| Masters 25 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Set Information | |||||
| Set symbol | |||||
| Symbol description | 25 superimposed on the planeswalker symbol | ||||
| Design |
Adam Prosak (lead) Ethan Fleischer Matthew Danner Melissa DeTora Pete Ingram Yoni Skolnik | ||||
| Development |
Yoni Skolnik (lead) Ethan Fleischer Melissa DeTora | ||||
| Art direction | Mark Winters | ||||
| Release date | March 16, 2018 | ||||
| Themes and mechanics | Enchantment creatures, Flickering, Tapping and Untapping | ||||
| Keywords/ability words | Cycling and Landcycling, Morph and Megamorph | ||||
| Set size | 249 | ||||
| Expansion code | A25[2] | ||||
| Physical Masters series | |||||
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| Magic: The Gathering Chronology | |||||
| |||||
Masters 25 is a booster-based compilation set that was released on March 16, 2018.[3][4] It is designed to be drafted and celebrates twenty-five years of Magic: The Gathering.[5][6]
Set details
Masters 25 packaging
| “ | 25 Years in the Making! | ” |
Masters 25 contains 249 cards (101 common, 80 uncommon, 53 rare, and 15 mythic rare) and includes randomly inserted premium versions of all cards. The product contains 249 cards from across Magic 's entire history, a concept earlier seen in Eighth Edition. Cards from un-sets and the Reserved List are excluded.[7][8] The expansion symbol for this set is the planeswalker symbol with a 25 in front of it, slightly different from the symbol used for the 25th anniversary. Nearly every card in Masters 25 features a watermark, representing its original expansion symbol. This treatment is even used for cards first printed in Limited Edition (Alpha), using a Magic M as the watermark. Un-watermarkable cards like planeswalkers are excluded from this treatment.[9] The set features over 30 pieces of new Magic art and many pieces of new flavor text.[10][11]
Marketing
Like Iconic Masters, the release of this set forms part of the celebration of Magic's 25th anniversary. Like for other Masters series sets, the MSRP of one booster was set to $9.99. Unlike Modern Masters or Eternal Masters, this product is not geared to any specific format.[12] Every booster box of Masters 25 contains 24 booster packs — each with fifteen randomly inserted game cards, including one premium card in every pack. The 16-card boosters (the sixteenth card is a marketing card) feature artwork from Jace, the Mind Sculptor, Azusa, Lost but Seeking and Sundering Titan.
Magic Online
Masters 25 releases on Magic Online on March 16, 2018, the same day as the paper set.
Themes and mechanics
Masters 25 covers all of Magic's 25 years, with at least one card from all black bordered releases in those 25 years. Rather than focus on mechanics or archetypes as most Masters series products do, the set is focused on famous combos and iconic cards from the past to make the gameplay as high on nostalgia as possible.[13][14]
Reprints
The table below organizes every card from Masters 25 according to the black border set in which they were originally printed. While each set got at least one reprint, some sets (and blocks) were clearly prioritized over others in card selection due to a variety of factors (limited concerns, raising availability for non-rotating formats, overall financial value).
The most represented sets/block are Onslaught block (with 20 reprints), Time Spiral block (with 14 reprints), then Alpha (with 12 reprints). Check the "N° of cards" column for the full detail.
Changes in rarity
Common to Uncommon
- Exclude
- Freed from the Real
- Mesmeric Fiend
- Street Wraith
- Simian Spirit Guide
- Spikeshot Goblin
- Ancient Stirrings
- Fierce Empath
- Krosan Tusker
- Utopia Sprawl
- Blightning
- Quicksilver Dagger
- Perilous Myr
- Ash Barrens
Uncommon to Common
- Fencing Ace
- Geist of the Moors
- Renewed Faith
- Borrowing 100,000 Arrows
- Court Hussar
- Dragon's Eye Savants
- Ghost Ship
- Relentless Rats
- Ruthless Ripper
- Cinder Storm
- Crimson Mage
- Frenzied Goblin
- Hordeling Outburst
- Jackal Pup
- Pillage
- Skeletonize
- Ainok Survivalist
- Assembly-Worker
- Primal Clay
Uncommon to Rare
Uncommon to Mythic Rare
Rare to Common
Rare to Uncommon
- Kongming, "Sleeping Dragon"
- Promise of Bunrei
- Jalira, Master Polymorphist
- Ancient Craving
- Fallen Angel
- Undead Gladiator
- Will-o'-the-Wisp
- Ire Shaman
- Zada, Hedron Grinder
- Iwamori of the Open Fist
- Krosan Colossus
- Shadowmage Infiltrator
- Stangg
Rare to Mythic Rare
Mythic Rare to Rare
Cycles
Masters 25 has five horizontal cycles.
- Enemy filter lands: Originally printed in Eventide, each of these rare lands can be tapped for mana. They also have the ability "M/N,
: Add MM, MN, or NN to your mana pool." where M and N are two different colors — Fetid Heath (
), Cascade Bluffs (), Twilight Mire (), Rugged Prairie (), and Flooded Grove (). - Uncommon legendary creatures: A cycle of legendary monocolor creatures printed at uncommon. All but one were originally printed at rare — Kongming, "Sleeping Dragon" (), Jalira, Master Polymorphist (), Ihsan's Shade (), Zada, Hedron Grinder (), and Iwamori of the Open Fist ().
