Meaningful reprints and Core 2021

[RxPhantom]

I know it's early in the spoiler season, but Core 2021 looks to be upping WotC's reprint game. I can't recall a Standard set in remotely recent memory with this many meaningful reprints. I'm really thinking of Grim Tutor, Azusa, Lost but Seeking, Ugin, the Spirit Dragon and Baneslayer Angel here, not to mention inexpensive but spicy reprints of cards like Containment Priest and Runed Halo, which could have an impact on Modern and Pioneer, respectively.

I know they always spoil the most exciting stuff first, so maybe this set isn't as exciting as I seem to think it is, but I'm optimistic. Could this represent a change in the way WotC approaches reprints and reprint equity? Personally, I hope so, because they've been generating much more equity than they've been spending for many, many years.

Thoughts?

[Krishnath]

Those are nice reprints, that is for sure, but I think that it may be a little early to celebrate just yet, particularly when there are literally hundreds of cards that are in dire need of reprinting that are constantly ignored by WotC when they make sets, most of them wouldn't even be overpowered in the current standard.

So if anything, this is a good start, but they still have a long way to go.

[BeneTleilax]

your fantasizing.

[Card Slinger J]

Those are nice reprints, that is for sure, but I think that it may be a little early to celebrate just yet, particularly when there are literally hundreds of cards that are in dire need of reprinting that are constantly ignored by WotC when they make sets, most of them wouldn't even be overpowered in the current standard.

So if anything, this is a good start, but they still have a long way to go.

I think that's what's been holding them back from reprinting them in Standard sets because they're worried they'll be as overpowered as cards that have recently been banned in Standard without playtesting beforehand such as Agent of Treachery, Fires of Invention, Oko, Thief of Crowns, and Once Upon a Time.

[Mookie]

It's a good start. All the reprints look good so far. The issue is whether it continues throughout the preview season.... or if they just revealed all of the good reprints at the start, as they tend to do. There's also definitely a balance of sweet new cards vs. spicy reprints though - this isn't a dedicated reprint set, so getting 30% or more of the set to be reprints seems unlikely. And even if there are a bunch of reprints, they won't necessarily all be high-value ones.

As always, cautious optimism, reserving judgment until full set is revealed, etc, etc.

...although, given how broken some recent cards have been, may be for the best to have some relatively known quantities in the format.

[Krishnath]

Those are nice reprints, that is for sure, but I think that it may be a little early to celebrate just yet, particularly when there are literally hundreds of cards that are in dire need of reprinting that are constantly ignored by WotC when they make sets, most of them wouldn't even be overpowered in the current standard.

So if anything, this is a good start, but they still have a long way to go.

I think that's what's been holding them back from reprinting them in Standard sets because they're worried they'll be as overpowered as cards that have recently been banned in Standard without playtesting beforehand such as Agent of Treachery, Fires of Invention, Oko, Thief of Crowns, and Once Upon a Time.

Would Oubliette be broken in standard? It's literally a weaker oblivion ring in the color that is better at removal than white. There are literally a hundred cards which are not overpowered compared to any nonbroken card in standard that have never been reprinted. Thran Quarry is literally weaker than most five color lands already in standard, just to mention another card that is in serious need of reprinting. If they are willing to reprint powerhouses such as Massacre Wurm and Baneslayer Angel into standard, there is no logical reason to why they would think that any card weaker than those shouldn't see a reprint in an affordable booster product such as a core set, or in any booster product for that matter.

[BeneTleilax]

rewind reprint we should get fantic search too

[BaronCappuccino]

Grim Tutor's reprint should serve as a shot across the bow for Imperial Seal and other Portal cards not on the Reserve List with artificially high prices. It's about time.

[Selaya]

Oubliette would be nigh-unplayable in standard. When was the last time you've seen a serious deck play Murder? Yeah, me neither.

What this Standard desperately needs is efficient CMC 1 answers - StoP, Bolt et al.
They keep printing runaway CMC 3 threats that would've blown people's minds in 1993 but efficient answers are a no-go?
Keep trainwrecking like that then, Standard won't stop being ass until they realise all-threat-no-answer formats are unfun.

