people were looking everywhere to try and ind this one for the sideboard. It's a solid card.
Why? I guess having it in your opening hand feels bad but not by that mutch. i think is a solid card
A land that does nothing as one of your first 4! lands is a land with a serious drawback. The payoff for dealing with that drawback is pretty underwhelming.
Basically, in the situations where it's bad, it's SOOOO BAD. In the situations where it's good, it's good but not overwhelmingly so. That combined with the fact that WotC won't stop reprinting it and putting it in commander mana bases is going to evoke strong emotions.
Personally, I suspect the mana bases of at least half of the decks that run it would be improved by replacing it with something else.
Odyssey
MVP: Time Stretch - This set kind of strikes me as not really having an MVP. I mean, Diabolic Tutor is by far the most played, but that's a bad card that people pretend is good. And it's not that the set is bad, just a lot of roleplayers. So I picked the card that stands out to me as the flashiest, most emblematic card of the set in this format.
Needs more love: Millikin - Mana and graveyard filling, this little (adorable) enabler doesn't see the play it deserves.
Needs less love: Traumatize - It's not unplayable, but it's definitely played too much.
Really? Decimate - it's a fine card, but 9000+ decks?
Torment
MVP: Cabal Coffers - It's no contest, obviously. But I allow me to state how much I dislike this card in this format. It's not TOO powerful, but it is, if you know what I mean. It doesn't throw off competitive balance, but it just commands to much weight/attention. Like, every black deck needs to run it, and it is almost always the card you should tutor for first, regardless of whats happening. And with Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, it's not just a mono-B card, but a any black deck card. It eliminates choices and interesting decisions because it is always the correct one. That's my complaint with this card.
Not interested: Insidious Dreams - If this card is good in your deck, I'm pretty sure your games are not fun.
Feel bad for : Tainted Peak - All the other tainted lands got reprints, why is this one so unloved?
Judgement
MVP: Mirari's Wake - I guess. I dunno. This set also feels like a ton of roleplayers.
It's bad, you do know that right?: Browbeat - Although kudos to WotC on the naming of this card. Every time it's played, someone just has to Browbeat the caster about how it's a terrible card and they should know that.
Black Sheep of the family: Valor - Congratulations! You are the crappy Incarnation.
Onslaught
MVP: It's the Fetchlands. They are the spine of eternal format manabases. But that's boring to discuss.
Biggest Stock Drop: Oblation - This card was fantastic when you could tuck opposing Generals. Now you can't.
Format All-Star: Insurrection or Blatant Thievery - I can't decide. Both of these cards make me think of the shenanigans of this format, but can't win MVP that the fetches have on lockdown.
And what's with combining the words into 1 vote? They are very different. Words of Wind is meaningful combo engine weirdness. Words of Wilding is not.
Also, cheers to WotC for finally thinking of multiplayer with the appearance of cards like Syphon Mind
Legions
MVP: Seedborn Muse - Just on another level. Effectively taking multiple turns for every one of yours.
Most Overplayed Sliver: Root Sliver - This is just the least needed highly played sliver
Best Zombie: Noxious Ghoul - I know it's the 3rd most played zombie from the set, but it's better than the other two
This sets boring. It seems removing all card types except 1 from a set resulted in something uninteresting. Imagine that.
Scourge
MVP: Forgotten Ancient - Oh Mr. Babycakes, we watched you grow. You came up just short for other formats, but here you are free to roam.
WotC, please stop: Temple of the False God - There are 4 cards that have been reprinted in EVERY commander set. This is one of them. It should not be. It has its place. Its place is definitely not EVERYWHERE.
I Decree that you shall have no friends: Not just Decree of Annihilation, but I see you people trying to flicker/recycle Decree of Silence. Please don't.
Rob from the poor, give to the rich: Lethal Vapors - It's bad when you need it to be good, and good when it doesn't matter.
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.
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.
Tempest
MVP: Wasteland - Surprised to see so many votes for (and more players playing) Ancient Tomb. The Tomb is a fantastic card, but I wouldn't expect it to outpace Wasteland by so much. Maybe I prioritize answers more than most.
Iconic Card of the Set: Time Warp - This is the card I think of when I think Tempest EDH
Really?: Mirri's Guile - Not a bad card, looks very overplayed to me. You need to be abusing it (like say, with Courser of Kruphix) and I think far to many people are playing it as a generic good card, which likely isn't worth doing
Underused Gem - Fool's Tome - Obviously needs a specific deck, but keeps a steady supply of gas as long as you're willing to spend it.
Stronghold
MVP: Grave Pact - Always expect to have to deal with this card. You may not have to, but there's always someone who plays it (or it's many imitations) lurking about.
Greedy: Horn of Greed - Are you abusing it? Some of you are. Those who aren't, meh.
Play fair!: Hermit Druid - I don't know how you play this card and resist the temptation to go all in. But clearly, most of you do, so good for you. I don't know that I could make a deck with the guy without trying to demonstrate that he should be banned.
