Modern Masters 2017 is the upcoming Magic: the Gathering reprint set. The set will be coming out on March 17, and contains reprints of cards from a number of out of print Magic sets, including a number of very popular and heavily played cards.
For those who are unfamiliar with Magic, there are a number of key competitive formats; Standard, Modern and Legacy. Standard is the bread and butter of Magic’s parent company Wizards of the Coast, wherein all cards released within about the last 2 years are playable. The sets rotate fairly frequently, so players must keep on top of a constantly shifting format. Legacy is basically any card in the history of Magic, which means over 20 years of Magic to choose from. In the middle lies Modern, which contains cards from the last 10 years or so, for players to choose from. Modern is a very popular format as many players who had cards and decks that they loved in Standard, are able to continue playing them in Modern. However most Magic sets have a print run that last about 2 years, and after that it starts to get harder to find certain cards–and that is where Modern Masters comes in.
Over the last few years Wizards of the Coast has released a set of reprints in the spring that contain reprints of some harder to find cards. They usually include an assortment of other cards selected to create a unique set. These sets allow players access to cards that are harder to come by, but also are assembled in a way that if you are to play with cards strictly from a Modern Masters set, you can make some very powerful decks just from what is opened in packs.
The spoilers have started for Modern Masters 2017 and it’s looking like an incredible set full of much needed reprints. There are even some often overlooked gems. Some of the higher profile reprints are Liliana of the Veil and Snapcaster Mage, both from the Innistrad set, which came out about 5 years ago. The Innistrad cards are actually very well represented with some great standouts like the powerful red sorcery Bonfire of the Damned and a blue spell Temporal Mastery that allows players to take an extra turn. One of the most talked about reprints though would definitely be the fetchlands from Zendikar, which came out almost 8 years ago. These powerful lands, like ‘Verdant Catacombs’, allow players to sacrifice the land to search for a land card that they specifically need. The last big reprint would have to be Damnation. It’s basically the black mana version of Wrath of God, and players have been clamoring for a reprint for years now, so it was a welcome surprise when it was unveiled.
Modern is a very fast and fun format, but out of print cards can mean high prices for new players that want to get in on it. Modern Masters is a way for Wizards of the Coast to support the format and also let players get a foot in the door. Modern Masters 2017 is looking like the kind of set that’s not only good for new players but also for veterans who are looking to grow their card pool.
Hopefully the price of packs for this Modern Masters will be cheaper. Paying $14-16 for a pack that “may” contain a decent card is steep. Last time I tried preordering a few packs from a shop I was told I had to reserve an entire box. If the price is more fair for single packs, I may pick up a few and hope for the best!