[BeneTleilax]

many of what you call threats are also answer. the old dichotomy is broken and now we see more interesting designs. is a creature a threat because it is big or answer because it kills a planeswalker with attacking is a planeswalker a threat because it makes cards or answer because it can also answer creatures its not just one or the other

[The N82O Molecule]

im not sure I have anything worth saying but want to promote the dialog

wizards really has found a way to make core sets relevant. there was a time when core sets were just shunned on a level. but that seems to be not the case anymore.

ill always support the printing of a card I don't have or wasn't able to get the first time around. but for the most part the sequel isn't as good as the original

[Card Slinger J]

Those are nice reprints, that is for sure, but I think that it may be a little early to celebrate just yet, particularly when there are literally hundreds of cards that are in dire need of reprinting that are constantly ignored by WotC when they make sets, most of them wouldn't even be overpowered in the current standard.

So if anything, this is a good start, but they still have a long way to go.

I think that's what's been holding them back from reprinting them in Standard sets because they're worried they'll be as overpowered as cards that have recently been banned in Standard without playtesting beforehand such as Agent of Treachery, Fires of Invention, Oko, Thief of Crowns, and Once Upon a Time.

Would Oubliette be broken in standard? It's literally a weaker oblivion ring in the color that is better at removal than white. There are literally a hundred cards which are not overpowered compared to any nonbroken card in standard that have never been reprinted. Thran Quarry is literally weaker than most five color lands already in standard, just to mention another card that is in serious need of reprinting. If they are willing to reprint powerhouses such as Massacre Wurm and Baneslayer Angel into standard, there is no logical reason to why they would think that any card weaker than those shouldn't see a reprint in an affordable booster product such as a core set, or in any booster product for that matter.

Wizards of the Coast isn't thinking about what reprints can impact Standard in a way that doesn't break the format when they're only reprinting cards that they believe will have an impact on EDH / Commander because that's where the money is. When Crucible of Worlds became Standard legal again it just so happened to be playable in the format because of Scapeshift receiving a Standard legal reprint as well. Are reprinting specific combo pieces for said strategy a public acknowledgement of the Secondary Market? That could also explain why they're not reprinting as many cards as they should when it's a bad excuse to leave them in premium products for whales to eat up.

It's even worse when they use the Historic format on Arena as an excuse not to reprint as many cards for Arena in Standard just because investors want to profit off of the MTG Secondary Market spiking from so many Standard players leaving for EDH / Commander without an LGS that allows In-Store Play due to the pandemic. The way that Wizards of the Coast is handling reprints for specific products nowadays is not only insidious but also a slap in the face toward players who just want to be able to afford playing the game. Nobody should be priced out of a format they want to play just because Wizards of the Coast doesn't want to give players meaningful reprints they want. Maybe there's a reason for their hesitation that we don't know about.

[Krishnath]

I think that's what's been holding them back from reprinting them in Standard sets because they're worried they'll be as overpowered as cards that have recently been banned in Standard without playtesting beforehand such as Agent of Treachery, Fires of Invention, Oko, Thief of Crowns, and Once Upon a Time.

Would Oubliette be broken in standard? It's literally a weaker oblivion ring in the color that is better at removal than white. There are literally a hundred cards which are not overpowered compared to any nonbroken card in standard that have never been reprinted. Thran Quarry is literally weaker than most five color lands already in standard, just to mention another card that is in serious need of reprinting. If they are willing to reprint powerhouses such as Massacre Wurm and Baneslayer Angel into standard, there is no logical reason to why they would think that any card weaker than those shouldn't see a reprint in an affordable booster product such as a core set, or in any booster product for that matter.

Wizards of the Coast isn't thinking about what reprints can impact Standard in a way that doesn't break the format when they're only reprinting cards that they believe will have an impact on EDH / Commander because that's where the money is. When Crucible of Worlds became Standard legal again it just so happened to be playable in the format because of Scapeshift receiving a Standard legal reprint as well. Are reprinting specific combo pieces for said strategy a public acknowledgement of the Secondary Market? That could also explain why they're not reprinting as many cards as they should when it's a bad excuse to leave them in premium products for whales to eat up.