I don't believe you: Mox Diamond - in 10K+ decks? I think you lie.
Exodus
MVP: Survival of the Fittest - I can see picking Coat of Arms, but that helps my opponents and can be a counting nightmare on a crowded boardstate. Survival just creates a world of possibility.
Overplayed: Spellbook - So not worth it. Also, whenever I see someone play this card, I immediately assume their home could be featured on Hoarders
Coward!: Reconnaissance - I get why, but you are better off clearing a path. Cards that do something > Cards that do nothing
Parole?: Recurring Nightmare - Yeah, it's fantastic, but so are a lot of other cards. I'm not sure this one should still be exiled from the format.
Urza's Saga
MVP: Gaea's Cradle - I mean, I guess it's the MVP. But this set feels like a team of all stars without one who stands above the rest.
LVP: Telepathy - *shakes head sadly* (See, you can figure out what I'm thinking without having to spend a card to read my mind)
Should see more play: Attunement - Only 200 copies in the 3000+ enchantress decks?
How the mighty have fallen: Hello Morphling. I remember when you were the best creature in the game. Times sure have changed.
Urza's Legacy
MVP: Karmic Guide - Less exciting, but always dependable
Good, you play it: Crawlspace - Solid card. Glad to see it gets the love it deserves.
Really, you play it?: Phyrexian Reclamation - I mean, it's not Telepathy or anything, but it's so much more low impact than it appears.
Card that I hate exists: Palinchron - I'm not saying it's too powerful, but it's a boring combo engine. I just roll my eyes everytime I see it in action
Urza's Destiny
MVP: Academy Rector - Yes, Thran Dynamo is a dynamo, but it's also unspectacular and not unique. The Rector is so much more powerful.
Overplayed: Yavimaya Elder - This card is a baby boomer. It needs to be sent off into retirement.
Did you lose a bet? Carnival of Souls - Are you trying to prove you can? You don't have to do this to yourself.
Popularity is not your goal: Wake of Destruction - If you made a 12 year old cry, it would make your day, wouldn't it?
Yay, more fun looking at questionably bad cards that made me fall in love with this game so many years ago.
Ice Age
MVP: Necropotence - It's gotta be Necro, right? Mystic Remorais also a fantastic draw engine, although more dependent on your opponent. I love me some Brainstorm, but it just doesn't feel impactful in this format.
Balls-to-the-wall award: Demonic Consultation - to the 900+ people running this gem in a singleton format, we salute you!
Under appreciated Gem: Energy Storm - Narrow, but what a powerful effect blanking so many cards
Fun Stick: Baton of Morale - The ability to break so many people's understanding of the way combat works is delightful
Under used theme of the set: Mana denial without land destruction - Infernal Darkness, Ritual of Subdual, even Naked Singularity.
Homelands:
Boo!
MVP: Merchant Scroll is the most powerful card. I'd probably be the best dodgeball player if I showed up at the local elementary school while the 3rd graders have recess. That's not saying much.
Card that's gotten better recently: Didgeridoo - I mean, not better enough to play, but they have printed more minotaurs in recent years.
Trying to talk about this set makes me sad. Let's try to Forget this set exists
Alliances:
MVP: Force of Will - Such an important safety valve. Because sometimes, you just have to prevent stupid stuff from happening, without saving your mana.
Honorable mention: Thawing Glaciers - Meticulously grinding out advantage for 20+ years
Card I hate: Arcane Denial - I mean, I get it. And my distaste for this card has definitely crossed into being irrational. But this card is garbage and if you disagree, you are wrong and I hate you.
People are clearly trolling: Storm Crow. 222 of you. Delightful
Mirage:
MVP: Rampant Growth - Yeah, I see the tutors. But the 'go bigger, sooner' is what I always see when playing this format, and this card is the first and still on of the best ways that happens.
Overplayed: Dissipate - The card is fine. It's not embarrassing or anything. But if I'm playing 3 mana, I want a bigger effect from my counterspell.
Protect the Rutabagas! Dwarven Miner - Card is spicy, although I am partial to some Political Trickery
Best Card in the Set: Unfulfilled Desires - Revisiting the old Inquest Top 10 lists from back and they day are always good for a laugh
Visions:
MVP: Vampiric Tutor - Overused, but still insane
You could, but you probably shouldn't: Prosperity - It has it's place, but it's place isn't everywhere. See also: Anvil of Bogardan
If you haven't, you probably should: Tithe - So good
Somehow not an aura : Righteous Aura
Weatherlight:
MVP: Null Rod - No disrespect to Mind Stone, which is a workhorse of the highest order. And on pure powerlevel, Doomsday stands tall. But sometimes you have to throw a monkey wrench and nothing does nothing like Null Rod
Please Don't: Scorched Ruins - Lotus Vale too, really. You should also avoid carrying a large antenna and going for a run in a lightning storm.
Might I recommend: Teferi's Veil - It belongs in a specific type of deck, but it can really shine. Get your hits in and then be gone for when the bad stuff happens.
