By: Sigmund Ausfresser
A number of Twitter followers and friends asked me if I was planning on attending Grand Prix Indianapolis, which took place last weekend. I always try to make it to any GP I can drive to in under two hours, so the question was absolutely valid. Except for one minor point…
It was Halloween.
For my son I can say without doubt that Halloween is the second most important holiday of the year and the third most important day of the year (only behind the winter holiday, Christmas in our household, and his birthday). With the holiday lying directly on top of the Grand Prix, there was no excuse in this universe that would make my attendance acceptable. Therefore, I had to sit out on the sidelines for this one.
I didn’t mind that much – Standard isn’t really my cup of tea. In fact, I am beginning to believe the most impactful event of the weekend was the dramatic Halloween-esque announcement Wizards made during the event. If you missed it, here’s a link to watch the teaser video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm8CdY75K-s
For those who don’t feel like navigating away from this site for a minute, the news is the spoiling of our Spring 2016 set name: Shadows Over Innistrad. This likely implies yet another “return” set. It seems Wizards of the Coast is adopting this strategy of returning to every plane that has been successful sellers for them in the past. Coldsnap (sort of), Scars of Mirrodin, Return to Ravnica, Battle for Zenikar, and now Shadows over Innistrad.
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legendary creatures and planeswalkers will return in a new version.
Avacyn will probably part of the story, but I don’t think we should expect a reprint.
Think about Omnath, Drana,…
WOTC loves to do this, so I guess we’ll see more of this.
Agree 100%. We’ll see Liliana again, but probably not of the Veil. As you indicated, we’ll likely see Avacyn but probably not in the same form.
But something will get reprinted…something. No clue what, but we shall see…
Do you think there’s a high likeliness to see a reprint of Snapecaster here? Seems like it would better fit into a MM-like set, no?
Thanks!
Vince,
Snapcaster is VERY good. Perhaps too good for Standard, just like Liliana of the Veil? If so, then it’s highly unlikely Snappy returns.
If I still owned copies, I’d sell any extras I wasn’t using. But that’s driven more by an eagerness to take profits rather than a fear of imminent reprint. We all likely agree an eventual reprint is inevitable, but I am not nearly so sure it will be in Shadows over Innistrad. Gun to head, I’d say he won’t be in there.
Snapcaster wasn’t too powerful for standard last time. He was good, but he wasn’t the best or most common card in the format or anything. There weren’t many good cheap instants and sorceries in standard last time, meaning sometimes the best you could do was flashback a Gitaxian Probe or something.
The situation might be different now, but keep in mind BFZ is also a weaker set so the power level of standard has gone down. Snapcaster, as opposed to something like Thragtusk or Pack Rat, is better in formats where the power level is high, because he depends on having other good cards around to flashback.
Having Snapcaster with Treasure Cruise or Dig Through Time would be wayyyy too powerful for Standard, but both of those are rotating. So is Utter End. So what’s left? A sorcery speed Ruinous Path? Anticipate? Ultimate Price? Eh.
I think he could be reprinted without power level concerns. Doesn’t mean he will be, especially since he’s now a new promo and they surely want him in the next Modern Masters set.
I would definitely agree Snapcaster mage will not be in Shadows over Innistrad. My main reason is that it would put him in standard with Jace, who is powerful enough without instant speed. I can’t imagine 8 of those effects legal for 6 months. I have nothing to base any other speculation on, although I do think a Cavern of Souls reprint is coming soon and I have unloaded my copies.
Sig, almost all reprints tend to decrease or destroty the price of the original. One exception I can think of is Spellskite in MM2015, another is Goyf in MM 1. The other might be Mutavault…did Lorwyn Mutavault go up in price when it was reprinted in M14 because it became Standard legal and a 4 of in the best deck?? Is there anything that would not get destroyed by a reprint like Cavern, Huntmaster, Liliana, Geist, Resto angel, etc?
I’m kinda expecting a lot of reprints or reworking of old characters and cards. I think Wizards is struggling for ideas (thus the cut to 2 sets per block now and all the returns to previous realms). I would LOVE to see either Falkenrath or Cartel (Gatecrash) Aristocrat reprinted or something very similar (the flavor of Falkenrath was outstanding). I feel like Mikaeus, Olivia, Thalia, Avacyn, Griselbrand, Sigarda, etc will reappear in some fashion. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Flashback, Undying, and Morbid mechanics all over again too.
Does it not seem rather soon to be going back to Innistrad? Is Wizards really that strapped for ideas or do they really want reprints of Liliana out there? I don’t think Liliana is too good for standard (snappy is), and I remember all the rumors that she was going to be in M15 if it wasn’t for the fact that mono-black wasn’t so dominant. The RPTQ promo did not really hinder her price, it may have kept it from spiking but it didn’t bring it down. Other than Core Set Walkers has there been a walker that’s been reprinted with the same name and text box in Standard (thus excluding the MM reprinted walkers)?
Thanks Siggy, hope you had a good holiday weekend.
P.S. I’ve jokingly said that Elspeth is going to be brought back as the Mardu Walker eventually cause she’s going to be dead and pissed, so Sorin Solemn Visitor will be rotating out and maybe second set of the block Elspeth rises from the dead…maybe??? 🙂
that’s “destroy the price” in line 1, my bad