It's even worse when they use the Historic format on Arena as an excuse not to reprint as many cards for Arena in Standard just because investors want to profit off of the MTG Secondary Market spiking from so many Standard players leaving for EDH / Commander without an LGS that allows In-Store Play due to the pandemic. The way that Wizards of the Coast is handling reprints for specific products nowadays is not only insidious but also a slap in the face toward players who just want to be able to afford playing the game. Nobody should be priced out of a format they want to play just because Wizards of the Coast doesn't want to give players meaningful reprints they want. Maybe there's a reason for their hesitation that we don't know about.

Obviously they care about if the cards are overpowered in standard or not, if they didn't they wouldn't reprint them in a Standard legal set. And it is exactly Commander (most popular casual format) that is literally screaming for the reprints, and have been for YEARS.

[BeneTleilax]

if commander is such casual format why is it screaming play the cards you own and chill.

[folding_music]

Cos the arms race is rife in all sectors of Magic, and everything's competitive until it's cooperative, and everyone writing about Commander is doing that 75% thing where they put "I included a Cavern of Souls and a Sliver Queen and a Mox Diamond, but you don't have to!" which ensures the format is still welcoming to all, giggle

[CommanderMaster999]

Grim Tutor's reprint should serve as a shot across the bow for Imperial Seal and other Portal cards not on the Reserve List with artificially high prices. It's about time.

With grim tutor I feel commander legends will have either Imperial Seal or the other worse version of demonic tutor Cruel Tutor

[RxPhantom]

Grim Tutor's reprint should serve as a shot across the bow for Imperial Seal and other Portal cards not on the Reserve List with artificially high prices. It's about time.

With grim tutor I feel commander legends will have either Imperial Seal or the other worse version of demonic tutor Cruel Tutor

We can only hope, but I'm of the mind that Grim Tutor's presence in M21 is what will keep the cards you mentioned from being reprinted for a while.

Side note, I can't believe I forgot about Massacre Wurm in the OP. I also forgot to touch on Dryad of the Ilysian Grove and Azusa, Lost but Seeking being in Standard together on the cusp of Zendikar III, which is sure to have plenty of landfall stuff.

[Krishnath]

Grim Tutor's reprint should serve as a shot across the bow for Imperial Seal and other Portal cards not on the Reserve List with artificially high prices. It's about time.

With grim tutor I feel commander legends will have either Imperial Seal or the other worse version of demonic tutor Cruel Tutor

I'd rather have a Vampiric Tutor reprint, that way I can get the card at the end of my opponents upkeep instead of having to wait an entire turn cycle.

[motleyslayer]

I'm a huge fan of Baneslayer Angel being reprinted, it's a great control finisher that probably has other uses.

I'm not a fan of the Azusa, Lost but Seeking or Ugin, the Spirit Dragon reprints as it seems like we've had a bunch of good ramp cards in standard lately, particularly around Simic. Standard with those, Nissa, Who Shakes the World and Growth Spiral until the fall plus Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath pretty much for the life cycle of M21 in standard just seems gross/

Grim Tutor seems like it could be due to price, as it's pretty up there in price

[CommanderMaster999]

And the party continues

Solemn Simulacrum Is here too

[Krishnath]

From what Maro's article mentions there is a large number of power reprints, not just in Core21, but also in Jump Start. The design teams pretty much had free reign in so far as reprints go with only three caveats: 1. It couldn't break standard (much), 2. It had to respect the reserved list, and 3. There was a limit on which mechanics they could use (they obviously chose to use Phasing).

[Ryder]

I've always hated BSA and that hasn't changed. inb4 Standard is all about WU control again...

[Dusk]

Heroic Intervention was revealed today to be in Core 2021, while not the biggest money card out there it is a good reprint none the less.

[CommanderMaster999]

Not only that Fabled Passage is here too

[idSurge]

Oubliette would be nigh-unplayable in standard. When was the last time you've seen a serious deck play Murder? Yeah, me neither.

What this Standard desperately needs is efficient CMC 1 answers - StoP, Bolt et al.
They keep printing runaway CMC 3 threats that would've blown people's minds in 1993 but efficient answers are a no-go?
Keep trainwrecking like that then, Standard won't stop being ass until they realise all-threat-no-answer formats are unfun.

Preach.

I had to go to Historic, but then they ruined that with Ulamog.

If they are fine printing absolutely mind boggling designs for threats, give us the existing answers as reprints.