Surprised I don't see more: Bubble Matrix - Not that this card should be everywhere, but man can it turn a game on its head
Surprised I see so much: Veteran Explorer - In Legacy, the benefit is so often one sided, it makes sense. Here it's not. While I understand still playing it (although I wouldn't), I didn't realize so many would.
MVP is always a vague term that's definition tends to vary by who's talking about it. But it's fun to talk about so who cares?
Also, I love looking at EDHREC while thinking about the sets, so here we go:
A/B/U
MVP: Sol Ring - Not a lot to say other than "obviously"
MVP if Sol Ring didn't exist: Birds of Paradise - This question is more interesting with a lot of options. Tutor, Disk, Wrath, StP are all valid options, but it's hard to go against one of the best and original mana dorks.
Overused card: Library of Leng - This card is in 5,000 decks! **shakes head in disgust**
Underappreciated Gem: Copy Artifact - Cheap and always has plenty of fun targets
Arabian Nights
MVP: City of Brass - Bazaar of Baghdad is more powerful, but so specific/limited in scope
Card that would see heavy play if price/availability changed - Diamond Valley Yeah, this would be popular if it didn't cost $500
Overused card: Desert Twister - Please don't spend 6 mana for a 1 for 1 trade with no added upside. It's usually a bad deal and there are so many powerful things you could do with that mana.
Underappreciated Gem: Guardian Beast - Slim pickings for this set
Antiquities
MVP:Ashnod's Altar - Strip Mine is more important, and Mishra's Workshop is more powerful, but the Altar is all about the fun combo shenanigans. And who doesn't love shenanigans. SHENANIGANS!
Overused card: Feldon's Cane - There are better ways to do that. Also, you probably don't need to do that.
Underappreciated Gem: Energy Flux - You won't win any popularity contests with this one.
Fun fact: Each Urza's land has a different number of decks played in on EDHREC, meaning some play at least one without all 3. People are weird.
Legends
MVP: Land Tax - Sylvan Library is a fine option as well, basically they are both enchantments that let you Ancestral every turn.
Honorable Mention: The Elder Dragon Legends - Granddaddy's of the format
Overused card: Hell's Caretaker - Too SLOW!
Underappreciated Gem: Arena of the Ancients - Commander hate that surprises people. I remember using this as my answer to Progenitus in legacy.
The Dark
MVP: Maze of Ith - Yes, Blood Moon is more powerful. That said, the social contract against severe mana denial is strong.
Overused card: Eater of the Dead - Why? Do people not realize you can only hate a creature out of the grave if it is tapped?
Underappreciated Gem: Lurker - Not really. It's just the only card in 0 decks. 2 people are playing Electric Eel for Pete's sake. What did Lurker do to get absolutely no love?
Fallen Empires
MVP: High Tide - Winner by default
Overused card: Rainbow Vale - But not really. I mean, if you are using it for the 5 color land, stop that. Bad player. But I suspect most people are going for the chaotic pass-around-the-table fun. Hey, you do you.
Underappreciated Gem: Goblin Chirurgeon - Not really underappreciated, but a stellar (albeit narrow) card that deserves mention. Also, taking a thorough look through this set is like doing a 3 meter swan dive into the kiddie pool.
I think the Core Sets we've had have been both fundamentally important but also incredibly flawed, and I don't know if the issue is reconcilable. It will be interesting to see what Wizards does with the return of the Core Set.
Looking at the history of the Core Set, it's interesting to see what's succeeded and where problems have sprung up.
Alpha, Beta, Unlimited - Baseline
You start with a solid baseline. The initial set was a success and what the game was built on. You had a broad, resonant environment not tied to a specific story that drew players in.
4th - 10th Edition: - Nothing but reprints
Any specific set aside, this is the dark age of core sets. These sets failed to establish a "Core". The entire set was reprints, which led to all sorts of problems.
Cards were pulled from specific story/flavor environments where they fit and are now thrown together with each other. Resonance was gone.
Since the set was only reprints, the desire to buy the set wasn't there for experienced players - you already had lots of the cards. The set was more a list of cards that were standard legal than an actual product you were interested in.
M10: - Rebirth of the Core
In many ways, this set was a return to the original base set.
Flavor and Resonance were prioritized, fixing the issue of the patchwork feeling of prior base sets.
New cards are in, meaning this is a product that experienced players will actually want.
Basically, the reinvention of the core set was a home run.
M11 - M15: - Consistency breeds boredom
There's a lot to like in these sets. Not all of them are the same level of success, but in general, they were solid.
There were problems that cropped up, however.
They blend together. While there are some identifying characteristics, the sets blended together after awhile. It was like a story where all the friends of the main character are named 'Steve'. A lot of the time you'll be asking "Which Steve is that again?"