- While not part of the cycle, Stangg was also downshifted to uncommon.
- Basic landcyclers: Originally printed in Scourge, each of these common creatures cost M, and has basic landcycling for a corresponding land type — Noble Templar (), Shoreline Ranger (), Twisted Abomination (), Chartooth Cougar (), and Elvish Aberration ().
- Off-color commons: A loose cycle of common creatures or spells that grow more effective when played alongside an allied color — Knight of the Skyward Eye (), Court Hussar (), Returned Phalanx (), Skeletonize (), and Ember Weaver ().
- "Better in multiples" commons: A loose cycle of common creatures or spells that grow more effective when played in multiples — Squadron Hawk (), Accumulated Knowledge (), Relentless Rats (), Kindle (), and Timberpack Wolf ().
Mirrored pairs
There is one mirrored pair in Masters 25.
- Blasts: Originally printed in Alpha, these common modal instants (formerly interrupts), one blue and one red, both have a casting cost of M and can be cast to either destroy a permanent of the other's color or counter a spell of the other's color — Blue Elemental Blast and Red Elemental Blast.
Token cards
Masters 25 morph overlay card
The set comes with fifteen tokens.[15]
- 1/1 Spirit for Promise of Bunrei
- 4/4 Angel with Flying for Luminarch Ascension and Decree of Justice
- 1/1 Soldier for Decree of Justice and Darien. King of Kjeldor
- 1/1 Spirit with Flying for Dauntless Cathar
- 3/3 Fish for Reef Worm [16]
- 9/9 Kraken for Reef Worm
- 6/6 Whale for Reef Worm
- 1/1 Skeleton with ": Regenerate this creature." for Skeletonize
- 1/1 Goblin for Hordeling Outburst
- 0/1 Kobold for Prossh, Skyraider of Kher
- 1/1 Elf Warrior for Presence of Gond
- 1/1 Insect for Broodhatch Nantuko
- 2/2 Wolf for Master of the Wild Hunt
- 3/4 Human Warrior named Stangg Twin for Stangg
- Overlay card for morphed creatures.
Notable cards
- Jace, the Mind Sculptor — Considered to be the best planeswalker ever printed. Unbanned in the Modern format right before release of the set.[17]
- Azusa, Lost but Seeking — While not highly prized during Kamigawa block itself, her popularity soared alongside that of the Commander format, where she fueled powerful mana-ramping strategies (art from Judge Gift card)
- Imperial Recruiter from Portal Three Kingdoms, highly valued on the secondary market due to its scarcity.[18]
Cards with new art
- Angelic Page [11]
- Arcane Denial [10]
- Balduvian Horde [11]
- Blue Elemental Blast
- Broodhatch Nantuko
- Coalition Relic
- Dirge of Dread
- Doomsday [10]
- Elvish Aberration
- Ensnaring Bridge [10]
- Erg Raiders
- Exclude [11]
- Fierce Empath
- Flash
- Frenzied Goblin
- Ghost Ship
- Goblin War Drums [10]
- Imperial Recruiter
- Kavu Climber [11]
- Ihsan's Shade [10]
- Loyal Sentry
- Path of Peace
- Pillage [11]
- Red Elemental Blast
- Relentless Rats
- Renewed Faith [11]
- Rishadan Port
- Savannah Lions
- Shoreline Ranger
- Skirk Commando
- Spikeshot Goblin
- Stangg
- Sundering Titan
- Undead Gladiator [11]
- Unearth [11]
- Valor in Akros
- Willbender
- Zombify
Cards with new flavor text
- Balduvian Horde
- Ball Lightning
- Blue Elemental Blast
- Caustic Tar
- Cinder Storm (variant of original)
- Ensnaring Bridge
- Erg Raiders
- Exclude
- Flash
- Ghost Ship
- Giant Growth
- Goblin War Drums
- Hell's Caretaker (variant of original)
- Ihsan's Shade
- Imperial Recruiter
- Living Wish
- Loyal Sentry
- Lull
- Murder
- Nezumi Cutthroat (shortened)
- Path of Peace
- Pillage
- Red Elemental Blast
- Renewed Faith
- Savannah Lions
- Shoreline Ranger
- Simian Spirit Guide
- Spikeshot Goblin
- Sundering Titan
- Undead Gladiator
- Unearth
- Valor in Akros
- Will-o’-the-Wisp [11]
Cards with centered rules text
- Arbor Elf
- Armageddon
- Blood Moon
- Brainstorm
- Counterspell
- Dark Ritual
- Diabolic Edict
- Pyroclasm
- Regrowth
- Swords to Plowshares
- Vindicate
References
- ↑ Product Information
- ↑ [1]
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- ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (June 22, 2017). "". Tumblr.
- ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (June 22, 2017). "". Tumblr.
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- ↑ SaffronOlive (March 05, 2018). "Not All Reprints Are Created Equal", Mtggoldfish.com