New Horizons - Commander Masters

02 Aug
by Matt Grzechnik

The next addition to Magic: the Gathering’s compilation sets is Commander Masters, which offers players a wide range of reprints, alternate art treatments, and several changes in card rarity. However, the reception of the set has been underwhelming due to several factors, such as the lack of quality in reprints and the increasing base price for the product. Many have compared this set with previous lackluster releases like Iconic Masters. 

While I am disenchanted and shocked by the total number of cards present, inclusive of variations at #1067, there are some small redeeming factors to the set.

Broadly speaking, one of these factors is the decrease in singles prices that the reprints will provide.

Additionally, this release feels largely like an EDH Core set, which could provide a good entry point for budding players looking to pick up some singles or add a bit of flair to their decks. 

From my perspective, this is one of those products that will fade into memory quite quickly and will be avoided by the majority of the players. Having marked a few cards from the $20-30 range in my alerts, I’ll be waiting until the imminent price drop due to mass openings.

Profiles and Breakthroughs 

A positive addition is the set's inclusion of both the “profile” legends, as well as the borderless and border-breaking cards. While these cards serve as your typical lottery ticket inclusions, there is a benefit to having them around. For each minuscule chance of somebody opening Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger in profile foil, many others will stumble across just the regular version, thus increasing the overall supply of the card outside of the chase variants. 

Reviewing the list of reprinted cards in the set, there are some good pickups scattered around that are more deserving than others. Smothering Tithe and Demonic Tutor jump at me as good candidates to be reprinted into oblivion. Both are well-defined cards with precise functions and uses, but they also make a large difference once played, when compared to budget alternatives. These are also cards that continue to increase in popularity due to being so firmly embedded in EDH culture. 

Outside of chase cards, there is also the other side of the coin, which is the presence of predominantly bulk cards. The likes of Teysa Karlov and Talrand, Sky Summoner in the set bring down the value of packs and boxes and gently remind us to just buy singles.

Tour de France of Cycles

Cycles have been a part of Magic since Alpha Edition and show no signs of being ending.

Ranging from spell to creature cycles, they provide a captivating design space for cards relating to each other in function or flavor. In this set, there are three cycles that have caught my attention. 

Firstly, we have the planeswalkers that can be your commanders, harkening back to a time when Commander decks were released once a year. This well-priced inclusion doesn't serve to reduce the value of any cards but creates a more engrossing limited experience. 

What interests me more is the Medallion cycle. From Emerald Medallion at $9.98 to Jet Medallion at $23.69 these cards can significantly boost the power of your deck at a small scale. Swapping your Sky Diamond for a Sapphire Medallion in a mono-colored deck is a substantial upgrade, akin to changing your Diabolic Tutor for a Demonic one. 

Emerald Medallion (Foil Etched)

Lastly, there are the ‘free as long as you control your commander’ spells.

For some time, Fierce Guardianship at $33.72 has been recognized as a potential must-include at certain levels of play. Not far behind, Deflecting Swat at $32.00 and Deadly Rollick at $19.56 have been gaining more attention in recent times. Since these have only been printed in Commander 2020 before, they make for a well-selected addition that will help dwindle their overall price.

All That is Pauper 

Usually, going over downshifts in rarity is not high on the personal to-do list when a set releases. However, enough is going on in Commander Masters that a shakeup in the Pauper metagame may be in order. While unquestionably not the most expensive or explosive format, there is still room for some conjecture. So without further delay, let's talk about some cards. 

Starting with Dread Return, which has seen more than its fair share of reprints and a ban in Modern. Now, being acquainted with the Pauper meta, especially with Lotleth Giant and Mire Triton, there could be a new deviation of Dredge on the horizon. But the adoption of Dread Return doesn't just end there, as a few Golgari Reanimator lists are running around as well. The mystery lies in which other decks might require Dread Return due to the prevalence of Exhume in lists that care about graveyard recursion, and Reanimator strategies not breaking through to Tier 1.

Next on the list, we have All That Glitters, which will find a sturdy place in Bogles. This is the second reprint of the card outside of The List, and the graph data shows an overall pattern of incrementation in price over time since Throne of Eldraine. With a borderless alternative being introduced, I suspect the price will continue to steadily rise in the coming months. The same logic applies to Dread Return, which has also received the same treatment. 

Conclusion 

Commander Masters is a shallow return to a more underpowered and overvalued product release. Following the price hikes from Lord of the Rings and the abundance of bulk, this set will quickly fade as we collectively move on to the next release. While the hope of a true and unique Commander product is slowly fading, there are still some cards included here that can spark a bit of excitement upon opening. 

The long-lasting effects on prices will remain to be observed in the upcoming months as more packs inevitably get opened. Additionally, the Pauper metagame will adjust to accommodate the new downshifts. Personally, I plan to remain firm on price alerts and will avoid speculation on the rest of the set. 

Next time on New Horizons we’ll be reviewing new cards from the accompanying Commander desks.

Check out these other articles:

New Tool Alert! by Jason Alt

Modern Times - Aftermath's Aftermath by Corey Williams

Where Are They Now? - July 2023 by Ryan Cole

Matt Grzechnik
Matt Grzechnik

Matt Grzechnik started playing Magic with the release of Dragon's Maze. Since then he has tried and experimented with all of the formats before discovering his love for EDH and Pauper. Piloting the same Jund deck for the last 10 years, he now tries to both understand and break Sealed as a format.


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