Annual rotation of the Core Set compared to the every two years rotation of the numbered editions was not always a positive change. Some cards rotated too quickly. Other cards stayed in the set and were reprinted, which was both a blessing and a curse. It's great that the Titans you were excited to get aren't rotating, but it also means you are buying a new product and could get stuck with chase cards that you already acquired (also didn't help the sets differentiate from each other). The half reprints was both a positive and negative, and certainly raised the issue of the set being more a list of standard playable cards than a product, but not entirely.
Origins: Stopping point
This set had a hook to differentiate it from the previous base sets, so that's good. But it was R&D acknowledging the problems that existed with the Core sets and saying we need to try something different.
Looking at the game without a core set, there is a void. While the storylines and specific and flavorful worlds are great, there is a need for somewhere that feels normal.
We need a new M10. Something resonant, nonspecific, and exciting to new and old player alike. Being several years removed from the last Core Set, I am confident that Wizards can give us a new Core set that meets that criteria. I just don't know where you go from there.
Putting yourself in a situation where your gameplan is to activate these creature lands is usually very weak. But one of the benefits of them is that they are generally mana fixing for you, and if you have nothing better to do, can do more. Raging Ravine does more better than most. Not as valuable as Tarpit's unblockability or Quagmire's rattlesnake, in most cases. But stronger than you are giving it credit for.
I'd break those 10 manlands up into 4 tiers:
Tier 1: Tarpit and Hissing Quagmire - Relevant abilities. You might actually want to animate these when you have other things to do.
Tier 2: U/W, R/W, R/G, R/B - Solid beatdown (order based on your preference, as they are all close). Ravine hits hardest consistently, Lavaclaw can fireball someone out, Colonnade has evasion, and Spires works best with pumps/equips. If there's nothing better to do, these are solid uses of your mana.
Tier 3: Wildwood and Vent - Might matter in rare cases. Specifically, blocking a flier or gaining life (albeit badly).
Tier 4 : Fumarole and Falls - I mean, they are bodies. Which is not nothing, but they are far from exciting.
And for what it's worth, I'd put Tier 1 significantly above the others, and Tiers 2 through 4 as pretty close.
It's a strong card. But there is nothing wrong with expensive strong cards that end the game. It doesn't ignore everything that has come before, as it requires a boardstate to matter. Games don't warp and become all about Hoof. Deckbuilding decisions for the format are not really impacted by the legality of the card (If it was banned, it would be replaced, and no one is running Hoof specific answers that they wouldn't be packing if it weren't legal).
I know it seems counterproductive to add lands that only tap for a single color when you want better fixing, but it's true. Sunken Hollow and Smoldering Marsh are just going to come into play tapped. You'll still have difficulty turning on Drowned Catacomb, Dragonskull Summit, and Sulfur Falls. It's important that your lands that can come into play untapped actually do so.
You have some filtering with the Signets and Graven Cairns, but you probably want Cascade Bluffs and Sunken Ruins as well. Cards like Ash Barrens and Grixis Panorama can be untapped lands or can help you find a basic to allow your buddy lands to shine. You will have opportunities to play lands tapped, since your not doing anything on turn 1 (except playing Kederekt Parasite in a deck with only 2 red permanents - not ideal).
Also, check your colorless utility lands. I get some of them, but Halimar Depths, Reliquary Tower, Temple of the False God and Boseiju, who shelters all all strike me as unnecessary. Yeah, getting something countered sucks, but your playing a bunch of redundant spells. If they counter one wheel affect, the next one will work.
Other than that, you split your mana relatively evenly, despite the fact that the casting costs in your deck are not evenly split. You have very few red cards, and yet you run as many red sources as you do black sources, when you play lots more black cards with more intense casting costs (see Underworld Dreams).
And obviously, fetchlands would be huge. They grab you duals, they ensure your buddy lands can enter untapped, they are exactly what you want. I assume budget has kept you away from them.
The idea of this set making a significant dent in the high priced staples is a pipe dream. Not at the $14 a pack price point. Tarmogoyf has been consistently reprinted (all 3 modern masters sets) and is still a $60 card. And I suspect the reason he's down to $60 from his old average of around $100 has more to do with the dominance of Delve spells and Fatal Push than any increase in availability.
Even if there's still a ton of incredible cards that get reprinted in this set, the MSRP doesn't give significant room for the prices on those cards to drop. The EV on a box may be worth the exorbitant price, but unless the box toppers hold insane levels of value, the cards have to keep the prices up, or the EV drops to the point that no on opens any of the product, and then their isn't an influx of singles lowering their prices. Besides, the most likely cards to see their prices drop are the marginal ones. Things like Balefire Dragon, Platinum Emperion and other marginal (although currently above pack price) Mythics will get hit hardest, while sought after things like Karn Liberated may see slight dips that promptly disappear quickly.
Look at things like Leovald, Emissary of Trest. Reprints in Masters sets don't cause prices to drop, bannings (Banned in commander, Deathrite banned in Legacy) are what cut his value in half.
