New Horizons: Commander Masters Decks
The four preconstructed decks releasing with
If that first sentence was anything to go by, then my opinion on these decks should be clear.
They are currently highly overpriced, with not enough meaningful reprints included to attract significant attention. The current pricing is already showing a significant reduction in trended prices for all the decks.
Setting pricing aside, the decks are also lacking thematic attractiveness, with the Eldrazi Unbound deck being the worst offender. It contains only ten Eldrazi cards, with only one of the “titans” being reprinted. The Slivers deck is missing
Discussing the missing cards and what should have been included could be an extensive topic. However, beyond suggesting potential upgrades for these lists, there is no point in dwelling on it further.
Out With the Old
Each of the decks contains only 10 new cards, leaving us with 90 reprints to contemplate.
Looking over the complete lists, the included reprints typically fall into the bulk classification of cards. There aren't many cards here that have caught my attention, nor is there anything justifying the purchase. The hypothesis of at least one notable reprint per deck, as seen in the LOTR release, is not recurring here. Each deck has at least one card that is more memorable than the rest. However, this doesn't leave much to say about the other 89 cards, which feel subpar in contrast to the underlying power creep in casual settings.
Among the reprints that stood out to me, there's
In With the New
Let's move on to the new and exciting cards included in the decks. First on the chopping block are the face commanders. In terms of monetary value and playability, there isn't much sensation here. Both the planeswalker and enchantment deck face cards are run-of-the-mill and don't really attract attention. However, the opposite is true for the Eldrazi and Sliver commanders.
Starting with
Lastly, we have the
These cards set a new standard for what a creature typal commander can and should be able to do.
For Those Who Wait
From the playables and outside of the hype that
Conclusion
The decks included in the Commander Masters release are premium, but lack sufficient value. It’s advisable to avoid them until their price becomes more manageable. As for the face cards within these decks, if you wish to utilize them without incurring significant costs on individual cards, a more affordable option is to acquire sturdy display cards. While these cards cannot be used in tournament play, it's important to note that the vast majority of Commander players don’t participate in such competitive events.
Personally, I’d recommend giving the decks and singles some time to stabilize and find their place, or lack thereof, in the metagame. Fluctuations in price will likely become more distinguishable in the upcoming weeks. Hopefully we won't see another Commander release like this in the foreseeable future.
In the next edition of New Horizons, we'll retell stories from Wilds of Eldraine.
Check out these articles:
A Penny Saved, An Exchange Earned by Ryan Cole
Dinos and Merfolk and Pirates, Oh My! (Also Vampires) by Adam Berg
Modern Times - Pro Tour: LOTR by Corey Williams
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.