The way wizards is pricing (as well as printing levels), these reprints aren't the difference in taking $40 cards down to $20. They are the difference between $40 cards being out of stock vs available for purchase. It's better than nothing, but hard to get excited about.
In many ways the game has evolved away from it. And there's no tangible benefit for going back to it. Nostalgia isn't enough.
So where is this better?
Sealed events?
Nope. Boosters accomplish the same thing. The box is not relevant to too many players as sleeves are so prevalent. The lands provided aren't sufficient and needs to be supplemented, so the benefits there are gone too (if your providing excess land for the event anyway, it doesn't need to come in the sealed product).
Established players?
Not really. They don't need the lands, especially with a land in every booster. Again, sleeves and a thriving market of supplemental products for better storage boxes mean the cheap cardboard boxes aren't relevant. The only argument I am seeing in this thread is basically an inefficiency in conversion rate due to the extra uncommon, but that's not inherent in the product. A tournament pack doesn't have to have 10 uncommons for 3 packs worth of cards by default. By the same token, WotC could make booster packs with 4 uncommons each.
New players?
Nope. Cutting a sealed deck down to a playable product takes skill, which new players don't have, or creates a relatively poor play experience. Sure, I learned to play off of sealed product, but even 24 years ago stores were creating better starter products. Now, instead of makeshift ones like I got in the mid '90s, there are quality starter products like deckbuilders toolkits or theme decks with packs to create a workable base with the supplemental randomness. And those new products are better at providing needed lands than the tournament packs would be.
I see the nostalgia desire for them, but that won't last and doesn't mean they are a good product.
I remember asking my LGS about it when they discontinued them. I was told then that they were terrible sellers. Since they sold poorly, and they don't serve a need, why would they be a good idea to bring back?
MVP: Lightning Greaves - There are a lot of fine options. I'm partial to Jens (Solemn Simulacrum) but the boots feels more important. In a format structured with a single (usually, I see you Partner) creature, protecting and giving haste to that creature seems and is off the charts important.
EDHREC is broken: Solemn Simulacrum is in 3.8 million decks, per the Mirrodin page. Per the Top 100 cards page, there are probably only around 275,000 decks. Numbers on Fabricate and Chrome Mox seem similarly borked.
Overlooked Gem: Damping Matrix - So good. So disruptive. And since it doesn't disrupt mana abilities, it doesn't accidentally create bad will like so many other disruptive spells.
Synergy Fail: Fiery Gambit - Only 53% of the decks running this card are running Krark's Thumb. For shame.
Darksteel
MVP: Skullclamp - It's obviously this and not close, but it is surprising to me how a card this insane doesn't actually have a warping effect on this format.
Properly named: Savage Beating - Good card, get's some play, but most importantly, fantastically named.
"I saw that. Brick killed a guy": Surestrike Trident - Probably unnecessary. If you get him big enough for this to matter, you likely can use combat with ease.
You're the worst: Trinisphere - But you know that. If you play this card in this format, I would insult you, but you'd take pride in that.
Fifth Dawn
MVP: Eternal Witness - So good. Not much needs to be said.
Yeah, but how many? Relentless Rats - Sure, 804 decks, but in this case, that's not enough info. I want to know how many get played. What do you think is the average number of these guys in a deck? 30ish?
Overplayed: Vedalken Orrery - I'm not saying it's not good. It can be absolutely excellent. But it's played far too often in far too many places without being properly utilized. It's not an every deck card, people.
Champions of Kamigawa
MVP: Sensei's Divining Top - This set is really hard to pick. So many options that feel really close to each other. Sakura-Tribe Elder might be it, and Ghostly Prisonfeels in the ballpark as well.
Looks like an MVP, but isn't: Time Stop - Flashy card. Cool card. Powerful effect. Never feels worth it.
I remember when you mattered: Hinder - another casualty of the tuck rule.
Betrayers of Kamigawa
MVP: Umezawa's Jitte - There's very little that needs to be said.
Worth the Cost: Final Judgment - i get that this is an expensive wrath. But preventing recursion and not caring about indestructibility makes this bad boy worth the extra mana..
Not as cute: Kami of False Hope - Spore Frog gets more love because it's cuter. It's not fair, but appearance matters.
Saviors of Kamigawa
MVP: One with Nothing - This is the equivalent of me writing 'They all suck' on the ballot.
Yes, it is decent: Miren, the Moaning Well - The card is fine, but I'm supposed to get excited about this as the best card in the set?
Underutilized Gem: Manriki-Gusari - All those equipment decks should both love and hate this card. I remember being at a legacy GP back when Stoneblade was the dominant deck and people were looking everywhere to try and ind this one for the sideboard. It's a solid card.
A land that does nothing as one of your first 4! lands is a land with a serious drawback. The payoff for dealing with that drawback is pretty underwhelming.
Basically, in the situations where it's bad, it's SOOOO BAD. In the situations where it's good, it's good but not overwhelmingly so. That combined with the fact that WotC won't stop reprinting it and putting it in commander mana bases is going to evoke strong emotions.
Personally, I suspect the mana bases of at least half of the decks that run it would be improved by replacing it with something else.
Odyssey
MVP: Time Stretch - This set kind of strikes me as not really having an MVP. I mean, Diabolic Tutor is by far the most played, but that's a bad card that people pretend is good. And it's not that the set is bad, just a lot of roleplayers. So I picked the card that stands out to me as the flashiest, most emblematic card of the set in this format.
Needs more love: Millikin - Mana and graveyard filling, this little (adorable) enabler doesn't see the play it deserves.
Needs less love: Traumatize - It's not unplayable, but it's definitely played too much.
Really? Decimate - it's a fine card, but 9000+ decks?
Torment
MVP: Cabal Coffers - It's no contest, obviously. But I allow me to state how much I dislike this card in this format. It's not TOO powerful, but it is, if you know what I mean. It doesn't throw off competitive balance, but it just commands to much weight/attention. Like, every black deck needs to run it, and it is almost always the card you should tutor for first, regardless of whats happening. And with Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, it's not just a mono-B card, but a any black deck card. It eliminates choices and interesting decisions because it is always the correct one. That's my complaint with this card.
Not interested: Insidious Dreams - If this card is good in your deck, I'm pretty sure your games are not fun.
Feel bad for : Tainted Peak - All the other tainted lands got reprints, why is this one so unloved?
Judgement
MVP: Mirari's Wake - I guess. I dunno. This set also feels like a ton of roleplayers.
It's bad, you do know that right?: Browbeat - Although kudos to WotC on the naming of this card. Every time it's played, someone just has to Browbeat the caster about how it's a terrible card and they should know that.
Black Sheep of the family: Valor - Congratulations! You are the crappy Incarnation.
Onslaught
MVP: It's the Fetchlands. They are the spine of eternal format manabases. But that's boring to discuss.
Biggest Stock Drop: Oblation - This card was fantastic when you could tuck opposing Generals. Now you can't.
Format All-Star: Insurrection or Blatant Thievery - I can't decide. Both of these cards make me think of the shenanigans of this format, but can't win MVP that the fetches have on lockdown.
And what's with combining the words into 1 vote? They are very different. Words of Wind is meaningful combo engine weirdness. Words of Wilding is not.
Also, cheers to WotC for finally thinking of multiplayer with the appearance of cards like Syphon Mind
Legions
MVP: Seedborn Muse - Just on another level. Effectively taking multiple turns for every one of yours.
Most Overplayed Sliver: Root Sliver - This is just the least needed highly played sliver
Best Zombie: Noxious Ghoul - I know it's the 3rd most played zombie from the set, but it's better than the other two
This sets boring. It seems removing all card types except 1 from a set resulted in something uninteresting. Imagine that.
Scourge
MVP: Forgotten Ancient - Oh Mr. Babycakes, we watched you grow. You came up just short for other formats, but here you are free to roam.
WotC, please stop: Temple of the False God - There are 4 cards that have been reprinted in EVERY commander set. This is one of them. It should not be. It has its place. Its place is definitely not EVERYWHERE.
I Decree that you shall have no friends: Not just Decree of Annihilation, but I see you people trying to flicker/recycle Decree of Silence. Please don't.
Rob from the poor, give to the rich: Lethal Vapors - It's bad when you need it to be good, and good when it doesn't matter.
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.
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.
Tempest
MVP: Wasteland - Surprised to see so many votes for (and more players playing) Ancient Tomb. The Tomb is a fantastic card, but I wouldn't expect it to outpace Wasteland by so much. Maybe I prioritize answers more than most.
Iconic Card of the Set: Time Warp - This is the card I think of when I think Tempest EDH
Really?: Mirri's Guile - Not a bad card, looks very overplayed to me. You need to be abusing it (like say, with Courser of Kruphix) and I think far to many people are playing it as a generic good card, which likely isn't worth doing
Underused Gem - Fool's Tome - Obviously needs a specific deck, but keeps a steady supply of gas as long as you're willing to spend it.
Stronghold
MVP: Grave Pact - Always expect to have to deal with this card. You may not have to, but there's always someone who plays it (or it's many imitations) lurking about.
Greedy: Horn of Greed - Are you abusing it? Some of you are. Those who aren't, meh.
Play fair!: Hermit Druid - I don't know how you play this card and resist the temptation to go all in. But clearly, most of you do, so good for you. I don't know that I could make a deck with the guy without trying to demonstrate that he should be banned.
I don't believe you: Mox Diamond - in 10K+ decks? I think you lie.
Exodus
MVP: Survival of the Fittest - I can see picking Coat of Arms, but that helps my opponents and can be a counting nightmare on a crowded boardstate. Survival just creates a world of possibility.
Overplayed: Spellbook - So not worth it. Also, whenever I see someone play this card, I immediately assume their home could be featured on Hoarders
Coward!: Reconnaissance - I get why, but you are better off clearing a path. Cards that do something > Cards that do nothing
Parole?: Recurring Nightmare - Yeah, it's fantastic, but so are a lot of other cards. I'm not sure this one should still be exiled from the format.
Urza's Saga
MVP: Gaea's Cradle - I mean, I guess it's the MVP. But this set feels like a team of all stars without one who stands above the rest.
LVP: Telepathy - *shakes head sadly* (See, you can figure out what I'm thinking without having to spend a card to read my mind)
Should see more play: Attunement - Only 200 copies in the 3000+ enchantress decks?
How the mighty have fallen: Hello Morphling. I remember when you were the best creature in the game. Times sure have changed.
Urza's Legacy
MVP: Karmic Guide - Less exciting, but always dependable
Good, you play it: Crawlspace - Solid card. Glad to see it gets the love it deserves.
Really, you play it?: Phyrexian Reclamation - I mean, it's not Telepathy or anything, but it's so much more low impact than it appears.
Card that I hate exists: Palinchron - I'm not saying it's too powerful, but it's a boring combo engine. I just roll my eyes everytime I see it in action
Urza's Destiny
MVP: Academy Rector - Yes, Thran Dynamo is a dynamo, but it's also unspectacular and not unique. The Rector is so much more powerful.
Overplayed: Yavimaya Elder - This card is a baby boomer. It needs to be sent off into retirement.
Did you lose a bet? Carnival of Souls - Are you trying to prove you can? You don't have to do this to yourself.
Popularity is not your goal: Wake of Destruction - If you made a 12 year old cry, it would make your day, wouldn't it?
Ice Age
MVP: Necropotence - It's gotta be Necro, right? Mystic Remorais also a fantastic draw engine, although more dependent on your opponent. I love me some Brainstorm, but it just doesn't feel impactful in this format.
Balls-to-the-wall award: Demonic Consultation - to the 900+ people running this gem in a singleton format, we salute you!
Under appreciated Gem: Energy Storm - Narrow, but what a powerful effect blanking so many cards
Fun Stick: Baton of Morale - The ability to break so many people's understanding of the way combat works is delightful
Under used theme of the set: Mana denial without land destruction - Infernal Darkness, Ritual of Subdual, even Naked Singularity.
Homelands:
Boo!
MVP: Merchant Scroll is the most powerful card. I'd probably be the best dodgeball player if I showed up at the local elementary school while the 3rd graders have recess. That's not saying much.
Card that's gotten better recently: Didgeridoo - I mean, not better enough to play, but they have printed more minotaurs in recent years.
Trying to talk about this set makes me sad. Let's try to Forget this set exists
Alliances:
MVP: Force of Will - Such an important safety valve. Because sometimes, you just have to prevent stupid stuff from happening, without saving your mana.
Honorable mention: Thawing Glaciers - Meticulously grinding out advantage for 20+ years
Card I hate: Arcane Denial - I mean, I get it. And my distaste for this card has definitely crossed into being irrational. But this card is garbage and if you disagree, you are wrong and I hate you.
People are clearly trolling: Storm Crow. 222 of you. Delightful
Mirage:
MVP: Rampant Growth - Yeah, I see the tutors. But the 'go bigger, sooner' is what I always see when playing this format, and this card is the first and still on of the best ways that happens.
Overplayed: Dissipate - The card is fine. It's not embarrassing or anything. But if I'm playing 3 mana, I want a bigger effect from my counterspell.
Protect the Rutabagas! Dwarven Miner - Card is spicy, although I am partial to some Political Trickery
Best Card in the Set: Unfulfilled Desires - Revisiting the old Inquest Top 10 lists from back and they day are always good for a laugh
Visions:
MVP: Vampiric Tutor - Overused, but still insane
You could, but you probably shouldn't: Prosperity - It has it's place, but it's place isn't everywhere. See also: Anvil of Bogardan
If you haven't, you probably should: Tithe - So good
Somehow not an aura : Righteous Aura
Weatherlight:
MVP: Null Rod - No disrespect to Mind Stone, which is a workhorse of the highest order. And on pure powerlevel, Doomsday stands tall. But sometimes you have to throw a monkey wrench and nothing does nothing like Null Rod
Please Don't: Scorched Ruins - Lotus Vale too, really. You should also avoid carrying a large antenna and going for a run in a lightning storm.
Might I recommend: Teferi's Veil - It belongs in a specific type of deck, but it can really shine. Get your hits in and then be gone for when the bad stuff happens.
Surprised I don't see more: Bubble Matrix - Not that this card should be everywhere, but man can it turn a game on its head
Surprised I see so much: Veteran Explorer - In Legacy, the benefit is so often one sided, it makes sense. Here it's not. While I understand still playing it (although I wouldn't), I didn't realize so many would.
Also, I love looking at EDHREC while thinking about the sets, so here we go:
A/B/U
MVP: Sol Ring - Not a lot to say other than "obviously"
MVP if Sol Ring didn't exist: Birds of Paradise - This question is more interesting with a lot of options. Tutor, Disk, Wrath, StP are all valid options, but it's hard to go against one of the best and original mana dorks.
Overused card: Library of Leng - This card is in 5,000 decks! **shakes head in disgust**
Underappreciated Gem: Copy Artifact - Cheap and always has plenty of fun targets
Arabian Nights
MVP: City of Brass - Bazaar of Baghdad is more powerful, but so specific/limited in scope
Card that would see heavy play if price/availability changed - Diamond Valley Yeah, this would be popular if it didn't cost $500
Overused card: Desert Twister - Please don't spend 6 mana for a 1 for 1 trade with no added upside. It's usually a bad deal and there are so many powerful things you could do with that mana.
Underappreciated Gem: Guardian Beast - Slim pickings for this set
Antiquities
MVP:Ashnod's Altar - Strip Mine is more important, and Mishra's Workshop is more powerful, but the Altar is all about the fun combo shenanigans. And who doesn't love shenanigans. SHENANIGANS!
Overused card: Feldon's Cane - There are better ways to do that. Also, you probably don't need to do that.
Underappreciated Gem: Energy Flux - You won't win any popularity contests with this one.
Fun fact: Each Urza's land has a different number of decks played in on EDHREC, meaning some play at least one without all 3. People are weird.
Legends
MVP: Land Tax - Sylvan Library is a fine option as well, basically they are both enchantments that let you Ancestral every turn.
Honorable Mention: The Elder Dragon Legends - Granddaddy's of the format
Overused card: Hell's Caretaker - Too SLOW!
Underappreciated Gem: Arena of the Ancients - Commander hate that surprises people. I remember using this as my answer to Progenitus in legacy.
The Dark
MVP: Maze of Ith - Yes, Blood Moon is more powerful. That said, the social contract against severe mana denial is strong.
Overused card: Eater of the Dead - Why? Do people not realize you can only hate a creature out of the grave if it is tapped?
Underappreciated Gem: Lurker - Not really. It's just the only card in 0 decks. 2 people are playing Electric Eel for Pete's sake. What did Lurker do to get absolutely no love?
Fallen Empires
MVP: High Tide - Winner by default
Overused card: Rainbow Vale - But not really. I mean, if you are using it for the 5 color land, stop that. Bad player. But I suspect most people are going for the chaotic pass-around-the-table fun. Hey, you do you.
Underappreciated Gem: Goblin Chirurgeon - Not really underappreciated, but a stellar (albeit narrow) card that deserves mention. Also, taking a thorough look through this set is like doing a 3 meter swan dive into the kiddie pool.
Looking at the history of the Core Set, it's interesting to see what's succeeded and where problems have sprung up.
Alpha, Beta, Unlimited - Baseline
You start with a solid baseline. The initial set was a success and what the game was built on. You had a broad, resonant environment not tied to a specific story that drew players in.
4th - 10th Edition: - Nothing but reprints
Any specific set aside, this is the dark age of core sets. These sets failed to establish a "Core". The entire set was reprints, which led to all sorts of problems.
Cards were pulled from specific story/flavor environments where they fit and are now thrown together with each other. Resonance was gone.
Since the set was only reprints, the desire to buy the set wasn't there for experienced players - you already had lots of the cards. The set was more a list of cards that were standard legal than an actual product you were interested in.
M10: - Rebirth of the Core
In many ways, this set was a return to the original base set.
Flavor and Resonance were prioritized, fixing the issue of the patchwork feeling of prior base sets.
New cards are in, meaning this is a product that experienced players will actually want.
Basically, the reinvention of the core set was a home run.
M11 - M15: - Consistency breeds boredom
There's a lot to like in these sets. Not all of them are the same level of success, but in general, they were solid.
There were problems that cropped up, however.
They blend together. While there are some identifying characteristics, the sets blended together after awhile. It was like a story where all the friends of the main character are named 'Steve'. A lot of the time you'll be asking "Which Steve is that again?"
Annual rotation of the Core Set compared to the every two years rotation of the numbered editions was not always a positive change. Some cards rotated too quickly. Other cards stayed in the set and were reprinted, which was both a blessing and a curse. It's great that the Titans you were excited to get aren't rotating, but it also means you are buying a new product and could get stuck with chase cards that you already acquired (also didn't help the sets differentiate from each other). The half reprints was both a positive and negative, and certainly raised the issue of the set being more a list of standard playable cards than a product, but not entirely.
Origins: Stopping point
This set had a hook to differentiate it from the previous base sets, so that's good. But it was R&D acknowledging the problems that existed with the Core sets and saying we need to try something different.
Looking at the game without a core set, there is a void. While the storylines and specific and flavorful worlds are great, there is a need for somewhere that feels normal.
We need a new M10. Something resonant, nonspecific, and exciting to new and old player alike. Being several years removed from the last Core Set, I am confident that Wizards can give us a new Core set that meets that criteria. I just don't know where you go from there.